TAKE THOUGHT / I WON'T TAKE THAT THOUGHT

This is the 3^rd of 7 devotions with the theme

from 1 Corinthians 13:5

"Love Is Not Touchy" / "Love Is Not Easily Offended"

  

TAKE THOUGHT
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Matthew 5; Matthew 6:34;

Romans 12:17; Phillipians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

When someone expresses anger or rudeness, we have a natural tendency to react with the same action that has been expressed toward us. However, that is the very moment when we should do what Jesus said to do:

“Don’t return evil for evil. Overcome evil with good.”

Paul wrote to the Romans:

“Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all “

When someone says something rude and a reactionary thought comes to me, that is when I say to myself, “No, I am not going to take that thought”. Then I instruct my mind to take the thoughts of forgiveness and grace.

Recently someone slighted us financially. At first we felt violated but then we began to process it in love. We thought of the kindness and generosity that person has shown us in the past and began to thank God for those blessings. We sowed the balance of what we should have been paid as our seed back into their lives.

For a few days thoughts and feelings of being violated came back to us, but we instructed our minds to not take those thoughts.” We speak this for however long it takes to realign our hearts with love toward this person.

My child, when life happens to you today, commit your mind to be on guard concerning thoughts. Do not take the thoughts that may come natural to you. Take the thoughts that are honest, proper and noble. If there is any virtue, think on those things. When someone takes advantage of you, give advantage to them and turn it around to be a blessing to them. By doing this you will give no place to the enemy. As you dwell and continue in love, you dwell and continue in me and I dwell and continue in you.

© LoveWalkPublishing Devotion authored by RebeccaAnnCooley

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I WON’T TAKE THAT THOUGHT

(Adapted from Matthew 5; Mathew 6:34;

Romans 12:17; Phillipians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Verse:

When someone is rude,

At first I want to react with the same action

That they expressed toward me

Chorus:

But I won’t take that thought

I cast it down

But I won’t take that thought

I cast it down

But I won’t take that thought

I stay inside of love and thing about good things

I stay inside of love

And bless those who curse me

© LoveWalkMusic WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley 

ESCAPING THE BAIT OF OFFENSE / Beware Of Offense

This is the 2^nd of 7 devotions with the theme

From 1 Corinthians 13:5

"Love Is Not Touchy" / “Love Is Not Easily Offended”

ESCAPING THE BAIT OF OFFENSE

(Adapted from Matthew 24:10; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

The enemy’s full time job is to undo and disengage the works of God in our lives. He is constantly at work trying to reverse love in us. One of his major tactics is the use of offense. Offense is used as a bait to disengage love in us and set up hate.

The first thing the enemy tries to do is to get us to distrust others. Then he attempts to seal our fate by getting us to distrust or accuse God. For example, Job’s wife had seen enough of what her husband was going through and she took the bait of the enemy and took offense at his trials. She became offended at God!

Have you ever heard someone insult God because of something the enemy has done? Have you heard someone say, “God could have prevented that!” or “Why did God let this happen?” These are offense baits that the enemy uses to drain our love and replace it with hate.

Jesus warned us about this,

“Many will be offended and repelled

and will begin to distrust and desert Him

whom they ought to trust and obey.

They will stumble and fall away and betray one another

and pursue one another with hatred.”

Father, I am not in the number who will become offended and desert You. I trust and I obey You. I do not and will not take the bait of the enemy. I allow You to set up love in my heart and life. I give You permission to correct me when I am wrong. I align my heart up with truth and love. Thank you for Your promises and Your faithfulness to make good Your promises as I follow You on the straight and narrow path of love.

© LoveWalkPublishing

Devotion authored by RebeccaAnnCooley

Click here to view today's video on youtube

BEWARE OF OFFENSE

Devotion: The Bait of the Enemy

(Adapted from Matthew 24:10; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Chorus:

Beware of offense,

It is a trap to undo your faith

Beware of offense,

It is a trap to undo the love of God within you

working through you

Verse 1:

Many will be offended

And repelled and distrust and desert Him

Whom they ought to trust and obey

And will stumble and fall away

And betray one another

And pursue one another with hatred

Verse 2:

Job’s wife came to him with forbidden fruit just like Eve did

Why don’t you just curse God and die

Job replied; “This is not like you

You talking like a foolish woman

Though God slay me yet I will trust him

Bridge:

I won’t be offended at anything

I will keep my faith strong

I will put my faith in You

I will put my trust in you

© LoveWalkMusic

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

Click here to view today's video on youtube

IT’S NOT ABOUT ME / No Offense

This is the 1^st of 7 devotions with the theme

From 1 Corinthians 13:5

"Love Is Not Touchy”

Or

“Love Is Not Easily Offended”

NO OFFENSE 

(Adapted from 1 Cor. 13:5; Proverbs 17:9, 19:11)

“Do not be offended at anything. It’s not about you.” God spoke these words to me as soon as I arrived at a church to take the position of minister of music several years ago. Later, I found out that two ministers of music before me left offended. Because of this instruction from the Lord, I constantly reminded my worship team, “It’s not about me.” I encouraged them to not allow offense. I was put to the test in this many times during my service there. But because I had made a quality decision to not be offended, I feel that I guided the music department to not be touchy and when I left there it was on good terms. Later, someone said the Lord used me to be a stabilizing force in that church and He tore down strongholds of offense there.

When attitudes are not right, I cannot change someone’s way of thinking. I have no control over what someone will say or think. But I can speak to myself and instruct myself to say, “It’s not about me. I will allow offense” When I make a quality decision to not be offended, this realigns me with love and gets me back on the love walk. This is a daily decision!

Lord, I know it’s not about me. But I still tend to center on myself at times. I need the Holy Spirit’s help to keep me from stumbling with offense on the love walk. Thank you for your power that works in me daily to realign me with love.

Child, I am not touchy and I live inside of you. I ignore evil that is hurled at me and I pay no attention to suffered wrongs. I will help you to cover and forgive offenses with love. Listen for my prompting to let go and forget. It will be to your glory to overlook a transgression or an offense. Gentleness and calmness prevent and put a stop to great offenses. As you walk past offense on the road of love, you will achieve enjoyment and prosperity. You will also walk in my favor.

© LoveWalkPublishing

Devotion authored by KentCliffordCooley

Click here to view today's video

IT’S NOT ABOUT ME

Devotion: It’s Not about Me

(Adapted from 1 Cor. 13:5; Proverbs 17:9, 19:11)

Verse:

When I tend to offend

When I tend to be offended, I’ll instruct my mind

I will realign myself with love (repeat 4 times)

Chorus:

It’s not about me (repeat)

I won’t be offended at anything

Bridge: Love is not touchy (repeat)

© LoveWalkMusic

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

LOVE LEADS US 2 INTEGRITY / Crossroads

This is a devotion with the theme

from 1 Corinthians 13:5

"Love Is Not Self Seeking”

LOVE LEADS US 2 INTEGRITY
by
Rebecca Cooley

Adapted from John 14:15; 15:10; Psalm 119:127; Mark 12:31; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Lord, I want to love You more. How can I love You more?

If you really love Me, you will obey My commands. If you keep My commandments and you continue to obey My instructions, you will abide in My love and live on it in.

Lord, every day I surrender my heart and my will to You. I keep Your commandments and live by Your Word. When I mess up, I humble myself and talk to You about it. I seek Your presence every day. I receive grace and mercy from You every day. But Lord, how can I express my love to You even more?

Child of mine, the greatest commandment is walking in love. When you choose to walk your life every day in love, you are not only obeying the Scriptures but You are worshiping Me. There is no commandment greater than this. When you love and respect people, you are expressing love and respect to Me and I see this as faith.

Lord, I love Your commandments more than gold and more than money. Yes, Lord, even more than perfectly refined gold and more than anything this world has to offer. I will choose to do what is best for others rather than myself. I choose selflessness and in this way I am expressing my love for You.

© LoveWalkPublishing

Devotion Authored by RebeccaAnnCooley

AllRightsReserved

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CROSSROADS

(Adapted from John 14:15; 15:10; Psalm 119:127; Mark 12:31; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Verse:

On life’s journey, when life happens to me,

I find myself at a crossroads again

One path is the path of selfishness

The other is the path of selflessness

Chorus:

Lord, I choose selflessness

Lord, I choose righteousness

Lord, I choose integrity

[Lord, I chose what is good and is right in Your sight (3X)]

Lord, I chose to walk in love

Bridge:

Lord, I love You with all my heart,

With all my mind, with all my strength

Lord, I love my neighbor even as myself

Lord, I chose to walk in love

Lord, I chose to walk in love

© LoveWalkMusic

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

AllRightsReserved

LOVE IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY / Walk & Live In Love

This is a devotion
and music video
with the theme from
1 Corinthians 13:4 And Galatians 5:22
"The Fruit of the Spirit is Love"
"Our Love 4 One Another"

LOVE IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY
by
Rebecca Cooley
(Adapted from 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:14-16; Lev 19:18)

“So faith, hope, love abide . . . . but the greatest of these is love –

the true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us.”

“You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

I so want to keep these commandments of God. I want to make these commandments my highest priority because I want to please my Creator whom I am in love with and show Him the highest respect and honor. And as I make these commandments first place in my life, I open doors of blessings that no enemy can stop.

The way that God’s love operates through me to affect those around me, hinges on these truths. When I walk in love toward another person, I am placing value on their life.  When I do this, I create an atmosphere around me of the presence of God. I don’t have to be concerned about what I am going to do to change the world or make a difference in my community. I don’t have to pray for hours for God to change a situation. As I walk in these two commandments, God walks with me and the atmosphere around me becomes full of His presence and He does the work. He walks through the doors of love that I create.

Father, thank you for the revelation of your greatest commandment. I choose to give you a place in my heart and in my life to work and move on the behalf of others. I will create an atmosphere of Your divine presence around me today by walking in love toward others.

© LoveWalkPublishing 

Authored by Rebecca Cooley

All Rights Reserved

Click here to view today's music video on youtube

WALK And LIVE IN LOVE

Devotion: Love Is Our Highest Priority

(1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:14-16; Lev 19:18)

Verse:

The whole Law concerning human relationships is complied in the one precept,

You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.

Verse 2:

The whole Law concerning human relationships is complied in this one precept,

But if you bite and devour one another in partisan strife,

Be careful that you and your whole fellowship are not consumed by one another.

Chorus:

But I say walk and live responsive and controlled and guided by the Spirit

But I say walk and live , walk and live, walk and live in love

© LoveWalkPublishing 
WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

All Rights Reserved

THE INVITATION / Come Unto Me

This is the 1st of 1 devotions with the theme

"The Feast Of Tabernacles"

The Invitation
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from John 5:40, 7:37; Matthew 11:28; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

“You search and investigate 
and pore over the Scriptures diligently

because you suppose 
and trust that you have eternal life through them.

And these very Scriptures testify about Me!

And still you are not willing, but refuse to come to Me

so that you might have life.”

Within this rebuke was a subtle invitation to come to Jesus. If they would listen to the words of the Master, they would hear again and again this invitation.

“Come unto me,

all you that labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.”

Still another time, on a day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

Father, forgive me for being religious and not coming to You just as I am with my burdens, my issues and my concerns. I choose to come now and roll all of my care over on You. I will obey Your voice and come unto You.

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COME UNTO ME

(Adapted from Isaiah 42:3, 53:5; John 5:40, 7:37; Matthew 11:28; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Verse 1:

There’s nothing so strong as gentleness

There’s nothing so gentle as real strength

There’s no one so gentle or strong as the One

Called the lowly Nazarene

Chorus:

Come unto me; Come unto me

When the storm clouds rise

Feel the rain come down

And the strong wind blows

Hear the thunder role

There is an answer, Jesus said, Come unto me

Verse 2:

A bruised reed shall He not break

A smoking flax shall He not quench

The wounded spirit He mends with His love

And rekindles the fire again

Verse 3:

He was wounded for our transgressions

And bruised for our iniquities

He’s a man with sorrows acquainted with grief

He can feel your infirmities

Verse 4:

For I am meek and lowly apart

And you shall find rest for your souls

My yoke is easy; My burden is light

How I long to make you whole

©WordsAndMusic by MikeShreve

www.shreveministries.org