Danielle Nicole Marsala-Spratt, was born April 28, 1985 in St Louis, MO to Anthony and Sandra [Dailey] Marsala. She left us on Sept 10, 2014 at DePaul Hospital. Survived by her parents: Tony and Sandra Marsala; one brother: Anthony Jr [Moriah] and one sister: Sara Marsala; three children: Cam'ron, Kyron, Giovanni; one niece and one nephew; fiancé, Tony Bell; and her Grandmother, Evon Dailey
I CORINTHIANS 13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
INTRODUCTION:
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The older we get, the more of life we experience, the more we understand the Apostle’s expression—
NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
· “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (NIV);
· “For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as [a]in a riddle or enigma]” (Amplified Bible);
· “Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity” (NLT);
· We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. (The Message)
Like so many other inspired passages of Scriptures, the Apostle’s Paul’s observation--“Now we see through a glass darkly,” is a truth with many layers.
There is so much that we only glimpse, or faintly see.
It is true of our perceptions of our physical universe.
It is true of our understanding of history.
It is true of our relations with each other—we never get the full story—
It is true in our knowledge of things eternal—spiritual truth.
We are looking only in a mirror with reflections—that are not perfectly clear.
It is true in our understanding of things present. Not only what is happening, but why things are happening the way that are, is beyond our understanding.
We often find ourselves asking “why this?”, or “why did that happen?” And in our human finitude we are often driven to acknowledge that we do not understand.
And then as we advance in years, our physical strength wanes, often disease clouds our thinking, and all that seemed dark and mysterious before, seems even more so.
We see through a glass darkly.
Indeed, those who profess with foolish pride, to see and to understand the greatest mysteries, err—and err dangerously.
The Apostle Paul was no intellectual lightweight. He was highly educated, widely travelled, and deeply schooled in the wisdom of God’s Word, yet he confessed, “We see through a glass darkly,” and “I know in part.”
The sooner we can acknowledge our own finitude, our limitations, our weaknesses, and the sooner we will recognize our need of Christ—the way, the truth, and the life!
Oh, for clearer vision! Oh, for more perfect knowledge!
I MAY NOT KNOW ALL THE WHAT’S,
I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE WHY’S,
(CERTAINLY I DO NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE WHY’S THAT BROUGHT US HERE TODAY)
BUT THERE ARE SOME THING WE CAN KNOW:
WE KNOW THAT GOD, THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US!
Psalm 46:9-11King James Version (KJV)
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
WE KNOW THAT GOD IS FOR US!
3Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
WE KNOW THAT OUR REDEEMER LIVES! - We serve a risen Savior!
Job 19:24-26
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
WE KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life… JOHN 3:16
WE KNOW THAT GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP US. HE LIFTS US! (2 TIM 1:12, JUDE 23)
2 Timothy 1:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day
Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
WE KNOW THAT ALL CAN ALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS…
IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT…
IF WE LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL…
WE KNOW THAT THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH WILL DO RIGHT
Genesis 18:24-26King James Version (KJV)
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.