Home

II Cor. 5:9

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him.

 

I don't need to be concerned about the destruction of my earthly home, my earthly body. If disease or affliction ravage it, it is of no consequence because I have a heavenly home, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. While I am still in this body-home, I groan for that heavenly life so that my mortality may be swallowed by life, a life where I am no longer plagued by sin and weakness, a life where I will be praising my God eternally. Who has given me this great gift of life in heaven? God Himself! How can I be assured  of this home? He has given me the indwelling Holy Spirit as a guarantee. He teaches, convicts, guides, leads, and intercedes for me. He grows me into my life in Christ. So whether I am at home in this body, or I am at home in heaven, I can be courageous because God Himself has formed my life plan. Wherever I am, it is my goal to please Him!

 

I know that this passage makes all this clear, and I know equally well how frustrating and defeating it is to be plagued by sin, but still at the same time, there is a strong pull for this life, for family and friends, for milestones and memories, and for meaning and purpose. Why am I so rooted in this life? I know that I will have to trust God that His timing will be best for me. I will have to trust Him for the grace to have a joyous heart, but this recent bout with my disease has made me see so clearly how I long for the things I would miss if He were to take me home today. At the same time, I think of the glories of heaven! How small are the milestones of life in comparison to the glories of heaven.! How strong is my puny flesh! 

 

Father,

Strengthen me according to Your power, according to Your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Fill me with Your knowledge in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so I might walk in a manner worthy of You, fully pleasing to You bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Focus my eyes on You constantly. Take them off my earthly home.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Favorite Verses

II Cor. 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in out bodies.

 

What a glorious treasure of grace! His grace and love indwell my mortal clay. He gives me purpose and meaning and takes away the sting of death and sin. Even in the face of affliction, perplexing details and situations, persecution, and physical abuse, He is there always to show that the surpassing power belongs to Him. How important to remember when life becomes a hard patch! Even though I only have a jar of clay to bring to God, am I willing to surrender it to God? At times, many, including myself, have held on to that clay with all our might. What is so scary about surrender? I mean what God is going to do, He will do regardless of my grip on my jar. How we kid ourselves into thinking that anything we do determines our way! I am thinking that all these negatives that come my way in life are to make me identify with the body of Jesus' suffering so that I can rid myself of sin and live in His new resurrection life.

 

II Cor. 4:16-18

 

So we do not lose hope. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

 

It seems to follow that after affliction, being perplexed, persecution, and being struck down, someone could lose hope. But God says no! He puts it all in perspective. Our outer self is wasting away; in fact, everyone's body is from the moment of birth. However, it does seem like when the circumstances are right, the wasting is accelerated. But not to worry. As the outer wastes, the inner is being renewed. God is preparing us for that eternal weight of glory. How weighty it must be!! Unimaginable!! I think the wasting away takes my gaze off the temporal and puts it on the eternal. All the affliction, being perplexed, persecution, and being struck down have a greater purpose, that is to shift my eyes to what is really important, to the eternal things and to prepare me for glory.

 

I  love these two passages! How comforting to my soul!

 

Father,

Thank You for the gift of Your word and for giving me perspective about my life and my disease. I trust You Lord, but does that mean that I won't feel bad about those I am leaving behind? Lord, comfort my heart as only You, the Father of all comfort, can do. Continue to prepare me for that eternal weight of glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Our Sufficiency is from God

II Cor. 3:5

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

 

Written on the Human Heart

 

The believer's ministry and work is not evaluated or assessed in the same way as man's work. Our letters of recommendation are living, seen in the hearts of those who come to know and love Jesus written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. How glorious is that! This amazing work in the heart of man is done by grace alone. Even though it happens in the heart of man and changes the course of man's life, it is not caused by man, grown by man, nor are the results from man. It is all of grace! What a Savior we have! What a work by the Spirit of the Lord!

 

The Veil Removed

 



This great work of the Spirit of God also removes the veil that was over our eyes. Where concepts and relationships were cloudy and out-of-reach, now there is clarity. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Our lives have gone from slavery to freedom and from one degree of glory to another. The transformed lives and glory we experience here are but a precursor, a foretaste of what is yet to come. In fact, this foretaste becomes our hope, our constant focus, and our reason for staying the course. Without the veil, I can visualize the city whose builder and maker is God. I can hear the great chorus of the saints singing, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Blessing, and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen! And I can look forward to joining the song!

 

Father,

What a glorious hope and transformation! My heart is full of praise! Give me Your grace and strength to rid myself of myself! Reveal to me wherever and whenever 'I' surface and try and take control.

In Jesus name,

Amen



The Fragrance

II Cor. 2:15-16

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

 

Thanks be to God who gives me the victory! He leads me in a triumphal procession not on the merits of anything that I have done but all because of what Christ has done. In this procession of victory He spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere through me. This is my mission! I am to walk victoriously spreading the fragrance of Christ. I am the aroma of Christ to those being saved and to those who are perishing. I no longer smell of rebellious independence, competitive church works, or of cheapened grace, but I am to smell of the Son of God and His great amazing grace. It is this fragrance that is pleasing to God. It is this fragrance that brings life. Paul asked, Who is sufficient to these things? Who can possibly accomplish such a great task? His answer was that we are not peddlers of God's word using it to increase prosperity or personal power, but we are men of sincerity, commissioned by God to speak of Christ. This is not only true for Paul, but for me. I am to be sincere in all that I say, think, do, feel, and through this sincerity of heart I must speak the truth with the aroma of Christ wafting around me and drawing others to Himself.  

 

Father,

Draw me so close that I radiate the aroma of the sweet Savior. Teach me how to be His fragrance bearer so that He may draw to Himself those the Father has called.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Comfort and Mercy

II Cor. 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

I bless God for His comfort and mercy! But at the same time I remember that He is not only the God and Father of all comfort and mercy, but He is also the God of affliction, justice, and judgment.  Would comfort and mercy mean anything without affliction, adversity, disease, persecution, etc.? No, there would be no reason for comfort and mercy. His comfort allows us to comfort others because we have experienced the same comfort ourselves. The principle is: as believers share abundantly in His sufferings so through Christ they share abundantly in His comfort. This is the abundant life, not the absence of suffering because we are His children or because He is the God of love, but instead the comfort and mercy to handle this suffering. It is all through Christ! Through Christ I live and die, I suffer and am comforted, and I share in other's sufferings  and their comfort! Why all this suffering and comforting? The answer is simple: so that we rely not on ourselves but on God...On Him I set my hope! God wants my complete and utter dependence!

Father,
As I face these health obstacles, I declare my dependence on You. I need Your comfort and mercy at this time. Like Jesus said, Let the cup pass from me, but if not Your will. Unite my heart to fear Your name. Mold my mind with Yours. May I be strengthened with all power, according to Hi glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
In His name,
Amen



Befitting

Ps. 93:5

Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits Your house, O Lord, forevermore.

 

As I read this, I wondered about the word 'befit,' I found that it meant to satisfy, suffice; function, or work. Holiness satisfies the house of God in the fact that God is holiness, but I think suffice has the better meaning for this verse. Holiness suffices. It fills until there is no more filling. It completes until there is nothing missing. In God's house holiness is all and in all. God is holy and His holiness can allow for nothing other than holiness to be in His presence.

 

In Old Testament times, the people offered sacrifices for their sins. They could come to the house of God but not in the house of God because the sacrifices they offered were not complete or whole. Consequently, hey had to offer sacrifices repeatedly. But Christ came and changed that completely. His sacrifice was once for all. His blood covered my sin and allowed me entrance to the house of God as a son and as a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Was this because of anything that I had done? No, it is only because of the grace of God. On His standing alone I am holy and can come into the House of God. His holiness in me befits the house of God. How gracious is His grace!

 

Father,

Thank You so much for the gift of Jesus, for His once for all sacrifice, and for His holiness becoming mine so that I could come into Your presence. Teach me to live in the reality of my redemption and ownership.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 



Ever Green and Full of Sap

Ps. 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Lord, to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness at night.

 

It is good to praise God! He loved me so much that He sent His Son to earth to take on Himself the penalty for my sin. In this act of sacrificial love, He died and rose again conquering death and then rose again in newness of life thus allowing me to die to sin and rise in newness of life. His life for mine! This is steadfast love and faithfulness!

 

His works are great and His thoughts deep, so much so that I cannot comprehend them. But I take these things by faith. I trust Him with all of my life, the pain as well as the good days. Even in old age and disease He has a purpose for me, a glorious purpose. My health or my fleeting days are ever full of sap and green. I will continue to bear fruit for Him! This is my life! He is my all!

 

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Father,
Grow me into this life. Keep me green and full of sap, constantly bearing fruit. Thank You for Your great love and faithfulness.
In His name,
Amen



Dwelling

Ps. 91: 1

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

How wonderful to be so close to the Almighty! But how important is dwelling! Jn. 15 says Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me...for apart from Me you can do nothing. Without Him I am powerless, weak, and susceptible to the snares of the devil. But in Him, I have a refuge,and a fortress.  He is my God in whom I trust. He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. I will be covered with His pinions and under His wings I will find refuge. I need not fear the terror by night, the arrow,  the pestilence, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. These images need not be merely images of actual war. They are very real terms describing life with its spiritual battles, its diseases, its adversities, and its persecutions. But because I dwell in Him, I have this treasure in jars of clay, to show the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. I am afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. How blessed am I!

 

Father,

Thank You for reassuring my heart this morning, for drawing me safely in Your protection, and for flooding me with Your grace to that I might carry in my body His death and His life.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Corporate Worship

I Cor. 14:26c

Let all things be done for building up.

I Cor. 14:40

But all things should be done decently and in order.

 

 

Paul's teaching about corporate worship reveals 2 very important principle: whatever is done needs to  edify and be orderly. Paul urged the people to pursue love because above all other things love binds believers together in perfect harmony. Apparently, the Corinthian believers were really into spiritual gifts especially tongues. Paul explained that if you have the gift of tongues without interpretation, it has no function in corporate worship. While on the other hand, the one who prophesies edifies the people by up-building, encouragement, and consolation. The major principle is edification of the body as opposed to personal gratification. So Paul encouraged the church to strive to excel in building up the church. Paul personally stated, Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than 10,000 words in a tongue.

 

In addition to this, tongues were given for unbelievers (Pentecost) while prophesy was given for believers. If unbelievers come into the church and all the members are in their own private tongues experience, what will the unbelievers think? Perhaps, you are out of your minds! But if there is prophesy, the unbeliever can hear the words, be convicted, held to account with his secrets disclosed, and fall on his face worshiping God. His life can be transformed!

 

Finally, whatever you bring to corporate worship, whether a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done decently and in order. If there is no interpreter, then the gift of tongues should stay quiet. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. What about women? They too should remain quiet in church, and in submission be taught by their husbands at home. How much of our culture has changed this perspective? Something that needs more prayer and study! In conclusion: all things should be done decently and in order.

 

Father,

Keep my heart focused on You and on building others up in the body. Give me your peace so that my life would be one of order and my presence in the body would be one of order.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Practical Love

I Cor. 13:8

Love never ends...

 

I haven't been writing for a bit because I have been in rough patch health-wise which landed me in the hospital. But God ministered to my heart today through my daily reading in I Cor. 13. What a glorious chapter! In the lives of so many of my fellow believers, I saw this chapter lived out on a practical level. How glorious to be part of a body that cares so much!

 

• Love is patient and kind ;[honoring an other's needs before self.]
• love does not envy or boast [content in any and every situation God puts in my life even staying in the hospital and worsening health issues.]
•  It is not arrogant or rude, [does not expect special treatment even when sick; no allowances for being grouchy]
• It does not insist on its own way [ it is not focused on personal needs only but seeks to meet other's needs even while other's are meeting your needs.]
• It is not irritable or resentful [when the diagnosis comes down, I accept what God has given me as His good for me.]
• It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. [I keep my eyes focused on Him and don't for a moment allow myself self-pity or despair. I rejoice in God's truth alone.]
• Love bears all things, [suffering, pain, hardship, adversity]
• believes all things,[focuses on the promises of God and clings to them] 
• hopes all things, [Looks forward to the city who builder and maker is God. Wait expectantly for Christ's return.]
• endures all things. [Until He changes my life, I endure through His grace and strength alone.]

Thank You God for the gift of this glorious love! ..But the greatest of these is love. .

 

Father,

Help me live in the reality of Your love. Thank You for all the loving hands you sent my way.  

In Jesus name,

Amen

Fear

Judges 6:23

But the Lord said to him, Peace be with you. Do not fear. You shall not die.

 

How wonderful that God can use someone who is so fearful! The Israelites had done evil in the sight of God so the Lord had given them into the hand of the Midianites. These evil people devoured all the crops so much so that the Israelites had to live in caves in the mountains. The Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah where Gideon was beating out the wheat to hide it in the wine press.

 

The angel of the Lord addressed Gideon as a mighty man of valor saying the Lord was with him. But Gideon wondered how that could be since the Lord had given them over to the Midianites. The Lord spoke to him directly saying, Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you? God obviously knew what was deep inside Gideon to call him a mighty man of valor because his fear took hold many times throughout his journey of saving Israel from Midian. 

 

Excuses and fear...yet God used Gideon.

• I can't do this I am from the weakest clan in Manasseh and the least in his father's house. The Lord said, But I will be with You, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.
• Then he wanted a sign to prove who was really speaking to him. He prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes as a gift for the Angel of the Lord. The Angel told him to put the meat and the cakes on a rock and pour broth over them. Then the angel stretched out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and consumed the meat and the cakes. Gideon did know now beyond any doubt that his visitor was the Angel of the Lord. The Lord said, Peace be to you. Do not fear. You shall not die.
• Gideon was to pull down his father's altar to Baal and the Asherah and build an altar to God offering his father's two bulls, the second bull being offered on the wood of the Asherah. So Gideon took 10 men and did as he was told. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. The men of the town searched to find the culprit for this atrocity. It was soon discovered that it was Gideon. Going to his father, they asked for Gideon to put him to death, but as God would have it, his father defended him saying that Baal could contend for his own altar. So on that day Gideon's name was changed to Jerubbal, Let Baal contend against him.
• A battle was brewing, Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east camped in the Valley of Jezreel. The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon and he called his people together. Before Gideon could do battle, he had to deal with his fear again. He put out the fleece twice to make sure this was God's plan, yet God was patient with him.
• The Lord told Gideon that the people with him were too many, lest Israel would boast in themselves and not in God. So first we had the water test, lappers vs. kneelers. The lappers were sent home and the 300 kneelers stayed with Gideon.
• The Lord had given the enemy into Gideon's hand. That same night God allowed him to take his servant Purah with him to search out the enemy. He went as far as the outposts looking and hearing. When he came back to camp, a man was telling his dream, a dream about Gideon and the sword of the Lord.
• Dividing the men into 3 companies, he gave them trumpets, empty jars, and torches. When Gideon would give the signal, they would shout For the Lord and for Gideon. The three companies followed the plan smashing. shouting, and torching. The enemy was captured and Israel was the victor.

How patient the Lord was with Gideon! Just like God knew Gideon's heart, He knows our hearts. He can transform a heart of fear to a heart of obedient victory. We just need to come to Him and not remain paralyzed by fear.

 

Father,

Make my heart in sync with your heart. Help me to bring my fears to You as Gideon did. Give me Your grace and strength to walk forward for You.

In His name,

Amen

Ps. 84

Ps. 84:1-2

How lovely is our dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

 

 

How beautiful is Ps. 84! My heart rejoices that something so poetic can also be so uplifting and encouraging. Truly the dwelling place of God is lovely, and the fact that I can enter into that dwelling place, is utterly amazing. Without a doubt this life drains the life out of me, but God freely gives me sustenance. I don't have to faint for or from the worthlessness of the world, but I can come to the courts of the Lord to fill my fainting soul. I can come and sing for joy because He is my living God!

 

Blessings abound when God is in the life! Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Dwelling, singing, and strength for the journey are mine. In my heart are the highways to Zion that Jesus my Savior has placed there. I will know how to go because He is my guide. And as I travel, I go from strength to strength. Instead of despairing of ever reaching the end, I am strengthened. His strength never runs out, and He is my constant source and constant companion.

 

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. What a comparison! One day in God's presence is better than a thousand elsewhere. How puny and worthless is what the world offers! A doorkeeper would be so much more desired than the tents of wickedness. Truly, God's strength and power far outweighs anything else. He is a sun and shield. He alone bestows favor and honor.

 

The psalm ends with  no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You.  I can rest in His goodness being my goodness. What He deems best for me is what I want and desire. I seek to be in His courts because there my life is blessed and filled with His goodness. How glorious! Just as I journey from strength to strength so this psalm goes from blessing to blessing, from richness to richness, and from beauty to beauty.

 

Father,

Thank You for this beautiful gem! How it touches my heart! Lord, keep me ever on Your highway and constantly singing Your praise as I journey.

In His name,

Amen

Examples

I Cor. 10:6

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

 

Even though Israel was God's chosen people and all ate the same spiritual food, drank the same spiritual drink, followed the same leadership of Moses, and drank from the same spiritual rock, the Rock Christ Jesus, they did not seek to please God nor was God pleased with them. The record of their lives was given to us that we might not desire evil as they did.

• Do not be idolaters as some of them were, as it was written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Israel valued and enjoyed a different lifestyle than they should have. Consumed with pleasures, their lives were filled with playing, in fact, most times playing with other gods, the gods of the people they were to drive out but neglected to do so. Idolatry is a serious thing. Colossians equates covetousness with idolatry. Certainly the Israelites coveted the gods and the lifestyles of these heathen people so much that they chose that lifestyle instead of a life with God. What is deep in my heart? Is there a root of covetousness?
• We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. Sexual immorality is a mainstay of our culture today. Sadly, many Christians have fallen into this trap, a trap that includes porn, off-color movies and TV shows, on-line relationships, illicit relationships, same sex relationships and extra and pre-marital relationships. With so much to choose from, it's easy to see why the world makes the choices that it does. But what about believers? What about me? Do I ever watch an off-color sit-com and laugh?
• We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents...  I would think that putting Christ to the test would be disobeying His clear commands. In the case of Israel, it was the word given by Moses. But in our case, it is the written word which we all have in great abundance. How many times have I been convicted and then not followed through? How many times have I been fearful or even unaware of sharing Him with those that God has brought in my life.
• ...nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. I would think that grumbling comes from discontent. We are displeased with the lot that God has given us whether it is poverty, illness, persecution, etc. So the fleshly response is grumbling not praying. These areas that cause grumbling could just as easily be areas that could cause growth.

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction...Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. God is asking for some serious examination, repentance, and forsaking sin. He has promised that No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. What a glorious promise! I don't have to fall prey to idolatry, sexual immorality, grumbling, or even putting Christ to the test. God has given me a way of escape when the temptation seeks to bring me down.

 

Father,

Thank You so much for this great promise! Convict my heart when temptations are sneaking in my life and taking root. Open my eyes to see them clearly.

In His name,

Amen



Under Control

I Cor. 9:27

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

 

All runners run in a race to receive a prize at the end, but only one runner wins the perishable prize. In order for athletes to run this race, they must train endless hours and exercise great self-control in what they eat, what they do, and even how much they sleep. Their life is dedicated to this race, and nothing deters their focus!

 

Likewise, believers run a race to obtain the imperishable prize at the end, a race in which Paul included himself. Apostles were not exempt and neither are pastors, missionaries, or anyone in Christian ministry. There are no free passes. Paul stressed the fact that it was not an aimless race, but was one of purpose and planning. Likewise, he didn't box as one beating the air. His 'punches' were not without purpose because his training had made his skill on target. Paul continually disciplined his body and kept it under control. He knew what a ravenous beast the flesh could become and took no chances. Why did he do all this? Lest he would become disqualified after preaching to others. He was not excused from the race. He had no free pass. All believers must heed his example. 

• Don't run aimlessly. Plan and be purposeful reflecting Christ in all you do, say, and think.
• Don't box as one beating the air. Train and be skillful in what you do. Put some time into it.
• Discipline the body and keep it under control. Leave no room for the flesh to grab even an inch of your life. Walk in, by, and through the Spirit.
• Be aware of disqualification. No one has arrived in this life. The race goes on until Christ calls us to meet Him in the air where we will receive the imperishable crown.

How am I running? Am I aware of disciplining my body? Am I concerned about my future and my consistency?

 

Father,

I need Your grace and strength to run this race. Teach me how to discipline my body and be purposeful in what I do. I need Your grace so desperately. Thank You for Your word and the great power that lies therein.

In His name,

Amen



Eating Food Offered to Idols

I Cor. 8: 13

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

 

Paul begins this chapter by explaining that idols have no life and no power, but for the believer There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. An idol and even what is offered to an idol can freely be eaten because an idol is empty and vacuous. However, it was not so simple in the Corinthian church. There were some believers who saw food offered to idols as sinful. So even though this actual eating is not sinful, Paul says take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

 

His concern was for the growth of the body, for each of its individual members. The body is more important that the freedom! The believer's heart should be one of care and concern not one of rampaging freedom! In fact, if this act of 'eating food offered to idols' destroys the weaker brother, then it is sin. Sinning against the weaker brother is synonymous with sinning against Christ! Paul's conclusion was:  if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. What a principle that can be applied to so many areas!

 

How loving must be all our relationships! Certainly, my heart for Jesus must be reflected in how I treat other members of the body of Christ. Nothing in this life is as important as growing together in Jesus Christ. Somehow believers get their feet too firmly planted in this life and loudly praise the freedoms they have in Christ. Then soon the body is not known for the love of Christ but for the freedoms that they cherish. Each local body of Christ becomes known by what they allow and don't allow. And before long, Christ is lost in the shuffle. How sad! How all believers need His love! And above all these, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. How important to keep our eyes focused on the eternal.

 

Father,

Bind my heart in your love and let Your love flow out of me. Take my eyes off this life and place them squarely on what is eternal. Prepare me for that eternal weight of glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Seed

Mk. 4:20

But those that were sown on the good soil and  the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

 

 

The sower sows the seed, the Word of God to all. Some receive the Word along the path and when they hear it, Satan immediately takes it away. The second group are those along the rocky path who immediately receive the Word with joy but have no root. They endure for awhile, but when tribulation or persecution comes [on account of the Word], they are gone. The third group are the ones whose seed is hidden among the thorns. They hear the Word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word making it  unfruitful. The final group are the ones who seed is sown on good soil. They hear, accept, and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

 

Ultimately God determines the soil of each heart, but believers do not know. So it is up to us to share the Lord wherever and whenever we go. Somehow God's choosing seems unfair to the natural man, but He says in His words that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not are thoughts. I must trust Him and rest in His plan for all people and all times. Secondly, I notice that those who receive the Word bear fruit in differing amounts. All our lives even down to fruit bearing are established by the Lord long before time began. I wonder is the amount of fruit bearing set for each person, or does each person have the potential to produce 30, 60, 100 fold?

 

Father,

Teach me to abide in You even more each day so that I might bear the fruit that You would have me bear. Put within me a desire to bear even more each day.

In His name,

Amen

The Temple of the Spirit

I Cor. 7:15

Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

 

Paul is now dealing with the problem of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church. He said, Even though all things are lawful for me, not all things are helpful. And more importantly, he would not be enslaved by anything. For Paul his attitude was not how far can I go and still be alright with the Lord. Instead, his life was lived on a plane that considered the spiritual the first and primary area of importance. Jesus was His all, and he was all in!

 

The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. There is the principle simply and clearly stated for believers. The Lord must have control of our bodies! But as I look in my own culture, I remember years ago the free love movement, then women's lib followed erasing the bonds of women. They were out of the home and competing with the men in business and in sexual relationships. Today it has progressed to open homosexual relationships and finally to sanctioning and making legal same sex relationships. This addiction for sexual immorality is strong, growing, powerful, and unstoppable. It has become an arena where Christians will have to take a stand on the issue. Will we choose Christ keeping our members His body even if it means we are called bigots?

 

Since God raised the Lord, He will also raise us up in newness of life, a new life that transforms our bodies from the arena of rampant sexual appetites to the arena of Christ Jesus and His purity. Our members are the body  of Christ! Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! This idea is personally abhorrent to Paul and should be to all Christians! For he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. His spirit will not and should not allow us to dabble in or be enslaved to sexual immorality. This sin is a sin against the person's own body, and in the case of the believer, his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are not our own for we were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Perhaps we think because we don't engage in outright sexual immorality, we are ok. But what about what we watch or listen to? Where are we taking the members of Christ? Are we living in the glorious reality of His indwelling Spirit?

 

Father,

Thank You for such a glorious transformation, for making me a member of Christ's body and for giving me Your indwelling Holy Spirit. Grow my heart so close to Jesus that all the world has to offer is abhorrent to me. Keep me close to You in all that I do and say.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Do You Not Know

I Cor. 1:11

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

How foolish! Paul rebuked them as he questioned them. Why would they go to an unrighteous court to settle differences between believers? When they are with Jesus face to face, the saints will judge the world. So are they incompetent to try these trivial matters here? This action is shameful on the part of believers. He went on to say it is already a defeat that they want to have a lawsuit at all. Where is the unity? Where is the considering others more important than self? Where is suffering to follow in the steps of Christ?

 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Strong Words! How relevant! Now here is another area that is dragging the Corinthians down. They were falling back into more sinful patterns, and they needed to realize that God does not condone these behaviors at all! Instead all these areas should be in the believer's past. Their present and their future should be washed, sanctified, and justified totally in the name of Jesus. How true for believers today! Our culture advocates all of these behaviors. In fact, homosexuality is even becoming a legalized union. What a stench for the nostrils of God!

 

Father,

Keep my conscience and my heart tender to Your leading and convicting. Help me stay clear of sinful patterns from my fleshly life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Leaven

I Cor. 5:7-8

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

 

Sin was in the body, a sin so severe that it was not even tolerated among the pagans [a man has his father's wife]. Paul questioned their motives? Were they arrogant when they should be mourning? His only recourse was to ask the body to remove this sinful person. There was to be no fellowship here, no condoning of the sin. When they were gathered together they were to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. What does this mean? Delivering to Satan refers to the entire arena outside the church since it is the domain of Satan. The destruction of the flesh often means the natural but harsh consequences that result from this sin. And finally the hope of this separation is that he will be restored to the body and his eventual salvation.

 

Paul then spoke to the church body as a whole admonishing them for the prideful attitude that had infiltrated them. He asked a great question--one that applies to all believers regardless of their age or time. Do you not know that  a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Allowing a little sin in the life has a disastrous effect spiritually. This sin is like leaven that swells up permeates the whole man until his entire being [whole lump] is leavened. Sin is not a plaything or a cherished behavior to which we cling. It is sin!! And all sin no matter how small either leavens the lump or must be confessed and forsaken. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ was sacrificed for our sin, every single one of them. When we take sin lightly, are we trampling on this glorious sacrifice? Believers must celebrate not with the old self and its practices [malice and evil] but with the new self who is being transformed in knowledge after the image of its creator [sincerity and truth].

 

Believers are to separate from believers who engage in open, flagrant sin. But with those of the world, the sexually immoral, greedy, swindlers, idolaters, believers need to be salt and light sharing the gospel of Christ. What a hard message! Paul told this body of believers to purge the evil man from among them. However, as a believer it really speaks to me. How much leaven do I allow? Am I quick to confess when I smell that yeasty odor? Do I take sin as seriously as I should? Do I think of it as trampling the sacrifice of my Savior?

 

Father,

Convict my heart even more...Take away any resistance on my part. Transform my 'self' in knowledge after the image of my Creator.

In the name of the Lamb,

Amen



Fools for Christ

I Cor. 4:10-13

We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak but you are strong. You are held in honor but we are in disrepute. To the present hour, we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure, when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

 

This was the life of an apostle, and sadly it was drastically different than the Corinthians. They had been listening to other guides who had led them to think disparagingly of Paul and his life and his lifestyle. So Paul speaks clearly of his life and of the lives of those who worked with him. At the end of this, he urges them to be imitators of him, to live this same lifestyle because although they have many guides they only have one father, a father who cares deeply about the welfare of their souls.

 

As I read this words, I realize that they must apply to me as well. Am I a fool for Christ, or do I value what the world thinks of me? Am I weak relying only on God's grace? Am I content to be poorly dressed, hungry and thirsty for the cause of the gospel, or do I value my creature comforts and the American standard of living? When reviled, do I bless? Sadly, how often have I even been reviled? Am I enduring through persecution and slander? Certainly, life in America is so easy. Am I awake and sensitive to the Spirit's leading in all these areas?

 

Father,

Examine my heart. Open all the closets so that my heart might be 'all in.' Give me Your grace for all situations including illness, slander, and persecution (when it comes). Keep me awake ever watchful for opportunities and for temptation.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Power of God

I Cor. 3:5

...that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

Paul's life mission was to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. How does that look practically? Could it ever be a reality in my life? Paul went on to explain how he came to the Corinthians in weakness and fear with trembling. His speech and message were not considered plausible words of wisdom, but instead demonstrated the Spirit and wisdom! As I look at my own life, what is my mission. Could I say that it was Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Should I fear to share the gospel? Certainly, Paul said he came in weakness and trembling (pretty much how I would feel). But the message of the gospel was stronger and more powerful than any personal fear. What was Paul's overriding purpose? It was so his faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God! Where does my faith rest? Is it in what I know that I can do and accomplish, or is it in the power of God? Such a hard question...and so hard to discern. I know that what I can do is of no value, but still how do I take self our of my personal equation? I know that what God can do in me is of total value! I need to live in this reality. Put Christ and Him crucified first and foremost and then live my life practically (including sharing the gospel as well as the mundane) in His power.

 

Father,

These verses speak so clearly to my heart. I want to grow in Your strength and power and live for You each day. Teach me how to make this a reality. Thank You for this great gospel, Christ and Him crucified, and Your power and strength.

In Him,

Amen