God Reveals the Heart

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:4

I thank God; He is the One who will judge me. Many times, we are misjudged by others: our wives, husbands, children, friends and sometimes strangers. They do not know who you really are. They do not know your motives.

The same is true when we judge others. We do not know their hearts or their motives. If we do not pray and really seek the Lord, then we can make mistakes.

Paul knew he had to be in prayer and God’s Word to give these warnings to the churches. He did not take his responsibility to the churches lightly. If you read his letters, he was experiencing heavy pressure, because he had to rebuke brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Paul could no longer minister alongside of them, because they had become hindrances in the ministry. They were carnal people — not spiritual people. They were carnal people who made problems for churches and for pastors through strife. That is why he was saying he did not want to judge, God is the One who judges, but he knew what was going on. God had revealed it.

When there is strife in the ministry, God will reveal it, in order to clean up the church. It is not man’s judgment, but God’s.

If men refuse to be taught by precept, they must be taught by punishment.
-Thomas V. Moore-

Invest In Eternity

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:4

Notice what Paul said, I know of nothing against myself. Now, I know I cannot say the same about myself. Can you? That is a hard thing to say. He was saying there was nothing they could point their finger at in his life. I do not think anyone but Paul could say that.

You can judge me, and I can judge you, but who judges in the end? God, He is the One who is going to judge. One day, He is going to open up the books and judge, at the Bema Seat of Christ. He will take our gold, silver, wood and stubble, everything we have and everything we have done in our lives since we came to Christ, and put it into the fire. Then He God will say, “This is what is left. This is your reward, “or, “Nothing is left, but you are saved by the fire, because salvation is My free gift to you.”

We should be investing eternally, more than ever before. Whatever we do, we need to do our best, because God keeps the record. One day, everything will be revealed by the fire. If you are truly honest, you examine your life and you are open to criticism, then you can learn. Then, you can truly invest in the eternity.

Paul was willing. Whatever God wanted to do, Paul was open for it. That is why he said God was the only one to judge him. His motives were judged by God. He knew he had invested well.

Eternity depends upon this moment.
-Thomas Manton-

Judged by Fire

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

1 Corinthians 4:3

Who do we think we are, when we start judging one another? Think about that. Who do we think we are? Paul said, “You are judging me, you are judging Apollos and you are judging Peter, but why don’t you look at yourselves?”

Paul never, ever pointed the finger at another person. He did not even judge himself. This is a pretty heavy statement. I do not know if I could say the same about myself, but Paul said it. I could easily judge myself — real easy.

I think it is so important we understand what Paul was teaching. He never got upset when people criticized him, because he knew his Master’s judgment was more important. I like that. He knew God’s judgment was more important than Paul’s judgment on other people or their judgment of him.

Ultimately, God is going to judge you and He is going to judge me. That is the bottom line. You do not have to give an answer to me. You have to give an answer to God. He is the One who is going to examine your whole life. He is going to look at your tithing, your serving, your witnessing and everything you have done for the Lord and He is going to put it into the fire. Whatever comes out of the fire will be your reward, and if nothing comes out of the fire, you will go to heaven but you will have no reward, nothing. Man’s opinion means nothing in comparison to God’s judgment.

The power of man can never reverse the sentence of God.
-Thomas V. Moore-

Israel’s Independence Day

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you,
and you shall live.” ‘ “

Ezekiel 37: 4

I have been studying Ezekiel 36 and 37. In these chapters, the prophet Ezekiel talked about the dead bones and how they would come together with flesh covering them. Then they would stand up. It was the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

This prophecy was fulfilled in 1948, on May 14. Once Israel became a nation again, the Jewish people came back to the land from all over the world. There were only 650 thousand Jews in 1948. Today, there are about 6 million in Israel and they keep coming from around the world. God said He would call them from the four corners of the earth back to the Promised Land.

The significance of the rebirth of Israel is tremendous. The Jewish people are the only people without a country for so long to maintain their heritage and not blend into the cultures where they lived. After many years, scattered around the world, they still maintained their cultural identity. Why are they the only people to experience a rebirth of their nation? God! They have the promises of God. We have the promises of God!

Today, it is just amazing to see what is happening in Israel and the Middle East. The Lord can come for His church at any time. That is the only thing left.

There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible. He means what He says and will do all He has promised.
-J. Hudson Taylor-

Mother’s Day

But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

1 Thessalonians 2:7

I love the example Paul the Apostle uses in his letter to the Thessalonians. He told the people they came and ministered to them as a nursing mother cherishes her own child. He paints such a picture with these words.

We have all seen a mother with her newborn baby. She takes such care of the child and has so much love for the baby, it shines in her face. As the child grows, you see her joy as the child takes a first step, says their first word or gives them a hug and kiss.

In the same way, a child has such a bond with their mother. For the first nine months of their lives, inside the womb, they hear the heartbeat of their mother, they hear her voice. She is their lifeline. They are cherished and nourished in their mother’s body.

It is because of this strong bond, mothers have such a strong influence in the lives of their children. Throughout the Bible, we have examples of mothers who encouraged their children to do the will of God and those who led their children down the path of destruction.

I pray this day; every woman would recognize the great honor and responsibility God has given them to nurture and cherish their children.

If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.
-Robert Brault-

God Our Only judge

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

1 Corinthians 4:3

Paul was now addressing those who attacked him, his enemies, the Judaizers. He was actually talking to the Judaizers, who were constantly creating problems for Paul, so he would not be loved but be hated. You see, Paul was such a man of God and he had such a heart for God, he spoke truth and people were convicted.

It is interesting, what happens to people when they are convicted or feel threatened. Instead of searching their hearts and changing those things God finds offensive, they make themselves look better, by demeaning others.

Paul never demeaned people. He knew his heart and shortcomings, so he did not have to put down others to feel good about himself. Instead of judging them, Paul was pouring out love to these guys, because he was concerned for their eternity, and he was warning them about their actions.

We should be more concerned for people’s eternity, than with what they have done to us. Once they die, they are lost forever. We can be just like them, judging and demeaning, but what have we gained. If we do not care for people’s souls, how will God be able to use our lives?

Remember, God is our only judge, not man.

We do all for eternity.
-Thomas Brooks-

Faithfulness Required

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:2

Underline the word required. This is the Lord’s requirement, be found faithful, which word means trustworthy. Can you be trusted? Can you be trusted with what God has to say or with whatever He gives you? Why? One day we are going to give an account. You are going to give an account of your wife or husband, your children, your bank account, all you have you will give an account for.

It is really important we understand, living here in the United States, we have so much. We have heat, air-conditioning, cars, water and food, whatever we want. The Bible tells us, to whom much is given, much more will be required, and so what do we have to do? We have to be good stewards. We have to manage the best we can, so when we stand before God, we will be able to give a good account.

When a person is not a good steward, they do not really have the fear of the Lord. When you have the fear of God, you cannot cheat Him. People do not really fear God, but they are expecting the blessings of God. They try to negotiate with Him, “God, I am going to give You this much and then You can give me back a little bit more.”

Paul makes it clear, we have to be faithful, trustworthy with what God has given us, and the calling of God in our lives has to be trustworthy.

God requires no more than faithfulness in our place.
-William Gurnall-

House Managers

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 4:1

Paul was clearly defining our place in Christ. We are not only servants but also stewards, house managers. In the Greek, it means a servant who is in charge of the household.

Remember Joseph, Jacob’s son? Before he was thrown in jail, he was sold to Potiphar by the Ishmaelite’s, and Potiphar made him a steward. He gave him the checkbook and everything he possessed. Everything Potiphar owned was now under Joseph’s control. Potiphar totally trusted Joseph.

Can you imagine the responsibility we have as God’s stewards? Think of how many people mismanage what God gives to them. That is heavy. If we mismanage the things of God, how can God move us on? How can God take us to the next level, if we are not trustworthy stewards? How can He take us to the next place, so we can do the will of God?

Paul was trying to teach the church. He said we are under-rowers and stewards, not common stewards, but, stewards of the mysteries of God.

Can you believe it? He did not trust you with a million dollars. He gave you more than a million dollars. He gave you the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is better than money. That is better than the most valuable thing in the world.

Stewardship is what a man does after he says, “I believe.”
-W. H. Greaves-

God’s Mysteries

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 4:1

Paul blew me away at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 4, verse one. He said, “God has entrusted you as a steward of the mysteries of God.” What does that mean? A mystery is something difficult or impossible to understand or explain. A mystery has to be revealed to you.

What does God do? He reveals to us all His mysteries. Why? He wants to use our lives. If He can trust you, He will reveal things to you. If He cannot trust you, what can He really do with your life? If you are faithful in the small things, He will make you greater in the bigger things. That is all the way through the Scriptures.

Sometimes I say, “Why me,” and you might say the same thing. I think of my life and everything God has given me, as a steward, and what He has given to me, as an under-rower. I never dreamed in my life, I would be in this place. I had my plans but they were not God’s plans.

Maybe you have your plans, but they are not God’s plans. It is not until you really submit, surrender and align yourself with the perfect will of God, becoming a servant, an under-rower, obedient to the small things, then God can make you a steward of His household. Only then can He reveal His mysteries to you. Wow! Think about the mysteries of God!

With God there are mysteries but no mistakes.
-Michael Griffiths-

Faithful Stewards

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 4:1

Notice, Paul put everyone together, servants and stewards. Stewards of what? Stewards of the mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Both servants and stewards work for someone else. They do not determine what they will do with their lives. Their masters tell them what to do and they submit to their master.

The servant, or under-rower, was the lowest position on the ship. Paul was saying, literally in the Greek, we are not captains of the ship. We are the lowest servants on the ship. I like that. We are not captains of the ship.

This is not my church. This is Christ’s church. You are not in charge. I am not in charge. He is in charge. We have to get that in our minds.

I am going to go to the next step, and the next step is real heavy. If you do not learn to be an under-rower, you will never be a steward, which means you will never take care of God’s things and He will never be able to trust you. He only trusts faithful people. That is what this speaks of, faithfulness.

When it comes to the things of God, you have to really be faithful to the things God calls you to do. You are not dealing with man, you are dealing with God. You are dealing with eternity. You are dealing with the eternal, not the temporal.

Faithfulness knows no difference between small and great duties.
-John Ruskin-

True Slaves

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 4:1

Immediately, what caught my attention, as I was studying and reading is Paul started with the word consider. He was saying, “Think carefully about us and who we are.” When people consider us, or think carefully about us and our lives, what do they see? Who do they say we are? Think about it.

Paul clarified who they were, servants. The word used here is not the Greek word doulos. The word used is huperetes, which means an under-rower on a ship. They were on the bottom of the ship, the worst place to be. They were chained to one another and they were real slaves. They really worked.

The under-rower is the one who serves and does not complain, does not murmur, but does it because he has been entrusted to do it.

It seems, not just in the ministry but in different places, people want to climb the ladder. They do not want to be under-rowers. They are not content to be where God has placed them or with what He has entrusted them.

God created you, He made you and He knows you in such a way. God has made every single person in this world today, with the gifts and the talents to do what He has called them to do. The work He has and the gifts and talents He has for you, He gives freely.

We are born into permanent service.
-David H. Chilton-

Eternal Perspective

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

1 Corinthians 3:18

Paul warned us not to be deceived, and today we see many are deceived. They think they can take drugs, cuss, drink alcohol, do all the things of the world and still go to heaven because they are going to church and they read the Bible. That is baloney. You will never inherit the kingdom of God with worldly living.

God is going to come, at the Rapture of the church, and the carnal people are going to stay behind and the spiritual people will be taken. Then all hell is going to break loose.

Imagine the torment for people who knew God’s Word but lived carnal lifestyles. They will know why they have been left behind at the Rapture of the church. It is going to be heavy. They will be witnessing to people, “I was in the church but I got left behind. My mom and dad were taken, my son was taken but I was left behind, because I was playing church.”

I look at what is happening today, the tornadoes, the earthquakes and wars. The Bible tells us at the end there is not going to be another flood. God is going to take care of the world by fire.

We are not living for this world. This is a fallen world. The world we are going to live in is a perfect world. Live your life with eternity in mind.

The future life only brings to fruition the seed sown here.
-Geoffrey B. Wilson-

National Day of Prayer

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Psalms 33:12

This country has a long heritage of men and women of prayer. Our nation was founded on godly principles. Men and women left England on ships, braving the harsh conditions of the Pacific Ocean, in order to have the freedom to worship God in truth. They did not want to be subjected to the false religion with a false king. They wanted to serve the King of kings and LORD of lords.

That is where we come from, years of men and women escaping the tyranny of kings and governments who wanted to control how they worshipped the one true living God. That is why we pray.

We pray, because these countries started out right. There were men and women of prayer leading the countries around the world but something happened to change them. What was it?

I think a nation of people slowly loses their religious freedoms when the people of God fall asleep. When we take our freedoms for granted, we do not fight for them. When we take our freedoms for granted, we assume they will always be there.

We are a nation chosen by God. He will be here for us, but will we choose Him? Take time today and every day to pray for our nation and its leaders.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing
-Edmund Burke-

Godly Choices

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Corinthians 3:17

You and I are the temple of the living God. Your body belonged to you when you were not a believer. Today, God has paid the price for your body, soul and spirit. We have to be consecrated to the Lord.

If this is God’s body, we have to honor it. Spiritually, it has to be maintained. If you are not maintaining the temple, there are going to be problems. If you compromise in one area of your life, you will compromise in other areas of your life.

You have to make some decisions in your life every day. These decisions affect your life and they affect the body of Jesus Christ. While you are in church, you may make great decisions. That is when you are on your best behavior. What are you doing when you are out in the world or in your own home? Are you still making godly choices?

You do not have to answer to me or any other pastor but God knows. He sees everything. Remember, when you compromise in your life, in the temple of the living God, you are bringing leaven into the church. Do not listen to Satan when the Holy Spirit is trying to convict you. Do not make excuses; make godly choices. If you choose to compromise, God will destroy the temple. WOW! What does that mean? There is no eternal security.

Nothing is trivial here if heaven looks on.
-Vance Havner-

Purposing to Sin

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Corinthians 3:17

After 40 years, I know the reason some people say they are eternally secure. It is because there is something wrong in their spiritual lives. They want to be eternally secure, because they are sinning. They cannot really be set free in their relationship with God, because they are in sin.

They are fighting with people to keep their salvation, because the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them, convicting them. The Bible says if we are really true believers in Christ, then immediately the Holy Spirit brings conviction.

People come to the church for biblical instruction. They say they have been a Christian for 20 years but they have been in an adulterous relationship with a woman for 10 years. Wow! Have they been listening to the service? Is the Holy Spirit speaking to them?

If there is no conviction, they are not children of God. They are playing church. Remember, if a person is a true believer in Christ, the Holy Spirit brings conviction.

I am concerned for the church. Why? A little leaven leavens the whole lump. What happens is we influence other people. If we think it is okay to purposely choose to live sinful lives, we will influence others to do the same.

Worst of all my foes, I fear the enemy within.
-John Wesley-

Defiled Christians

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Paul has been talking about salvation and works. If you believe in eternal security, you would say, “You can never lose your salvation. If you say you can lose your salvation, then you were never really a Christian.”

Paul was working towards a crucial point here. He wanted to be sure they understood what he had said up to this point, so he asked, “Don’t you know? Now that you know all this, do you not know, you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

He was emphasizing their position in Christ. As Christians, they had become the temple of the living God. The people of Corinth were corrupting the temple of God with all the things they were doing. They were not living holy lives.

Now the reason I am explaining this is because of the sicknesses in the church today. There are Christians watching porn, stealing from their employers or employees. They are cussing, fornicating, lying, cheating, not paying the government and they make excuses. They have defiled the temple of God

If you are a Christian and you are doing these types of sins, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Paul said God will destroy you.

Unsaintly saints are the tragedy of Christianity.
-A. W. Tozer-

Holiest of Holies

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

The word he uses here for temple is the holiest of holies in the Old Testament. It was within the Tabernacle of God, where the priests could only enter in once a year. He would have to be consecrated to God. If there was sin in his life when he entered the holiest of holies, he would be killed instantly.

In the Old Testament, the holiest of holies was within a building. Here, Paul was talking about a spiritual temple. Your body, whether you take care of it or not, it is the temple of God. As we take care of the church building, how much more should we take care of the temple of God, which is within our bodies?

Often, people get disqualified, because they have not taken care of themselves, not spiritually, but physically. Why? When you do not take care of yourself physically, it means you do not care what happens to you. You do not want to be used by God.

Think about how many people do not take care of themselves, get sick, and feel so bad because they are not being used by God. Many times, they are young but they did not take care of themselves, physically or spiritually.

As much as we take care of ourselves spiritually, we need to take care of ourselves physically too. The longer you live, the more God can use your life.

We are not so to live as if we had nothing but a body.
-J. C. Ryle-

Palm Sunday

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah 9:9

Palm Sunday is the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, while the people cried out in celebration: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” (John 12:13b).

In just a few short days, the people would change from a worshipping people to a lynch mob, crying out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” (John 19:15).

I think it is important to look at the people of Jerusalem and what caused them to change so dramatically over night. Why? It can happen to you and me. It may have already happened to any one of us.

The people changed their minds, because they were following the crowd. They were going along with the religious leaders. They did not question the motives of the leaders. They assumed their priests were godly men, leading them in righteousness and truth.

During this time, the people did not have Bibles. They went to the synagogues and were taught by the priests. Even though they did not have the Word of God in their hands, they had been taught since childhood. They were without excuse.

We can never assume. We have to read our Bibles and know God’s Word, so we will not be led astray. It is easy to get caught up with the crowd, but it is better to be one with Jesus, than one of a thousand without Him.

He who excuses himself accuses himself.
-Gabriel Meurier-

Betrayal Fulfilled

“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.”

John 13:18-19

Jesus was speaking of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. The psalmist spoke of the betrayal in Psalm 41:9: Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

This is such an important verse to look at, not just during the Passion Week, but when we look at the life of Christ. When Jesus came down from heaven, the course of His life had been determined. He knew what He was coming down to do. Nothing was a surprise to Him.

He had chosen Judas as one of His disciples, knowing Judas would betray Him in the end. The psalmist said Judas was counted as one of Jesus’ friends. Wow! Think about that.

How do you feel when someone close to you betrays you or turns away from you? It is awful! It is like a knife in your back.

How could Judas walk with Jesus for three years and then stab Him in the back? He did not just gossip about Jesus or stop being His friend. Judas turned Jesus over to death. Why? God’s plan, . . . that the Scripture may be fulfilled.

Faith is reason at rest in God.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

Seizure Fulfilled

In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Matthew 26:55-56

Palm Sunday, the multitude was praising the Lord, crying out, “Hosanna, Hosanna,” but within the week they were coming against Him with clubs and swords, as if He were a criminal — someone they feared.

Again, just as Jesus was not surprised by the betrayal of Judas, He knew the crowd was going to come for Him. In Matthew 26:46, He said, “Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus was not surprised by what was taking place, but I think He was sad. He was a victim of betrayal by a close friend, and the people He had taught, fed and healed were turning against Him. He knew they would do it, but how sad it must have been for Him.

The same thing happens with all of us. God has such great plans for us, but then we decide we are going to do things in our own strength and mess up God’s plans. He knew we would do it, but He had such hope for us.

Jesus had great hope for the multitude, But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Our Lord’s life was ordered by his objective.
-Ken Robins-

Transgressor Fulfilled

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

Mark 15:27-28

When Jesus was put on the cross, there were two thieves crucified on either side of Him. He was completely innocent. He was without sin, and He was nailed to a cross between two common criminals.

This happened to fulfill the Words God had given to Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 53:12: . . . And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

He was numbered with the transgressors, so He could make intercession for their transgressions, so He could take upon Himself the sins of the world — my sins and your sins.

Wow! Now we see God’s plan. Jesus allowed Judas to be one of His disciples, knowing he would betray Him. Then He allowed the multitude to take Him into custody, even though He could have called down twelve legions of angels to defend Him (Matthew 26:53). He did not say a word to defend Himself, but allowed them to nail Him to a cross. All this was done, So the Scripture was fulfilled.

No, all this was done for us. It was done so Christ could take our sins and pay our debt. All this was done to reconcile us to God.

There is not a ray of hope outside of substitution.
-D. L. Moody-

Prophecy Fulfilled

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Matthew 27:35

Tomorrow is Good Friday and the beginning of the Passover. We began the week with Palm Sunday, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, while the people cried out, “Hosanna, Hosanna,” fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Throughout the week, we looked at the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Christ, and here we have one more.

In Psalm 22, we see the crucifixion of Christ foretold. In verse 1, the psalmist begins with these familiar words, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? These are the very words of Jesus in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, when Jesus was hanging on the cross.

In verses 7-8 it says, All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

This is a perfect description of what the people did to Jesus, while He was on the cross. Verse by verse, Psalm 22 speaks of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, fully and completely. So, why did the people do it? They knew God’s Word, and yet they still crucified Him, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.

Good Friday/Passover

“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Matthew 26:2

Today is a significant day for both the Jews and the Christians. On this day, Christ was delivered up to be crucified, and it began the Jewish celebration of Passover, at sundown. Today is Good Friday and the beginning of Passover.

In Matthew, Christ warned His disciples, it would be no ordinary Passover celebration. It would be the ultimate Passover. There would be no need for the blood of lambs to cover their sins. The Lamb of God would shed His own blood to cover their sins, from the past to the present and into the future.

That is what Passover was for the Jews. They understood the reasons for the shed blood of the sacrificial lambs, but they missed all the prophecies pointing to the final Sacrificial Lamb.

It was not just Christ proclaiming to be the Messiah, there were signs. There were so many prophecies fulfilled. Why did they miss the Messiah? He was not what they were looking for.

They wanted God to establish His kingdom here on earth. They wanted Christ to overthrow the Roman government and take control of Israel. They read the Word of God, but they did not accept what God was telling them. It was never His plan to set up His kingdom here.

Sometimes, we miss the Messiah, because things are not what we want or expect. God has a plan, and it is bigger and better than anything we could imagine. We have to trust in Him, have faith and embrace the Cross of our salvation.

One drop of Christ’s blood is worth more
than heaven and earth.
-Martin Luther-

Passover

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

Mark 14:12

The Passover is a very important celebration for the Jewish people. Every year, they remember and celebrate God’s deliverance from their slavery in Egypt.

In Exodus 4, God had sent Moses and Aaron to speak to the Pharaoh and demand the release of His people, but Pharaoh would not release them. God sent one plague after another, and yet Pharaoh would not be persuaded. The Scriptures say, after each plague, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.

Finally, God told Moses to have the people kill a lamb and put the blood on the sides and top of the door. God was going to pass through the land of Egypt and strike the first born of both the animals and the people. The blood would be a sign to God to pass over the house, because the people inside were His.

When Pharaoh’s own son was killed, he gave up and let the people go. Pharaoh and the people of Egypt were devastated by the deaths and wanted God’s people to go. Pharaoh told them to go and worship their God and to bless him, too. Pharaoh recognized the power of God.

From the beginning, it was God’s intention for the children of Israel to keep this celebration. In Exodus 12:14, God told Moses, ” ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.’ “

God has delivered you and me through the blood of Christ, and we should celebrate every day.

Salvation originates not in man but in God.
-Simon J. Kistemaker-

Rejoice!

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

Matthew 28:9

Rejoice! Today is Resurrection Day. It is the day Christ won over death and rose from the grave, setting the captives free. Rejoice! Today is the day of our salvation.

Our Savior was beaten, mocked, spit upon and nailed to a cross, to save you and me. He willingly went to the cross for those waiting in Abraham’s Bosom. He endured great pain and suffering for His disciples. He bled on a cross to wash away my sins and your sins, so we could have fellowship with God.

Every time I go to the empty tomb, every time I read the events leading up to the crucifixion, I am humbled to think God did all that for me. I was dead in my sins, and Christ died for me, giving me eternal life.

All the way back to the beginning, God had a plan to redeem the children of Adam and Eve. Nothing is a surprise to God. He made man, knowing we would be sinners, and yet He loved us enough to create us and redeem us.

It is so hard to imagine the great love God has for you and me. Think about it. After all He went through, the first word He had for the disciples was, “Rejoice!” He was rejoicing for us. He suffered for us, so He could rejoice in our salvation. WOW!

It is not your hold of Christ that saves,
but His hold of you.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

Led By the Lord

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Colossians 3:1

We are living in very dangerous days today, in the church, not just outside the church. As I have been studying, it is clear, the church is carnal, and we cannot deny it. At this time, as men and women of God, we really have to have discernment. We have to really know God’s heart and those who work with us.

God intends to do such a tremendous work in these last days, not with the many, but with the few. I really believe it is with those who are truly seeking and pursuing after God’s heart.

Listening to the heartbeat of God is very important. When you hear the heartbeat of God, there is nothing else you really want to do, because He leads you to a true peace in your life. You do not have to strive. The doors opened are cool, and the doors closed are cool, too. You want to be content in the Lord.

I think that is one of the problems in the church today. People are not content in the Lord. We are trying to do something maybe God has not called us to do. Then we are frustrated. When God opens the doors, when God guides and provides, it is so smooth, and you have peace in your life.

People will always want to come along and tell you what you should be doing, but as a Christian, you really need to be led by the Lord.

The business of our lives is not to please
ourselves but to please God.
-Matthew Henry-

Be Vigilant

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains.

Colossians 4:2-3

Today, the church needs order and discipline. What does that mean? It means you have to be disciplined with your time — the time you spend reading, studying, praying and waiting. Paul exhorted the people to continue in prayer, so God’s Word could go out, because he knew prayer and God’s Word were the most important things, not activities.

You can have all kinds of activities and programs. We will never run out of activities, but what does God desire? He calls His people to be in prayer and read His Word, so He can spend time with us. That is His desire, spending time with us.

We need direction. I do not know what God wants in my life unless I read and pray. I do not want to be in a place God does not want me to be in. If God wants to take me from here to another place, I am open to it. I am open to whatever God wants to do. I see so many needs, and my time is limited.

I really feel the Lord has been speaking to my heart. Looking at the world and what is happening in the Middle East, everything is aligning itself according to God’s Word. We have to know God’s Word, so we will walk according to His plan for each of us, individually. God is calling us to be vigilant!

The alternative to discipline is disaster.
-Vance Havner-

Power of the Holy Spirit

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Acts 13:4

Look at Paul the Apostle. His life was controlled by the Holy Spirit. Paul was led by the Spirit. He went where God led him. This is an important lesson for each one of us. Who controls your life? Is the Holy Spirit really active in your life? Is He alive?

According to Paul’s writings, the people would sometimes glorify or exalt him. They were glorifying Paul, when they should have been glorifying God.

We see the same thing happen many times today. People begin to look at man as their Savior, instead of Jesus Christ. This should never happen. We are all just vessels to be used by God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Without God’s wisdom and knowledge, without the Holy Spirit, you could not teach and you could not preach. Think about it for a moment. What would you tell people? It is the Holy Spirit. Think about when Peter, John, James and all these men were writing the New Testament, they had no commentaries. The Holy Spirit gave them commentary to write.

It is really important we understand the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and omniscient. He is with us all the time. He is giving us insight, wisdom and knowledge. If we rely on His prompting, He will send us out.

The Christian’s birthright is the power
of the Holy Ghost.
-Lionel Fletcher-

Wake Up: Time is Short

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”

Mark 13:8

I do not know if you see it, but I see the Rapture coming. I have one foot in this world and one foot out. I am ready to leave here. I am serious. That is how critical it is.

We are in the most critical time of world history, and God has given us just a little taste of the disasters to come with tornadoes and storms. The Book of Revelation says there will be hail, 100 to 200 pounds each, falling on the earth. No island or mountain will be found on the face of the earth in the last seven years of world history. Everything going on right now is pointing to what is to come. God is speaking loud and clear.

If you read the Book of Revelation, it clearly tells us we are getting ready for a great disaster. It is coming. I am not trying to scare anyone, but it is overdue already. The Lord is speaking as loud as He can for people to wake up. People are playing games. They do not believe it; they are enjoying their sin.

When there are major disasters, people die, but many people do not even care. They just go about business as usual. I really believe, with all my heart, God is speaking out. He is yelling and screaming, telling us to wake up. He is trying to wake up the church. Wake up: time is short!

In this liberal age we tend naturally to avoid any
thought of God’s judgment.
-David Watson-

Spiritual People

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1

Spiritual people are those who are born again of the Holy Spirit, who have manifested God’s grace. Paul could not speak to the Corinthians as spiritual people; they were carnal, as infants in Christ. This is sad.

It is a shame when you meet people who have been in the Lord ten or more years, and they are still babies. They do not really know the Lord. They are still in infancy. What happened to their maturity?

What do I mean by infancy? If you have been in the Lord for a long time, and you continue to do the things God brought you out of, or you have gone back to them, you are carnal. You are still a baby and have not matured in the Lord.

If you do not stop doing whatever it is you were doing in the world — drugs, alcohol, sex — then you are carnal. You are not developing, growing or maturing. Instead of being fountains of living water, you are dead fountains. You are making no difference in the world today.

What does it mean for the church today? All their entertainment, programs and testimonies do not last. People will be moved emotionally, but spiritually, they will not grow. They need the teaching of the Word of God in order to become spiritually mature.

All growth that is not towards God
is growing to decay.
-George MacDonald-

Maturity Brings Conviction

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1

If there is no teaching, no feeding, no instruction, then there is no conviction in the hearts and the lives of the people. With conviction comes spiritual maturity, as God speaks to me about the things I do or say.

What brings conviction to my life? When I get up in the morning, read my Bible and go through the Scriptures. Then, God speaks to my heart and prepares my day, not just today, but throughout the whole week. I cannot count on reading once or twice a week, but every day I have to hear from the Lord.

We think once we have done our devotions, we can just go through the day without any problems. Listen, a day in this world is a day on the battlefield — every day. It is not being on vacation. It is a spiritual battle every day.

It is really important, as we become spiritual men and women of God. As we really look at what God is saying and doing, we can then give answers to people, because we have been read up and prayed up. We have been filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, we are ready to give to people that which we have first received of the Lord.

I want the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life. I want to grow spiritually, so God can use my life. God wants to use each one of us, but we must be spiritual.

When we stop growing we stop living
and start existing.
-Warren Wiersbe-

Grow Through the Word

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

1 Corinthians 3:2

Do you think a little baby can develop and grow on a diet of milk for 20 years? There is no possible way. Paul was very hurt when he heard of the Christians in the Corinthian church. He was surprised they had not grown spiritually.

Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians was very limited, because they were not maturing. They did not know basic doctrine, so he had to teach them like first graders and not adults. They had not memorized their ABC’s yet.

I think of how many people, all over the country, are in the same position as the Corinthians, and Paul is saying to them, “I cannot go any further with you.”

It blows me away when I think of the thousands of people we have been able to teach the Bible, over the last 40 years. I receive letters and emails from people around the world who have listened to my teaching. It is incredible what God has done through the teaching of His Word. It is not us. It is the Holy Spirit speaking to people. God uses us to get the Word out and then God transforms the lives of the people.

It is so important to spend time before God, reading every day and memorizing Scripture. You have to study God’s Word, waiting before the Lord, for Him to speak loud and clear. You can only grow spiritually through the Word of God.

The mature believer is a searching believer.
-John Powell-

Evidence of Carnality

for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

1 Corinthians 3:3

Paul now gives you the signs of carnality: envy, strife and division. These are all works of Satan. They are not evidence of a spiritual person but a carnal person. What is the difference between the world and the carnal person? There is no difference. There is no transformation. There is no change.

How do we become transformed and show evidence of the spiritual man or woman? You have to be full of the Holy Spirit 24/7. You have to die to the flesh every day, sometimes every minute of the day. You have to be read up and prayed up. That is the bottom line.

I know I cannot do it all the time without the help of the Holy Spirit. I can get in the flesh so easy. Then I need to repent before God and really pray. We all fall at times but it cannot be our daily way of living. There has to be a transformation in our lives, as we submit to the Lord and open our hearts to God.

I think people today are spiritually sick. As we draw closer to the Last Days, we are going to see true spirituality and true carnality. We see it today with the economies crashing and natural disasters around the world. What we see is envy, strife and division abounding. What is in your heart? Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life or evidence of Satan?

Regeneration has made our hearts a battle field.
-J. I. Packer-

Self-Promotion: A Mark of Carnality

For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

1 Corinthians 3:4

Listen to this real carefully. Here in verse 4, the Lord really revealed something to my heart. Paul was saying, “You do not have to promote yourself. We are to promote Jesus Christ.”

What do we see in the world today? What do we see on television today? People promoting themselves. We live in the generation of reality television. Everybody is trying to be a celebrity.

What do the Scriptures say? Promotion does not come from the east or the west. It comes from the Lord. He lifts up one and takes down another. I love that. I do not want to be anywhere God does not want me to be. I want to be in His perfect will.

If He wants me to be a toe, I will be a toe. I will be content in darkness, if that is where God wants me. It does not matter, if that is where God has me. I have to remember, the toe brings balance to the whole body. It is a very important part of the body. I can stand on one foot because of my toes. If I did not have them, I could not do it.

Paul spent time really addressing the signs of carnality because they bring destruction. Self-promotion is carnality and it will destroy the believer.

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.
-T. S. Elliot-

Remain a Humble Servant

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

1 Corinthians 3:5

Who am I? Who is Chuck Smith? Who is Billy Graham? We are ministers. In the Greek it is Doulos, servants. We are all servants to the community.

Musicians, pastors, leaders, athletes; everyone in this world wants their name in big lights. We want to be known more than Jesus Christ. That should never be. Jesus is the true celebrity. It is His name we should see in lights.

God chose everyone He has serving. As we go to lunch, as we go to the stores, wherever we go, we talk to people and God uses our lives but we do not convert people. We are being used by God. We are just vessels, going out and spreading the Word. We are not building a foundation for ourselves. We are building God’s foundation.

We are not here to build our kingdoms. There are many needs in the body of Christ. If people start getting their eyes on you, praising you and trusting in you, then they do not have a firm foundation. They will be on shaky ground if their foundation is built upon man and not Christ.

God wants to use each one of us to promote His kingdom. Remember it is all about Him. As God uses your life, you have to change and grow spiritually but you have to remain a servant. Paul was a mighty servant of God.

The right manner of growth is to grow less in one’s own eyes.
-Thomas Watson-

Holocaust Remembrance Day

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You:

Psalm 83:4-5

God’s Church

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:6

You see the true humility of Paul in this verse. He never lifted himself above others or thought himself more important. He realized the real work of the church was done by God, not him, not Apollos, not you and not me.

I have done those things at one time or another. I have planted and I have watered, but I have never given the increase. We all plant and water, but God gives the increase. God is the One who builds the church.

I am the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs and I have many leaders serving with me but this is not my church, this is His church. These are God’s people, not my people. I am here to serve Him. I want to see God do mighty and powerful things like never before, so He can continue to do even greater and greater things.

I have been in the ministry for 40 years and I have seen people come and go. I have seen them fall and get destroyed, because they got puffed up. They could have been restored but they forgot it is all God’s work, not their own.

It is really important we understand, without God there is no increase, no increase at all. God is the one who builds. God is the one who gets the glory and honor. He is the one who takes down the one and lifts up the other. We are just vessels He uses to plant and water.

Man does what he can, and God what He will.
-John Ray-

To God Be the Glory

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:7

Remember this verse. It is such a short verse but Paul made two very important points. First, we have to realize we are nothing. Everything we are and everything we do is by the grace of God. It is not us. It is all God.

Second, Paul tells us it is God who gives the increase. This is the second time. Do you think this is important? Yes! When God repeats something, it is important you take note. God is the one who lifts you up. God opens the doors or closes the doors.

One thing often happens when God begins to use young people. They become prideful. It can happen to any of us. We are natural people, flesh and bone. It is a great weapon of Satan, to make us think the work is ours and not God’s.

Paul the Apostle was such a great motivator, leader, teacher and theologian. He could defend the faith better than anyone. He could have gotten puffed up and gone his own way, but he went to Arabia for 10 years to spend time with God. He did not go into the ministry immediately. He waited upon the Lord.

Seriously, who are we? Nothing but dirt, and God has chosen to use us because He loves us. He wants us to be instruments of His righteousness.

Whether you are watering or planting, give God the glory.

If we insist on our glory, God will withdraw His.
-John Blanchard-

Examine Your Motives

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

1 Corinthians 3:8

Paul was telling the people and warning the church about a coming day of judgment. We know the non-believer will go to the White Throne Judgment, but Paul was speaking to the believer here. He was talking about the Bema Seat of Christ, the works of gold, silver, wood, hay and stubble.

I love what he said because it separates me from you and you from me. Everyone is an individual. I do not have to answer for you and you do not have to answer for me. I am going to answer for myself. That is the bottom line.

I do not have to impress you and you do not have to impress me. Do not be so worried about other people. Worry about yourself, because you are going to have to stand before God one day. You are going to have to give an account to God.

There are going to be people who will stand before God and ask, “Where is my reward?” They will hear, “I am sorry. There is nothing for you. Everything burned up.” Why? They had the wrong attitude. It was done with the wrong motive.

Remember that word, motive. What is your motive in what you are doing? Is the motive to promote yourself or to really build the Kingdom of God?

Man cannot cover what God would reveal.
-Thomas Campbell-

Fully Submitted to the Lord

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

1 Corinthians 3:8

This is bottom line. At the end of your life, the real you will come out. What you have really done for Christ. That is where you may suffer the loss of rewards. What was the intention of your heart? Why did you do it, so people could praise you and lift you up? You will receive nothing for that. It will burn in the fire. Only what you do for Christ will last, period, nothing else.

If you are always getting glory from people, they are lifting you up, then it is just a matter of time. You are going to trip, fall and be destroyed. The gifts and talents God has given to you, He is going to take away from you. There will be no more anointing in your life. The anointing of God is what keeps us moving.

It takes a lot of work, prayer, studying, reading and waiting on the Lord, to be used effectively by Him. God speaks to people through your life. They may come to you with questions but they are coming to receive from Him. They want to know what God has to say in His Word. You are the instrument. You are the vessel. That is the bottom line.

God will use your life wherever you are. He can do great things in your life, privately and publicly, when you submit your life fully to Him. When you fully submit to Him, you will be rewarded when you stand before Him.

God will be glorified in the punishment of sin as well as in the reward of obedience.
-Thomas V. Moore-

Spiritually Cultivated

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:9

What do you do with a field? A field has to be cultivated in order to bring forth fruit. In the same way, we have to be cultivated spiritually if we want to be fruitful.

For 40 years, I have been cultivated by God. Chuck Smith will be 84 this year. Think about how long he has been cultivated by God. Some of you are babies in the Lord still. You have a long way to go, but if you stay humble, keep listening, studying, praying and you allow God to do the work in your life and use your life, then you will be fruitful.

If we are still here in 40 years, you will be able to teach the young guys what I am teaching you today. You will look back and say, “Wow, Chuck Smith was right.” He will be long gone, but the fruit will continue.

He also calls us God’s building. We are the Temple of the Living God. Even though we have imperfect bodies, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. If I am God’s building, full of the Holy Spirit, then I have to be careful what I do with my body.

Paul is telling us we have to be cultivated by God, so we can live fruitful lives. By allowing God to cultivate our lives spiritually, our bodies can be used by God for His glory.

A machine can do work; only a life can bear fruit.
-Andrew Murray-

Responsibility

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

1 Corinthians 3:10

This is why I am here — the grace of God. Each one of us are walking with the Lord and serving in His ministry by His grace. Again, Paul is telling us we are vessels of the Lord. It is not about us. It is about the Lord.

Paul is also giving us this great warning. He is talking to the whole team. We each have a responsibility for what we do with what the Lord has given to us. He is not just talking to pastors; every Christian has a responsibility for how they build on the foundation. God makes you responsible, because you are part of the building — part of the ministry.

When I read this verse, I thought, “Wow, Lord. No wonder there is such great responsibility, such care and such urgency in my heart.” I do not think people are taking this warning seriously today. I think many are building on a false foundation and they are going to cause others to fall. Paul warns us to take heed. That means there is an accounting.

Paul laid the foundation and it was built upon the Rock, Jesus Christ. The foundation has to be solid. It has to be on the Rock. Do not build on sand, it will not last. This is so important. Paul tells us to be careful how we build on His foundation, His ministry.

Responsibility brings accountability.
-Ken Robins-

Christ is the Center

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

I have circled this verse in my Bible. I do not ever want to forget it. The foundation is Jesus Christ. He settles the issue. It is not the Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Calvary Chapel, it is Jesus Christ. He is the Rock of our salvation. He is the Rock of theology. He is it, bottom line.

Paul made sure, all the way through the letter, the center of the Christianity is Christ. That is the foundation. The foundation is Christ.

Jesus told us He is the Rock in Luke 6:47-48, Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Wow, amazing. Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation. My testimony, my life, my study, my giving, my teaching, everything has to be centered in Christ. The more Christ, the better your ministry will be.

Now, if Christ is the foundation, if He is the Rock, why would you build on anything else? When your world seems to be collapsing around you, turn to Christ, the Rock of your salvation.

How divinely supreme is our Lord above all others!
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones-

Spiritual Riches

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

1 Corinthians 3:12

When I was thinking of Paul the Apostle, in writing this tremendous letter, about the foundation we need to build upon, then the building of our works, it really opened my eyes.

We are builders, building on the foundation that is Christ Jesus. Take every one of the materials mentioned for building and look them up in the encyclopedia. Some of them have lasting value and some are worthless. He starts out with the most valuable at the top, which is gold. Everybody wants gold. It is shiny and valuable. The last thing he lists is straw, which is worth nothing.

He was warning, not the non-believers. He was warning Christians. Are you building on the foundation of Christ with things of lasting value like gold, silver and precious stones or will your works have no value and burn in the fire like wood, straw and hay?

This is really important. You may say you do not care about rewards but you will care. In the Kingdom Age, you will care. You better read the Book of Revelation.

Many people think they have built with gold but they may be surprised when it is all put into the fire. Examine your lives. What has lasting value?

Treasures in heaven are laid up only as treasures
on earth are laid down.
-Author Unknown-

Rewards and Gifts

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13

You should not boast. You do not know what is going to last until you stand before Christ. In your human nature, you think everything is cool, but it may not be. What is the motive behind what you are doing? Is it to build your kingdom or is it to build God’s Kingdom? Is it to build your name and your fame or is it to build the name of Jesus?

It is all about being honorable and having integrity, if you want to be a man or a woman of God. It is not about being cool. Remember, we are all dealing with people’s souls. We are dealing with people’s lives.

As God’s people, we need to understand there is a day of judgment coming. We are Christians and have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, so our sins have been taken away by His blood. You were born again, a Christian, but you are still going to stand before God and He is going to look at your works.

What is of real value when you stand before God? The fire will reveal it and God will say, “This is what you get. Everything else is gone.” If you are standing there before the Lord and He says, “Nothing came out of the fire.” You will be saved by the fire. Why? Salvation is the free gift of God.

Our salvation is a pure gratuity from God.
-Benjamin B. Warfield-

Worldly Riches

each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:13

Paul used the word Day with a capital “D” not little “d.” He was talking about the Bema Seat of Christ. Everything will be tested there. What is the value? You will be evaluated on who you really are. You can play the role here, but if it is not real, it is going to burn up. You did it all in vain.

I talk to these businessmen and I tell them it is great, you build a big company, you make a million dollars but who gets the glory. In the end, what are you going to have if you are not witnessing, praying and reading? If you are not serving the Lord, then you are not building spiritually. You are only building physically, for this world. Everything in this world is going to collapse and burn. Then you will stand in the presence of God totally naked, without anything.

What kind of foundation is the church building? Think about it. We are talking to Christians. Are we really building our relationship and our foundation in Jesus Christ? When we stand before the Lord and He opens up the books, is there anything written there of value.

What will you hear? ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,” or “You did all these awesome things but they all burned up. You can come into the kingdom, because salvation is the free gift of God, but you will not rule and reign with me.” Think about it.

No kind of riches is a passport to the kingdom of heaven.
-C. S. Lewis-

Do Not Suffer Loss

If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:14-15

Without works, without rewards, you will be in heaven because salvation is the free gift of God. You will get into heaven, but Paul said you will suffer loss. Think about that statement. You will suffer loss. You will realize nothing you did was of any value to the Lord. That is really heavy.

Today, people come to church and they listen, but what are they really doing for God? If Christians really got on fire for God, do you think the church would be normal? Every church would be jam packed, because people would have the zealousness, the fire of God in their hearts. They would want to be in the house of the Lord learning, so they could go out into their communities to win people for Christ. That is the passion God gives to you.

Many times people get angry with God, because He is not doing something in their lives. He has not given them this or that, but God knows what is best for each one of us. He says, “My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts.” God knows what He is doing. He is building godly men and women He can use, if they are willing to submit.

By the grace of God we are saved. He saved us and now He wants to use us. If you allow God to use your life, you will not suffer loss.

The way of uprightness is the way of heavenly wealth.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

All Things to All Men

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1

Paul was talking to the Corinthian church. When he came to them, he did not come as an intellectual. He did not come as a professor. He came as a shepherd. He came as a servant of God. They understood his message, because he made it simple.

Think of how many classes you have attended and wondered what the professors were talking about because they used big words. They could have said the same thing simply, but they were trying to impress.

I had to take pneumatology, eschatology and all the other doctrinal classes for my degrees. Those are theological terms for the study of the Holy Spirit and the study of the Last Days. You need to know these words if you are going to seminary, but for every day conversation, they are not important.

In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul told us, I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. What does this mean to you and me? We need to think about who we are talking to — who is our audience. If we are talking with a pastor, we can use formal terms. If we are talking to a new believer or a non-believer, we have to speak in terms they can understand. We need to have the balance between the knowledge and the ability to have a simple conversation about doctrine.

The more Christian a person is, the simpler will
that person’s life be.
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones-

The Way of the Cross

. . . . declaring to you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1

Paul came to the people of Corinth, who were a heathen people, speaking as a simple man — speaking to non-believers. He was exposing the Word of God. What was really cool about it is he went to Corinth to proclaim the testimony of God.

What is the testimony of God? It is the Cross of Jesus Christ. Imagine how theological he was, and yet he taught the simplicity of the Cross of Jesus Christ. He knew big words and impressive speeches did not save people. They were saved by the sacrifice made on the Cross. That was exactly what he gave the people.

We have to really examine our hearts and our motives when we are speaking to people. Are we trying to impress people with our knowledge? Or, do we truly want them to understand the way of the Cross? That is a very important question we must ask ourselves.

Paul is such a great example to us. He had one goal — to declare the testimony of God to those who did not know Him. Paul humbled himself and became nothing, so he would not be a stumbling block, and God could use his life fully and completely.

Be like Paul — a man or woman fully committed to declaring the way of the Cross.

Only a burdened heart can lead to fruitful service.
-Alan Redpath-

Power of the Cross

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1

Paul started preaching the Cross in 1 Corinthians 1, and continued on in Chapter 2. He reminded the saints of his ministry among them, how he sought to glorify God in everything he did through the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Paul was an intellectual person, and yet he came as a simple person, sharing his heart with people concerning the Cross of Jesus Christ — the effect the Cross had on his personal life. He told them how he found God and God found him.

As a humble servant of God, Paul never expected God would use him to write 14 doctrinal letters to the churches — which became 14 books of the Bible. When he wrote 1 Corinthians, he was dealing with the problems and situations in Corinth: fornication, adultery, lying, cheating and suing fellow Christians.

In 2 Corinthians, he dealt with himself as a minister and what ministers of the Gospel, true ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have to go through with Satan and in this world. He talked about how he was beaten, stoned and left for dead. He talked about how there was power behind his preaching — the power of the Cross.

The power of the Cross is available to each one of us when we seek to serve Him and submit to His plans for our lives. Seek God and not self.

Until we cease to live for self,
we have not begun to live at all.
-J. R. Miller-

Jesus: the Simple Teacher

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2

Paul the Apostle said, “All I want to know is Jesus. I do not care about anything else, but who Jesus Christ is.”

Think about Jesus. He is the Master Rabbi. Did He speak over the heads of the people? He was so simple in His teaching. Preaching, teaching and healing were all He did. Who did He choose? He chose simple men, Peter, James and John, who were fishermen. Paul was the only one who was qualified to be a professor, yet he was the simplest teacher.

Look at the life of Peter. When he was in Caesarea Philippi, the Lord said, “Give me the definition of eschatology.” No, what did He really say? “Who does man say I am?” It is that simple.

Peter answered, “You are the Son of the Living God.”

Then Jesus said, “Peter, you did not learn that in school. God gave it to you as a revelation.”

Paul said if you are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, you have nothing to say. If you speak intellectually, with notes and facts, but no inspiration, you have nothing to share. The Spirit of God brings conviction. It is the way of the Cross.

Christianity . . . is the revelation of God,
not the research of man.
-James A. Stewart-

The Cross: Freedom or Foolishness

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2

In this verse, Paul takes you back to 1 Corinthians 1:18, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What was the most important thing? The crucifixion of Christ and nothing else. We are crucified with Christ, and through the Cross comes the power of God. It is through this power we are able to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh.

We need to get rid of the appetites of the flesh, so we can be spiritual and understand what God is saying to His church. The carnal mind does not understand the things of God, because the carnal man is double-minded. He knows of God, but does not walk with Him.

To the natural man, the things of God are foolishness to him. Why? The natural man is not connected to God. His spirit is dead.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul was emphasizing the distinction between the three: the natural man, the carnal man and the spiritual man. Paul was a spiritual man. He was focused on Christ and Him crucified. That is what I like about Paul. He was devoted to the Lord fully and completely. Are you?

As long as the world stands, the cross will seem
foolishness to natural man.
-J. C. Ryle-

True Strength in God

I was with you in weakness, in fear,
and in much trembling.

1 Corinthians 2:3

Can these really be the words of Paul the Apostle? I see Paul as a spiritual giant — a man among men, unafraid of men and the world around him. Here, we see the vulnerability of Paul. He was just a man, with all the weaknesses in flesh and blood man.

Paul was telling them he was scared to death. After everything he had gone through, you would think Paul would be self-confident. Before the people, Paul was strong in the Lord. He did not rely upon his own strength.

In this verse, Paul emphasized his personal demeanor. He was not afraid of persecution from man. In himself, he was afraid to go and teach them, because he felt he was not qualified, yet God had chosen him. He was humbled.

I see many people who are self-confident, but there is nothing behind their confidence. They do not have the power of God. They have only the power of self, which is total weakness before the Lord.

I love what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When we are weak, we are strongest, because we are trusting in God, not self.

One test of a person’s strength is his
knowledge of his weaknesses.
-Author Unknown-

God’s Preservation

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14

The Feast of Lots, Purim, begins today at sundown. It is a celebration of God’s great preservation for the people of Israel. You see, God’s hand has always been upon His people, Israel. From the beginning, it has always been His perfect will to have communion with His people. Because of their relationship with God, the children of Israel have always had an enemy, Satan.

Mordecai knew of God’s protection for His people. He knew if Esther did not agree to help the people, God would raise another to save the people. Mordecai did not say, “God may raise another,” but, “deliverance will arise for the people.” He was so sure of His God. He held onto the promises of God.

I find it interesting; Haman was trying to wipe out the Jews in Persia, modern day Iran. Today, we see the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, threatening to wipe the nation of Israel off the face of the earth. This is no coincidence.

Satan has been stirring up enemies of the nation of Israel for centuries. He has been trying to eliminate the Jewish nation, using one heathen nation after another. Satan will never succeed. Why? The Jews are the chosen people of the One True God. That is why they can celebrate year after year.

God rules and overrules.
-William S. Plumer-

God Our Protection

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Genesis 3:15

The children of God have had a natural enemy since the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. God told the serpent He would put enmity between the serpent and the woman. He was speaking of the birth of Jesus Christ. He would come and destroy the power of Satan.

As children of God, Satan is our enemy. He has come to rob, kill and destroy us because we are children of the King. We are children of Jesus Christ, who came and saved His people from the judgment brought upon them in the Garden of Eden.

Think about it. Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden and lied to her, causing her and Adam to sin against God. Because of their sin, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, and the curse was put upon man.

God the Father sent Christ into this world to restore fellowship with us. He provided atonement for our sins in order for us to have fellowship with Him, but Satan is still at work in this world. We will suffer, but we have God’s protection.

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

What God intends, he decrees; what God permits,
He has foreseen.
-Arthur C. Custance-

Speaking in Wisdom and Power

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

1 Corinthians 2:4

This is such an important verse. You need to underline it, understand it and memorize it. Notice, Paul did not get his wisdom from books or professors. He received his wisdom from the Lord.

When he opened his mouth, he spoke with power. It was the Holy Spirit. It was not himself. The Holy Spirit was speaking through him.

Do you know what the word demonstration means in this verse? Literally, it means “legal proof or presentable to the courts.” It is when you are bringing the evidence before the judge, which is what Paul was bringing. And what is the evidence? The Holy Spirit of God. He is the evidence of who we are and what God has done for us.

The world cannot say the same thing. They have no power, so there is no evidence of power. Why? They do not have the Spirit of God. Without the power of God, they have no wisdom. They only have the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness to God.

The world does not understand the wisdom of God. They do not understand it because they are natural men. As Christians, we not only understand the power and wisdom of God, we can use it in speaking God’s truth.

Heavenly wisdom is better than worldly wealth,
and to be preferred before it.
-Matthew Henry-

Limitless Knowledge

. . . that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:5

Notice what Paul was telling the people of Corinth. We cannot put our trust in men and the wisdom of men. Only the power of God is worthy of our faith and trust. Man’s wisdom is nothing to God.

Because the Corinthians were intellectuals, they were studying and debating. They were studying and giving all the knowledge they learned from Plato, Socrates and all the philosophers who influenced their lives.

Paul told them there is power in knowledge, but it cannot compare with the power from the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Bible, because it is divine. It is supernatural power. Man’s wisdom in this world is natural. It is of this world, so it is limited. It is not of God who is limitless.

Think about it. When you go to college, even if you get a doctorate degree, you are only knowledgeable in one area. You do not have limitless knowledge, and there is always someone who knows more than you know. No one is really an expert in their area of study.

Read your Bible. After going through the Bible every year, for 40 years, listening to Pastor Chuck and reading almost every commentary, I still have questions in my life. The knowledge of God is limitless. We should read our Bibles to get everything out of it we can, but we will still have questions.

The wisest person in the world is the person who
knows the most about God.
-A. W. Tozer-

Desire to Know God

. . . that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men
but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:5

If you have the wisdom of man, then you have no power of God. You are a natural man. Where is the power of God? It is in salvation, through the wisdom and knowledge of God, to the power of the Holy Spirit. It empowers us and makes us new creatures in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What was my greatest desire when I came to the Lord? I had a desire to know God, so the following day, I had to get a Bible. Who put that in my heart? The Holy Spirit. What made me go back to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa? The teaching of God’s Word. It is through the teaching of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, I will come to a greater knowledge of God and a closer relationship with Him.

When I visited other churches I was so turned off. When I left them, I left the same way I came in — empty. When I heard the teaching at Calvary Chapel, I left filled with the Word of God. I thought, Wow! I have food for a week.

No matter what church you attend, be sure you are being fed, spiritually. Without the teaching of the Word of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will starve to death, spiritually.

If you wish to know God you must
know His Word.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

Seek Spiritual Maturity

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

1 Corinthians 2:6

There are baby Christians and there are mature Christians. A baby Christian needs milk. A mature Christian needs meat. The lack of spiritual maturity was a big problem in the Corinthian church. Paul was concerned because the believers of Corinth continued to grow in their worldly knowledge, but not in spiritual things.

What does God think of worldly knowledge? God breaks all the things of this world down to nothing. Everything the people had learned in an intellectual way, reading the books of other men and listening to lectures, was worthless. They were empty because they had nothing divine. It was all from this world, and it would all come to nothing. It would vanish, leaving an emptiness of life.

Look around you. People are the same today as in the Corinthian church. When I am at the airport, I always watch the people. I see them reading all kinds of novels. Are novels going to help them spiritually? No.

What will feed you spiritually? The writings of men like Tozer, Murray and most importantly, the Bible. You want to read books from the writers who really spent time with God. They are the people who are going to feed your spirit and help you mature as a Christian. They are going to challenge you to be men and women of God.

There are no short cuts to spiritual maturity.
It takes time to be holy.
-Erwin W. Lutzer-

Mysteries Revealed

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7

What is the wisdom of God? It is simple. It is the Cross of Jesus Christ — that God would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to come and die on the Cross, to die for the sins of the world. Can you believe how simple it is? That is what Paul was talking about. The Cross, for Paul, Peter, James and all of them, was an incredible factor in the wisdom of God.

It was all revealed by Jesus in Matthew 16:24, Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

There is power in the Cross of Jesus Christ, and He calls each one of us to take up our own crosses daily and follow Him. In the Cross, we embrace Christ and the wisdom He has for each one of us.

As you read and study the Bible, you become powerful in the Word. Every time you open up the Word of God, more is revealed to you. Think about how you have read your Bible every year. This time, in this chapter, God reveals another mystery. It is so cool when He speaks through His Word. You have read the same passage so many times, but this time, God reveals more of Himself.

Mystery is beyond human reason
but it is not against reason.
-Os Guinness-

Prepared for Persecution

. . . which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:8

The leaders of this world do not know anything. If they knew anything, they would not hate Jesus. What do non-believers do when you talk to them about the things of God? They get mad at you. They do not want to hear it. They do not understand. They are lost.

If they only knew who they were putting down, it is not us. They are rejecting Jesus Christ. When they do not accept you, do not get offended. They are not accepting Him. When you get put down, they are not putting you down, they are putting Christ down. Everything has to do with Him, not you, so do not get offended. Do not get hurt. Know you are being called to be a disciple of Christ.

Remember what Jesus said in Luke 7:23, “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” He was preparing the disciples and is preparing us for the times we are put down or persecuted.

It is very important. If you do not get this fact in your mind and in your heart, then you will never really get to the next level where God wants you to be in your teaching, in your witnessing, in your study time, in your private time. You will not develop. You will not grow.

They hated Christ enough to kill Him. They will hate us more for loving Him.

Persecution is the legacy bequeathed
by Christ to His people.
-Thomas Watson-

Revelation, Inspiration and Illumination

. . . which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:8

If the government leaders and spiritual leaders understood the Bible, if they understood the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ, they would never have put Him on the cross. Yet they did. Why? They did it because they were ignorant. They were foolish. They did not understand the supernatural things of God.

Paul was talking about revelation, inspiration and illumination. As a non-believer you read the Bible as a piece of literature — like any other book. There is no revelation, inspiration and illumination.

When you come to Christ, the first time you open the Bible, God opens your heart, mind and eyes, spiritually. The first thing you notice when you read the Word as a believer is how God reveals things about Himself — things you never noticed before. This is revelation.

Inspiration is the work of God moving through His chosen vessels to produce His written Word. This is how God used men throughout time to write the many books of the Bible in a clear and concise way.

As Christians, we pray before reading our Bibles, for the Lord to open our hearts and minds to the truths of the Bible. What we are praying for is the illumination of God’s Word.

The natural man can never be educated into
apprehension of divine truth.
-Vance Havner-

God’s Great Love and Greater Plans

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Wow! This is a heavy message from Paul, but it was not a new message. He was taking the people back to Isaiah 64:4. I like how he began the verse, For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, . . .

Paul was telling the people how great God’s love is and what amazing plans He has for them. His plans are far greater than anything they could imagine or ask for themselves.

Isaiah said God’s great love and amazing plans were not just for us. They were from the beginning of the world. God had great plans for you before you were even born. He is just waiting for you to love Him. How simple.

Think of how many people say they love God. Paul said when you say you love God, you can be a natural man, and it is only a religion you are talking about, not a relationship.

When a natural man is born again, the love he has for God opens the doors for great opportunities. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we cannot possibly understand the things God has prepared for us. Your greatest dreams are nothing compared to what God has planned for you when you love Him in spirit and in truth.

The greatness of the Promiser enhances the
greatness of the promises.
-A. R. Fauset-

St. Patrick’s Day

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 28:19

Saint Patrick was a missionary to Ireland. He was born in Britain, kidnapped and forced into slavery in Ireland. He escaped back to Britain, where he studied to become a priest, and returned to Ireland to bring Christianity to a heathen nation.

It would seem Patrick took this command from Jesus very seriously. After living among the Irish people, he knew they were lost in their Celtic religion and traditions. Growing up the son of a deacon, he knew God’s Word, and the Lord gave him great compassion for the people who had enslaved him.

The Celtic religion was polytheistic. They worshipped many gods. Patrick sought to introduce them to the One True Living God, existing in three persons. He had to teach them the Trinity — one God in three persons.

Patrick was able to teach the people the Trinity using the Shamrock, a popular St. Patrick’s Day symbol. We always hear of the four leaf clover, but those are lucky because they are uncommon. The normal clover or shamrock actually has three leaves. There are three distinct leaves which make up one clover.

Think about how simple it was for him to use the symbol of Ireland to teach a great biblical doctrine. He could have taught them using great theological terms, but it was much simpler to use God’s creation. What a lesson for us as we go out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The doctrine of the Trinity is basic to
the Christian religion.
-R. B. Kuiper-

The Deep Things of God

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10

God has revealed His plans for us. We are no longer ignorant. When we study, when we read, we understand because God shows it to us. Then we can give to other people God’s revelation in His Word.

When you think about the deep things of God, what are they? The deep things of God include redemption, atonement, justification, glorification — all these great doctrines of the Bible.

How many of you have really studied these doctrines? In order for us to really settle in God’s Word, we need to be theological in our own beliefs. Theology is the study of God — how He sent His only Son to redeem us through atonement, justified us by faith, and we will be glorified when we die, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, with a new body, a new heart and a new mind.

Being born again of the Holy Spirit is kind of weird to people in the world. When they look at a person who has changed, many are in disbelief until they see the attitude, character and life of the person changed over a period of time. Then they become believable.

When God has changed our lives, we can be used to reveal the things of God.

The simplest word of faith is the deepest word of
theology: Christ died for our sins.
-James Denney-

Born Again

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11

No one really knows you like you know yourself, because of the spirit in you. You know who you really are. You can play the game and fool people around you, but you know who you really are, and of course, God knows.

The natural man understands himself, but he does not understand the things of God. He cannot because he does not have the Spirit of God. We understand the natural man, and we understand the things of God, because we have both the spirit of man and now the Spirit of God.

When we came to Christ, we had a transformation by the Spirit of God. We used to be natural, ruled by the body and soul, but the spirit was dead. When we are transformed, the Spirit is in control of the soul, and the body is dead. That is why we say we are born again of the Holy Spirit — regenerated, transformed, atoned for, redeemed, justified by faith.

When we are born again of the Holy Spirit, we have reckoned the old man to be dead. We now have the Spirit in control of our lives. However, if we do not reckon the old man to be dead every day, the flesh will try to take over.

We all carry the old man around with us every day. Do not allow him to control your life. Live a Spirit-filled life.

We are not so to live as if we had
nothing but a body.
-J. C. Ryle-

Spiritual Riches

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1 Corinthians 2:12

What has God given you? How about love, grace and mercy. Think about it. It is not about money, which is worldly wealth. Think about the spiritual things God has given to each of us. We are super rich. According to Paul, we are billionaires in the Kingdom of God, not materially, but spiritually.

Paul wants us to understand what true wealth is, so when we share with other people, we share with the Spirit of God in us and working through our lives. This way we do not discourage, we do not put down, we do not push others away, but people see the power of God in our own speech.

The way we act in public and the way we act in the privacy of our own homes, whatever we do, we have to be men and women of the Spirit of God.

I like what Paul said in verse 12, because he contrasts the world and the Word of God with the Spirit of God. How do we get these things God has given us freely? We have to read our Bibles.

The Word of God educates us. It matures us. The Word of God uses us to share with other people. We become walking encyclopedias for the Bible, because we study, meditate, memorize and we speak the Word of God. God has given us spiritual treasures, and He wants us to share them with others.

A Christian is the world’s Bible.
-D. L. Moody-

Share God’s Wisdom

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:13

I am glad Paul wrote this here. This is describing the process of revelation, which is written for us through the Scriptures. Then, receiving the truth from God, Paul goes on to describe the process of inspiration, by which the truth of God is communicated to us, and we communicate it to others. It comes through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, by studying God’s Word. Otherwise, you cannot communicate anything.

These things are so important to understand. God speaks to us of spiritual things, but He provides the means for us to understand. He has given us His written Word, the Bible, and an interpreter, the Holy Spirit.

If we are not one with God, we are unable to understand the wisdom of God because it makes no sense to us; it seems like foolishness. Only the man of God, who is seeking godly wisdom, ever has a chance of understanding the wisdom of God.

God has not given you the understanding just for yourself. You are to share the wisdom of God with others. You are called to give these same tools to others, so they can understand and study the wisdom of God. As God teaches you, through the work of the Holy Spirit, you are called to share these spiritual riches with others, causing them to seek the wisdom of God.

Our secrets are for sharing.
-J. A. Moyer-

The Holy Spirit: With, In and Upon

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Who is the natural man? A person who is never born again of the Holy Spirit. When you talk to him about spiritual things, he will look at you with no conviction, no understanding. Many times, we get mad because they do not understand, but we have to remember, it is the Holy Spirit who opens the eyes of the spiritually blind, not us.

Years ago, when I got saved, I read this verse, and the Lord reminded me; I cannot convert anyone. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. People look at you and ask what you are talking about.

If the Holy Spirit begins to speak to them, what is the first thing you see? There will be conviction. He is with them and He will not leave that person alone. They are going to have to make a choice, accepting Him or rejecting Him, being born again of the Holy Spirit or continuing in their old life.

This is where the Spirit continues. When you make the decision to give your life to Christ, then the Holy Spirit comes in you. First He was with you, and now He is in you. He gives you the ability to read and understand the wisdom of God, His Word. Then He will come upon you when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Now He will begin to manifest His gifts in you (1 Corinthians 12).

Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing
but add sin to sin.
-John Wesley-

Discernment and Judgment

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

1 Corinthians 2:15

You cannot take things at their face value. You have to judge all things. You have to ask yourself, “Is this of God? Is this of the devil? Is this of the world or is this of the flesh?” You have to judge it. You have to have discernment.

Now spiritual discernment is very important, and it goes right along with what the Apostle Paul has been teaching us. Like spiritual wisdom, spiritual discernment comes from God. It does not come from man’s wisdom.

How do we get spiritual wisdom? We read God’s Word, and we ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to His Word. It is the same with spiritual discernment. We have to know God’s Word, and we have to rely on the Holy Spirit in order to judge all things.

We are to judge all things and use spiritual wisdom and discernment, but we, ourselves, are judged by no one but God. He is the only one who can judge us. That is why He knows our hearts. You cannot impress people. You have to impress God.

In the world, people will judge you, but their judgment means nothing. In the end, no one will escape His judgment. Use the spiritual discernment God gives you, so you will not have to worry about judgment.

There will be no possibility of standing before
Christ but by standing in Christ.
-William Secker-

Natural, Spiritual and Carnal

For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

We have the mind of Christ by being born again of the Holy Spirit of God. We are able to see the difference between the natural man, the spiritual man and the carnal man.

We have to understand, the natural man is blind, dead in his sins. He does not have the spiritual eyes to even recognize he is dead in his sins. The spiritual man is mature, studying God’s Word, knowing God’s Word and able to share God’s Word with people. God has opened the eyes of the spiritual man, and he is able to see the differences.

The carnal man is striving. He is living with one foot in the world and the other foot with God. He is never pleasing to God. He is always pleasing himself and other people. God is displeased with this person. He cannot use this person the way He wants to use him. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us they get chastened by the Lord because they do not listen. They do not get what God is saying through the truth of the Word of God.

We each need to realize, we all make a choice. We all start out as natural men and women. The Holy Spirit convicted us, and we gave our lives to God. Now we have to choose to walk with Him every day, so we do not become the carnal man.

The difference between worldliness and
godliness is a renewed mind.
-Erwin W. Lutzer-

The Full Counsel of the Lord

“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole
counsel of God.”

Acts 20:26-27

In some churches, the pastor only preaches topically, so he chooses his favorite topics in the Bible to preach. Without the full counsel of the Lord, the people will not develop and grow spiritually, because they are not balanced. They are not going book by book, chapter by chapter through the Bible. That is why they struggle in their lives. They do not have godly counsel to guide them.

When we go from Genesis to Revelation, we have no excuse. Everything we need to know is there for us. There are things we do not understand now, but one day God will reveal them to us.

He says of the things He is revealing to us, “When I reveal it to you, then you are accountable. I hold you responsible now.” So, we have to be careful. If we are responsible, we will have no excuse for ignoring the counsel of the Lord.

Remember what Paul said in Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

We do not have to wait to be taught the Bible. We should be reading and studying our Bibles every day. We have God’s written Word available to us. What a blessing to be able to know God, through His Word. Take advantage and learn the whole counsel of God.

Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the
whole text to yourself.
-J. A. Bengel-

Continue to Serve

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:6-7

Wow! Think about Paul and what he had gone through in his life, serving the Lord, as he came to this point in his life. He had been poured out as a drink offering to the Lord. Following his Damascus Road experience, he had been fully devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing discouraged him from serving the Lord and preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. Wow, what an example Paul is to each one of us, individually.

I have had great examples, in my life, of men like the Apostle Paul. They were men who preached and taught the Word of God right up to the end of their lives. I remember Dr. Van Cleave, at 95 years of age, teaching the Book of Romans for our Bible College. He was still teaching the Word of God at the age of 95!

I also remember Dr. Duffield and Dr. Orr. They were great men of God. Dr. Orr was a genius. He was one of my Fuller Seminary professors. All these men preached in West Covina for me, so many times. They taught the Word simply, so the hearts of people could be touched by the Lord. They had hearts like Paul.

All of us need to continue serving the Lord, giving people the Good News of Jesus Christ, no matter how old we get.

The Gospel is neither a discussion nor a debate.
It is an announcement.
-Paul S. Rees-

Supernatural Wisdom and Knowledge

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

John 3:27

You need to study, pray and really dissect the Word of God. You cannot wait for someone to teach you; you have to do your own personal study. Why? If someone comes and asks you a question, can you give them an answer? How do you give them an answer, if you have not studied God’s Word? You need to study God’s Word. You want the supernatural wisdom and knowledge of God. When you take the time to study God’s Word, He will give you answers.

Today, people want to impress others with their degrees and education. The wisdom of man does not impress me. When I got saved, I could hardly read. When I first started teaching and preaching, I could not even speak English well, but God honored my diligence in studying His Word.

You will never get to where God is taking you, until you submit to Him and say, “Here I am God, whatever you want to do with me, do it.” It is like Isaiah, who said, “Woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips.” God said, “I will take care of your old life first, and then I can use your life to get the Gospel out.”

If you are reading and studying, God will honor your desire to serve Him. God will enable you and you will receive from heaven all you need to proclaim Him. God is just waiting for willing servants to go out and preach the Word of God, and He will rain down His wisdom and knowledge from heaven.

Next to Christ I have one joy, to preach Christ my Lord.
-Samuel Rutherford-

Hold Fast

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

2 Timothy 1:13-14

Look at what Paul told Timothy. He said to hold on securely to the words Paul had taught him. Paul had committed the teachings of Jesus Christ to him, so the Word of God would not end, but continue to be preached around the world.

Do you know what the Lord showed me? The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons study what they believe. If you talk to Christians, they do not know what they believe. It makes me sad. Christians have not held securely to the Word of God. They do not know what they believe.

Imagine how many Christians have neighbors who ask them questions about God or the Bible, but they do not know the answer. We are supposed to be students of the Word of God. Paul said we need to have an answer for anyone who asks.

If you do not study, pray and spend time with God, then you will not be used by God. He wants to use people who have the knowledge of God — those who are not ignorant. When we are ignorant, what happens? God cannot use our lives, we are in danger of being deceived, and we can cause others to be deceived.

We each have a responsibility to learn God’s Word and hold fast to the teachings of Christ.

Knowing God is your single greatest
privilege as a Christian.
-Sinclair Ferguson-

Embrace the Cross

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Paul the Apostle was a fearless preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was persecuted, stoned, shipwrecked and put in prison, but they could not stop him from proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to both the Gentile and the Jew.

Why? Why would Paul suffer all those things? It was the Cross of Jesus Christ. The power of salvation comes from the Cross of Jesus Christ and Paul knew this, he was sure of it, and he embraced it with both hands.

The Cross of Christ had set Paul free from the bondage of the law, and he could not help but tell others what Christ had done to set him free. Remember, he said the power of the Cross is salvation. We received salvation through Christ, who submitted to the will of the Father and died to Himself.

The full realization of what Christ did on the Cross caused Paul to endure every trial and every tribulation, in order to preach salvation to those lost and perishing. He was empowered by God in the midst of the persecution.

It is the same today. Men and women are giving their lives, rather than renouncing their faith in Christ. They have fully embraced the Cross of Jesus Christ and been empowered to endure the torment. We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and still have victory. We must embrace the Cross.

The cross is the cost of my forgiveness.
-Author Unknown-

Carnality in the Church

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:5-6

The problem of carnality was huge in the early church. Paul had journeyed into the most carnal cities and cultures of his time, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people came to the saving knowledge of Christ, but just like us, they were still carrying around that old man, the flesh.

Paul had to write to the Corinthian church and to the Romans, reminding them to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh, because the people in the church were continuing to walk in their carnal ways. He was not able to be in each city, but he heard what was going on in the church. There were lawsuits, fornication, adultery, abuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit — all results of the flesh.

We see the same thing in the church today. It is sad when you find these issues within the church. You wonder why people would want to come into church.

We need to realize, Satan does not just deal with the non-believer; he deals with the carnal person, the person who is walking by the flesh, the person who is split spiritually. This person has one foot in the world and one foot with Christ. He has nothing to defend himself with, and there is nothing God can say through him. Unless you have really been in the presence of God, He cannot use you.

The devil allows no Christian to reach heaven
with clean feet all the way.
-Martin Luther-

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

John 16:8-11

John wrote about the Holy Spirit in Chapters 13 through 16. In John 16:8-11, he introduced sin and righteousness. He assured the believers they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome the devil, the world and the flesh.

We have that same assurance today. After Christ went home to be with the Father, the Helper (John 16:7) was sent to empower the believers. We can walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. He enables us to say “no” to sin and walk in righteousness to Him.

Then our lives can reflect Christ to other people, and they do not get stumbled, but they get built up. If they are living for the world, they can be convicted, because they see the transformation in our lives.

We do not have to walk in bondage to our flesh, the world or the devil. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, who is given to each one of us freely and individually. If we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are free.

Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The Christian’s birthright is the power
of the Holy Ghost.
-Lionel Fletcher-

Flawed but Usable

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.

1 Corinthians 1:14-15

Underline this verse. Look at the humility of Paul. He was not building himself up. He was lifting up Christ, not Paul. This message is for you and for me. Do not try to build up your name. Do not think about your name. It is about Christ, not about us.

God wants to work in me and through my life. Why? He has so much to do in my life and through my life, but before He can use the vessel, He has to fashion it. It is like the potter and the clay. What does He do with the lump of clay? He has to work on it. He has to fashion it into something usable. It takes days, weeks, months and years for God to mold us and shape us into vessels He can use.

We are not perfect vessels. We are flawed but usable, because we are in the Master’s hands. We are only usable by Him. Once you think you are finally finished, perfected, He says, “Yes, I am taking you home. Now you will be perfect.”

As long as we are here, we are imperfect. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to trip and fall. We are going to make so many mistakes, but if God is for us, who can be against us? That is the bottom line. If God is using our lives, we do not have to be perfect; we have to be available to Him.

Christians are made, not born.
-Jerome-

Preach God’s Word

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

1 Corinthians 1:17

What was Paul’s mission? To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What often happens in ministry? We get so caught up in programs, we forget to preach and to teach. It is pretty heavy. We are here to preach, to evangelize, to expand our borders and tell people they are lost. This is not just for pastors; it is for everyone who calls themselves a Christian.

It is important we are sensitive to people. We need to be ready in season and out of season, to have the boldness to say, “This is where it’s at. This is what is going to happen. This is the bottom line.”

Look at what Paul said, not with wisdom of words. What does that mean? How many times do we want to impress people? We use big words and quote commentaries, and yet the message has not even penetrated our hearts. We cannot teach the Word of God, unless it has pierced our own hearts.

We can be educated, but if we do not know the Word of God, we are ignorant. We have no hope. I do not care how many degrees you have; they do not matter, if you do not know God. You have to know God and preach Christ.

The only thing we have to give people is the Word of God and the hope of Jesus Christ. Nothing else can replace Christ and the message of salvation — nothing!

Education is a progressive discovery
of our own ignorance.
-Will Durant-

Submission Brings Unity

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

1 Corinthians 1:17

Can you believe it? The Cross of Jesus Christ is of no effect if the messenger is not empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. You can preach all you want. You can say whatever you want, but you will have no power. If you are not the true messenger, nothing will happen.

What happens to keep you from being the messenger? Division — not being one with Christ and not being one with people. Having your own agenda. Doing your own thing. Building your own kingdom. It will never work. God will not work with division.

What do we need to do? We need to submit — submission is the key to unity. The word is hupotasso, which translated means, “to arrange under,” with hupo translated as “under” and tasso translated “to arrange.”

We need to be under Christ. The only way to get under Christ is to humble yourself and become a servant for Christ. Then God can give you the message, and you can become the messenger, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

As God’s messengers, it is important for us to submit to Christ and to the leaders God sets over us. Then we can serve in unity through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A dead creed is of no use; we must have our creed
baptized with the Holy Ghost.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

Power of the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

We want to understand the Cross of Jesus Christ is the power unto God. The power of God comes from the Cross of Jesus Christ — knowing Christ. What is the Cross? It is the instrument of death. It is dying to self.

As Christians, we understand the message of the Cross. Even though it is an instrument of death, we understand the power of the Cross. Without the death of Christ on the Cross, we would still be perishing eternally in our sins.

To people in the world, the Cross of Jesus Christ is nothing. It is stupidity. They do not believe in the power of the Cross. Look at all the people who wear crosses as jewelry and have no idea of its significance. They see it as something pretty to wear around their necks.

It is so important to recognize what the Cross means, if you are going to wear it. It is not pretty. It is an instrument of death and torment. When people were crucified, they suffered tremendously. When Christ was put on the Cross, He suffered and He was an innocent man. He suffered to save you and to save me.

The suffering of Christ on the Cross produced great power, because as He died on the Cross, He took on all our sins — past, present and future — and gave us salvation. That is the power of the Cross. That is the true message of the Cross.

A crossless Christ would mean no more
than a Christless cross.
-Vance Havner-

Wisdom of the Cross

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

1 Corinthians 1:19

Notice what Paul is proving. The philosophers, the astrologers, the astronomers, all the people in colleges who think they are smart, have no wisdom in the eyes of the Lord. Their wisdom is foolishness to the Lord. They are not really smart.

What is the message? Without the message of the Cross, men are fools. They have no wisdom and they cannot make wise decisions. Can you believe it? It is all about the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is not something big. It is something little. Not big words, just a little word, the Cross — the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Think about it. When you go to college, you learn these big words to impress people, but that is not what it is about. People are impressed when they see Christ working in us and working through us, without saying one word. That is a greater testimony.

We have to understand, the Word of God is true wisdom. The knowledge of Christ and the Cross gives us hope. Without God’s Word and the message of the Cross, we are without hope. Who could we impress as people heading for hell? No one. We have no wisdom, no power and no strength outside the Cross of Jesus Christ.

The cross is the resting place for sin, the tomb for
self and the throne for our fears.
-Harold St. John-

Tests and Temptations

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:20

Paul was making a distinction between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the world is to destroy your life. The wisdom of God is to die to self and to be used by God — to be smart and not to be foolish.

Think of how many people are very foolish people. Every Sunday they hear the message, every Sunday, but there is no change.

If you took alcohol or drugs, if you got caught up in sex, let me tell you this: until the day you die, there is going to be temptation; there will be tests. When you fail a test, you will have to retake the test. You will never go beyond it until you pass the test, and retaking it could be harder than taking it the first time.

You really have to understand, we are all going to be tested. We all have different tests we go through. It is up to us to be spiritually strong, as we reckon the old man to be dead, as we are in the Word of God, as we are developing, growing and maturing and as we are aware spiritually. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and rulers of darkness which are trying to disqualify us.

The bottom line is this: do you want to be used or do you want to be put on the shelf? You make the decision — no one else.

There are as many forms of temptation
as there are Christians.
-Edward Donnelly-

Satan the Great Tempter

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:21

Can you believe it? Through the simple message of preaching, people reject God and become foolish; but we who believe have become wise. The simple message of preaching the Cross of Jesus Christ — the message of salvation — leaves people ignorant or wise. Think about it.

Why is it so many more get destroyed, perish and go to hell, while so very few understand the message of the Cross and get saved? Think about it.

Do you know what it is? It is the appetites of the flesh — carnality. It is drugs, alcohol, prosperity, money, power, women and just about everything in this world. Every one of us has our weaknesses, and we have our problems. Satan is the greatest tempter. He studies you day and night, waiting for the right opportunity, the right time to hook you. What is his ultimate goal? To disqualify you from service and destroy your life.

This happens over and over again to all of us. You really have to be aware of it. In order to have discernment, you have to spend time with God and ask Him to show you the dark areas of your heart. Ask Him to reveal what needs to be transformed in your heart, those things that can really disqualify and destroy you. What can put you on the shelf when God has done so much in your life?

Satan, like a fisher, baits his hook according
to the appetite of the fish.
-Thomas Adams-

They Missed the Signs

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Isn’t it cool? The power and wisdom of God is for those who listen, for those who obey, for those who take the Word of God seriously. You are different from the Jew and the Greek. They did not want to hear it.

The Jews were looking for a sign, and the signs were all around them. When Christ came, He fulfilled 300 prophecies from the Old Testament. How many more signs did they need? They wanted a conquering Messiah, so they did not see the signs.

The Greeks were smart in the knowledge of the world, with Plato, Socrates and all their philosophers, but think about how they missed the way of the Cross, because it was foolishness to them. They were only wise in the eyes of man, but what does the Bible say in 1 Corinthians 3:19? For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

With this verse, we should not be surprised when people reject the message of salvation. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the message of Christ crucified is foolishness to the unbeliever. To us, it is not foolishness; it is the greatest message of salvation for all.

The cross of Christ is the most revolutionary thing
ever to appear among men.
-A. W. Tozer-

Strength of the Cross

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25

Underline this verse. The weakness of God is stronger than men. Think about it: the weakness of the preaching of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the weakness of saying, “I am weak, Lord, I cannot take it. I am not going to go there; I am not going to see that; I am not going to do that, because I know I will fall.” You have to come to a place of surrender in your life. You have to know how strong you are and how weak.

The Bible says when you think you are really strong is when you are going to fall. When you think you can handle things, you cannot handle them. There is no way. Billy Graham has said four things are the root of man’s sin: power, money, women and pride. Those things destroy people’s lives. What is amazing is you never expect it to happen to you, but as Satan studies you over time, he looks for the right thing and the right time to bring full war against you — to destroy your life.

That is why Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthians, because they were totally carnal. There was so much sin; he had to address it, because Paul was a man of the Cross. That is what kept him usable. Physically, he was small and unattractive, but spiritually, he was a giant. Look at the power behind him. It was the power of the Cross. The Cross of Jesus Christ is the key — praying, studying, preaching, delivering the message — the power.

The cross was not a tragic failure;
it was a triumphant rescue.
-Vaughan Roberts-

Be Content with Who You Are

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

1 Corinthians 1:26

Notice, Paul calls you to check out your calling. What is your calling? What has God really called you to do? That is one thing I tell young people, “When you get called, do not look at everything you want to do. What does God want you to do?”

Look what Paul said. People who are called are not the smartest, the strongest or the bravest. People God calls are vessels willing to be used by God for His purposes in His wisdom, strength and courage. Why? Then God gets all the glory. We cannot say we did it. It is the Lord.

Many times, people get involved serving in the ministry, and they begin to look at other people and their gifts and talents. They start coveting. They want those gifts in their own lives, but God tells them, “No.” He is not going to give them those gifts. He wants them to be content where they are.

Why would you want to go beyond what God has given you the power to do? That is how people destroy themselves. You have to be content with who and where you are. Do not try to be anyone else. Be who God made you to be.

It is always sad when people do not want to be who God wants them to be. They are denying the plan God has for them.

God is the source of all truth, and every discovery
is a means of glorifying Him.
-Gene Veith-

Used for God’s Glory

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.

1 Corinthians 1:27

This verse is the heart of Calvary Chapel. We are not the smartest or the most beautiful people of the world. We are just people who want God to use our lives. We are happy to be weak, because then we are strong in the Lord. We do not rely on our own wisdom or strength. We rely fully on the Lord to empower us.

The greatest works done in the world have not been accomplished by man; they have been done by God. Men may be the vessels God chooses to use, but it is always His work. It is never done by the strength of men.

Paul recognized Who was the power behind the work. In Philippians 4:13, he said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This is such an important message. All through the Bible, we see men and women God used to accomplish His plan. They were not perfect. Abraham lied. Moses misrepresented God. Rahab was a prostitute. David fell into sin with Bathsheba. Paul had many infirmities. Peter spoke foolishly. We could go on and on.

Why did God use them? They were willing vessels who gave God the glory. We cannot take the glory. The glory belongs to Him.

The weakness of man sets the stage for
the display of God’s strength.
-Author Unknown-

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Matthew 5:43-44

There are not many men we celebrate in our nation, but one of them was the 16th President of the United States. President Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1861 and served until he was assassinated in 1865.

Lincoln did not come from wealth and privilege. He was a true self-made man, or should we say God-made man. He came from a poor family and was self-taught. Can you imagine, he went from teaching himself to read and write to becoming the President of the United States?

I believe God is the one who appoints leaders. He is the one who really elects our representatives. Sometimes, He allows good men to lead and sometimes bad. Either way, God looks at the character of the man.

When you look at the writings and speeches of Lincoln, it is clear; he was a man of great character and moral integrity. It is also clear he knew the Bible. So often, he spoke as if he were reading from the Bible.

I believe his godly character was the reason God appointed him to the Presidency. God saw a man seeking to make friends of his enemies. During one of the most crucial times in American history, God raised up a man to bring unity to the nation.

Let’s take time today to thank God for His wisdom and to pray for our elected officials.

The best way to destroy an enemy
is to make him a friend.
-Abraham Lincoln-

Bought by His Blood

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:30

Look at the riches we have in Christ. I get blown away when I think of all Christ has done for me. When you look at the blessings from God, through the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross, it is hard to believe people turn from God. They would rather have the things of the world than the blessings of God.

Notice the four things Paul says we receive: wisdom from God, righteousness by faith in Christ, sanctification and redemption. Without these things we would still be separated from God. Through Christ, we have true fellowship with God.

By the blood of Christ, we have access to the wisdom of God. Where is this wisdom? In His Word — the Bible. We will find the answers to life’s questions in the Word of God — not worldly wisdom, but perfect wisdom from God.

Through the sacrifice on the Cross, we can come before the throne of God, because we have the righteousness of Christ. The moment we are born again, we are sanctified, made holy, and also set apart for God’s purpose.

We are bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ’s redemption is for all of us, because we all are in need of His atoning blood. We are all born into sin, but Christ has redeemed us and paid the price for our sins. We all need to recognize the great gift we have through the blood of Christ.

Christ’s blood is heaven’s key.
-Thomas Brooks-

Valentine’s Day

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians is called “The Love Chapter.” It is often used in weddings, and many people have quotes from this chapter hanging in their homes. Most people focus on verses 4 through 8, the ‘Love is. . . .” verses.

I really like verse 3 of this chapter, because it shines a light on our motives. God looks at our hearts — at the motives we have for our actions. On the outside, we can appear to be the most loving and kind people, but God looks at the inside, at the heart.

God says, “You can do all the good works you want, but if you do not do it in love, or you do it grudgingly, it is worth nothing.” It will burn in the fire when you stand before the Lord.

Wow! Think of all the things you have done for others. Did you do them to be recognized? Did you do them to promote yourself? Did you do them because God has called us to love one another and serve one another?

You have to understand, God is true love. He is our example of true love. He sent His Son to die for us. Jesus was beaten and put on a cross for us. How well do we live up to those examples of love? Think about it!

Love never asks, “How much must I do?”,
but “How much can I do?”
-Frederick Agar-

His Redeeming Blood

. . . that, as it is written, “He who glories,
let him glory in the LORD.”

1 Corinthians 1:31

Okay, recently, we talked about the four things we receive when we accept Christ as our Savior. We have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. How many of us can say we have redeemed and sanctified anyone? No one — not one of us — only Christ!

We have to give the praise, the glory and the honor to Jesus Christ. We are nothing but dead men walking, without the blood of Jesus Christ. We have nothing to offer anyone in this world, except the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. We are nothing, so we should never bring attention to ourselves.

Give the glory to God for what He is doing and what He has done in your lives. When you talk to people, tell them what Christ has done for you. Tell them about the gift of His blood. Give all the glory to God.

It is not about us. It is all about the Lord, and I always promote the teaching of the Word of God. You do not have to impress anyone. Impress the Lord and He will take care of whatever He wants to do in your lives. Be who you are and give God all the glory and honor for who you are.

I am just a servant. That is all we are, servants of the Lord Jesus, redeemed by His atoning blood. We should start and finish with the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Life is not worth living apart from redemption.
-Oswald Chambers-

Deliverance from Sin

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Romans 6:1

Now, in order to understand what Paul is talking about, we talked about the Cross of Jesus Christ. No one can really live up to the Cross of Jesus Christ, if they live a life of sin. That is the bottom line. There is no possible way.

Why? Sin separates us from God. Sin quenches the Holy Spirit of God. It is the missing of the mark. Paul wants to make sure we understand there is deliverance from the power of indwelling sin. Notice what I said — there is deliverance through the power of God, unto salvation.

Now, should we take advantage of the deliverance Christ provided on the Cross and continue to practice sin? No way! We cannot abide in Christ and continue in sin. It is an impossibility. We cannot call ourselves Christians and practice sin.

Notice, I said we cannot practice sin. We all sin and fall short of the grace of God, but we cannot consciously choose to live sinful lives, thinking God’s grace will cover us. If we continue to practice sin, are we really repentant? Have we really been born again of the Holy Spirit, if we choose sin instead of righteousness? I do not think so.

Paul is exhorting every one of us to consecrate our lives to Jesus Christ and choose to live our lives holy and acceptable to Him.

It does not take great men to do great things;
it only takes consecrated men.
-Phillips Brooks-

Denial of Self

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Romans 6:2-3

Paul is talking about our past, present and future. He is talking about us as believers. We need to recognize the power of sin and the power we now have received through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, as we have died. Dying means denial of self — denial of your appetites.

One thing we know for sure, we have an enemy by the name of Satan, but we have another great enemy, self — the flesh. Think about how many people blame Satan, when it is not Satan, it is us. We are our worst enemies. Why? We do not know how to reckon the old man to be dead. That is a real important teaching, reckoning the old man to be dead.

Paul brings up an interesting question. If we have been saved by faith and baptized in water, representing death and then rising with newness of life in Jesus Christ, can we continue to sin? No we cannot.

It is so important to understand, because our flesh always wants to resurrect. It is a constant battle, no matter how long you are in the Lord. That is how believers get destroyed; they think they are strong in themselves. The only way to suffocate the flesh is the Cross and dying to self. We need to recognize the sin nature we carry with us and die to self every day.

The first lesson in Christ’s school is self-denial.
-Matthew Henry-

Newness of Life in Christ

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4

We should walk in the newness of life. Paul was making a point. If we really have been born again of the Holy Spirit, if we are really Christians, then we are not walking in our old ways anymore; we are walking in our new ways. That is the power of the resurrection, and it is newness of life. We are not what we used to be. We are different.

We recognize, as Satan comes along and tries to tempt us, come against us and bring us back to our past, we have to stand firm and walk in the newness of life. There is no power in the past. The power is in the present and looking towards the future.

I recognize I am weak. I am clay, so I have to examine my life. What are the appetites or passions I deal with every single day of my life? Am I feeding them, or am I starving them to death, those passions? Whatever I feed, that is who I am. I want to make that real clear.

Who do you want to be and how do you walk in the newness of life? If you feed the flesh, you will walk in the flesh. If you feed the spirit, you will walk in the spirit. You need to pray and read the Word of God every day. That is the only way to walk in the spirit and put the flesh to death.

Regeneration has made our hearts a battlefield.
-J. I. Packer-

Live a Resurrected Life Daily

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Romans 6:5

This is so important. We are united with Christ in the likeness of His death, which leads to the assurance, we are also united with Him in His Resurrection. Wow, that is heavy! We put our flesh to death at the Cross of Jesus Christ, and just as the tomb could not hold Christ, we have no reason to fear death, because it has no hold over us.

We celebrate the Resurrection on Sonrise Sunday every year, but think about how important the Resurrection is every day, not just once a year. It is every day. Why? Because our appetites, the flesh, along with Satan, the adversary who hates us, are always throwing things our way and trying to tempt us and make us fall.

Paul is talking about the passion and the power of the Resurrection, which keeps me abiding in Christ, as I am looking at His Cross. Why? I am resurrected in Christ Jesus.

The Cross represents my death with Him. The Cross not only leads me to death in Him, but also it reminds me the Cross is empty. It speaks of the Resurrection of Christ. The Cross could not hold Him down. He overcame the Cross, and He rose again three days later. He gives us the same power today, to be able to live and be sustained by His power daily.

We are more sure to arise out of our graves
than out of our beds.
-Thomas Watson-

Set Free From Sin

. . . knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Romans 6:6

Wow, there is so much in this verse! There is no excuse for any Christian to be enslaved in sin. That is the bottom line. When we become enslaved by sin, it is because we have made the choice. We have the choice to die or to live.

One thing really spoke to my heart as I was reading and studying Romans 6. We really need to be disciplined in our lives, not just sometimes, but all the time.

We cannot take things lightly because of the days we are living in. The way the enemy is capturing, destroying, tripping, wounding and even killing people today, tells me we cannot let our guard down, but we must always be ready.

It really hurts you when someone is wounded or crippled; when they fall, it is very hard personally and for the body of Christ. Yet, every one of us has the opportunity to avoid the traps, because we have the Word of God. Paul said in Romans 6:7, For he who has died has been freed from sin.

We have been set free from sin. There is no excuse. We make the choice either to stay with, or walk away from, what God is doing in our lives. Remember, the battle has already been won. Satan lost at the Resurrection of Christ. We just have to choose to die with Him at the Cross.

Nothing provokes the devil like the cross.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

Reckon Sin to Be Dead

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Romans 6:10-12

This is a heavy chapter, and these verses are the heart of this chapter — reckoning the old man to be dead. Christ died on the Cross once and for all, but we have to die to our flesh, every day. We have to reckon the old man, our fleshly appetites, to be dead, hour by hour, sometimes minute by minute.

For some, it seems an impossibility; not giving in to temptation is hard. We are not just fighting our flesh, but Satan who has studied us and knows what temptation to throw us to feed our flesh. That is why it is so important we do not feed our flesh.

How can we be victorious and walking by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, successful in what God called us to do? We have to starve our flesh to death and feed the spirit with God’s Word and prayer. We have to live in Jesus Christ, in obedience to the Cross of Jesus Christ.

This chapter needs to be studied and dissected by every one of us individually. If you really want to be used of God, memorize Chapter 6 — know it inside and out. It deals totally with sin, the power of sin and the greater power of the Resurrection.

The resurrection of Christ is our receipted bill.
-Donald Grey Barnhouse-

George Washington’s Birthday

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

John 13:14-15

As the first President of the United States of America, George Washington had a huge responsibility. He not only had to lead a new nation, but his actions would set policies for future leaders.

Think about it. He did not follow anyone but a king in England who was hated by the people. He had been a great military leader, and the people were looking to him as an example. How were we going to run this newly founded nation?

He could have been a good example to the people or a bad example. He could have taken advantage of the people, or he could have served them. He had many options and decisions to make.

Since we celebrate him still today, I believe he made good decisions, and he was a good example to our people. He was a man of good character and good moral standing.

I like this quote from his first inaugural address to the nation: “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.”

From the beginning of his Presidency, he recognized God as the Ruler of order and right. He knew he needed the guidance of God in order for the nation to be blessed. He was a wise example, because he followed God.

Example, whether it be good or bad,
has a powerful influence.
-George Washington-

Trained By God

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

Paul is such an example to every Christian. Look at his life. The first thing he did after he got saved was spend ten years in the desert, waiting for God to train him for what He intended to do with Paul’s life. He waited for God’s due season to go out and minister.

Today, I see how quickly people want to get into the ministry, but they are not ready. God has not trained them up yet. You have to have more than a testimony to give to people. You have to leave them with something lasting. What does the Word of God do? It builds up, it feeds and it makes you grow spiritually. It makes you healthy. It makes you sharp.

When I got saved, it took me 4 1/2 years to really get rooted and grounded in God’s Word. As I was going out, trying to start ministry, it was not happening, because God knew I first needed to know God and His Word. God trained me with Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and the Shepherd’s School.

It takes discipline to sit and study God’s Word. You have to spend time in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening in the Word of God. If you are going to share God’s Word, you better have something God has first given to you before you share it with others. Wait for God to prepare you.

If I only had three years to serve the Lord, I would
spend two of them studying and preparing
-Donald Grey Barnhouse-

Spiritual Maturity

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep.

2 Corinthians 11:24-25

Paul the Apostle wrote to the Corinthian church, because they were having many problems — huge problems. They had lawsuits, a man living with his stepmother, a lack of wisdom and knowledge and a problem with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What was going on was just horrible. They had not grown spiritually and could not handle these situations.

I want to make one thing clear. Spiritual maturity does not come from time; it comes from experience walking with the Lord. It comes from spending time with God. It is not how long you have been in ministry; it is what you have gone through in ministry. That really is the key to ministry.

When you think of Paul the Apostle, all the things he faced, you can see the spiritual maturity. He was beaten, insulted, cast down and stoned. All the things he faced because of the name of the Lord, because of the ministry, caused him to mature in the Lord.

Each person is going to mature according to their investment in their spiritual walk. If you do not give your whole life over to the Lord, you will not mature spiritually. You cannot be a part-time Christian and have the kind of walk Paul had with God. He served the Lord with his whole life.

Growth is not the product of effort, but of life.
-Augustus H. Strong-

Sit at the Feet of Jesus

. . . in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils
among false brethren.

2 Corinthians 11:26

As I was searching the heart of Paul, I could see he was hurting. Paul had been through so much. He was pouring out his heart to the Corinthian church. In 2 Corinthians, he speaks of all his sufferings.

He said, “This is what the ministry is all about. It is getting beat up, kicked and spit on. This is what it is.” Think about it. It is not about living the high life. It is about living the simple life. It is caring for the people and feeding the flock of God. Being a leader in the ministry means knowing God intimately and living a life of holiness — being an example. Trials and temptations will always be there, but you have to rise above them.

As Christians, we have to be students of God’s Word. That is the only way we can live our lives as examples — reflecting Christ. God has to pour into us, so we can overflow with His word to others, both believers and non-believers. God has to empty us of ourselves in order to fill us up with Himself.

We should be sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary Magdalene and not be so busy working. We should be listening to the Lord and worshipping the Lord, so He can transform us and can speak to us. Then we will have something to say, and people will have something to hear.

Salvation is free, but discipleship
costs everything we have.
-Billy Graham-

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5-6

True wisdom comes from God. Human wisdom divides, because human wisdom is motivated by human desires. Human wisdom is limited by human knowledge. Only God can give you true wisdom, because he has infinite knowledge.

Today, with human wisdom in the churches, we see an emphasis on programs, instead of the Word of God. What do young kids do today? They play video games and spend time on the internet. They want to be entertained. They do not want to sit and just listen to a sermon. That is how they get into mysticism, candles, dimming the lights and all these experiences.

With God’s wisdom, we stick to the Word of God. It never changes. It is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Spiritual principles withstand the passage of time and culture.

You have to do what God called you to do. Do not look to other people. It is about the anointing of God and waiting upon God to speak loud and clear. If you do not, you will never get to the place God wants you to be.

Wisdom is God-centered.
-Michael Parsons-

Only the Cross Satisfies

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

2 Timothy 4:17

We have all been tempted. We all get tempted. We all have our problems and difficulties. We all trip and fall, but like Paul said, “Who else can I go to? What else can I do, if the message of the Cross burns in my heart?”

Nothing in this world will satisfy, but the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the power unto salvation. It is the power of God. You look at the Cross of Jesus Christ, and you know the Lord is coming soon. We are going to have to give an account one day, and we are going to have to answer to the Lord.

Until the day we stand before the Lord, we need each other. I need you to lift up my hands and pray for me. I need to pray for you and for my wife, for my children, my grandchildren and the church. Why? This is not our ministry or our church, it is the Lord’s. We are just His servants.

In our lives, it is really not our calling; it is God’s calling and God’s enhancement in our lives. He makes us who He wants us to be, not what we want to be. We have to remember that. We have to be who He wants us to be. Be genuine in your call of God. Allow God to use your gifts and talents in the way He wants, so He can express Himself through you. He has the best for you, beyond what you could ever imagine.

It is not great talents that God blesses,
so much as great likeness to Jesus.
-Robert Murray M’Cheyne-

Deny Self

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1

As Christians, we are called to walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. How do we do that? We have to die to ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. Then we will have the power of God — the dunamis power of God.

How do we die to self? We have Christ as our example. The power of God is on the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the instrument of dying to ourselves — to be alive in Jesus Christ.

We need to respect God’s Word and respect God, so other people can respect us. Otherwise, if I do not respect God’s Word, the work of the Holy Spirit or the power of the Resurrection in Jesus Christ, then how can others respect my life? Think about it. They cannot because they do not see death. Instead they see lust and ambition. They see the works of the flesh instead of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in my life.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told the Apostles to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus Christ. In order to understand the cross, to be able to pick it up and to follow Jesus Christ, there is a denial of self.

Without the Cross of Jesus Christ, you cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ. Why? Because you are not dead; you are alive to your selfish wants.

Self is the chief end of every natural man.
-Stephan Charnock-

Are You Carnal or Spiritual?

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:1-2

In this verse, Paul was calling the believers in the city of Colosse to seek Christ and the things above, not the things of the world. It seems the early churches had a problem with carnality. Remember, Paul went out to preach to the Gentiles, so the cities he went to and preached to were pagan. The people worshipped foreign gods.

This is important because the Christians in this city were living in carnality. Instead of becoming spiritual men and women, many of these believers became carnal Christians.

It is so sad, but we see this in the church today — carnal Christians. What we need to understand is what a carnal Christian is. It is not just being in sexual sin. Being carnal means you are operating in the flesh. You can be a gossiper, a division maker or causing strife. If you are operating in the flesh instead of the spirit, you are acting carnally.

Those who truly walk by the Holy Spirit are peacemakers. They are not causing problems, but seeking ways to bring peace. Acting according to the Spirit is a sign of spiritual maturity. Christians who act carnally are spiritually immature. Do you want to be led by the Spirit or by the flesh? You choose.

No man is living at his best who is
not living at his best spiritually.
-W. Marshall Craig-

Justice, Righteousness and Truth

Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Isaiah 59:14-15

Isaiah was a prophet in Judah during the reign of four kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. During his lifetime, the kingdom of Judah had fallen into sin. They were a nation of evil, not following the teaching of the Lord. That is why Isaiah said, righteousness stands afar off.

These very words could be spoken today for two reasons. First, the world now considers Christians to be the enemy. Righteousness is looked at as hatred. When we stand for righteousness, we are accused of hate crimes. Because we depart from evil, we become prey for the ungodly. We are attacked by the public, by politicians and by the media.

The second reason we see this verse active today is because of the sin in the church. I believe the church has become ineffective in ministering to the world, because truth has fallen in the church. There are many in the church practicing sin. They are not accidentally sinning or unintentionally sinning, they are practicing sin. They say, “I know it is wrong, but I am going to do it anyway. God will forgive me.”

Wow, that is a scary statement! Why would a child of God presume upon the grace of God?

Today is the start of a new year. Take an inventory of your life and see if there is anything you need to give over to God, so you can begin the New Year with justice, righteousness and truth.

Indeed, I tremble for my country
when I reflect that God is just.
-Thomas Jefferson-

For or Against God

“But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

Luke 21:9-10

We have seen so much happening in the past few years with wars, earthquakes and failing economies around the world. We see God’s hand at work, and surely we know we are living in perilous times.

I was talking to some older gentlemen and asked them, “Have you ever seen anything like what is going on today, in your lifetime?” They said, “No.” I asked if they believed something was happening, not just in America, but in the world, and one of them said, “I think God is angry.”

I thought about it for a moment. As nation after nation turns from Israel, we see the Word of God coming to life before our eyes. Scriptures say those who turn against God’s people will be cursed.

Israel is a little country. They are facing many challenges right now. They have nuclear weapons and they will defend themselves, but they want to see if the United States is with them or not.

We know, eventually, Israel will be by themselves, but do we want to be one of the nations who turns our back on God’s people? As we see the Scriptures unfolding every day, we each have to decide if we are for God or against Him.

God will give the rebel what he chooses
and what he deserves.
-Simon Austen-

Be Spiritually Prepared

And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

Luke 21:11

All these events will be happening around the world, and there will be no way of escaping. Does this sound familiar? We have been experiencing earthquakes, and they brought to mind this verse.

We have seen them hit in Chile, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, Haiti and here in the United States on the east coast. You have to wonder why we are experiencing so many at one time. When I go back to my childhood, I remember one major earthquake when I was in Mexico City, in 1956. It rocked Mexico City. It was huge!

Then, of course, in California, we have had earthquakes, but not the big one. We all think we are prepared, but I do not think California will be able to withstand an earthquake the size of the Japan quake. We will be out of food, water, transportation. It will be horrific.

There are going to be more earthquakes, but we do not know when or where. In California, an earthquake is expected, but what we have seen happening is earthquakes in unexpected places.

What does that tell you? We have to be prepared, not just physically, but spiritually. Time is short!

Procrastination is not only the thief of time,
it is the grave of opportunity.
-Author Unknown-

God is Speaking Loud and Clear

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.

Luke 21:12

Think about all the things we see happening around the world, and you know God is speaking, so loud and clear, for people to get their lives together. I am talking about us, the church, not people on the outside in the world. We really have to be sensitive today; we have to be spirit-filled, and we have to stop pretending or spiritualizing things. We have to keep the main thing, the main thing.

What is the main thing? It is our relationship with Jesus Christ. We have to maintain a right relationship with the Lord, not being phonies. That is the key thing, because we cannot control disasters. Not just natural or economic disasters, but look at the great persecution of the church around the world.

We are in control of our spiritual lives. We choose whether we are going to walk with the Lord or in the world. You cannot do both — you cannot.

The thing you have to keep at the front of your mind is the Lord is getting ready to return. We see it every day, and things will get worse as Christian persecution increases. The handwriting is on the wall. Yet there are many people who do not believe it in their hearts, even here in the church today. God is speaking loud and clear. Now is not the time to go to sleep.

When men try to extinguish the light
of the Gospel it burns more brightly.
-Henry T. Mahan-

God is My Refuge

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

Luke 21:34-35

The thing about it is, when tragedy comes, you do not know if you are going to be maimed or die. If you die, that is cool, if you are right with God.

Think of all the people in Indonesia, Haiti and Japan. When the earthquakes hit and the tsunamis followed, many had no warning. They had no time to escape. They were casualties of the unexpected tragedies.

For those who survived, there was no food, no water and no housing. In Japan, they had the reactors melting down. They were the most prepared in the whole world. They had food and water stocked up. They had gone through emergency drills, but God surprised them when He brought that 9.0 earthquake.

I am not trying to scare you, but we all must take an examination of our lives. We can stock up on food and water. We can organize emergency plans for our families, but we never really know what is going to happen. We can do all that is good and necessary to take care of our families, but in the end, if we are not right with the Lord, it is all for nothing.

When the disasters of life strike, our only real refuge is God — nothing else.

Security is not the absence of danger,
but the presence of God.
-Author Unknown-

Speak Out

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.

2 Timothy 3:1-2

We just really have to think about these things. This world is perishing. I am not just talking physically, but spiritually. We see the spiritual death of many today. We see it and think it is so sad, but what are we doing about it? We send money to charities to help those hit by disasters, but we do not share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those perishing eternally.

We cannot continue to wait for someone else to reach the world. These are not normal days; these are dangerous days. God is speaking loud and clear, because He is getting ready to come.

Look at what is happening in Israel. It is the greatest sign we have. The president of Iran is boasting about the coming of their holy man and coming against God’s people. It is not only Iran. The world is turning against Israel, and these are God’s people. God said, ‘I will bless those who bless you [Israel], And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

I wonder how many people will be cursed in these last days, because they do not support Israel. We need to really speak out like never before. Do not be afraid to speak out.

You do not love the Lord at all unless
you love the souls of others.
-C. H. Spurgeon-

No Excuse for Division

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind.

Philippians 2:1-2

As I study Paul’s epistles, I get blown away. If we really want to be leaders in the church, then we really need to know what Paul wrote. He wrote to each of the churches, and he addressed so many issues. Everything he wrote is for us today. All of the circumstances he addressed, we see today in the church.

In this verse, we see one of the great problems in the church — people did not get along. There was no unity. This is something we all need to understand. As the body of Christ, we cannot be a part of disunity.

According to God’s Word, we are supposed to be united, but we are divided. So, how can God really work? Seriously, how can you run a church, or how can you run a successful business, if everyone is not on the same page? It is an impossibility. You cannot do it.

I learned this before I got saved, in the Marines. In the military, you have to be on the same page, or people get hurt and people die, so you learn it real fast.

In the church, division causes people to stumble, and we see spiritual death when they fall away. We cause so much damage, and the Christian has no excuse for this, because we have the epistles to read.

It is easy to make excuses when we ought to be
making opportunities.
-Warren Wiersbe-

Exhort and Rebuke

After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.

Acts 18:1-2

Paul came to Corinth, most likely in the fall of 50 AD, and founded the church there. I do not know if you have ever been to Corinth, but I can tell you, it is a pretty amazing place. At the center of the excavated city of Corinth, there is a huge altar called the Bema Seat. This is where they would sit and pass judgment.

Right above Corinth, on a big hill, was a temple where 1000 prostitutes lived. They would come down to the city at night to seduce the men of Corinth. You get a picture of the Corinthians. This place was really loose. It was like Sodom and Gomorrah. There was drinking, partying and sex. They had every sin you could ever imagine.

This is the culture Paul came into when he arrived in Corinth. That is why he wrote two letters, because the problems were so heavy in Corinth. Paul spent time in Corinth developing the church. He reasoned with the people who called themselves Christians, and yet they were carnal. He really exhorted and rebuked the church.

We see the same carnality in the church today, so I exhort you today.

No man can understand spiritual
mysteries by carnal reason.
-Thomas Brooks-

God’s Credentials

And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.”

Acts 22:2-3

Paul the Apostle had many credentials he could give to the people. He was a Jew born in Tarsus, so he was also a Roman citizen. He was over in Tarsus, which is Turkey today. Then he was brought over to Jerusalem, and there he sat at the feet of Gamaliel, who was one of the great teachers. He spoke both Hebrew and Greek. In the eyes of man, he was a great man with a great education. He was like a PhD.

I do not think all those things were so important to God. I do not think Jesus was impressed with Paul’s education and background. I think he called Paul because he was so zealous. If he worked so hard to persecute the church, think how hard he would work for the Lord. His background gave him a balance to speak to the Jew and to speak to the Gentile.

This is so important. When we are reading our Bibles and learning God’s Word, we are sometimes so zealous for the Lord, we push people away from God, instead of drawing them near. Paul knew every community was different; every person was different. He knew God’s Word and taught the people, but he allowed God to do the work.

Allow the Lord to work in and through your lives. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when you are sharing the Gospel.

A person who lives right, and is right,
has more power in his words.
-Phillips Brooks-

Sit Under Godly Teachers

“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.’ “

Acts 22:14-15

When I read the epistles of the Apostle Paul, I know I am really reading the actual words of God. Out of the whole world, God put His finger out, pointed to Saul of Tarsus and anointed him Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ. He had already elected the 12 Apostles, but He knew one was a betrayer. He replaced Judas, the betrayer, with Paul, and he gave us 14 letters.

Of the Apostles of Christ, there were fishermen, tax collectors and laborers, but Paul was the theologian. He was a Pharisee, born as a Roman citizen, a Jew taught by Gamaliel. Think about it. It was all part of God’s plan.

Each one of us is part of the body of Christ, the church. The word church, ecclesialia, means “called out ones.” That is who we are. We are called out to serve the Lord, and God wants to use all our gifts and talents. He wants you to be all you can be, in order to serve Him.

The teachers you put yourself under, they are the ones who will influence your life. First, we have to put ourselves under Christ and the teachings of the Bible. Second, we have to be sure those we sit under are godly men — men who can rightly divide the Word of God. As we grow in the Lord, we become the teachers, just as the wisdom of Gamaliel was passed to Paul and on to us.

A disciple is a person who learns to live
the life his teacher lives.
-Juan Carlos Ortiz-

Teach God’s Truth

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ “

Acts 22:17-18

Paul was not going to be accepted in Jerusalem. The people were not ready to receive from Paul. This was not the last time Paul and his message would not be received, but Paul continued to teach and preach as he was led by the Lord.

Paul was fluent in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, the languages the Bible was originally written in. Knowing all three languages was a great advantage for Paul. He really knew the Word of God, and he was able to teach it to both the Jew and the Gentile.

Today, our Bibles have been translated from the original languages into almost every language, but sometimes things are lost in the translation. We still have to speak God’s Word the way it was written. That is why we study and pray. That is why we have our Strong’s and Young’s Concordances. We use these resources to look up words and passages, so we can teach the truth. If we deviate from the truth, then we are teaching false doctrine, changing God’s Word. We cannot change it.

Paul never changed the Word of God. He was bold for Jesus. He was not afraid to rebuke people. He was not afraid to call people heretics and false teachers. We should never be afraid to stand on truth and to stand on righteousness.

Speak boldly and speak truly. Shame the devil!
-John Fletcher-

Right People in the Right Places

“Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!’ “

Acts 22:21-22

When I read about the life of Paul, I am blown away. He had an open ear and open heart to really hear from the Lord. Once the Lord spoke, he did it. He was faithful to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Paul had a desire to minister to his fellow Jews, but God told him, “No, I have a greater work for you. You are going to minister to the Gentiles.” That does not mean he was never used with the Jewish nation, but God had a bigger plan for Paul. He was going to use all Paul’s credentials to open doors among the Gentile nations, with the intellectuals of the day. He had the education.

It is the same today. God wants to use each one of us where we are. He wants to use our gifts and talents to reach out to a lost and dying world, and He wants to put the right people in the right places to get the job done.

That is the main reason I went to seminary for my doctorate. I was already an ordained pastor. God ordained me. He called me, but in order to minister in South America to the business people, they needed to see the credentials.

We really need to be open to where God is leading us, so we can be used to our full potential in the areas God has chosen for us.

Education is useless without the Bible.
-Noah Webster-

Gifts Without Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1

We have two letters from Paul to the church in Corinth. It is believed there were three letters, but one was lost. The reason Paul wrote to the Corinthians was because they had many problems. The culture of Corinth was carnal, so dying to the old man took some time for the people.

One of the great problems in Corinth was the abuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was a major problem. They were not only abusing speaking in tongues, but also the interpretation of tongues.

Paul tried to encourage them while pointing out their errors. He was telling them it was great to speak in tongues, but it did not make them spiritual. As a matter of fact, they had the gift of tongues, but they did not love one another.

If they did not have love, what good was the gift of tongues to them? It was worthless before the Lord. Without love, their speaking was an awful sound before the throne of God. Without love, they were not a spiritual people — they were still carnal.

No one is really spiritual unless you truly believe in the work of God’s love moving through your life. When you have God’s love moving through your life, all your gifts and talents are beautiful in the eyes of the Lord.

Duty makes us do things well,
but love makes us do them beautifully.
-Phillips Brooks-

Critical or Truthful

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.

1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul began his first letter to the Corinthians with his greeting. Have you ever wondered why Paul’s letters always started with his name? That was the Greek way of writing letters. Today, we sign our names at the end, but they would put their names at the beginning, to establish a relationship with the readers.

He began his letter, not in boasting, but setting his authority. This letter was an exhortation from Paul to the people of Corinth, and he did not want them to take it lightly. He had to set the tone of the letter right from the start.

How many times do we pick up letters and just skim through them? We do not really read them. Someone writes you a letter about something you said or did, and immediately you think the person is too critical.

Are they critical? Have you spent time in prayer after reading the letter? Have you checked yourself out to see if maybe they are not critical, but truthful? We are not perfect. We do make great mistakes. We do things or say things we do not realize may be hurtful or just wrong.

When people come to me, I do not take it lightly. I take it to the Lord. You really have to listen and ask yourself, “Why are they saying this to me?” You really have to examine yourself before the Lord.

No man ever became a Christian
without stopping to look at himself.
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones-

Called of God

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.

1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul not only established his relationship with the people of Corinth in his greeting, he was also reminding them of the person he represented. This was a letter written from him as an Apostle and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. What I found interesting here is he said, “Paul, called. . . .”

He was called by God to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He did not join the team. He did not fill out a job application and get paid for it. He said, “I was called by God.”

In all our lives, there has to be the calling of God. There has to be the anointing of God. Otherwise, we are not serving God, we are serving ourselves, and we are striving with God. Seriously, it would be better to do something else.

If you do not see progress, if you do not see God’s hand upon your service to the Lord, then maybe it is time to close shop Why keep beating the old dog. Let it die. It is time to seek Him and see where the Holy Spirit is truly leading.

God has so many things He wants to do in our lives, but we really have to check ourselves at every point. Am I really called by God to do this? Is this thing my will or God’s will? Pastor Chuck has always told us to look where the Holy Spirit is moving and jump in.

The greatest folly in the universe is
to oppose the will of God.
-David Thomas-

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4

Anyone who has read the Bible, especially the letters Paul the Apostle wrote to the churches, knows Paul was well acquainted with the deep meaning behind these verses. He was not just speaking words of encouragement; he had experienced great tribulations and persevered through them.

Through Paul’s life, we see how great trials and tribulations can produce a life of perseverance, character and hope. At the same time, through life experience, we know great trials can produce defeat, disappointment and bitterness.

So, what makes the difference between a life of hope and a life of bitterness, while struggling through great tribulations?

Look at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was not born into privilege. He came from humble beginnings. He lived during troubling times of great persecution. He experienced opposition in his life, but he had great hope.

He made a choice. He could have gotten bitter by his experiences, but he chose hope. He did not allow the circumstances in his life to shape the man. He allowed the strength of God to shape him. Like Paul, he persevered, which produced great character and hope.

It is so easy to become bitter with life. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and you can become a man or woman of great character, holding onto great hope.

We must accept finite disappointment,
but never lose infinite hope.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.-

Ambassador for Christ

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.

1 Corinthians 1:1

Many times, Paul used the title of servant in his greeting, but he did not start out with servant in this letter. He began with apostle, which means “ambassador, one who is going to be sent.” Paul had been called by God, and then God sent him out to preach the message of salvation to the Gentiles.

Before you are sent, you have to know your calling, and you have to have the anointing in your life. This is very important. You have to have the anointing and the call of God.

The reason I say this is because Paul said, “I am an apostle of Jesus Christ.” He was not of Calvary Chapel, not of the Baptist church or the Methodist church. He was a representative of Jesus Christ, not a religion.

It does not matter who laid hands on you, it is the anointing on your forehead. That is the key. Did God really anoint you? If He did not, then what are you doing? Do not do something that is not fruitful, growing or developing.

We have to remember we are ambassadors of Christ. We are called, anointed and sent out by Him. Whatever we do is a reflection of the Lord, so be sure you do not misrepresent Him. Wherever I go and whatever I do, I always want my testimony to be right before the Lord. I am His ambassador to the world.

The conduct of our lives is the
true mirror of our doctrine.
-Michel de Montaigne-

Study, Pray and Wait on the Lord

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.

1 Corinthians 1:1

From Paul’s introduction and greeting, he made it clear who was in control. He was called, anointed and wrote the letter through the will of God. Paul’s life was dedicated to doing the will of God. He had his plans, but when God revealed His plan to Paul, he did not hesitate to do God’s will, not his plan.

That is one of the things I love about Paul. His life was given over to the Lord, fully and completely. He did not strive with God, because he knew God’s plan was the better way. His apostleship was according to God’s divine will.

Do you know God’s will in your life? I know I am in God’s will. I have never doubted it. The day I got saved, I knew what I had to do. I had to put myself under the leadership of Calvary Chapel and Chuck Smith. I had to listen and learn. I was not to promote myself. I waited for the Lord. I went to Costa Mesa and learned.

Out of all those people, Chuck Smith chose me. He called me to his office and I gave my testimony. That is how I came to be the pastor of Calvary Chapel. I never promoted myself. I prepared and waited on the Lord.

If you want to be used by God, study, pray and wait upon the Lord. Do not seek the approval of man.

Only in obedience can we discover the
great joy of the will of God.
-Sinclair Ferguson-

What Is Your Call?

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.

1 Corinthians 1:1

I like the way Paul was addressing the church in his letter. He was talking about himself and said, “I am called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God.” Notice the importance of the will of God in our lives. You really have to take a step back and ask the question, “Am I in God’s perfect will for my life?”

Now let me explain a little bit about this. Many people come to me and ask, “Raul, what do you think is the purpose of my life?” or, “What do you think is God’s will for my life?” I cannot answer that for anyone. No one can answer. You have to know by seeking God. Then He will speak to your heart.

One way to know whether you are in God’s will or not is whether you have the peace of God in your life. It is nothing big or mysterious, just the peace of God. If you do not have the peace of God in your life, then something is wrong. You have to be content with what God has called you to do. People do not have peace when they are not content. These people want to be here and there. They want to do this and do that.

I always tell people, “The first thing you must do to establish God’s perfect will in your life is to know God intimately, through His Word and through prayer.” If you do not know Him, how can He give you guidance and assistance? How can you really know what God has called you to be, if you do not know Him?

The revealed will of God is either manifested to us
in His Word or in His works.
-John Flavel-

The Holy Spirit Adds Believers

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

1 Corinthians 1:2

After introducing the writer, Paul revealed the recipients — the church of God. It was not just a few believers. It was a massive church. By the Day of Pentecost, there were 120 Christians, and from that point on it grew. On the first day, 3,000 got saved and were baptized. Then there were 5,000.

Imagine, the church grew like crazy without any programs, without any promotion. It was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit added to the church daily, as many as should be added.

What is cool about it is he talked about the church of God which was at Corinth. God was adding to the church around the world. The Apostles went out to preach salvation, people were getting saved, and the Holy Spirit was moving, even in the carnal city of Corinth.

Do you see, God is not limited? He can move in the most carnal hearts. The Holy Spirit will do a great work wherever we are sent. All God asks of us is to go and be messengers. He is not asking us to convert anyone. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is asking us to go out and preach the message of salvation to a lost and dying world. He will do the real work. He will draw the sinner to Himself.

We are not responsible for conversion,
but we are responsible for contact.
-A. T. Pierson-

Grace and Peace

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:3

Notice how the greeting comes about here. Paul starts out with the most important thing, grace. It is important because we are saved by grace. Grace is the salutation given by the Greeks, and then peace, Shalom, a common greeting by the Hebrews; but not just peace, God’s peace. Wow!

Who is providing the grace and peace? God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These titles speak of relationship — our relationship to God. We see God, our loving, Heavenly Father, and Jesus, our Savior, the Anointed One of God. Paul paints a picture of who Jesus Christ is and, at the same time, invites us immediately into this grace God gives to us.

We can never truly understand the peace of God until we receive the grace of God. We cannot ever experience the peace of God until we experience first the grace of God.

To understand grace, we have to recognize, we are saved by grace, not by works. It is a free gift from God. There is nothing you or I can do to earn God’s grace. He gives it to us freely when we give our lives to Jesus.

When we experience the true grace of God, then we experience the true peace of God in our lives. When we have the peace of God in our lives, we do not have to be all stressed out. We can rest assured, God is there in our lives.

Nothing can be done aright without grace.
-John Bunyan-

The Praying Shepherd

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:4

Notice how personal Paul was. He was very personal toward the Christians in Corinth. He was aware of their needs, and he was praying for them. He was concerned for their well-being.

A shepherd who is not concerned for people would not mention them in prayer, but Paul was concerned for the body of Christ. He was concerned for the church in every city where he planted a church. He was a shepherd of many flocks.

In his prayers, Paul was thanking God for the grace He had given to the Christians in Corinth. God had poured out His grace upon a carnal people. Some were walking in God’s grace, but many of these believers became carnal Christians.

Being carnal is not just sexual sin. You are carnal if you are a gossiper, a division maker or causing strife. Those who truly walk by the Holy Spirit are always making peace, walking by grace. It is a sign of maturity.

Grace is free. It is a gift. It only comes when you are born again of the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will give to you, through Christ, the grace of God. Do you deserve it? No, it is a free gift of God, given to you.

Grace is what all need, what none can merit
and what God alone can give.
-George Barlow-

Study God’s Word

. . . that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge.

1 Corinthians 1:5

This is a huge verse here. Paul is talking about how God blessed our lives, and we have become so rich in Jesus Christ, in everything we say. We are rich in the truth we have learned from studying God’s Word. If I am studying God’s Word and learning, then I am going to be able to speak the truth. I am going to be able to give truth to others.

We are not only rich in all we say, through God’s Word we obtain all knowledge, as we continue to learn from the Word of God, as we study from Genesis to Revelation. In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul said we need to continue to study, not just once and for all, but every day we need to go through the Bible and study God’s Word.

How many times do you go come to a passage you really do not understand or it does not really speak to you; then the next time you read it, the Lord really speaks to your heart? That is why we continuously study God’s Word. Every time we open the Bible, God wants to speak to us.

The Bible never gets old, because God is constantly revealing new things in His Word. It becomes new every day. If you are really looking to learn from the Word, God will reveal Himself, but this can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to teach you, lead you and guide you, so you can speak God’s Word in truth. Otherwise, you cannot do it.

We must read our Bibles like men
digging for hidden treasure.
-J. C. Ryle-

Spiritual Ignorance

. . . even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, . . .

1 Corinthians 1:6

The word testimony is Marturus, which means “witness.” The witness of Christ was confirmed in them. How was it confirmed? By the Holy Spirit.

Notice how much the Holy Spirit was involved in the Book of Corinthians. In every chapter, you find the work of the Holy Spirit. What was the problem in the Corinthian church? The Holy Spirit.

How could the Holy Spirit be a problem? Think about it. The Corinthian believers were abusing the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so there was no fault with the Holy Spirit. The fault was at the feet of the believers in Corinth. Because they were spiritually immature, they were carnal Christians, and they were abusing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Paul wants to make sure we really and truly understand this problem, because it can happen to each and every person who comes to Christ, but does not take the time to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God. Without spiritual maturity, we can all fall victim to abusing the spiritual gifts.

When we read and study God’s Word, we grow in our knowledge of God and the gifts He imparts to us. Then, we can be responsible in the use of all things spiritual. Without the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, we will all be ignorant of the Word of God, and without the Word, we are ignorant of God.

Ignorance is the mother of all mischief.
-Thomas Hall-

Jesus Is Coming

. . . so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . .

1 Corinthians 1:7

Every Christian should be waiting with an eagerness for the Lord Jesus Christ to come. When the body of Christ begins to lose sight of the Coming of the Lord, then the church will die. If you do not teach about the Coming of the Lord, the church will begin to die. Without the Coming of Jesus Christ, people will have no hope.

What has kept me walking with the Lord for the last 40 years is what Pastor Chuck taught the first time I heard him, saying, “Jesus is coming.” I knew he was speaking the truth, and I set myself to be faithful to the Lord until He comes.

Watching the signs of the times and reading the epistles, which teach the Coming of the Lord, I know we are closer than we have ever been. Reading the Book of Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and all the minor prophets, we can see things coming together according to prophecy.

There are 500 prophecies about Jesus Christ, with 300 speaking of His First Coming and 200 about the Second Coming.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds us we are lacking nothing, as Christians. We are rich, not in the world, but we are rich in Jesus Christ, because we are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming soon.

Since He may come any day,
it is well to be ready every day.
-J. Hudson Taylor-

Be Found Blameless

. . . who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:8

Do you know the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ is different from the Day of the Lord? The Day of Christ is speaking of the Rapture, and the Day of the Lord is speaking of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, after the Tribulation period. It makes a difference here.

I think this is a real important point because of the Rapture. He said when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, He wants to find you blameless. Notice he says blameless. We are not talking about spirituality. We are talking about people really living holy lives, being blameless in everything they do.

If we are eagerly waiting for Jesus to come, He is going to confirm us to the end. Isn’t that cool? If God started a work in your life, then He will finish it. See, if you are walking with the Lord, abiding in Him, He is going to accomplish all the plans He has for your life.

If you decide not to abide in Christ, you will miss out on the blessings of the Lord here on earth, and you will be sure to remain here for the Tribulation period, following the Rapture. You will not be found blameless in the Day of Jesus, because He will not confirm those who choose not to walk with Him.

It is so important to remember, it is all our choice. We choose heaven or hell.

Sin is but hell in embryo;
hell is but sin in fulfillment.
-Thomas V. Moore-

Fellowship with God

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

Underline this verse. It is a key verse. Notice, it is not you who are faithful, it is God. He is the one who gives you the privilege of being in the fellowship with Christ and other believers. God is the one, not you. It is a privilege because God is faithful.

Imagine the importance of this one verse, the fellowship given to us. I think many times, as believers, we take the fellowship for granted. We do not value it for the incredible gift from God it really is, and we break fellowship.

How do we break fellowship? Sin breaks fellowship with God. How many times have you said, “I am not hurting anyone else with my actions,” when you are sinning? You are hurting someone else — a really important someone else. You are hurting God in your sin. You have broken fellowship with Him.

We can see clearly, God is always faithful to us. He calls us into fellowship and desires a personal relationship with each of us, individually. We are not so faithful. We are self-centered and we break fellowship, because we allow other things to be more important in our lives than God.

Think about it. In the entire universe, God desires fellowship with us! He calls us into fellowship with one another. Isn’t that more important than any sin?

Fellowship with Christians is for the sake
of fellowship with God.
-J. I. Packer-

Gossip Brings Division

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1:10

What do people in the body of Christ do? They gossip and tell stories, just like the world. It is wrong and Paul is telling us here, it causes division. The church needs to be united, not divided. We need to be careful how we are talking at home, at work, at church, wherever we go.

Why? If you are speaking things that are not edifying, not building up, but you are tearing people down, your children are listening and they will become just like you. They will tear people down. You are infecting them.

You have to really be careful with your mouth. When you talk, you cannot control how people are going to repeat your words, so do not leave them with gossip and stories. Once gossip and stories are repeated, they cause division, and it will affect you tremendously. Little birds are always escaping with words, and those words can hurt others.

You are either united or you are divided. If you do not agree, let’s agree to disagree, or let’s disagree, agreeably. Why cause division? Why cause people to be separated? When God is doing a work and wants to do a greater work, let’s come together in harmony with the Holy Spirit and allow God to use our lives in such a way that everyone gets blessed.

When tempted to gossip,
breathe through your nose.
-T. N. Tiemeyer-

Agree to Disagree

For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.

1 Corinthians 1:11

Paul was letting them know he was aware of the problems. He was saying, “I have heard it, you guys. I am not there, but I have heard it..” Even then, without phones and internet, word had gotten back to Paul, and he knew there were problems in the church of Corinth.

What was a big problem in Corinth? There were contentions. Contentions are disagreements — not minor disagreements, but heated disagreements. Contentions bring disunity. They bring divisions. Remember that. All these things cause division in the Body of Christ.

Contentions are caused by people — people who will not agree to disagree. I am not talking about compromising on our beliefs; I am talking about disagreeing, agreeably. There are many things taught in different churches which we do not agree with, but they are not essential doctrines. They will not cause someone to go to hell, so we agree to disagree.

A contentious person is a carnal person, not a spiritual man. The carnal person will not back down. They have to be right and will not back down, even if it causes division. Is this the action of a spiritual man? Is this what Christ has taught us?

As Christians, I do not think any of us want to be known as contentious people, so let each one of us seek to be spiritual men and women.

The division of Christians is the sin of fratricide.
-J. A. Moyter-

Avoid Division Making

Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:12

Division happens when people start creating their own little cliques in the church, and people follow this leader or that leader, but not the shepherd. That is when you have major problems. That is when you have division in the body of Christ. We are not supposed to make disciples to ourselves. We are supposed to make disciples to Christ. That is what the Bible teaches.

God has appointed the senior pastor as the shepherd of His church. The responsibility of the shepherd is to lead people to Christ. The focus of the teaching is the Word of God and Christ, not stories or entertainment.

It is not about how big or popular you are. It is about how big Christ is in your life that makes you little before the people, as they focus on Christ. This is so important. The smaller you are before Christ, the more God will use your lives — not the bigger you are.

I think it is important because today there are so many people who want to be something they are not. They disagree with the pastor and begin collecting people who will agree with them. This is division making. It is not of the Lord. Remember, God appoints His shepherds. When you do this, you are coming against God’s anointed. That is a heavy sin against the Lord.

You can’t build a church with stumbling blocks.
-Fred Beck-

Nobodies for Christ

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:13

Paul said, “Let’s get to the bottom of things. Was Apollos, Cephas or I ever crucified for any of you?” Paul was an Apostle of the Lord, but he did not raise himself above anyone. Who were these people? They were servants of the Lord. They were nobodies. That is true ministry — being nobodies.

We should never ever think we are somebodies. We should be nobodies and allow God to be who He is in our lives, so He can work in us and through our lives.

Many people have a hard time with this. They say, “This is what I have done for Christ.” Let me ask you, “What have you done for Christ? Truly, what have you done?” Nothing. The question is, “What has Christ done for you?” That is the most important thing, what Christ has done for us. Everything — remember that!

You see, we have to get our priorities right as men and women of God, as Christians, in order to be successful in this world, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should always be talking about Christ. He is the One who gives us the increase. He is the One who gives us the wisdom and knowledge. He is the One who calls and anoints. He is the One doing the work of God. We are just His vessels, His servants. Here I am, God. Do whatever you want to do.

Every preacher must come to his people
with the mind of Christ.
-Donald MacLeod-