1 Corinthians 1-4

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201-4&version=ESV

1 Corinthians 2:9-16:

"But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

Have you ever wondered why some people who read the Bible don't understand its message? Or why some who do understand the message, don't apply the message of the Bible to their lives?

It is because they are a natural man. As the above passage states, these things are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

This is one of the most important roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit's illumination of the Scriptures meaning to us.

There are so many evangelistic techniques out there. Altar calls, dimming of the lights, replaying a song over and over at the conclusion of a service to evoke a response, are all man made evangelistic techniques.

Before you get mad at me, I am not saying that if you responded to an altar call that you are not a Christian or that the Holy Spirit did not work on you to lead you to place your faith in Christ. I am just saying that we need to be careful when using these methods.

We first and foremost should preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its unadulterated form.

Or as Paul says it so eloquently in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

In 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Paul writes,

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

So, for those who do not believe, Satan has kept them from seeing the light of Jesus Christ.

Friends, we are to share the message and let God do the saving.

I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit has illumined the Scriptures to me and that when I read them each day I understand that I am reading the Word of God and the significance of that. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit enables me to apply the teachings of the Bible to my life and gives me the power to live for God's kingdom by God's Grace.

So, what if you are reading this blog right now and you are not a believer but you want to be?

Well, the answer is to place your faith in Jesus Christ. Turn from your sins, and turn towards Christ. The Bible calls us to turn, or repent from our sins, and to turn toward Christ.

Ask God to save you. The Holy Spirit will make you a new creation in Christ and the significance and meaning of the Bible will take root in your soul.

Romans 10:9-11 states,

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."

Friends, for those who are believers, be thankful the Holy Spirit has given us the mind of Christ to think God's thoughts after Him. Are you thinking His thoughts or are you being influenced by the wisdom of this age?

For those who are unbelievers, pray to God to save you and place your faith in Christ. You will be saved, made a new creation, indwellt by the Holy Spirit, and be given the gift of eternal life.

The Christian life is not an easy life. But God will give you the strength to endure, and the joy that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ is worth all of the trials and tribulations we will experience here on earth.

Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.

A Reminder for the Holiday Season

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%209-11&version=NIV

"So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
- 1 Corinthians 10:31

The Holiday season is in full swing. It's interesting the the signs of a season (at least for me) that is meant to celebrate the birth of Christ and the incredible gift of grace from our loving and faithful God are marked mostly by a barage of holiday parties over the next several weekends. Now that is not to say that we should not celebrate during this season, for God has given us much to celebrate. However, it is interesting that our celebrations can easily take our eyes off of Jesus rather than keep them focused on him. How does this happen? It happens in the way we celebrate.

We celebrate with parties and sharing meals together. All in all not a bad thing. But Satan likes to take a good thing and turn it into a place of temptation. Our Holiday eating and drinking because Holiday indulgence and gluttony . I must confess that way too often during the Holiday's I have been guilty of gluttony and walked away from the season filled not with joy, but regret. We eat, eat, eat - more than our fill - but don't walk away satisfied. But God says, "Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the riches of fair" - Isaiah 55:2. We drink Spirits but often are not filled with the Spirit of God. But God's word says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" - Ephesians 5:20

It happens in the way we gift one another - spending much - often more - than budgets can afford. Many American's put Christmas on their credit cards and spend the rest of the year paying thing off. God's word says: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satifsy?" - Isaiah 55:2. How much greater is it to give our lives to one another - to be Jesus to one another? How much greater is it to share the Greatest gift - that of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Are our eyes on the physical or the spiritual gifts of the season.

I happens in the busyness of it all - party planning, party going, baking, decorating, concerts - even volunteering and worship services. Again - all of these things can be beautiful things and part of a celebration. But what happens to me is that I get so caught up in the doing and going that my time for God becomes extremely limited.

This season God has been gently calling to me to be still and know him instead. He's been boldly challenging me to be a Mary, and sit at his feet in a time when it is too easy - especially because of my personality - to be a Martha who is distracted by many things (Luke 10:38-42).

Friends, I so desire to answer the call to be still and the challenge to choose what is better and sit at Jesus' feet. I so desire that my heart and my life might be empty of things so that they can be filled with Jesus. I desire so much to experience Jesus more this Christmas and not less. So I've been praying about that and I've made some commitments to God and myself to help take me there. I have to say I am so excited to just bask in God's love this season. Yes, there will be changes in my celebrating. I am certain, though, that my tummy and the rest of my body will not miss the over-indulgence. I am certain my bank account will welcome the extra money. There may be a friend or co-worker that might miss the goody they've come to expect from my oven. But I am certain that the most precious gift I can give them are my prayers in the time I have to be at the feet of Jesus and I've committed to carrying my family and friends there with me in prayer.

So be certain, precious friends, that I am praying for you this Holiday season. I pray that your eyes would be open to the amazing light of the glory of God that came to earth at Christmas - a light that the most beautiful Christmas display cannot begin to match. And I pray for you what might seem like an odd prayer - that you would have empty hearts this season. I pray this so that your hearts may be filled to all the measure and the fullness of Christ Jesus and his love. My friends, I pray that you would also listen to the gentle calling and bold challenges of your Father God this season - that whatever you eat, drink, or do, you would do it all for the glory of God in the face of his precious infant warrior king.

Blessings to you precious ones!

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels

Acts 18-19

Today's passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2018-19&version=NIV

Acts 19:18-20 "Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."

What an amazing transformation among the people of Ephesus. These people fell in love with their Lord and were filled with a desire to get rid of the practices that separated them from Him. Instead of putting their trust in witchcraft and sorcery, they would now put their trust in God. They put their hope for a future in Christ rather than in fortune telling and spells.

As believers, God has a way of revealing to us and convicting us of our sinful ways. He gives us the courage and strength to clean house of the sin that gets in the way of our relationship with Him. But we have to act intentionally to rid sin from our lives. Most of us could probably benefit from a good house cleaning from time to time. Cleaning up the poisons of temptations that we’ve allowed into our lives requires action on our part. Internet sites and TV channels need to be blocked, certain books and magazines need to be trashed, language needs to be cleaned up and other bad habits and thought patterns need to be swept away.

Take some time to reflect on your own life. Are you in need of a little house cleaning. Ask God to reveal the areas of your life that need to be dumped and be intentional about following through.

today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe

1st & 2nd Thessalonians

Today's passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201-5,%202%20Thessalonians%201-3&version=NIV



Paul knew the meaning of suffering. He has been beaten, stoned, imprisoned and run out of town. He was forced out of Thessalonica, but received positive reports from Timothy regarding the perseverance of the Thessalonians' faith and love. He didn’t want the church to think that he had deserted them or that he didn’t love them, so he wrote to them in a spirit of affirmation and encouragement. With love, he cheered them on and encouraged their perseverance in the faith and in righteous living while warning them of false teachings and the need to continue their walk on the journey of sanctification.

What a wonderful example for us to follow. Because Paul had experienced suffering and discouragement, he knew the importance of affirmation. Words of encouragement and affirmation can comfort a believer like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold stormy night. Loving and nurturing words can comfort a heart in a world that has gone cold and provide just the right amount of support to spur a believer on during a storm. God always seems to send those words at just the time when we need them most.

He can use any of us in the same way that he used Paul to love and affirm fellow believers. Ask him to open your eyes to someone in need of encouragement. Maybe you know someone who is struggling with a broken marriage, but continues to put their faith in God for guidance and healing; or maybe you have a friend who is going through the storm of an illness, yet continues to praise God faithfully; or perhaps you know of a church member who is struggling with unemployment, but continues to serve joyfully at church, trusting in our sovereign Lord. Pray that He will give you genuine heartfelt words and the courage to speak words of affirmation to them. Allow Him to use you as He used Paul to spur others on through the stormy periods of life.

Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe

Reasoning from the Scriptures

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017&version=ESV

We are called to serve God with our entire beings and this includes our minds and speaking abilities. In this chapter we see Paul reaching out to various audiences and using the Old Testament as the starting point for the Jews and the altar to the unknown god for the Greeks. Paul understood that we can start the conversation about Christ by leveraging what someone already knows and believes, but that the truth of Jesus remains the same.

We are responsible for spreading the Word of God as He provides opportunities, but God alone can move the hearts of the people. Some mocked and reviled. Others listened and believed.

Paul's speech to the Greeks sums up society even now after two thousand years have passed, so I end with the last portion of his speech.

27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us,

28 for

"'In Him we live and move and have our being';
as even some of your own poets have said,

"'For we are indeed His offspring.'

29 Being then God’s offspring,we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent,

31 because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead."

What are you doing with your freedom?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%204-6&version=NIV

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

To any slave, I believe a proclomation of freedom, a release from bondage, must be both greatly desired and an immense blessing. The freedom that Christ brought is nothing less. Before Christ's death, God's people lived in bondage in three obvious ways. The first was bondage to the standards of the law and the sacrificial system in order to continue living under the favor of God - until Christ's death brought justification and freed us from the law.

The second was bondage to sin - even greater than what we experience because the Spirit that brings sanctification did not dwell in the hearts of the people prior to the death of Christ. Before we were justified and and sin covered, the spirit of God could not live in our sinful hearts - Christ's death purfied our hearts, making it possible for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - freeing us from the bondage of sin.

Lastly, many of the gentile Christians were living under the bondage that other people placed on them - bondage to religious practices and rituatlistic idol worship. But Christ brought a new religion that required one simple thing - a heart that desired to be free and walk in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, like the church in Galatia, we often end up in chains again, despite our freedom. Those chains we sometimes put on ourselves in the form of legalism - chains I am too familiar with. It's easy to fall into the belief that we can somehow earn God's favor and blessings, and so we put on the chains trying to please God with our obedience. In the picture of God's grace, this makes little sense. For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith - and this is not from ouselves, but it is a gift from God (Eph. 2:5). The chains of legalism serve no purpose in God's economy but rather enslave us, keeping us from a free and mercy-filled relationship with our daddy God.

We also can again become slaves to sin. Paul warns the Galatians to "not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature". He knows how easily sin can enslave us - and move us into the third type of chains - those chains of idol worship. When we allow ourselves to become enslaved to sin, we often become a slave to the demands of the sin we have allowed to become our master. Again, our free relationship with Christ is hindered because the sin-chains keep us from reaching Him.

But - as always in the word of God - there is good news. We aren't fighting this battle against legalism or sin or idolatry alone. No, Paul tells us that we live by the spirit, and if we live by the spirit, we will not gratify the sinful nature. The Spirit gives us the power to over come sin. The spirit gives us the ability to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. The spirit has a greater power than our flesh does to help us to walk in love-prompted obedience, not fear-prompted or obligatory obedience.

So, my friends, my question to you today is this: What are you doing with your freedom? Are you allowing yourself to put on chains of legalism? Are you using it to indulge in sin that will enslave you? Or are you walking in the Spirit?

If you want a good test to see whether your are slaves or free, check out the lists Paul provides for us in chapter 5:19-23. Do you find any of the following in your life? Be willing to be very, very honest and then ask God to create a new Spirit within you - you can be free today - this very minute:

Sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry (could be to money, success, other people), witchcraft, hatred, discored, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dessenstions, factions, eny, drunkenness, orgies.

Or, do you have fruit of a Spirit-filled heart in your life. Does this list look more like you? Ask God to increase this list in your life - to increase your fruit by the power of the Spirit. I promise that when you walk closely with him, it will happen - 100% guaranteed. Here's the fruit you can/will see:

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

These things bring no chains - they bring total freedom. So we get to make a choice - will we live in the freedom Christ brought or will be again be burdened by a yoke of slavery. Make the choice to be free. Understand that sometimes - often - you have to make the choice every day and then walk closely to God so he can keep you free. Freedom is possible. Freedom is beautiful. Freedom is yours for the taking!

Approved by God

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201-3&version=NIV

It is so easy to get caught up in living according to the standards of the world and measuring ourselves according to those standards. For men, often time those standards are related to career and success as they search for a sense of significance. Author and Psychologist Larry Crabb writes that "Nothing terrifies a man more than to think his life amounts to nothing more than a hand dipped into water and then withdrawn, with no evidence that is was ever there. A man's fear is this: Am I adequate? Do I have the weight to handle important tasks, to impact a woman, a child, a friend, in a way that affirms my value."

Men, I want you first to know that the desire to be significant is okay - in fact, I would venture to say that it is a God-given desire that is designed to drive you to be the leaders, the protectors, the warriors that you are. The desire is not one that should be nor can be killed. Indeed, the question isn't whether men should have this desire to be significant, but rather where you should look to determine how significant you are? How are you to measure your significance?

For women, the struggle is no less weighty, but the desire is different. While men long for significance, women yern for beauty. Crabb describes it as a desire for "an internal reality that makes eternal impact by drawing others to cherish and honor and protect what they see, by awakening in others their desire for ultimate beauty. Nothing terrifies a woman more thant to feel that there is nothing unique about her that another could esteem and treasure. A woman fear is this: Can I connect deeply with anyone? Is anyone safe? Will anyone sense my beauty, or is there nothing so see that others will honor or enjoy?"

Women, there is nothing wrong with the desire to be seen as beautiful, unique, treasured and esteemed, for God created you with that desire, coupled with that deeply, relational desire for connection. We cannot nor should not try to removed a desire that is God created. What we must do is look not to the world for our standard of beauty or to fill that desire.

Both men and women alike, before you continue on, I want you to take a few minutes to ponder the perfection with which God created us - especially in terms of relationship with one another. Note that God created men with the inate desire to lead, protect, to give their very lives for others. And then he created woman as a helpmate to stand behind and beside man with completely complimental desires - to be treasured, protected and esteemed - to be loved. Together they form the relationship described in Ephesians 5:22-33 - a relationship that reflects Christs and the church. The way God created us - male and female - is both very wise and absolutely perfect, declared to by God at creation to be very good.

But as we know, after the fall, sin entered into this perfect creation, creating a shadow that darkened the clarity with which man and woman could see that their desire for significance and security was found in God. And since the fall, the search for a means to fulfill these desires often leads to looking at the standards and things of the world to fill them. Yet God, in his loving wisdom, gives us words to guide us back to the truth.

Two of my favorite verses that have spoken to the very deep places in my heart where these desires reside, are found in our reading today. The first is in Galatians 1:10, as Paul speaks of his own work. He makes it clear that he has no concern over what the world - other people - think he should be or do. My prayer for each of you this day is that in Christ you would be lead to the kind of confidence found in these words. I pray that every day you would be reminded of the truth and find rest there that it is God whom you should desire to please, that only God can qualify you. Here is truth:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

The second is Galatians 2:6 as Paul speaks of men who, by worldly standards, were seen to be important and significant. He reminds the church that signifance is found not in appearances, but in work one does for God - in the truth that one speaks to lead others to the knowledge of God. I pray also that these words would plant deeply in your heart:

"As for those who seemed to be important - whatever they were makes no difference to me. God does not judge by external appearance - those men added nothing to my message."

Paul, nor God, was concerned about what men who, by appearance seemed important, had to say. His concern was that truth be spoken. You, my friends, will feel significance beyond anything that success or beauty by worldly standards could bring, when you are working in and for the Kingdom of God. Men, there is no greater significance to be found than that which is found when one is in the center of God's will. Move away from worldly standards, stick very, very close to God, and you will find yourself working in the center of his will often. Stick very, very close to God, women, and he will created a beauty in you that is irresistable as your reflect his glory to those whose lives you touch.

There will be a day, my precious friends, when we will again have a perfect sense of significance and security - a day when all things will be made new. We wait in hope for that day. But for today, we live every day with the spirit of truth inside of us, reminding us that in Christ, we find significance, beauty, and a perfect love. Until that day, we walk every day seeking the face of God as servants of Christ, significant and secure in the work he has given for us to do that day. We walk in this truth, precious ones:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put there hope in his unfailing love." - Psalm 147: 10-11

Be blessed!

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels