1 Corinthians 3: God's Workers and Fields

God's Workers and Fields

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul tells the church in Corinth that they are not yet spiritual people, yet they are of the flesh. Paul could only teach them with spiritual milk (like a baby) and not with spiritual meat (for the grown up believer). The focus had not been on God but on the ones who taught God's word. There was favoritism in the church.

While the favoritism can be attributed to the different sects of Christianity, I do not believe there were more sects of the faith at the time. The church as a whole was still growing. The word of Christ was still being delivered to those who didn't know of Christ. As we stand in 2016 the unity within the church could simply mean within your specific church. If you are favoring one pastor over another and only want to hear from one pastor then that could be part of why this church in Corinth was divided between those who followed Paul or Apollos.

One pastor waters and another may plant seeds, but they both have responsibilities under God who is the ultimate authority. If you are only likely to do what your pastor says and not read your Bible and seek to understand it on your own, you are doing yourself a disservice. We are all responsible for our role in our faith and our growth. God doesn't expect us to be experts in scripture to where we have to fill out tests when we reach the pearly gates. This isn't that kind of test. The test is while we are here. We are to learn and spread the word of Christ and be loving and not show partiality based on race or gender or anything. We are not to be partial. God does not want division in His temple (1 Corinthians 3:17). 

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John 2:16- A House of Trade

A House of Trade

How often in the bible to do you see Jesus getting angry? The Pharisees tried to back him into corners, but never could. He was scoffed at and mocked. The ONLY time we ever read of Jesus's anger in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) at the church toward those who turned the temple into a "den of thieves" or a house of trade as in John 2:16. That incident alone should be an example of righteous anger (breaking God's commandments) versus human anger over things like misunderstandings.
 

Jesus was not mad that the temple was selling a book or a Biblical aid or something. Jesus was upset that the focus was completely turned away from God. People who visited the temple during the Passover had to pay a temple tax (like paying to go to church) and money changers served as the one who could convert Roman coins into "acceptable" currency for the temple offerings and the temple tax. 

This is not the same as a tithe or offering. Even in today's times, if I use a foreign bill or coin as an offering or tithe, there shouldn't be anyone there who is working at the church as a foreign cash exchange. That business should be done at the appropriate time and place like at a bank, not during the time of worship to God. When we go to church, we are going to worship God. He is the focus, not the person we find attractive, not the person you want to rub elbows with for political or  personal gain. God's word and teaching is the focus.

References- Got Questions and Study Light- Dave Guzik (Section B:1a-d)

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Luke 21:34- Watch Yourselves

Watch Yourselves!

This chapter outlines several things from sacrificial giving (giving that really makes you sacrifice) to the destruction of the temple, wars and persecution and Christ's return. But something else struck me. Jesus gave us a warning. It is easy to miss if you are just reading and maybe even distracted, but I wanted to point it out. 

In verse 34, Jesus says to "watch yourselves." He tells us to watch our hearts so that they are not filled with "dissipation, drunkenness and cares of this world."

Jesus know that if our heart isn't aligned with him, then it is aligned elsewhere, like the world. The world then and now often says things like "everything in moderation." Folks, not everything is legal and not everything is good for you even if it is legal. Jesus is warning us to not let culture be our guide. Culture changes, but the word of God stands firm. 

For those that know of my former employment, you will remember that I was a bouncer/security guard for bars. A bar's focus is to sell alcohol to you. Some to many places will even sell it to you even after you have had enough. The world celebrates this lifestyle, but the world doesn't show you what happens to your liver and other organs from years of that lifestyle. The world doesn't show you the broken homes and lost souls that come from spending too much time drinking and not enough time with Jesus.

Jesus warns us of being hungover (surfeiting/carousing/dissipation) from alcohol and in other words, being hung over form the world's way. When you are hung over you have had too much alcohol and the body begins to shut down. Have you ever seen someone pass out from too much alcohol? Maybe it has happened to you. That is the body's way of rejecting more consumption. But, with the world's way and culture we don't get that feeling like with alcohol, it just overtakes you and then you look up one day wondering how you got there. You may even try to make excuses for why it is okay to be where you are, but where you haven't been was aligned with Christ in obedience with God's will.

This blog post was not to bash bars or my former employment, but to shine light on a culture that is dictated by reformed ways of thinking that separate you from God's path. How culture thinks today will not be that way tomorrow. Stand firm with God's word.


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Mark 11:23-24- Faith to Move Mountains

Faith to Move Mountains

Sometimes I don't pray and I just complain. I gripe. I moan. I grumble. I tell friends the issue, but I "forget" to pray. I put forget with quotations because I did not actually forget. I have become accustomed to doing things that way. I try to figure it out. There is nothing wrong with using your God given problem solving ability to figure out some of your issues. But, what about using that ability to speak to God and pray?

In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus curses a fig tree that was no longer producing any fig (fruit). It wasn't doing what it was supposed to do. It wasn't doing it's job. It was useless. Just sitting there looking pretty with leaves. After he cleansed the temple from the "thieves" in verses 15-19, he and the disciples walked by the fig tree that he had cursed and they saw that it had withered to its roots. He uses this moment to teach them to have faith in God. He says that you can tell a mountain to to be thrown into the sea and it will if you do not have a a doubt in your heart. Bam! Right there, he said a "doubt in his heart."

When we pray about our mountains (money, relationship issues, living situations, jobs, health) do we really pray with that kind of faith? Do we have doubts? Then when the prayer is not answered we think God is ignoring us. But, if we read and seek to understand and have faith that God is not only listening but truthful in fulfilling his promises.

He follows up this command by also saying that when we pray we are also to forgive any trespasses (wrong doing) against us by other people. In school, we are not encouraged to get F's, but here Jesus wants us to have F's with Faith and Forgiveness (see what I did there?) How can God here our prayer and come through to move the mountain if we do not believe that He will and when we have bitterness and an unforgiving heart toward others.

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Matthew 24:4-5- False Messiah

Matthew 24:4-5 "Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." commentary- Jesus, in describing the destruction of the temple and the sign of the end of times, states that many will come after Jesus saying that they are him, in the flesh. Jesus warns the disciples not to believe it when people say "he is here" or he is over there."

We know when Jesus will come back by reading Revelation 1:6-7 "and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen."

Know God's word so you are not lead astray by false teachers caught up in the world. Here are a few examples of exactly what Jesus was warning us about 2000 years ago. I included photos an links to youtube videos of them underneath the photos.

Alan John Miller and Mary Suzanne Luck

False Jesus named Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda

David Koresh the false Son of Man