Friday Thought – December 16, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

NOTE: I started writing a Monday through Friday morning devotional in 1996 and have written them ever since. With retirement coming Sunday, I’ve decided to lay down this ministry, too. It’s been my pleasure to offer these brief words of encouragement and insight. I appreciate all the positive comments I’ve received through the years. Blessings -- Steve

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

No two of us are alike. Our preferences are different. Some like traditional music, some contemporary. Some prefer peace and quiet, some want activity and noise. Some like to read and study, some like to work with their hands doing something practical.

Our skills and abilities are different, too. Some don’t mind speaking to a large group and others wouldn’t do that for any reason. Some can add numbers quickly in their head and others struggle to do it with a calculator. Some can listen to a furnace and immediately diagnose the problem and some can’t even figure out how to work the thermostat. Some can comfort a crying baby and bring it peace and others seem to set the babies crying just with a look.

We’re different --- different preferences, different skills and abilities. God has designed us for different places and different tasks in His kingdom and He has provided what we need for those places and tasks. Each of us is made different by God, but in each of us it is His power that works in us in the unique ways He has made us. While each of us works in a different way, we all are working for the same goal --- to glorify and please the Lord.

We don’t have to all be alike. In fact, God accomplishes far more through us because we are all different!

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – December 15, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The Lord’s Supper has at least four purposes.

We remember what the Lord has done for us. We are so prone to forget. We get caught up in the activity and stress of life. Our hectic schedules give little time to focus on the Lord and His grace. Regularly coming to the Lord’s Table guards against our tendency to forget His grace and love.

We proclaim the importance of what Jesus has done for us. We proclaim it to ourselves as an act of recommitment to Him. We proclaim it to other believers so that they will be reminded of what Christ has done for them. We proclaim it to nonbelievers who are in the assembly with us. It is not music, peaceful quietness, or friendship that brings us to the assembly, it is the Lord’s death that brings us.

We examine our lives and are drawn to repentance. “A man ought to examine himself before he eats the bread and drinks the cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28) The reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus to bring us forgiveness causes us to look deeply into our own heart and allow Him to cleanse us of the sin we find there.

We reaffirm and proclaim our unity with other believers. A few verses later Paul says we are to “recognize the Lord’s body” when we partake. We remember Him and His sacrifice, but we also remember His earthly body, the church. As we partake together we remember that we are joined by His great sacrifice to all others who have received Him.

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – December 14, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:1-2)

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that there is “nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) That’s certainly true of our walk with Christ. Our relationship with Christ is not unique, we walk in a relationship that was passed to us by someone else and has been passed from generation to generation for 2,000 years. The teaching we receive today is not original. It, too, has been passed from one generation to the next since Christ walked the earth.

Paul was not providing an example to the Corinthians that was new with him. He was following Christ’s example. Paul’s teachings were not original with him. They were being passed on from him, having been handed to him by Christ. We follow teaching that has been validated by time and by generation after generation.

The teaching of Christ must be passed on to successive generations. Christ doesn’t come to each generation. He has entrusted His disciples with the responsibility of passing on the faith. Paul did that with his teaching. We, too, are responsible for teaching others.

Paul also did it through his example. What kind of example are you providing to those who are watching you? If the next generation were to follow the example of faith that you have set, would God be pleased?

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – December 13, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:24)

“For, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’” (1 Corinthians 10:26)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God -- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:31-33)

Where is your focus?

God’s call on the life of a Christian is to die to self. That means our focus should no longer be on our own needs, our own desires, our own good. Instead, our focus should be on others and on the Lord.

The Lord deserves our focus. The world belongs to Him. We belong to Him. He deserves the service and the praise that we give to Him, and far more than we could ever give.

Others need our focus. There are many people around each of us who are lost. They are hopeless and helpless. To focus on ourselves when so many around us are spiritually dead is to ignore their great need and the opportunity that we have to do something about it. And besides the lost, there are also many other Christians around us in whose lives we could have a positive impact, if we would take the opportunity.

Paul’s focus was on the Lord and on those around him. That’s who he lived for. How about you – where is your focus?

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – December 12, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-13)

The temptations are strong. Paul lists several that the people of Israel gave in to time and again: idolatry, sexual immorality, testing the Lord, and grumbling. We face those same temptations, and like the Israelites, most of us give in to them time and again.  How can we overcome those sins and learn to say “no” to the temptations?

One way is to be reminded of the example of the Israelites. The story of their sins is written down for our good. As we read and study about their lives, we see the disaster that they brought on to themselves when they gave in to the temptations.

Another way is to realize the danger of the temptations. We do ourselves a disservice when we think we are beyond the place where temptation can trouble us. No matter how mature we become, temptations are still there and they are still strong.

Realize you are not alone in the battle with temptation. You don’t face any temptations that are unique to you. Every human who is alive now faces similar temptations and every human already dead faced similar temptations when they lived.

Look to the Lord when you are tempted. He promises the temptations will not be more than you can handle. He promises to provide an escape route from every temptation. Look to Him for strength and keep your eyes open for the way of escape.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – December 9, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. These things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

Consider the blessings that the people of Israel received from God. They witnessed amazing miracles: the plagues by which they were released from slavery; the splitting of the Red Sea; the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire that guided them out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land; the miraculous provision of water, manna, and quail. These are just a few of the spectacular things God did for them to demonstrate His love for them and His power in their lives.

Despite the miraculous provision of God, they wandered away from Him, giving themselves to idolatry, immorality, and unfaithfulness to the Lord. As marvelous as those miracles were, they did not guarantee their spiritual growth and faithfulness.

God has also provided us with spectacular miracles: the amazing love of the cross; the marvelous examples of grace in the lives of people we know, including the grace to save a wretch like you; and the personalized work in your life in miraculous ways. These are God’s blessings of love for us. They demonstrate how much He cares for us and they are illustrations of His power in our lives.

They are not guarantees of our spiritual growth and faithfulness. The challenge to us is to look at the example of the Jews and recognize the danger, even when God has blessed us so marvelously. Then, to make a choice to keep setting our hearts on God and not on evil.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – December 8, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Spiritual growth requires discipline. Paul compares spiritual discipline to the discipline an athlete must have in order to be able to compete at his most effective level. Even the most skilled and most mature athlete diminishes his effectiveness when he does not have the discipline to train like he should.

Spiritual discipline protects us. Without it there is a danger that we will be disqualified from the prize. Peter makes the same point in his second letter. He provides a list of qualities we are to “make every effort” to add to our lives. He promises that if we will do that “they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8) “For if you do these things, you will never fall.” (2 Peter 2:10)

Spiritual discipline protects us from falling away from the Lord. Spiritual discipline increases our effectiveness in serving Him. Those are two undeniable reasons for exercising discipline in our spiritual lives.

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – December 7, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Paul was a Roman citizen and that carried many rights. Those rights were important to Paul and he took advantage of them. At Philippi, Paul used his citizenship to force the officials to treat him better.

But Paul’s rights were not the most important thing in his life. Sharing the gospel with those who did not know Christ was more important than his rights. He willingly gave up his rights, his freedoms, and his desires in order to be able to share the gospel more effectively with the people around him.

We’re American citizens and we’re Christians. Both those distinctions carry a great many rights and privileges. Those rights and privileges are important to us. As Americans, we can use our rights to our advantage. As Christians we have freedom from the restrictions of the law and from many of the taboos that other religions have.

But those rights and freedoms must not be the most important things in our lives. The people around us should matter more to us than our rights and freedoms. We should be willing to lay aside our rights and limit our freedoms in order to help the people around us -- especially to be more effective in sharing the gospel with them.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – December 6, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17)

What compelled Paul to preach?

“Christ’s love compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) Paul saw the great need of those who did not know Jesus and he was compelled to offer the Gospel to them.

He was also compelled by the call of God on his life. God had chosen him to be the apostle to the Gentiles, chosen him to preach the Gospel to them.

Those same two motivations should be at work in all of us. The love that Christ has for the world that sent Him to the cross should be in us, too. We should see the lost condition of the people around us and be compelled to share with them the hope in Christ that we have.

The call of God is also on our lives. We have not all been called to be apostles -- none of us has in this day. We have not all been called to travel the world sharing the Gospel. But we have all been called to be God’s ambassadors, His messengers of the Gospel. That call should compel us to share when God provides the opportunity for us to do it.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – December 5, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)

How do you make decisions about your actions? That is Paul’s question in this passage. Do you make your decision solely on the basis of what you know is your right, or do you make your decision taking by into account how your actions will affect the people around you?

The Corinthians had the right to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols. The idol was nothing and food sacrificed to it was not defiled. However, not everyone understood that and some would be offended, perhaps even caused to stumble back into idol worship if they saw a fellow Christian eating such food.

Paul had two points:

Eating the food or not eating the food would not affect a person’s relationship with God. They didn’t have to give up eating the food in order to please God or grow in their faith – “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.” (1 Corinthians 8:8)

Their actions should be governed by how they will affect those around them -- governed by love. “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Corinthians 8:9)

The specific issue is no longer one that we face -- food sacrificed to idols is not something we deal with in our culture. But the principle remains valid: are you so concerned about your “rights” that you do things that hurt others?

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – December 2, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Each one should retain the place in life the Lord assigned him and to which God has called him. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you -- although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.” (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

Can you think of ways in which you wish your life was different? I’m not talking about sins that you wish you didn’t struggle with, I’m talking about circumstances beyond your control that you wish were different.

I know some women who wish they were men. They see the opportunities that men have and don’t see that women have the same opportunities. I also know some men who wish they were women -- for the same reason. The old proverb is true, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

Perhaps there are other times in history that you wish you had been born. Perhaps there are other places in the world in which you wish you had been raised. Would you like to change your ethnic background? Perhaps you’d like to be Jewish, or American Indian, or a part of some other ethnic group to which you do not belong.

Paul’s point in Corinthians is to take advantage of the opportunities God has given you, rather than spending your life wishing things were different. The “if only” syndrome rarely helps us accomplish more for the Lord. We accomplish what God wants when we set about to do His will where He has put us and with the resources He has given us.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – December 1, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. A husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. The unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. If the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? How do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” (1 Corinthians 7:10-16)

We live in a time when commitment and loyalty are rare. Denominational loyalty is almost non-existent in this generation. Brand loyalty is very difficult to develop and maintain, people are willing to switch products easily. Company loyalty is decreasing, with people willing to switch jobs and even careers to seek the best deal for themselves.

Some of those trends are good things, not bad. It is possible to be loyal to something out of tradition or inertia, rather than through a serious decision-making process.

That trend has some negative effects, too. It has affected marriage relationships and led to a rising rate of divorce. Husbands and wives seem less committed to their spouses and more willing to be on the lookout for a “better deal” or more attractive partner. At times, they justify their decision with “spiritual” reasons – “I want a spouse who will be the spiritual leader, not one who will drag me down.” That sounds good, but goes against the teaching of the Lord about commitment and loyalty.

God is pleased when people make a commitment and keep it.

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 30, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

People in New Testament times were not so different from people today and the issues they faced were not so different, either. Immorality was rampant then, just as it is today. The temptation to sexual sin was very strong. As a suggestion for overcoming the temptation to sexual sin, Paul recommends marriage. What he says about marriage indicates that the issues married couples faced then were also the same as the issues married couples face today.

The primary difficulty in today’s marriages is selfishness. Husbands and wives hurt their marriage relationships by focusing exclusively on their own needs, rather than being equally concerned with the needs of their spouse. As Paul says, that is true in the sexual relationship of marriage, and it is also true in every other aspect of marriage.

The key to a healthy marriage is to recognize that you’ve entered into a relationship in which you have taken responsibility for the needs and desires of your spouse. Her needs are now to be your needs. Her desires are now to be your desires. And the same is true from the wife’s perspective.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 29, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but I will not be mastered by anything. ‘Food for the stomach and the stomach for food’ -- but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20)

Paul starts this passage by quoting some popular sayings of the day -- and he didn’t deny their truthfulness. We don’t live according to a legalistic code of conduct. We’ve been freed from that in Christ. “Everything is permissible for me.” But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do “everything.” While permissible, there are many things that are harmful to our physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual lives. We’d be foolish to give ourselves to things that are harmful to us or others.

While permissible, there are many things that are dangerous, that lead to being mastered. Sexual immorality is one of them. How many people have been trapped by sexual sin because they have given in to pornography or in other ways started down the road to what the world calls sexual “freedom.” Drugs and alcohol fall into that category, too. Many people have been trapped in chemical addictions as they started down a road called experimentation. In seeking freedom, they have become slaves.

“Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food.” But that doesn’t mean we should live for eating! There is more to life than the fulfillment of our physical desires and needs. In fact, those physical desires and needs are only temporary and to give our lives to them is very short-sighted and foolish.

Our physical bodies and how we use them belong to the Lord. He bought us -- body, mind, and spirit. Our goal is to honor Him -- body, mind and spirit! For the price He paid for us, He deserves all of us!!

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 28, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you were. You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

I don’t know what kind of past all of you have, but there aren’t very many of us who don’t have some sordid stories to tell about the things we’ve done. You can charge some of it off to youthful passions. You can charge some of it off to immature foolishness. You still have to charge all of it to human sinfulness -- our sinfulness. None of us can say that we have escaped it. No one does!

That’s the way God found us -- sinful, broken, guilty. What we deserved was punishment and death. What we got was grace and mercy and salvation! He took the guilt of our sin and put it on the account of Jesus. He took the righteousness of His perfect Son, Jesus, and put it on our account! What a deal! What love! What grace! Everyone of us who has come to Christ has experienced it. All of us came from the same place and came in the same way -- from sin to God by grace.

Though God found us in the guilt of our sin, He is not content to leave us there. All who come to Christ have been implanted with the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s works is transformation. Everyone who comes to Christ gets transformed. Not overnight. Not without a great deal of pain and discomfort. Not completely in this world. But transformation does happen, just look back at your life and you can see it.

God will take you just like you are – it’s the only way you can come to Him. But He won’t leave you that way! That’s His promise!

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 25, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“The saints will judge the world? If you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? We will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? Instead, one brother goes to law against another -- in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.” (1 Corinthians 6:2-8)

Paul’s message makes me think about how important the church is meant to be in our lives. We should turn to the church to find help in trouble. We should go to the church when we are discouraged and hurt and find comfort there. We should share our joys among the church family and find people rejoicing with us and sharing our sorrows. It is to the church that we should bring disputes and find wise counsel for settling them.

There are few Christians who follow Paul’s advice about disputes. Ours is a litigious society and even Christians are quick to take disputes into the courts. The courts deal only with the dispute and not with the relationships that surround it. The relationships are more important than the matter being disputed. The dispute is a temporary matter that affects only the things of this world. Relationships are eternal, people matter beyond this world.

If you find yourself in a dispute with someone else, think about the value of your relationship with that person and handle the dispute accordingly. Even if you have to let go of your rights, it may be the right thing to do. Try looking to the church to help bring peace between you and the one with whom you disagree. You may be surprised at the wisdom you find there.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 24, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. Now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

It seems like there are many people so trapped by sin that they are beyond salvation. That is a wrong impression! God is in the life-transformation business. He has demonstrated His ability to change lives by what He has done in the lives of those who are His children.

The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of the church, throwing some in jail, perhaps even murdering some. If anyone was beyond God’s grace Paul was. God transformed Paul!

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute! It’s hard to believe that God can take someone that far into sin and turn her life around, but that’s what He did with Mary!

Zacchaeus was a thief and swindler. He was so trapped by greed that he hurt his own countrymen in order to line his pockets. God turned a greedy thief into a generous giver.

Your story and my story also they contain sins. Maybe our sins weren’t quite as open and obvious as Paul’s, Mary’s, and Zacchaeus’s -- or maybe they were -- but all of us were trapped in sin. God has radically changed our lives, and He keeps on working to change them more!

Don’t give up on the people around you. They may seem beyond God’s grace, but they aren’t. Be patient with them. Share with them as God provides the opportunities. Don’t give up on them. Expect that God can change even them -- like He did you!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 23, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:18-21)

The Corinthians had a choice. Paul was willing to come to them with harsh discipline (characterized by a whip), if that was what was required to get their attention. On the other hand, he was willing to come with loving and gentle correction if they were willing to listen to that. There was much in the Corinthian church that needed to be corrected, as evidenced by the things Paul wrote in his letters. God would provide the correction. It was the Corinthians’ option as to how painful that correction would be!

The same is true for us. All of us need correction throughout our lives. It is a part of the growth process. It is a part of being human and dealing with the innate tendency toward sinfulness. It is God’s desire to see us grow. In fact, He promised that He will complete the growth work that He has begun in us.

In fact, if the Lord does not correct and discipline us, there is something wrong with our relationship with Him. The Hebrew writer declared, “The Lord disciplines those he loves.” (Hebrews 12:6)

The choice of what kind of correction we receive and how painful it is for us, is up to us. God is willing to come with the most gentle and loving correction, if we are willing to listen to it. If necessary, He is willing and able to come with the harsh discipline of the whip.

The choice is ours, just like it was for the Corinthians.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 22, 2106

Good Morning Friends,

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13)

The apostles were not second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. Of course they weren’t, they were among God’s most beloved and honored servants. Yet, they suffered significantly because of their work for the Lord. They were ridiculed and mocked. They lived in poverty and need. They often had to support themselves even though they were giving themselves to others in preaching and teaching about Christ. They were slandered and physically abused. All of these things happened, not because they did anything illegal or wrong, but because of their work for the Lord.

The point -- serving Christ does not guarantee a life blessed by earthly standards. In fact, serving Christ may contribute to life’s pain, not ease it.

How did the apostles respond to the ill-treatment they received? They did not return insult for insult or pain for pain. They continued to bless those around them. They patiently endured the suffering without fighting back. They did not respond with hatred, but with kindness, even to those who hurt them. They modeled the same kind of attitudes seen in the life of Jesus.

Sometimes serving the Lord brings difficulty -- but He’s worth it! The difficulty we experience does not give us license to respond in ways that do not reflect the grace and kindness of the Lord toward those around us, even those who hurt us.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 21, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.  It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”  (1 Corinthians 4:2-5)

I would not make a very good judge. I often attribute motives to what people do that really aren’t there. Sometimes I read into what they do in the most negative way possible. And at other times I read into what they do in the most positive way possible. I’m just not a very good judge. I can’t see into people’s hearts and minds. I don’t really know why they do the things they do.

I’m not even a very judge of myself. There are times that I am harder on myself than I should be. And there are other times when I let myself off the hook because I’m blind to what’s really going on in my heart.

I’m glad I don’t have to be the judge. That job is already filled. It’s filled by One who has a much clearer picture of what’s going in my heart and what’s going on in the hearts of others, too.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 18, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’ So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future -- all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-23)

There is an amazing amount of wisdom in this world that has enabled man to do things that would have been unimaginable a few generations ago. Man has walked on the moon. We can transplant hearts. We are capable of drilling thousands of feet into the earth to extract valuable resources hidden there. We can harness the energy of the sun and the wind and the atom. And you can probably think of other inventions and feats that are equally astounding.

But man has barely scratched the surface of knowledge about the creation of God. While there are many things we understand and many things we can control and accomplish, there are still very many things that are beyond our grasp and that are still hidden from our minds.

The book of Job contains the best of man’s wisdom at that time in trying to help Job understand the suffering that he was experiencing. But the wisdom of Job and his friends didn’t begin to grasp what was truly happening. God put Job in his place in the final chapters with a series of questions that exposed Job’s ignorance and left him in awe of the Lord.

It is that same place that Paul seeks to bring us through his Corinthian letter. We think we know so much, but we’ve fooled ourselves. Although our knowledge is marvelous, it is nothing compared to the Lord and His knowledge and wisdom! He’s the One with whom we should be amazed and the One whom we should praise!

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 17, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. Each one should be careful how he builds. No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

There will be a test at the end! Talk about a serious test! It will be a test by fire. What we have done that has eternal value will survive the fire. What we’ve done that has only earthly value will be destroyed.

Motives will will make a difference. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that if what we do is done only to be seen by others, then that’s all the reward we’ll get. We may get some earthly praise, but in eternity it will go totally unnoticed and unrewarded. If what we do is for our own benefit, it doesn’t count with the Lord! What’s done out of a heart of love for and a commitment to the Lord and to others, that will last. God will be pleased with those things and reward us for them.

Focus will make a difference, too. If what we’ve done on earth is about material things -- accumulating wealth, gaining possessions, etc. -- those will be burned up in the fire. If what we’ve done is about praising God and helping people, those things will last. There are very few things in this world that will last into eternity. The Word of God will last into eternity. People will last into eternity. Those things done which are focused on things that last will be rewarded by the Lord.

So, the question is – will what you are doing last or  will it be destroyed!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 16, 2106

Good Morning Friends,

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe -- as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)

The Lord makes the assignments. That is His prerogative as Creator and Ruler and Lord. He can use His servants in any way He chooses in order to accomplish His purposes. He doesn’t have to ask our permission and He doesn’t have to thank us for doing what He demands. He is Master and we are servants.

Not only does the Lord give the assignments, He also gives the abilities and strength to fulfill them. We don’t operate in our own strength, but in His as He supplies what we need.

And there’s more -- He not only gives the assignments and supplies the abilities and strength, He also works to make us successful in what we do for Him. He is the one who causes fruit to come from our efforts.

The point is, it is all God, not us. So, why does God reward us for what we do for Him? He promises to do it, but we don’t deserve it and haven’t earned it. He rewards us simply because He loves us and He wants to do it. He gives the assignment, He gives the strength, He gives the success – and then He gives us the reward.

Isn’t God amazing!

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 15, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

The marks of worldliness that Paul saw among the Corinthians were jealousy and quarreling. The root of both of those sinful attitudes is selfishness.

When we act with jealousy, we demonstrate dissatisfaction with what we have compared with what someone else has been given. Rather than unselfishly rejoicing in their gifts, we are frustrated that they have what we don’t. That’s not a characteristic of God, but a characteristic of the world. God calls His followers to ever increasing selflessness, seeking the best for others around us, not just looking out for our own interests.

When we quarrel, we seek our own way, what we want, even at the cost of damaging relationships and hurting our witness. How much is what we want worth? Is it worth the cost of a relationship that is damaged or destroyed? Is it worth the cost of turning someone outside of Christ away from Him because of the way you act? Again, it goes back to selfishness -- I want, so I’ll fight to get.

They were acting like mere men! But what else can we act like? That’s the point, God is calling us to a higher calling, to become like Jesus, to act like Him -- to give unselfishly, to seek the best for those around us, to sacrifice to help others.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 14, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“As it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)

Who could possibly have thought up the Gospel story? It is incomprehensible that God Himself, the Creator and Ruler of the universe would become a man, walk on the earth, teach, heal, and do all the things that Jesus did. No man could have come up with the story of Jesus’ life and all that it meant. That’s why the world turned against Him, because it just couldn’t understand Him. They killed Him because they did not know who He was and could not even fathom His real identity.

What Jesus did here on earth is just the beginning of what God has prepared for those who come to Him! The life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. The very presence of God Himself, indwelling us by His Spirit. The opportunity to reign with God. The glory and majesty of heaven’s eternity. An eternity around the throne of God. The angelic majesties that worship and serve Him there -- and here. All of these, and much more, cannot be understood by men in all that they mean. All of these things, and more, God has prepared for us because we love Him.

Man didn’t make it all up, man couldn’t. God’s Spirit has revealed these things to us. His Spirit revealed the Gospel through Jesus. His Spirit provided the Word. His Spirit works in each of those who comes to Him to accomplish God’s work in us and through us. The message doesn't come from man, it comes directly from God.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 11, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

There have been, and are, many people with great wisdom and outstanding oratory skills. But with Gospel of Jesus Christ it is not the quality of the preacher that makes the difference, it’s the message that is proclaimed that has the power to change lives.

Even with Christ Himself, it was not the quality of His teaching that changed lives. Christ did teach with out-of-this-world wisdom! When the Jews heard Him preach they marveled at the authority with which He spoke. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” (Matthew 7:28-29) But it is not the wisdom of Christ’s teaching or His authoritative preaching that changed lives. It was the power of His cross that changed men and women then and still changes men and women today!

It is only the love, mercy, and grace of the cross of Christ that takes defiled sinners and radically changes us. Only in the cross is there the power of forgiveness. Only in the cross is there the opportunity for reconciliation with God. Only in the cross is there salvation.

The power is in the cross, and in the One who died there! Don’t marvel at the preacher, marvel at the message of Christ. Keep looking to Him!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 10, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written:  ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

The apostles were uneducated, but God chose them to launch a movement of faith that is still strong today. No educated group could have been more powerfully used than were these eleven simple men. Where did they get the power to accomplish what they did? It couldn’t have come from them, it had to come from the Lord!

Zacchaeus was so small he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. He was an outcast and called “a sinner” because of his dishonorable profession. They laughed at his stature behind his back. But something happened when he met Jesus. You can’t explain it through Zacchaeus’s intelligence or his sensitivity to spiritual things. God did something in Zacchaeus’s heart that was so radical that God is the only explanation.

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. A woman can’t get any more disreputable than that. That prostitute was given the very first glimpse of the Risen Lord. Only God would have chosen a witness like her. Man’s wisdom would have chosen someone more upstanding, someone people would have listened to more readily. God chose one whom He had changed so radically it was almost unbelievable.

The apostles, Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, and millions of others are testimonies to God’s power and grace. None of us is a testimony to our intelligence, abilities, and power. The only testimony that is worth giving is a testimony to His wisdom, His gifts, and His power. He deserves all the credit and the praise!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 9, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel -- not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 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. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’” (1 Corinthians 1:17-19)

For thousands of years man has been on a futile journey to find the solutions to the problems of our world. We’ve tried human reason, but the problems of the world are beyond our ability to solve with human reason. We’ve walked down the path of what we called “moral freedom,” but found at the end of that path just continued emptiness. Military might hasn’t solved the problems, it’s just opened the way for more and more powerful tyrants. There used to be hope in psychotherapy, but the more therapy that became available the more problems we’ve uncovered and been unable to cure. Technology seemed to provide possibilities, but it has failed just as miserably as every other path we’ve tried. Political solutions have been equally ineffective. And there are a thousand other paths that have been tried and a thousand other dead ends and incomplete answers.

The place where the answers lie is the one place the people of our world don’t want to look. In Paul’s day, Christ and His cross were a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23) They still are in our day, too, not just to Jews and Greeks, but to every nationality of men and women. We’re too sophisticated and intelligent to think that the answers to man’s problems could be found in something so old and so counter to man’s own independence and abilities.

Yet, Christ is the answer that Paul gave. The message of God and the experience of man confirm that He is the only real answer available. A life lived in dependence upon and obedience to Him seems foolish to most, but it’s the power of salvation for those who will trust Him.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 7, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

Can you imagine anyone arguing over which preacher is better? They actually did that back then, in Paul’s day. Apollos, Cephas, Paul -- they were all great preachers. God used one to reach certain people and another to reach other people. It’s strange how that works. Then there was that group of people who refused to put any man on a pedestal. They thought they were better because they refused to be known as followers of any man. But their pride was just as bad as the other groups. Each thought their group was better. Each thought they had been taught more correctly. Each group looked down on the other groups as somehow inferior.

Amazing that people could be so shallow back then. It’s a good thing people today are so much more mature. Or are we? Seems like we still do the same thing. Some people put their current preacher on a pedestal -- the best one around. Others put dead preachers in the place of honor! We’ll call ourselves by the name of someone from the past and develop pride that our group is better than those others. Of course, there’s still a group or two that refuses to say they follow any man. But their pride still gets in their way.

If we could just learn that it’s not about pride. It’s not about exalting ourselves, our leader, or our group. It’s about all of the followers of Jesus working together, each in his or her own corner of the Kingdom. All getting along, all complementing each other’s work and cooperating with each other to accomplish more.

That’s God vision of His Kingdom. It’s mine, too! I hope it’s yours.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 4, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

The first verses of the first Corinthian letter are pretty standard stuff. It’s just the beginning of a letter. They talk about the one writing, they talk about the ones being written to, and they share the goodwill of the author. It is pretty standard stuff, but it’s pretty significant stuff, too!

This passage speaks of the fact that both the author and the recipients have been called. Called by God, of course. That says something about the activity of God. What they are about is of God’s initiative. That’s true of you, too. You aren’t a Christian by your own initiative, but by God’s. He called you to Himself. He drew you. He invited you into a relationship with Him.

What were the Corinthians called to? They were called to holiness. God called them to a changed life. And God continues to call people to a changed life. That’s what He’s called you and me to. He doesn’t want to see us stay the way we were before we met Him. He wants to see us different, changed, holy, like Him. Oh, it doesn’t happen all at once, but it does happen. Bit by bit, small change by small change, sometimes almost imperceptible, but God is changing us, He always changes the people He touches.

He has changed me -- and still is. If you have a relationship with God then He’s already changed you, too -- and He is still at work changing you even more!

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 3, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Last words are usually important. When someone lies dying, we listen with close attention to their final words. Their words often represent a clear glimpse of the heart of the one departing. The words above are some of Jesus’ last words. They do offer a clear glimpse of His heart, of what He considered important.

Jesus’ last words were a challenge and a command to His followers to take His message to others. The command was based upon His authority, an authority which cannot be challenged anywhere. It was all encompassing vision, no nation or people were to be left out. It is to be fulfilled intentionally, the command is to “go,” not to wait for them to come to us. It contained a clear focus, He is looking for disciples, those who will follow Him, those who will unashamedly identify with Him in baptism, and those who will long to hear His will and do it. It offers help to accomplish it, He will be with us as we go.

The Great Commission was deep in Jesus’ heart just before He left this world, and it still is. There remain nations that have not yet been heard the message of Jesus, and people that have not yet responded to it. The challenge and command from Jesus is still before us!

God loves you, and He loves the world.

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 2, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” (Matthew 28:11-15)

For an honest person to remain in unbelief he must find a way to deal with the resurrection. If the resurrection is true, then there really is no choice but to follow Jesus. But if you can explain away the resurrection, then you can reject Jesus.

The chief priests weren’t honest men. They didn’t find a way to explain away the resurrection, they created one! Contrary to all the evidence, they chose to remain in unbelief. Why would anyone do that? It comes down to this, what they wanted to believe was more important to them than what was true!

Jesus told Pilate during His trial, “I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

Don’t follow Jesus because your parents did, or because your friends do, or because it helps the country. Follow Jesus because it is true -- He is true! Jesus said, “I am the truth.” (John 14:6)

His, by Grace, Steve