Reading I & II Corinthians

I just finished my second cup of coffee.  My wife just gave it to me a little while ago.  Usually I get my own coffee, but she brought me one this morning.  That was sweet.  I started in I Cor. 8 and read through II Corinthians.  Paul wrote the Christians in Corinth to fix things in the church that was broken!  There were problems.  As long as the church is made up of people there will be occasional problems and God expects the Pastor to deal with those problems from time to time in a biblical fashion.  The church in Corinth has factions; four in fact.  They had no unity, and they competed in spiritual gifts thinking that "made" them more spiritual.  Paul systematically deals with their problems.  It is not a book to get our theology from though it has many great doctrinal truths, but it deals with fixing what is wrong in a church.  So the church in Corinth was not a pattern church.  So many times people want to pattern the spiritual gifts of their church to this pattern, but they end up with the same problems.  Let me share with you some of the things I read:  I Cor. 10:12 reminds us that if we think we stand, take heed lest we fall.  As Christians, we want to always be on guard that Satan not trip us us.  What a shame to have served Christ and then to be tripped up by letting our guard down.  God will always provide a "way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  What a promise!  When temptation rears it's ugly head, we need to be looking for the escape hatch, because we know God has one for us!  I Cor. 10:31 reminds us to "do all to the glory of God".  Our lives belong to Him and we should bring Him glory in all we do!  II Cor. 8:11,12 talks to us about giving.  In fact, chapters 8, 9, and 10 are given to this subject.  The Corinth Church was not a giving church and because of that they no doubt looked inward instead of outward.  If we focus on the needs of a world without Christ then we don't have time to look inward and dissect one another.  In these verses the thing that strikes me is it all starts with "a readiness to will"  and "a willing mind".  Giving never starts by looking at your funds to determine what you can "afford" to give.  It begins with a desire to give.  This we get from God.  If we are not "givers" then we don't know God very well.  God is a giver!!  God so loved the world that He gave...  Once we have the "willingness" to give then God can easily show us "what" to give.  In II Cor. 12:9 it states that "My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  What a promise.  We may sometimes wonder if God will come through, but He has never failed and never will!!  Today is Sunday!!  I love Sundays!!  I get to go to church with those I love and I get to meet brand new people as well that I know I'm going to enjoy meeting.  I get to teach and preach God's precious Word and I'm excited about that.  I'm looking forward to all of it.  After church, my children will come over for dinner and that's always a highlight of my week as well.  I hope you have a great day today as well and join me tomorrow as once again I have my coffee and read God's Word.  May God's blessings rest upon you!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler

---

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.