I & II Corinthians

Today is Thursday, and I have two more sessions to teach at Hyles Anderson College summer school.  Last night after church I met with Stephen Choi and we had a meal together after church.  The night before I stayed out late with Joshua Smith, our intern from last year.  I woke up real tired this morning because I'm doing by best to spend time with people I love.  It is always worth it to spend time with people you love.  Time is a precious gift we give to others.  Here are some thoughts from the Bible today: 1) MEMBERS OF A BODY- I Cor. 12:27- "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."  We are part of a body and we are all individual members of that body. Let us not fight other members of that same body, but co-exist and love each other. 2) TWO BODIES- I Cor. 15:44- "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."  And, as a believer, we have both natures.  The nature of the natural body and the nature of the spiritual body... therefore, God can use us to represent Him because we are spiritual, and speak to humanity, because we are natural as well.  We are two natures, and we are one body that will become another upon death. 3) SEALED- When we are saved, we are sealed.  II Cor. 1:22 says: "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."  Two powerful anallogies are used here to tell us we are saved forever.  First we are sealed upon salvation.  When I was a teenager, we used epoxy to seal bugs in a cube of epoxy.  They were sealed unto the day of redemption, and so are we by God Himself. Second, we are given the earnest of the Spirit.  Now an earnest is what is put down to show that you are serious about following through on the contract.  If you do not follow through with the contract, you lose the earnest money put up.  If upon Salvation, we are given the earnest of the Holy Spirit, if Salvation was not to be later given to us, then God the Father would lose God the Holy Spirit because He has been given to us as the earnest of our Salvation!  So, we are sealed and given an earnest.... saved forever!!  Praise God!! 4) OUT FOR REVENGE!!  Yes, as believers, we should be out for revenge.  (on Satan that is.)  II Cor. 10:6 says, "Have in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."  In other words when we fail our Lord because Satan or our own flesh trips us up, then we should "revenge" that disobedience by our stirred up obedience!! Satan will think twice about tripping you up if you work all the harder to serve Christ when you are tripped up! 5) BE PERFECT- II Cor. 13:11 says: "Finally, brethren, farewell.  Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."  Be perfect... that is what God's Word says!  Now "perfect" means "well rounded" or "complete".  Are you??  It is a command.  What areas of you life are you lacking?  Prayer?  Bible Reading? Church Attendance?  Soul-Winning?  The list goes on... but the Holy Spirit knows where we are lacking and He also is the one who can "perfect" us.  We make the effort, and the Holy Spirit does the work!  Let God perfect us. Hope you have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler