KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, November 30, 2018
Chapters: I Corinthians 1-4
Message: Have The Mind of Christ
Hello My Friend,
Can you believe that it is the last day of November already? And we only have thirty-one days left to this year. I spent the past few days working my new job, so I have only had time to read and write the devotion, and not much time to sit with God in deep prayer, but it never fails, whenever I do go deep He always answers me within the chapters. Today’s chapters hit me like a brick, they reminded me of God’s amazing grace, and that things we go through as Christians are not to punish or weaken us, they are to rectify and strengthen us. Praise God! We are all sinners, and let me tell you, we all have weaknesses, but as we walk with Christ we become wiser and stronger to handle the devils attempt to make us weaker in our faith. We are not perfect, never will be until we get to heaven, and do not have to be because we are perfect in Christ. To the world, we are, but fools, but to God we are mighty in Christ. “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” – I Corinthians 1:23,25,27.
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;” God certainly is no fool neither is He weak, but even a fraction of any of these things are wiser than the fools of this world. The Book of I Corinthians was written by Paul to all believers, but directed to those in Corinth, he wrote it about 59AD. The purpose of the book was to address doctrinal problems that brought division between the Corinthian believers. What we are to learn from the book is that Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, indwells and works in every believer through the Holy Spirit. Paul spent nearly two years in Corinth, preaching the Gospel with great success, it was there that one of the first Christian churches was formed, consisting of both Jews and Greeks. A conflict arose, false doctrine was being taught, and this caused a great division among the members, instead of trusting God, they trusted the man of God. Paul stresses the importance of the church knowing and preaching the same Gospel.
“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” – I Corinthians 1:1-2,6-11,18.
“Who shall also confirm you unto the end,” Sosthenes; Saviour of his nation. Sosthenes was a Jew at Corinth, who was seized and beaten in the presence of Gallio for preaching Christ. To the world it is impossible to think that anyone can end up in heaven or hell when they die, and if by some chance some do believe they cannot comprehend how one man could redeem them alone. We must understand that we too needed the Holy Spirit to direct us, in fact, He nudged us all along until our heart opened up and we received Christ. Jesus knows who are His, our faith in Him confirms that we are not only fellow heirs with Him, but saints as well. We are not here to be approved by man, but by God, and if we are depending on the faith of man we are, but fools ourselves. Paul continues, telling them not to put their faith in the wisdom of man, but of God alone.
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” – I Corinthians 2:1-5,9-10,14-16.
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,” God has truly opened my eyes to this this past year. We waste so much precious time counting on the faith of man, and it never fails, they let you down. You know, we are not always the cause of our misfortunes, we trusted the job, the inheritance, the spouse, the child, and when it failed we were the ones who suffered. None of this world is certain, but what is certain is God’s power, and in His power all things are possible. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26.
Many churches and homes have been destroyed because people put their faith and trust in a man or woman instead of Christ. There truly is only one Gospel and that is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is the only Gospel that is the foundation of all our hopes and joys of a future with God. While Paul wanted to speak to them through the word of God, He couldn’t get deep into it because they were all babes, they weren’t able to handle all the information at one time. Paul stresses the importance of building everything upon the foundation of Christ not the man or woman who preaches Christ.
“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” – I Corinthians 3:4-5,8-15,22-23.
“And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” These verses hit me hard today because God reminded me that no matter what I do I live for Christ, and as long as He is my foundation for it it will prosper. There are things we go through because we made foolish decisions, and they will crash and burn because we did not build it upon Christ, but the amazing thing is, we will still have our reward, meaning heaven. God has so much to show and tell us as we grow here on earth in Christ, and even more in heaven. Praise God! Right now, you are where you need to be, the foundation has been laid, and you are standing upon the rock of Christ. Brick by brick, God is building something great inside of you, no matter what You do, you will not fail with Christ, and even if you do, God will bless you through your faithfulness. Paul stress the importance of being accountable as Christians.
“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” – I Corinthians 4:5,8-15.
“We are fools for Christ’s sake,” To the world, preaching about a man that died almost two thousand years ago is foolishness, but it is only by believing this foolishness that we can be saved. I have to say it, there are some extremely intelligent men and women out there, but they are too stupid to see that they have a Creator, and that that Creator is God. They rather believe that something exploded and slowly evolved into who they are today. I always say that even if that were true, someone had to create the something that exploded. Rather than argue with them, God gave them up to their own foolishness. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” – Romans 1:22-24.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” – I Corinthians 1:8-9.
Today’s Prayer: God, They may call me a fool for trusting in You, but I rather be a fool for Christ than go through this life without you. When affliction comes my way, I admit that I can lose sight of You, all I want to do it hide in a corner somewhere and not talk to anyone, but when I come to my senses You are always there, ready to pick me up and show me how to handle things. You are so merciful to me that it tears me to think that I suffered when all I had to do was come to You. Lord, there is no one like You, so loving, so trusting, so fearing, just as a Father should be, You may not remove the affliction right away, but Your grace is sufficient enough to help me through it and I thank You for that. Walk with me, guide me, and abide in me, give me that consolation that I know only comes as I remain in Your presence. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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