I Corinthians 14:12 “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.”

IMPORTANT THINGS

This chapter in I Corinthians is a much debated topic – speaking in tongues.  I am NOT going to get into that debate here.  Instead I want to look at the verse above.  You see, Paul says very plainly that the purpose of any gift which the Lord has given us is to build up the church, not ourselves.

I have experienced churches where speaking in tongues is emphasized.  But I have never seen this verse emphasized in those same churches.  Things that divide or things that seem to put some above others do not build up.  That’s the bottom line.  We must be about edifying and encouraging our brothers and sisters.  We should not do anything that is going to belittle or shame them.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, how do you teach this to our kids?  Okay, I sound like a broken record – you have to model it.  Our children need to see us building others up.  They are watching us, right?  They should know that we are all about helping others grow.

Now that also refers to how we talk about others in their presence.  Have you ever talked negatively about a fellow believer in front of your kids?  They are listening to that. They are storing that away and will use it to model how they talk about people.

May I encourage you today to focus on what you can do to encourage a brother or sister in Christ?  Will you come alongside your Pastor to build up the church?  Allow the Spirit of God to direct you in the words you use as you talk about others.

I know the Father has given all the gifts for our good.  And with each gift, He expects us to use it to glorify Him.  If you can figure out a way to use your gift, no matter what it is, to build yourself up and glorify Him, go for it.  I don’t see how that’s possible, though.

Allow the Lord to show you how to use your gift for His glory.

Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “1 Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.”

FIRST FRUITS

Everything we have belongs to God.  He is the One who blesses us each day with food, drink, clothing, housing, etc.  He is the Great Benefactor.  But He is not just that.  He also expects us to honor Him by giving back in worship.

The people were commanded to give the Lord the first fruits of the land after they entered it.  They would remember Him by giving to Him. Did God need these offerings?  Of course not.  He is THE ALL.  He can make something out of nothing.  He doesn’t NEED our offerings.  But He smiles when we give back to Him in recognition of all He has given us.

TEACHING MOMENT

One of my regrets is that I don’t think I taught my children to give to the Lord.  I mean, we talked about it and I encouraged them to give, but I didn’t really sit down and explain the giving process to them fully.  They are both adults now, and they have to decide that on their own.

Talk to your children about giving.  Set up a jar in which they can deposit their offering money for the Lord.  They can tithe of their allowance or from any chores they do for pay.  They can tithe of any gifts they receive from friends or family.  But don’t just show them how to give.  Tell them why we give.  That will stay with them forever.

What are your first fruits?  Where are they?  Does God just get your crumbs?  He wants to bless you more than you know.  Giving to Him expresses to Him that we KNOW from whom our blessings come.

Let God remind you of the joy of giving.

I Corinthians 12:11 “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

ALL ARE VALUED

There is much discussion about the gifts of the Spirit in churches.  Some churches value some gifts over other gifts.  Some people claim to have a gift which brings them recognition.  Others exercise their gift quietly and behind the scenes.  The bottom line is that the gifts are a critical and essential part of the church.  The church can not function unless the gifts are being used by the Lord’s followers.

Take the gift of service for instance.  Without volunteers to clean the church, who would want to come to church and wade through trash and use a dirty bathroom.  How about the gift of teaching?  What would worship look like if we did not have the Word taught to us?  Well, that’s probably a bad example since in many churches that just doesn’t happen.  Lol

TEACHING MOMENT

Your child will discover their gift(s) once they have surrendered their heart to the Lord and not before.  Now don’t get confused – talents aren’t gifts.  Those are two mutually exclusive things.  Having the gift of gab doesn’t mean you have the gift of preaching or teaching.  Being organized does not mean you have the gift of administration.

God can use your talents in the exercise of your gift(s), but not necessarily the other way around.  When your child comes to Christ begin watching for the gift the Spirit wants to emphasize through them.  It might just surprise you.

Are you using your gift(s) to honor the Lord?  Maybe you think you have used your gift long enough.  It is time for someone else to use theirs.  Nope!  God has given us our gift(s) to use until He calls us home.  What better way to go than to know you were using your gift(s) up until the moment you see Jesus.

If you are unsure of your gift(s), there are plenty of resources you can use that we lead you to that awareness.  Of course, the best way to discover your gift(s) is to ask the Lord.  Pray!  Ask the Lord, “Lord, I want to be used by you.  How would you use me?”  The way He directs you might just surprise you, too.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

CURSED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS

Right here in Deuteronomy we find a fulfillment of Christ. He became accursed for us.  He hung on a tree (the cross) to bear the sins of the entire world.  Isn’t it interesting also, that Jesus was taken off the cross and buried the same day, just as the verse says above?

Jesus came for one purpose – to pay the ransom for man.  He knew the price before He ever left Glory.  He knew the penalty for sin because He is the one who wrote the Law.  He knew when He hung on that cross His Father in Heaven would see Him as accursed.  But He came anyway.  Why?  Because He loves us and wanted us to have access to the kingdom of God.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is a truth that our children must learn.  We, as parents, need to show them the power of paying a debt for someone else.  I am sure you will have the opportunity to do that at some point, if you haven’t already.  Perhaps little Elrod has broken something of someone else and needs to replace it.  He doesn’t have the money, so you step in and pay the debt for him.  There you go – a simple picture of what Christ did for us.

While that example doesn’t capture the magnitude of what Christ did, most children can understand the “forgiveness” of a debt which they do not have the ability to pay.  We also need to show them the joy in which it must be done.  Jesus did not die on the cross begrudgingly.  He came willingly.  He wanted to die for us.

How about you?  For whom have you sacrificed?  I mean, really sacrificed?  Are you willing to let go of something you hold dear for the sake of someone else?  Are you willing to lay it down?

God loves a sacrificial heart.  He loves seeing us dying to ourselves and giving of ourselves to others.  Why don’t you try that today?  Please the Father.

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.” 

LOOK WHO’S COUNTING

Moses is giving the people instructions for when they would enter the Promised Land and begin to possess the land.  He knew they would encounter armies much bigger than their own.  But Moses also knew that God counted differently than man.  After all the Trinity is proof – 1+1+1=1.

God wasn’t concerned about the size of any pagan army.  He could just speak and wipe them off the face of the earth.  He did create the world by just speaking, after all.  So, Moses is trying to ease any apprehensions that might have existed.  Trust God.  He’s got this.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children are going to (if they haven’t already) face things that seem insurmountable.  They will make every excuse in the world why they can’t win or pass or survive.  Read them this verse.  Remind them that the Hebrew children faced a task that seemed impossible.  But God….

Little Johnny or Susie may doubt the power of God in their lives.  If they are believers, they possess the power of the Holy Spirit who can and will guard them and protect them.  He will guide them into making the right decisions – if they will just trust Him.

Are you trusting Him?  Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to dictate your marching orders?  He will not only give you the direction, but He will also personally escort you there.  That’s pretty cool.

So why aren’t we living in the power?  Why do we choose to limit what God can do?  He wants to work wonders in your life.  He doesn’t care about the number or size of your problems.  He’s got this!  Let Him have it!

I Corinthians 9:22b “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I may save some.”

NONOFFENSIVE

I love these verses in I Corinthians 9:19-23.  Paul had all the reasons to boast of his pedigree.  He could have proudly stated his qualifications as a Pharisee and his learning under Gamaliel.  He could have lorded over any new believer and demanded special treatment.  But a funny thing happened on that road to Damascus.  The Lord Jesus stripped him of all that pride.

Now, he just wanted to reach people with the Gospel, no matter what he had to do.  He would eat with the Jews or the Gentiles.  He would sacrifice doing things he knew was “legal” if he thought it might cause a brother to stumble.  We could learn a lot from this passage, if we would.  I have known Christians who were so proud they could strut sitting down.

TEACHING MOMENT

We can’t teach our children this.  It must be learned firsthand.  We can model it, though.  They can watch us give up things for others.  They can see us get down and dirty to pull someone else up.  They can stand next to us as we explain the total inclusiveness of the Gospel to a lost and dying world.

Are there restrictions on how far we can go?  Sure, there are.  There are some groups I can’t or shouldn’t try to reach.  But if the Lord directs me to share with someone, my job is figure out how best to do that.  That may mean getting to know them first and developing that relationship.  You have heard the expression, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

So, are you modeling the behavior for your children that they can emulate?  Are you coaching them in the skills they will need to reach that lost friend?  When is the last time you actually shared the Gospel with someone?  Weeks, months, years?

Come on, fellow believer.  Figure it out!  Allow the Holy Spirit to simply cut loose and speak through you. He will give you the words, just as He gives you the power.  Surrender!

Deuteronomy 16:20 “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Have you ever wondered what it meant to be just?  Well, it simply means to show justice.  Do what is right, according to God, not man.  Man can pervert justice.  Man can change the rules to fit what they want it to say.  But man cannot change what God calls justice.  He is justice.  He demands justice.

And by living that way we are given a promise.  I believe this promise to the Hebrew children, as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land, applies to us well.  We may not be going in to possess a land, but we are promised to live and possess what the Lord is giving us (whatever that is) if we pursue justice.

TEACHING MOMENT

Children don’t learn justice naturally.  Their sinful flesh will always pursue what it wants.  It doesn’t care about others.  But as God comes to live in and through them in the Holy Spirit, justice will win out.  The Holy Spirit will demand it.

Sometimes showing justice (being just) is not comfortable.  Sometimes it will cost us something or even a lot.  But God has promised that if we do what is just He will bless us.

Justice is fair.  Justice is right.  Justice is good.  Whether we believe it or not, justice will make us stronger.  Justice will bring us to look more like Him.  So, why wouldn’t you want to be just and live justly?

How are you doing today with that?  Is there something you could do to correct that?  Of course there is.  Submit to the One who is just.  Let Him guide your every decision.  As a believer, He will guide you in living a just and holy life.  Let Him!

1 Corinthians 7:19 “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.”

IT’S INTERNAL

So many religions focus on the external, what you have to do to be holy.  You have to do this or do that.  You have to look this way and not eat this food.  Paul, who knew all about law keeping, makes it clear that it is NOT about what we can or can’t do.

Don’t forget the fact that this is Paul, the former Pharisee, speaking here.  He was a law abiding Jew before he came face to face with the Lord on the Damascus road.  Paul was confident in his abilities to keep the law and wanted to force everyone else to do the same.  Christ showed him different and then sent him to preach to the very people he had despised.

TEACHING MOMENT

I bet you have rules for your children to follow.  Am I right?  Most of us have house rules.  There is NOTHING wrong with rules.  However, don’t forget that rules are designed to teach, not control.  If your children grow up thinking that rules are their dictator, they will rebel.  If they understand that rules are meant to teach them to be obedient to authority (parents, teachers, bosses, etc), they will appreciate the boundaries they have.

Today, all over the world, we see the two extremes.  On the one hand, young people are rebelling against any kind of authority.  They do not want to be told how to do anything.  They think they should be able to do whatever whenever with whomever they wish.  On the other hand, we have a radical following of Islam that demands obedience or death.  Neither are the answer.

Mom and Dad, be firm with your children as you enforce the rules, but teach them WHY there are rules.  Your children need to know the why behind the what or it doesn’t matter how many rules you have.

Speaking of rules, how many did you break today?  Driving over the speed limit, taking that pen from work, or telling that little “white lie” are all examples of how we stretch things.  We MUST be the model for our children in keeping the rules that are set before us, not to be legalistic, but to be obedient.

The Law Giver demands obedience also.  But He wants us to obey out of love, not fear.  Obey Him today.  Allow Him to teach you through obeying Him.

Deuteronomy 12:32 “”Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”

PRETTY SIMPLE

Why do we men always think we can assemble any toy or contraption BEFORE we read the instructions?  We have this macho, I-can-do-it mentality that makes us too proud to read the instructions.

I remember back in 1990 or 91 we bought our son, Christopher, one of those Powerwheels.  It was a red jeep with a black top.  It was cool.  It had those big plastic tires.  We just knew he was going to love it.  The problem was it came in a box to be “assembled.”  I was up half the night on Christmas Eve putting that thing together.  After wrestling with it for an hour or so, I finally pulled out the instructions.  There actually was a method to the madness.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children have to be taught to follow the instructions.  It is still true that we need to be careful to do all the Lord commands.  That’s why we require them to follow our commands and instructions.  We are modeling for them what the Lord requires of them.  If we do not require them to follow our instructions why would we think they would follow God’s?

Too many parents today are so “child focused” that they do not require obedience.  God still does!  When we do not discipline our children and give clear guidelines, we are doing them a disservice.  Of course, our guide to guide them is God’s Word.  And we must also be obedient to Him as a model for our children.

What are you disobeying today?  What are you NOT doing that the Lord has asked you to do?  Are you being careful to follow His commands?  It’s hard sometimes, I know.  We all like to have our own way.  But obedience precedes the joy.

Be obedient today.  Be careful to keep His Word and, thereby, set an example for others.  They are watching!

I Corinthians 5:9-11 “9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-not even to eat with such a one.”

HANGING OUT

You have probably heard the expression “If you lay with dogs you are going to get fleas.”  Well…that’s kind of what Paul is saying here.  He is warning us not to associate with “so-called” brothers or sisters.  We have to live in the world, thus we have to be around unbelievers.  But we do NOT have to hang out with those who pretend to be believers.  That is warned against.

Do you know those people?  I hope and pray you aren’t one of them yourselves.  That would not be good for you or the Body of Christ.  We should live in a way that we are above reproach and only bring honor to our Lord.  I, for one, have been that other brother in the past.  Thankfully, the Lord convicted me and has brought me to a place of repentance.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is one truth that our children need to learn.  They must be careful when choosing friends, especially those who say they are believers.  Today many say they believe, but in reality, they just have the appearance of being a believer.  It is easier in some places to say you are a believer just to get people off your back.  That is not what is expected by us.  We must be true to our Lord.

When your children come home and tell you that “so and so” is doing things that you know would bring dishonor to the Lord, counsel your children wisely.  They will learn the skill of friend making from you.

Are you “hanging out” with unbelieving believers?  You too need to be careful.  You don’t want fleas, do you?  Don’t let other “believers” bring you down.  Don’t let their impure thoughts and actions influence you. Don’t let their judgmental attitudes corrupt your walk.

God wants you “flea free.”  Allow Him to direct you to those believers who can walk with you in this life.  They are your true friends.