2 Corinthians 5:13 Insanity?

I was looking through my old notes in 2 Cor 5 when i noticed I wrote something in pencil. It was really hard to read, but it was long. I decided to rewrite it in pen and what I saw a gem of conviction. It’s crazy how I ended up writing this and never had too much thought about it. The notes are so good that I’ll just write it straight from it (with a little additions and clarifications).

2 Cor 5:13
If we are out of out mind (insane), it is for the sake of God; if we are in the right mind, it is for you.

People call Paul mad or insane. Acts 26:24, he was called insane for Christ, doing His will, even in the midst of crap (2 Cor 4:7-12) and always referencing his mind on Christ and God (Acts 26:22). In reality, if you live a life that’s not insane, are you really with Christ? Think about it, you’re in a relationship with a guy whose sole purpose was to serve, never thinking of Himself (Phil 2:6-8). If you had an inkling of Christ, wouldn’t your life seem “insane” to those outside of Him? Would a “sane” person give up all he has to follow Christ (Matt 16:24)? Would a “sane” person give up making his life work for the sake Christ and others (Matt 16:25)? That’s insane…but that’s who Christ is and that’s what He wants. This is why (1 Cor 1:18-21) it’s foolish to the world…  Are you, in the eyes of the “sane,” insane in what you do for the sake of Christ? If not…there might be something wrong with your faith…….

Ouch..

Mal 1:14 Give it your half!

Mal 1:14
Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. “For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among all nations.”

Basically, this passage says that a guy who has something good to give and vows to give it, but gives crap instead is a cheat. Do we have something good to give to the Lord? Have we said, “God, you are my all. I will give you my everything!” yet walk away and not give Him an ounce of your attention outside of that conversation (probably at church)?

I look at my life and I see that an acceptable male I have is time. I know the Lord wants that and yet all I give Him is a small portion of it. Don’t you think that He’s worthy of ALL our time? It sucks cause we don’t give it…ever…. It’s funny. We put more time into the internet, friends, TV, etc than God, His word or prayer. Imagine the things the Lord can do within us and around us if we gave Him all our time.

Is there anything you have that is acceptable in your flock and do you give it to Him or a blemished one?

Do you even have something acceptable and not even vow to give it? I think that may be worse. At least those who vowed had the intention of giving. Holding back what you have that’s God’s is flat out obedience. Vow to the Lord and give Him your everything.

Always give yourselves FULLY to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
-1 Cor 15:58b

Matt 6:19-21 Where your heart stay?

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

How do we gain treasures in heaven? From the verses before, doing things selflessly. Why would you do anything not secretly (v 4, 6, 18)? Probably to gain something in return, whether it be physical resources or praise from others. That’s the wrong intention (1 cor 10:24 or Phil 2:3). The idea of selflessness (selfless giving, selfless serving, selfless actions), these things seem to gain you rewards in heaven.

Now the real question is, where does your heart lie? Is it in the world or is it in heaven? We know where it should be (our citizenship is in heaven Phil 3:20), but is it really there? What do we look for? What are our treasures? Things of Earth (money, other worldly pleasures) or in Heaven (God, the Word)? What comes out when you speak? Worldly things or Godly things (Matt 15:8 Out of the overflow of your heart, your mouth speaks).

Where is your heart? With God or with men? Ask yourself that and think upon it…

1 Corinthians 14:13-17 Body>Self

Here’s a brief overview of verses 6-11 that I didn’t do. It’s straight out of my journal so…yea

6-11) It’s the idea that there needs to be understanding in order to build the church (You don’t need understanding in order to build your relationship with God. Prov 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Faith is all that’s needed to please God Heb 11:6). How can anyone tell a song if the notes are distinct? How can anyone know when to retreat and when to attack if the trumpet call is not clear? This can lead to disaster, those who attack when the others retreat would probably die… How can one understand if the other is speaking another language? Understanding between people seems to be the key in building a church (tower of babel), faith is all that’s needed to progress your life with God.

1 Corinthians 14:13-17
13 For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

I think the key verse is 12 (…try to excel in gifts that build up the church) and 13. It gives it a good overview and application of this passage and so far, the whole chapter. When you read the beginning of the 14, Paul gives the idea that tongues are between you and God. Although that is good, Paul would rather have you gain a gift that helps others (hence prophecy, which (v3) strengthens, encourages and comforts men…v4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.)

When you look at verse 13, he says that anyone who has a gift that benefits himself should pray that he would get a gift that upgrades their gift so that the whole body can benefit from it. When you really think about it, the whole reason for gifts is to make the body work better (the foot, the calf, the leg, they all do different things, but them working together allows the body to walk). What use does a gift that benefits oneself have in a body that uses every part?

Therefore gifts that benefit body>gifts that benefit self.

Application: Think of the gifts God has given you. Does it only benefit yourself? If yes, think of ways to make it benefit the church. If that’s not possible, pray for a gift that, when cuppled with your gift, makes it accessible to the body. An example for me is my guitar playing. I’ve prayed and will be praying for the gift of teaching. I’ve benefitted the body with my playing, but I think it would benefit it more if I help others learn how to play (well, those who want to learn). I found that I’m not the best teacher, but that’s where God comes in

1 Corinthians 12:14-20 I Do Belong Here….

1 Corinthians 12:14-20
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

This is something I find myself saying when I first started coming to church. This passage basically talks about people who compare themselves with others, and because of this comparing, you see yourself not belonging to the body. Well, have no fear Mr (ms) Reader… God has a purpose for you for it is God that “has arranged the parts in teh body, every one of them, hust as He wanted them to be.”

It also focuses on the idea that the body of Christ needs to be diverse. How can we all be the same thing? What if we were a church of just cooks, where would the teaching be? What if we were a church of just teachers? Where would the cook and the greeters and the worship band and the (keep adding) be? Going back to my last post, if we all shared the same strength, then we all share the same weakness with no one backing us up. It’s like playing football with all quarterbacks. I don’t see that team going to the superbowl any time soon….

We need to be a diverse group and whether you are something big (like the back of the church) or something small (like a toe), you are a part of the body, God has placed you there, and that you are of great worth to the body of Christ.

So where do you belong? What part of ministry do you belong to? Are you a leader? Are you a backstage kind of girl/guy? Are you just a simple greeter that makes others feel welcomed?

I’ve been in a rut asking God where my giftings are. I know music is something God has placed in my heart, but I’ve been really thinking…is that what God wants me to do? What other giftings do I have? Well, I’ll just have to wait upon the Lord…

1 Corinthians 12:12 The shortcomings and potentials

1 Corinthians 12:12
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

I’ve heard this illustration so many times, yet it always gets my mind thinking. Though we are many people in the church (in context: many gifts. Out of context: personalities, thinkings, the way we get things done, etc), we are all one in Christ. We have our strengths and our weaknesses.

The thing that I got out of this illustration is that our weaknesses is someones strength. It means that we, as a church, depend on each other. I can play music, but I can’t cook. That’s where the other person comes in. Every single person is a part of the body, so why is it that we dock others for their weakness? Why do we look at other people’s shortcomings, but not their potential? I am very guilty of this, looking at why they’re here instead of looking for what they can do.

Whenever you see someone that you just don’t get along with, ask yourself why? Why do you not get along with them?
Whenever you see someone and what they are weak at, ask yourself of their potential. What can they do here?

I think I’ve said this before, if we are united as one, “then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” Gen 11:6
As long as we are working as one, for the common good and the Lord’s will, nothing will be impossible for us.

1 Corinthians 11:18 Why Divide?

1 Corinthians 11:18  In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.

Divisions seem to be a big problem in the Corinth church (1 Cor 3 and 12)….and in many churches in this generation. This division in the church leads to not looking for other’s needs or selfishness….obviously something that we’re not suppose to do. (Again, Phil 2:3, 1 Cor 10:24, etc)

I was trying to think, what makes us divided? Obviously, we don’t divide ourselves from people we like. We, in reality, try to make things work with them. We divide with people we don’t like or people with traits we don’t like. Do you ever remember a time when you really didn’t like someone, but after, they became your friend? You didn’t talk with them, you didn’t associate yourself with them, you just didn’t….like them….at first. Only until you got to know them did you really see that there was no point in that division.

With the people you divide yourself with, did you ever take the time to really think about them? Talk to them. I mean, seriously. Did you try to work things out? As a person whose faith is more mature, sometimes you have to try harder than the person you’re divided with. Have you ever really done that?

In the story of the Tower of Babel, God says in verse 6 of chapter 11 “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” Meaning, if we’re united and doing the same thing…for God (the people building weren’t doing it for God and He ultimately came down and messed it up…how? By breaking the unity.), nothing would be impossible.

As it says to love God with all your mind, you should do the same with men. Love them with all your mind. Find out how to you can love people to bring unity to the church.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Think before you do…

1 Cor 10:32-33
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 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.

Going back to v23, Everything is permissible but does it build and love on others? When you think about it, your natural instinct is to be selfish, get things for you and to do things for yourself. If you don’t think about how to love other people, it’s going to end up as a selfish deed (Phil 2:3, 1 cor 10:24) and that can end up causing others to stumble. v33 confirms what I’m saying in that Paul isn’t trying to live for himself, but for the many.

An interesting conversation came up one day ending with me and a friend saying we’re people pleasers. It’s interesting to see that Paul, himself, was a people pleaser, but our ambitions were completely different. My goal was set on people to like me while his ambition is to get others to see God through him and be saved. With this comes application. Where is your heart every time you serve or do things to please people? Is it on self glory or praise from men (Gal 1:10) or will it be for them to see God through you so that they may be saved?

Every time you do something, think about it and ask yourself the basic question: will it build them up? Every time you say something, think about it: will it build them up? (Prov 15:28 says The heart of the righteous weighs (ponders NASB) its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.) Think before you do…

1 Corinthians 10:31 Glory Work

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

The keyword in this is “whatever you do.” Eating does not bring us closer or farther to God, drinking is the same…unless you drink to much of alcohol (which I advise not to do. Don’t cause others to stumble)….But in everything that we do, it should be for the glory of God.

How do we bring glory to God? Jesus states it very nicely in his prayer. John 17:4  I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work (action) you gave me to do. We bring glory to God by doing HIS work, by putting action to our zeal. What is His work? The greatest command is to love God first, then love people. (Selfless servant?)

How are you gonna love on people today?

It’s interesting that my QTs are mostly about being a servant….I think God is telling me something…

1 Corinthians 10:24 Are you loving…..yourself?

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

Looking at the verse before, is everything you do on the basis of love….for others? Are you looking for things to do for self gain such as recognition, proving a point, or even trying to get near someone? How selfish these motives are!! When you look at your life, is there moments where you do things that had absolutely no hint of selfishness in it? If you say yes, GREAT!!! Now let me burst your bubble. Do you do these selfless things all the time? If that answer is no, you’re not like Jesus. Even He, when He wanted to be alone, served others with healing, feeding and preaching (Luke 9:10-17).

I learned that quiet times are Jesus to you and Jesus through you. The bible is God telling you what you suck at and what you should work on. Jesus through you SHOULD be about other’s perception of you. Do they see Jesus through you? It’s a concept I need to grasp. How does reading affect others around you?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility (lowering yourself to look up at people), consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4