They will care to know when they know you care

"This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down" (2 Cor. 13:10).

 We've all heard the saying regarding a parent disciplining their child, "This hurts me more than it hurts you." Paul loved the Corinthians in this way. Although they had deep struggles with sin, and although some among them opposed Paul's ministry, he still cared deeply about their spiritual welfare. The reason he wrote 2 Corinthians was because he was hoping to change the hearts of those who were not only in sin, but who were losing confidence in his ministry. Some accused him of being in the ministry to serve his own interest and not the interest of others. Therefore Paul not only wrote this letter so that they would have a change of heart, but so that when he visited them he would not have to spend time confronting sin and those who opposed him. Paul was not afraid to confront sin, but he didn't take pleasure in tearing others down. One lesson we can take from this letter is that even when others were falsely accusing Paul he didn't act impulsively or out of self interest to get back at them, and neither should we. But there's another lesson, namely that some people will more readily receive correction when they know its coming from someone who genuinely cares for them. When Paul wrote this letter he wasn't just trying to defend his reputation. His greater concern was that those who may be thinking wrongly about him would know the truth and continue to receive his ministry to them without reservations. Before you go trying to correct someone in the Lord, remember the old saying, "Some will not care to know what you have to say until they know that you care."

Walking in love

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph. 5:1-2). It's been said that the lives of Christians are the only bible that some people will ever read. We can go one step further. Many that open the bible for the first time to read about God's love do so because they first see God's love in the life of a Christian. "Saint Francis of Assisi once invited a young monk to accompany him to town to preach. The novice was honored at the opportunity. The two set out for the city, then walked up and down the main street, then several side streets. After some time they returned by another route to the abbey. The younger man reminded Francis of his original intent. "You have forgotten, Father, that we went to town to preach." "My son," he replied, "we have preached. We have been seen by many. Our behavior was closely watched. Out attitudes were closely measured. Our words have been overheard. It was by thus that we preached." May are lives be a pleasant fragrance of God's love to those around us to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Finishing what we started

"And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Cor. 8:10-12).

Have you ever had difficulties finishing what you started? The Corinthians seemed to be having this problem. They expressed a desire to give to the collection for needy believers, but for some reason they did not follow through. It appears that they lost their motivation. In reminding them to finish what they started, Paul writes, "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have." This exhortation by Paul to give according to their means, not above it, was intended to encouraged them to finish what they started. If we are going to finish what we felt led of God to begin, we do have to make it a priority, we do have to have a plan and we do have to be discipline. But sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. Maybe we can't give all the time or money we intended to give. But that doesn't mean that we should just give up on it entirely. God knows your heart. Do the best you can with what God has given you. He'll make up the difference.

Love without restrictions

"We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also" (2 Cor. 6:11-13).

We've all heard of the expression, "He/she has a big heart." When we use that expression we are referring to someone who feels deeply about others, especially when they have a need. In addition, a big hearted person is often moved into action to help meet the needs of others. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote, "...our heart is wide open..." The KJV says, "our heart is enlarged." Paul had a deep affection for the Corinthians, but the feelings were not always mutual. Paul wrote that they were restrained in their affections and he exhorted them to enlarge or widen their hearts. Why didn't they have the same big heart for Paul that he had for them? Some people are harder to love than others and if you know anything about the Corinthians they weren't the most lovable bunch, but then again, you don't need a big heart to love lovable people.

But, surely Paul was someone who would be easy to love. What was restricting their hearts? Among another things, the Corinthians struggled with immaturity, pride and listening to the wrong voices. There were some among the Corintians that made false accusations against Paul, which poison the hearts of those who gave ear to it. Paul could have easily come up with reasons not to love the Corinthians, but his big heart wouldn't allow him to. He loved them like Jesus loved him. Thank God for those who even though they may have seen the uglier side of us, love us anyhow. May we seek for God to enlarge our hearts that we might love like Jesus loves us.

Christians are to be God's love letter to the world

"And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor. 3:3).

I've heard it said that the word of God is God's love letter to us. The grand story and theme of the bible is how God through the sacrificial death of his son and resurrection saves lost sinners like you and me.

But has it ever occurred to you that if you trusted Jesus as your Lord Savior that his Spirit is at work in your heart to make you a living letter of his love to the world. What kind of living message our we sending to those around us? What does our life say about God? May we seek God everyday to write on our hearts the story of his love and make us his love letter to the world.

God's love letter to the world

"And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor. 3:3).

I've heard it said that the word of God is God's love letter to us. The grand story and theme of the bible is how God through the sacrificial death of his son and resurrection saves lost sinners like you and me. But has it ever occurred to you that if you trusted Jesus as your Lord Savior that his Spirit is at work in your heart to make you a living letter of his love to the world. What kind of living message our we sending to those around us? What does our life say about God? May we seek God everyday to write on our hearts the story of his love and make us his love letter to the world.

Be a refreshing to someone's spirit today

"I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such" (1 Cor. 16:17-18).

Although the Apostle Paul was close to the Lord, he wasn't immune from the heartaches and headaches of life. He had needs just like we all do and was humble enough to admit it. Paul wasn't to proud to ask for help or to acknowledge those who were a refreshing to his spirit.

As Paul needed the help and encouragement of others, so do we and others that God has placed in our lives. In proverbs we read, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" (Prov. 15:23). Make a persons day by reaching out to them with a word or encouragement or by offering them a helping hand. Be a refreshing to someone's spirit today.

"...by whom we have now received the atonement"

"And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar...and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven" (Lev. 4:30-31).

During the time of Moses, the Priests offered animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. The word "atonement" is a theological term of great eternal significance. While some take this word in connection with animal sacrifices to simply mean the temporary covering of sin, in Christ the implications are eternally greater Regarding to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Paul wrote, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement" (Rom. 5:11).

The atonement that Christ provides not only involves expiation (the removal of sin), but also propitiation (the appeasement of wrath). On the one hand, sin calls forth God's wrath and results in sinners needing a substitutionary sacrifice for God's wrath to be appeased. On the other hand, sin defiles and must be removed (expiation)."

The blood of animals no longer needs to be offered so that we may be accepted of God. Neither do we need to try harder to be loved by God. The once and for all sacrifice of Jesus fully and forever atones for the sins of all who have put their trust in Him. Praise His name.

Trust God's will not your good intentions

"I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter... 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits" (1 Cor. 16:5-7).

As Paul shared his intended travel plans, notice that he hoped to be able to spend some time with the believers in Corinth, if the Lord permitted it. There is no doubt that Paul prayed and sought the will of God in all the plans that he made. And there were (rare) times when God did speak to him directly, as he did on the road to Damascus. But God didn't always speak directly to Paul about every plan that he made. Instead, Paul used the principles found in God's word to make decisions, like travel plans, and then trusted God to go before him. But as Paul set out to fulfill his plans, he was open for God to alter or even close the door to those plans as his sovereign will determined. Paul had good intentions, but his good intentions were not the determining factor for how he went about discerning God's will.

In spite of his good intentions and predetermined plans, Paul continued to pay attention to God. If things didn't work out as planned, Paul was humble enough to accept it and submit to God's ultimate will for his life.

If you were not able to follow through with plans you thought were of the Lord because of circumstances beyond your control, yield to God's will and trust that He knows best.

The danger of idolatry

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:14).

The warning Paul gave to the Corinthian believers in his day is a warning that we must heed with the same urgency that Paul expressed when he wrote, "flee from idolatry." In order to heed this warning we must understand that idolatry is more than bowing down to an image or a statue that represents a false god. An idol can be anything in our lives that takes the place of God, or trying to find in something or somebody what we can only find in God. The danger of having an idol or idols in our lives is that idolatry robs us from the satisfaction, security, and acceptance that is found when we look to Jesus and his finish work on the cross to meet the deepest needs of our hearts. If we r going to flee from idolatry we must first identify our idols. "Here's one way to get your idols into focus: simply think about whatever it is in your life that, if u lost it, would make u want to quit living. Or, to put it positively, what are you really living for? Ultimately, if it's anything or anyone other than Jesus, then it's become an idol" (T.T). Flee from idolatry into the loving arms of Jesus.

What is the most important quality of a great leader?

"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them" (1 Cor. 9:19)

What would you say is the most important quality of a great leader? Is it intelligence, vision, or competency? These may all be necessary qualities of an effective leader, but neither one of them lines up with what God's word reveals is the most important quality of all, namely "humility" (or a servant spirit). Paul, who live in a time and place where slavery was legal said, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all..." Paul, who had apostolic authority, who wrote most of the New Testament, who saw the risen Lord with his own eyes, wanted to be known as a true servant in the eyes of those he sought to lead to Christ. To the Corinthian church he wrote that although he had a right to receive momentary funds for his gospel work, he did not seek it or require it in order not to be a stumbling block unto others. During his missionary travels, Paul was willing to sacrifice everything, give up his rights, and go along with any tradition or cultural standard (as long as it didn't violate scripture) in order to remove any hindrance to reaching people for Christ. Thomas Merton wrote, "To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell." When we make the gospel ministry about "me myself and I" not only are we not serving the cause, but we will be a hindrance to the cause of Christ. Paul's motivation and satisfaction as a leader was not personal advantage, looking good, or even satisfying his own ego. His motivation and satisfaction came from knowing that by preaching the gospel and serving others he was serving the savior and his eternal cause. Make serving the cause of Christ about serving Jesus, about making him look good and you will be blessed!

It's time for some folks to grow up!

"But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

Notice that Paul differentiates between spiritual people and people of the flesh or infants in Christ. What category do you fall under? Before we look at how to answer that question its important to note that becoming a spiritual person is an ongoing growth process. This process involves a steady diet of not only reading, hearing, and studying God's word, but applying it to your own life. All believers at one point are infants in Christ. But when Paul writes, "I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready," he's implying that there were some believers who were stuck in spiritual infancy. The rest of the chapter reveals that what was stunting their growth was their human ways of pride. They were more focused on their own reputations and the reputations of others before men, rather than recognizing their own spiritual needs before God. Let's put away our pride and "grow up" in Jesus.

Dealing with feelings of inadequacy

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

Do you struggle at times with feelings of inadequacies? I have, and those feelings of inadequacy have caused me to not only experience fear, but to question my calling as a minister of the gospel. How do we overcome these paralyzing feelings? Do we deny them? Do we believe instead that we are adequate and that we do have what it takes? When writing about his accomplishments in the ministry to prove that he was qualified, Paul wrote, "Not that we r sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but r sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant." (2 Cor. 3:5-6a).

God doesn't call us unto salvation or service because we our wise, eloquent or competent. He calls us unto salvation by his grace and equips us for service by his power. When it comes to God's calling, as someone has wisely said, "our responsibility is our response to His ability. Trust Him to use u by his power and for his glory.

Avoid them like the plague

"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive" (Rom. 16:17-18).

In my years in the ministry I have learned that what causes more damage to the hearts of Christians is the venom released from an untamed tongue. One Pastor put it this way, "I know what most easily destroys churches. It is not crack cocaine. It is not government oppression. It is not even lack of funds. Rather, it is gossip and slander that grieves the Holy Spirit."

One of the great dangers about those whose tongues bring so much damage is that their poison is disguised in, as Paul wrote, "smooth talk and flattery." In addition, Paul wrote, that they prey on and "deceive the hearts of the naive." I plead with you to avoid those who under the pretense that they are looking out for you, are causing division and creating obstacles in your life. They're a cancer and we must avoid them like the plague.

Seek the fullness of God

"And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God" (Ex. 29:46).

When we think about why the Israelites were brought out of Egypt the first thing that may come to r mind is deliverance from slavery or to be brought into the promise land. When we think about why we were saved we may also think about being delivered from hell and a home in heaven. But notice that the Lord said to his people, "And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 29:46). God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to dwell among them and he saves us for the same reason. God among us is what ought to set us apart from the rest of the world. The great need of the church today is a greater fullness of God dwelling among his people. We will not know that fullness if we r content to go without it. Seek the fullness of God in your life and in your church.

Don't jump ship

"Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved" (Acts 27:31).

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem for his faith and appealed his case to Caesar. Although it seemed like evil would triumph, God revealed to Paul that it was his will for him to go to Rome for the sake of the gospel. Now, as Paul traveled to Rome by ship under Roman guard, which provided protection from his persecutors, they encountered a severe storm. As the ship was nearing land, some on board were about to abandon ship when Paul spoke up and said, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." God had revealed to Paul not only that his life would be spared, but also everyone else who stayed on board. Often when people find themselves in a difficult place they feel that the answer is to jump ship. But jumping ship may be jumping outside of God's will, which is the last place we need to be. Jesus is the captain of life's ship. Stay on board with Him and His power will work all things out for good in your life.

Give yourself to prayer

"Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue...and fought against me without a cause. For my love they r my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love." (Ps 109:1-5).

The Psalmist was is deep distress because of the adversity that he was experiencing from his adversaries. What made it extra hard on him was that those he loved, served, and cared for mistook his acts of love as being against them. As a result, they rewarded him evil for good. His response to these heart wrenching trials was, in his words, "...but I give myself unto prayer." A wise woman once said, "there is no panic in heaven, only plans." R u going through an incredibly hard time right now? Give yourself to prayer. God will see u all the way through.