A Devotional Look at the Book #542

A Devotional Look at the Book #542

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

The coins in your pocket: Nine dimes and two nickels will always add up to a dollar; but just spend them today and note the result… about forty cents worth of hot air if you buy Bazooka! Better to seek and save for the kingdom of God. Luke 12:31-34

A DAY IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE

The world around us is familiar but can react in unfamiliar ways; the things we know about people are normal but can generate abnormal results. Want to have skill in living through certainty and uncertainty; of course you do! We hear people say: “Pray as hard as you can”! What does that mean? Or we hear ourselves say; “Yes! I trust in God” but if we could have an instant replay of the following events of the day we would find less trust and more gut. So why is this true more often than not? Is it possible that we have no skill in living? Study intently the Book of Proverbs; learn to trust in the LORD; but with your heart and not with all of your might, we have no strength to pray or trust consistently. In Proverbs 3:5 the voice of Solomon is loud and clear on this subject… a good heart is not hard and the trusting soul does not lean on a gut feeling. But the good heart leans only on the Word of God. Is this thought serious? I think it is very serious since I believe that as a nation; we have failed the test of trusting God in all of our ways, thus He is no longer directing or making for us a smooth path. Proverbs 3:6.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 – I think that we often forget that the focus of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of the apostle Paul is to the church as a corporate group of believers and not to people individually as too one. Yet I do not mean to say that we should only look at the Word of God as a corporate message; as it is a personal letter from God to His children. To slice and dice the Word of God in this manner would make the message false, like in some religions that do not permit their congregations to read or study scripture.

Also, we have those religions that confuse and distort the Living Word of God by leaders who do not rightly divide the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15, we should notice that dividing the Word of God is scriptural; as in what doctrines pertain to the church and too which ones that pertain to the individual person. Also dispensational divisions, since it is God who equips His ministers with the New Covenant message, the message will always be through our trust in Jesus toward God and not the other way around which is of the letter rather than the Spirit.

Has the apostle talked of this issue before to the Corinthians? Yes, I believe he has! In fact; I believe that he; under the Power of the Holy Spirit developed an entire doctrine of the subject in 1 Corinthians 12-14 note; he starts out this doctrine of Spiritual unity within the church with the words. Now concerning “Spirituals” brethren, I do not what you to be ignorant. 1 Corinthians 12:1. Please note that the word “gifts” in this passage is in italics and is not present in any manuscripts. This brings up an important thought of study. Spiritual abilities such as explained in chapters 12-14 are given to the church to distribute to the congregation and not given to individuals to use as personal ministries. Spiritual injury results in many by the misuse of the Word of God as in the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.