Dad's Ramblings -- Building Materials

BUILDING MATERIALS
I Corinthians 3:12-15
 
"Now if anyone builds on this foundation [Jesus Christ] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
 
In ministry to children, we used to tell the story of two birds who built their nests. One bird diligently and conscientiously sought out twigs and meticulously formed them into a nest. It was not very comfortable but it was sturdy. The other bird was lazy and also wanted something more comfortable, so it gathered scraps of paper which were plentiful. They both looked like good nests until the storm came. The paper nest disintegrated, but the twig nest endured. We are building our lives, and we may be comfortable with the materials we use. But there is a Day coming when how we built will be revealed. The best construction material is the law, testimony, statutes, commandments, and judgments of the Lord, "and in keeping them there is great reward" (Psalm 9:7-11). It may take more effort to search out these gold, silver, and precious stones from God's Word and may not be as comfortable, but they will endure far longer than the fluff of popular teachings that is so readily available. I need to be very selective about the doctrines I incorporate into my faith and not just add any old thing that comes along.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Care in choosing how I build my faith-life will yield eternal reward.
 
Have a "building" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Foundations

FOUNDATIONS
I Corinthians 3:10
 
"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
 
Foundations are crucial to the integrity of a building. I have watched the construction of tall buildings. A pile-driver sank the metal beams down to bedrock so the building can withstand whatever happens. Jesus said that the house built on the rock would stand. But the house built on the sand where the foundation was not properly laid could not withstand the storms (Matthew 7:24-27). When the storms come – as they will – the foundation needs to be solid. The writer to the Hebrews lists seven foundational doctrines, beginning with the doctrine of Christ, then repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-2). But the primary doctrine is the doctrine of Christ – He is God who came in the flesh to die for our sins. As the hymn says, "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord." There is no other foundation for the Christian faith.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: When Jesus is the rock of our faith, our foundation is secure.
 
Have a secure day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Carnal Competition

CARNAL COMPETITION
I Corinthians 3:8
 
"Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."
 
Another mark of carnality is competition between ministries. Carnal believers forget that the Church belongs to God – it is His work, His field, His building. Workers in the Kingdom are merely servants (see verse 5 – ministers ((diaconos)) doing the task that has been assigned by God. My future reward will not be based on how I did in comparison to another servant, but how faithful I was to do the job I was assigned to do. My responsibility is not less honorable or more valuable than any other servant. This eliminates competition between servants, because each assignment is important and necessary to the completion of whole project.  It is like a basketball team where each person plays his position.  When one player acts like a big-shot and tries to play all the positions, he is destructive to the success of the team.  As we each do our part working together, we complement the work of others and the work will get done.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Competition is inconsistent with cooperation in God's work.
 
Have a servant day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- I Am - God Is

I Am – God Is
I Corinthians 3:4-7
 
"For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives the increase."
 
One of the things that separates the carnal from the spiritual is focus. The carnal Christian says, "I am," while the spiritual person says, "God is." Paul recognized that he and Apollos had nothing to boast about because anything they accomplished was because of God's gift (see vs. 5). The carnal Christian is focused on himself and what he does; the spiritual Christian is focused on God and what He does.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Carnality exalts self; spirituality exalts God.
 
Have a "God is - God does" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Babes!

BABES
I Corinthians 3:1-3
 
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
 
We have all seen people who never grew up. Even as adults, they act like babies – immature and self-centered. Paul describes these carnal (fleshly) Christians at Corinth as being like babies. Babies are focused on themselves. All they know is what satisfies their flesh. They demand that the world cater to them. All they want is food and diaper changes, and when they are not pampered and their needs are not met, they cry and throw a tantrum (with envy, divisions, and strife). So the church becomes a nursery where the preacher only serves warm milk and pablum because the congregation cannot handle meat and potatoes. No wonder the church in America is so weak and insipid. A loving parent understands that a baby cannot remain a baby forever. A healthy and growing Christian needs the meat of the Word, even if it is sometimes hard to swallow, instead of a diet of ice cream. God wants us to grow up in Christ and be spiritually mature.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Carnal Christians act like babies and demand their own way; Spiritual
Christians act like Christ.
 
Have a spiritual day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Mind Of Christ

THE MIND OF CHRIST
I Corinthians 2:15-16
 
"But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 'who has known the mind of the LORD, that he may instruct him?'  But we have the mind of Christ."
 
At first reading, this seems to say that a "spiritual" man is above judgment. However, the context is the antithetic nature of natural and spiritual. The person who lives God's way – with the mind of Christ – is judged by the world to be foolish. A person who lives by God's word marches to the beat of a different drummer, which brings attacks and ridicule from the natural-minded person. (Just look at the attacks on a politician who espouses godly values.) Just because I attempt to live godly does not make me sinless, and I need to judge myself (see I Corinthians 11:31), but I cannot let the world's judgment of my life determine the way I live.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The spiritual person lives by the mind of Christ rather than the judgment of the world.
 
Have a "spiritual" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Mystery of God

THE MYSTERY OF GOD
I Corinthians 2:7, 10, 14
 
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory .... But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit .... But the natural man does not receive the things of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them for they are spiritually discerned."
 
The mystery of God – that He Himself would leave heaven and come to earth to die on a cross for our salvation – does not make sense to the natural mind. But then, so much of God's wisdom is counterintuitive to human thinking – such as the knowledge that life comes from dying, or that getting comes from giving. It only makes sense by God's revelation. But God has revealed it if we will open our hearts to receive His revelation.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The human mind cannot understand God's mystery apart from revelation.
 
Have a revelation day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Focus Of The Message

THE FOCUS OF THE MESSAGE
I Corinthians 2:1-2
 
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
 
How easy it is for the preacher to go on a tangent so that the message of the Gospel is diluted. It is tempting to focus on moral issues, or the decline of our nation, or politics, or prosperity, or cults, or any one of a hundred rabbit trails. There may be a need to address these things (as Paul does in the letter to Corinth), but they must not be the focus. The testimony is Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Jesus Christ must be the focus of our message.
 
Have a focused day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Jack Horner Syndrome

THE LITTLE JACK HORNER SYNDROME
I Corinthians 1:27-31
 
"But God has chosen the foolish...the weak...the base [insignificant] ... the despised ... to bring to nothing the thing that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us the wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.' "
 
It is too easy to be like Little Jack Horner, who sat in a corner eating his pudding pie. He stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum, and said, "What a good boy am I!" In reality, Jack had nothing to do with a plum being in the pie; he only discovered what someone else had put there. But he took the glory for himself. People brag about their accomplishments, when actually God is the source of every good things, and all the glory belongs to Him. The song says, "All the glory belongs to Jesus, all the praise belongs to Him. All that I am or ever hope to be – all the glory belongs to Him." Paul quoted an Old Testament passage that said, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). When I am tempted to get big-headed about myself, I need to remember Jack Horner. Knowing the God of the universe is my only claim to fame.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God deserves all the glory because it is all His work.
 
Have a "boasting in Jesus" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Wise, The Mighty, and The Noble

THE WISE, THE MIGHTY, AND THE NOBLE
I Corinthians 1:25-26
 
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many nobles, car called."
 
It is still true today that true followers of Jesus are primarily from the middle and lower socio-economic classes. The intelligentsia think they have things all figured out, and the wealthy think they have all they need. They certainly don't need God, or so they think. But Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). My favorite translation of this verse is, "How blessed are those who know their need of God." O God, I confess how much I need You!!!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Upper-class people – the educated and the rich – think they have it all and do not need God.
 
Have a "needy" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Power and Wisdom of God

THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD
I Corinthians 1:22-24
 
"For the Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
 
If I was God, surely there would be another way to demonstrate my power and wisdom than having myself crucified. But the cross uniquely manifest both His power and wisdom – His power over death, and the wisdom of salvation through His death. So we have the cross as our reminder that true life comes from dying, both literally and figuratively.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The crucifixion of Jesus is our reminder of God's power and wisdom.
 
Have a rejoicing day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Power Of The Cross

THE POWER OF THE CROSS
I Corinthians 1:18, 21
 
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who believe it is the power of God .... For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."
 
God does a lot of things that don't make sense to the human mind. If God had to conform to my understanding, he would not be the King of the Universe. He would be my servant. That is why the unbeliever cannot know God – he wants someone he can control. God is God, and will be God in everything He does be, even if it does not make sense to human logic. The world's wisdom perceives the cross as foolishness. The believer knows its power to transform lives.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The message of the cross is powerful, even if it does not conform to worldly wisdom.
 
Have a powerful day. Love you.
 

The Effect of the Cross

THE EFFECT OF THE CROSS
I Corinthians 1:14-15, 17
 
"I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I baptized in my own name .... For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect."
 
Paul was not into counting heads so he could brag about how many converts he had. His calling was not to get a lot of feathers in his cap, but evangelism – to preach the gospel.  Whatever success he had was because of the effect of the cross, not his own ability to convince with magnetic personality or powerful logic. Later he admits that his speech and preaching were not with persuasive words and wisdom so that their faith might not be in him, but in God (I Cor. 2:4-5). He was just being faithful to his calling. I am sometimes sad that so few people have been saved under my ministry. I don't have the ability to convince people by smooth speech or wonderful personality. Congregations I pastored did not grow much. But I have tried to be faithful to what God called me to do, and leave the rest to Him. It is the power of the cross that changes people, not my ability.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: It is the power of the cross that saves and changes people.
 
Have a "powerful" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Family Feuds

FAMILY FEUDS
I Corinthians 1:10-11
 
"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, that there are contentions among you."
 
Twice in these two verses, Paul calls them "brothers." They are family. There is a lot of pain in family feuds when spouses, siblings, and parents and children fight. I hear Paul's distress when he plead with them to bury the hatchet. Do we have to agree about everything? I think not. God gave us brains to think with. But they were arguing about non-essentials – which church they went to – when they should have been one in the faith. So much fighting is over non-essentials, both in the church and in the home because pride demands to be right.  Wars and fightings often come from my own desires (James 4:1).  There are things worth fighting for when they violate the Gospel. But God calls us to have "the mind of Christ" (Philippians 2:5) which is humility. I need to make sure that my wars are because of truth, and not just my pride.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Family feuds are often caused by pride rather than truth.
 
Have a peaceful day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Eagerly Waiting

EAGERLY WAITING
I Corinthians 1:6b
 
"...eagerly waiting for the revelation of Jesus Christ, ....."
 
Christians in the first century were eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. They expected Him to come back soon to set up His kingdom. We in the 21^st century are more like those Peter wrote about who said, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (II Peter 3:4). Having an "eager" anticipation of His return will affect the way we live.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Christians should be "eagerly waiting" for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Have an "eager" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Enriched With Spiritual Gifts

ENRICHED WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS
I Corinthians 1:4-7a
 
"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and knowledge even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you came short in no gift...."
 
God had blessed the congregation at Corinth, despite all its problems, with a rich supply of the manifestation of the spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:7-10). They were lacking none of them. These spiritual gifts were evidence that the Gospel had indeed done its work or salvation in them, even though their spiritual condition was not very mature. The fact that they were open to the spiritual gifts caused Paul to be very thankful. When God uses people in spiritual gifts (whether tongues and interpretation or prophecy or some other gift), I'll admit that my response is not always thankfulness. I sometimes have envy which causes me to be critical of the person – that their spiritual condition is not worthy of expressing God's gifts. But God does not use people because they are worthy, but because they are available to be used. O God, here I am with all my inadequacies. Use me!!!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Demonstrations of spiritual gifts are not evidence of my goodness but evidence
of God's grace.
 
Have an enriched day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Called and Chosen

CALLED AND CHOSEN
I Corinthians 1:1-3
 
"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
 
The very act of calling causes a separation. When I was a kid in school, we would play softball during recess and lunch. Two team leaders would each build his team by calling the names of the rest of the class until all were chosen. Despite the fact that I would wave my hands and yell out "Choose me!", I would usually be chosen last because I was so athletically challenged (to put it mildly). Then I would be assigned to right field where I could do the least damage. But at least I was chosen. When we call out to God in Jesus name, we are called, separated and set apart (sanctified/saints) to be His. Then He calls us to individual ministries. It is good to be on God's team.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: When we call out to God, we are then called to be His.
 
Have a "called" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Inheritance

THE INHERITANCE
Daniel 12:13
 
" 'But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.' "
 
Daniel would die and go the way of all men. But praise be to God, death is not the end. It is a place of rest until the resurrection at the end of the days. As Believers, we look beyond death to our inheritance. God has a great plan for those who are His. So, "Death, where is your sting?" (I Corinthians 15:55).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Death is merely a place of rest until we receive our inheritance in the resurrection.
 
Have an forward-looking day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Closed Book

THE CLOSED BOOK
Daniel 12:4
 
" 'But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.' "
 
It is a curious phenomenon. In this "time of the end," the words of the Book are more accessible to more people in more translations than at any time in history, and knowledge is increasing more than every before, yet there is less understanding. People run here and there looking for answers to life, but do not find them. They live in ignorance because the Bible is a shut book. Even though it is readily available and has the answers to life, it sits unopened and unread on the shelf. The Holy Spirit can lead us into all truth (John 16:13) if we would only open the book and read. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The Bible has the answers to life, but it remains a closed book to many people.
 
Have an understanding day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Culmination of History

THE CULMINATION OF HISTORY
Daniel 12:1-3
 
"At that time Michael shall stand up ... and there shall be time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting death. But those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever."
 
Chapters 11 is the record of Daniel's vision of history – the ebb and flow of wars between the kingdoms of the North and the South. But history will culminate when Michael stands up. This will be the beginning of great tribulation, resurrection of the dead, and final judgment to either eternal life or everlasting death. Those who are wise – who stand for righteousness and whose names are written in the book – will be delivered and receive the reward of everlasting life. They will shine forever like the stars. It pays to be wise.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The wise live with the understanding that life on this earth will end but that eternity is forever.
 
Have a righteous day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "Be Strong!"

Be Strong!
Daniel 10:18-19
 
" 'Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, "O man, greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." ' "
 
The visions Daniel saw sapped his strength and his "vigor was turned to frailty" (vss. 8, 16). But a messenger from God came to touch him and renew his strength. Sometimes I become weary in serving the Lord.  I lose my spiritual vigor and need His touch.   But then God sends a messenger who speaks into my heart and says, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10) and "Do not grow weary in doing good" (II Thessalonians 3:13), and my spirit is touched and my strength is renewed. God is faithful.
 
Today's Thought: Strength to do God's work comes from God Himself, so "Be Strong!"
 
Have a strengthened day. Love you.