Watch, stand fast in
the faith,
be brave, be strong.
Let all that you do
be done with love.
I urge you, brethren
-- -- you know
the household of
Stephanas,
that it is the first
fruits of Achaia,
and that they have
devoted themselves
to the ministry of
the saints -- -- that you
also submit to such,
and to everyone
who works and labors
with us.
I am glad about the
coming of Stephanas,
Fortunatus, and
Achaicus, for what
was lacking on your
part they supplied.
For they refreshed my
spirit and yours.
Therefore acknowledge
such men.
1 Corinthians 16: 13
-- 18
Paul warns
the Corinthian church to be on watch and to stand fast in the faith for they
were in danger, as we all are as Christians and sometimes that danger is
greater at times than at other times and it will manifest itself in various
manners. Jesus also warned us to stand
watch: "Watch therefore, for you do
not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42). Christians should be so fixed in the faith
of the Gospel that they will never desert it or renounce it. It is by this faith that a person alone will
be able to keep his ground when they are faced with temptation. Paul instructs us as we will find in his
next letter: "Not that we have
dominion over your faith, but our fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you
stand" (2 Corinthians 1:24).
It is by our faith exercise that a Christian can overcome the world: "For what ever it is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world -- -- our faith" (1 John 5:4). We must acknowledge that temptation is
tempting us and even at times terrifies us but if we are to maintain our
integrity then we must stand in the faith of the Gospel. Paul in this letter that he wrote to
confront many problems within this bustling city of Corinth whereby men and
women from all parts of the world came to do business. And to pass from one city to the other, a
city full of prostitutes and false worship, it would require that the
Christians stand as men and women of the faith and be strong. Christians have a special responsibility and
that responsibility is to be firm in defending the points of the faith of the
Gospel which are at the foundation of sound and practical religion. This was what was being attacked among the
Corinthians and this is what is being attacked in our Christian religion today
among many so-called Christian churches.
We can expect that the atheists will attack us! While we don't expect is that other
Christians would attacked us, they often do with their false teaching, false practices,
and often heresy. Our way to handle
this fact? Paul instructs us
that we were to seek and to desire the more excellent way? Yes!
And that way is the way of love!
That love begins in your home with your spouse and your children extended
to your neighbors, and more importantly extended into your congregation that
you attend. How often is it that a
person does comes to church as though they have a ticket that was numbered on the
back by which when it was punched at number 10 they would get some sort of
reward! That will reward for them is
more likely that they are being Christian and pleasing God. They are not! If you're not caring for the people within your congregation, if
you're not taking time to meet and greet not just those whom you know, to be in
some sort of "click," and to greet those that are new come to
visit; or relatives that have come to
be with other relatives within your congregation, then you are not meeting the
requirement that we are to show love for our brothers and sisters: "And we have known and believed the
love that God has for us. God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this;
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we
in this world. There is no fear in
love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect
in love. We love Him because He first
loved us. If someone says, "I love
God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his
brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he had not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that
he who loves God must love his brother also" (1 John: 16 -- 21). Over the many years that I have been
associated with the church, and I can say that this is from birth, even though
I may have wandered for a time, I did come back and what I found is that the
church as a whole has become too self-centered and secular. People come to church and then complaining that the pastor goes a little over time.
There are those who come to church and have never been invited to
another brother or sister's home. We
find too many so-called Christians running for the dock to jump on their boat,
or to do other things on the Sabbath, and while not all things are bad, what we
have seen is the motive that they have for going to church. Did that person just come to fill an
obligation or come to share with other brothers and sisters? Paul reminds us in the opening verses that
in the Christian Corinthian church were devoted people. There were those who could supply when
others could not, they didn't know hold with the tight fist their monies or
their time and Paul reminds us that we are to acknowledge them for they were men
and women who worked in labor for the Church of God. Let me remind you, you
are the church, for the word church comes from the Greek word: έκκλησία: the
called out ones you have been called out by God. Therefore demonstrate the love of God in all that you do, and
even when misunderstood, follow the commands of God and love your brothers and
sisters and if necessary than follow what Jesus wrote in Matthew Chapter 18, so
that love and harmony remains in your congregation and in your life.
I will praise you
got that with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises
to You.
I will worship
toward your holy temple,
and praise Your name
for Your
lovingkindness and Your truth;
for You have magnified Your word
above all Your name. In the day when I cried out,
you answered me, and made me bold
with strength in my
soul.
Psalm 138: 1: 3
Show God's love to
someone today
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