Ready to Eat

 

Ready to Eat

1 Corinthians 3: As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith. ² I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it, ³ because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn't this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards? ⁴ When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos”—aren't you acting like worldly people?

 

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Saying “I don’t know” was forbidden in my immature mind. I needed to be special and have the answers and be right. Even when slightly wrong, I was right. I got jealous at those who “did” have the answers and was quick to argue. My questions were from a place of envy and combativeness rather than love and peace. I was still a child.

 

Many times I wanted to be ready and was not.

Many times I wanted to be mature and was not.

Many times I wanted to be able to hear deep truths, but could not because I was jealous and quarrelsome.

 

Paul eased into an issue he saw with the believers in Corinth. While they were excited about GOD and were ready to preach about JESUS, they were still acting immature in the faith. The world could not see anything different from the Corinth believers than from itself. By being divisive, they acted just as bad, if not worse than those who did not believe in JESUS.

 

GOD wants me to grow up and drop my jealousy of others.

GOD wants me to grow up and stop being ready to argue at the drop of a hat.

GOD wants me to grow up so I can hear deeper truths HE wants to give me.

 

Acting like the world closes my ears. I mean, when I follow the world’s ways, I cannot hear the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT. I will be too busy trying to please the world. BUT GOD is a forgiver. HE sees my immaturity and understands I need help to grow/

 

HE places me in situations where I have to believe in HIM and seek HIS food. When I stop following the world, I get hungry for GOD’s food. I am glad HE forgives me and desires to feed me daily.

 

Are you ready to fight at a moment’s notice?

Does “that” person make you think of combat or partnership?

Will you examine yourself to see if you are jealous or combative and stop looking to live by the world’s standards and seek GOD so HE can grow you today?

Controversy

Controversy

John 10: ¹⁷ “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

¹⁹ Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. ²⁰ And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹ Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

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One person came up to me with a story about “that” person. The claims they made were pretty serious. Another person came up to me in “that” person’s defense, giving me another side of the story. I had a controversial decision to make without all of the information.

• There have been times when I placed in the middle of controversy.
• There have been times when people tried to sway me to one “side” or another.
• There have been times when two opposing crowds were trying to get their way and wanted me to be the deciding factor.

JESUS says some extreme words that caused controversy. HE told everyone that HIS FATHER, GOD, loves HIM because HE chose to die to save all of humanity. Then HE said HE has the power to become alive again. This created a huge division among the Jews.

• GOD wants me to choose this day whom I will serve.
• GOD wants me to take the less popular route and choose HIM.
• GOD wants me to accept the controversy by believing that JESUS is GOD, who became a human, died for my sins and was raised from the dead to regain all power.

Belief in JESUS is very controversial, especially in the days of the “knowledge” by looking something up with technology. Every action GOD does can be explained away by some human observation. BUT GOD refuses to be explained away.

HE seeks me, guides me and shows me HIS power in unconventional ways. HIS power is vast and ways unknown. HE speaks life to those HE chooses. HE enables me to bear fruit. Anyone who opposes HIM will not bear fruit, but breed prideful exclamations that point to themselves. I am glad HE chose me to be on HIS side.

• Where is GOD in your life?
• Is GOD second to your knowledge?
• Can you flip your expertise and place it under GOD?
• Will you become controversial and believe in JESUS, allowing HIM to speak through you today?

Simple Math

Simple Math

John 7: ⁴⁰ Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” ⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of Him. ⁴⁴ Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

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“Multiplication is addition only quicker and division is subtraction that is just as quick” my math teacher said. I learned the principle and went home. Weekends later I went camping. In a playful way, one of the campers pulled a knife on another.

As the knifeless person pushed the blade away, his hand was cut deeply. Suddenly we were divided at the camp the entire weekend. It happened quickly.

• I have noticed division happens quickly.
• I have been involved with dividing people against “those” people.
• I have warned others to stay away from “those” people.

The crowd tried to figure out who JESUS was. Some said HE is the CHRIST, while others said HE is the Prophet. But there was a group who refused to believe and they traced HIS roots back to where HE lived in Galilee. Arguments grew and division rose.

• GOD wants me to follow HIM in unity with others.
• GOD wants me to figure out what is important and unify rather than divide.
• GOD wants me to have grace for others so the unity can speak louder than being right.

Division amongst those who try to follow GOD is a serious problem with HIM. The words “They are doing it wrong” seems to be easy to say yet difficult to rectify. I have been guilty for packing up “my way of doing things” and leaving a church group, searching for a group who acts and sometimes looks like me.

BUT GOD wants different. HE wants me treat all sin the same. HE wants me to look at my sin as ghastly as someone else’s. After my confession that I need GOD as my savior, HE wants me to treat others with care so they will point their lives to HIM. I am glad HE forgives me.

• Are you part of dividing GOD’s kingdom?
• Will you look at what is causing the division and allow GOD to handle the outcome?
• Will you do your part to show unity so others can be healed by GOD?

Correct Description

Mark 3: ²⁰ Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. ²¹ But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

²² And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

²³ So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. ²⁷ No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

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“May I have a glass of water” was my question posed to my aunt. “Sure” she said distractedly as people were pouring into her place for fun and laughter. She went off to take coats to another room and was gone for a while.

I went into the kitchen and saw a chilled glass filled with just the amount I liked. I reached up to the glass on the counter, took a swig and quickly realized it was not water so I cried out! It was vodka.

• Sometimes things appear as the right thing to me.
• Sometimes I misinterpret what is in front of me because of my desires.
• Sometimes I need a clear description.

Mislabeling JESUS was the problem of the Scribes. They tried to call HIM a follower of Satan and the people were going to fall for their deception. JESUS used common sense to correct their trickery. HE gave the right description.

• JESUS says to me “I AM the way, the truth and the life.”
• JESUS says to me “I AM the only way.”
• JESUS says to me “I AM the good shepherd, you are MY sheep.”

“How can I cast out demons if I am a demon?” was the logical question JESUS asked the scribes. With the question, JESUS placed HIMSELF in authority over the demonic world that I am so blind to. HE is GOD and many people have tried to lower HIS authority by explaining away HIS miracles and HIS power. HE wants me to know HE is my Savior.

• Have you mislabeled JESUS?
• Do you think the thing you are doing will save you?
• Will you allow GOD to guide you to the place HE wants you to go?