The book of 1 Corinthians teaches us how to live in unity and in order in the church, the body of Christ. While we are taking this Challenge, I encourage you to sincerely pray for your church, for its members, its leaders, and the community where it operates.
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 1 – 1 Corinthians 1 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[b]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
There are promises in the Bible that seem to be too good to be true. When we feel one of them is too good to be true, we need to put our feelings aside and accept the word of God by faith. Mathew 18:19, a verse about the power of agreement is one of those difficult verses, “19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” If this works so powerfully for two Christians in agreement, what would happen when a whole church is in agreement?
Because there are such great benefits in unity, the adversary will try his hardest to create discord and division in the church. He wants to divide in order to conquer. But Jesus is the victor. In order to overcome the temptation of division, the church must stay focus on Jesus, and on him alone. Occupations with him is the only sure cure for divisions in the Body of Christ, the Church. Only Christ can make us perfectly united in mind and in thought.
Every one of us has a part to play in maintaining the unity of the church. We must see ourselves first as those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people. We need to be people of the cross, people who keep their eyes on the cross of Jesus Christ, while carrying their own crosses daily. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? No.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 2 – 1 Corinthians 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:6-10)
Take a little time to think about something good, something very good, or something extremely good that you would like to see. God had already prepared that for you, and much more. This is very difficult for our human mind to grasp, but we are people of faith, love and hope. We walk by faith not by sight, everything the word of the Lord says we believe and accept.
The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. One of our prayers should be for the love of God to be increased in our lives. Our love for God is not a natural thing, it is spiritual. Since this kind of love of spiritual, it must be birthed and increased inside of us by the Spirit of God. God has prepared magnificent things for those who love him.
The great things of the God are for a special kind of people. “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[b], the things God has prepared for those who love him— They are reserved for those who love God. The question is do we love God?
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 3 – 1 Corinthians 3 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
A lot of times, we remember what we need to forget, and we forget what we need to remember. By example, God tells us to forget our rebellious past as he forgets it, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12)" But we tend to remember our shortcomings as if we need to make amend for them. Since God had forgiven our wickedness, and had forgotten them, we need to do the same and move on.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? This is a truth that we need to remember. It seems that the Christians at Corinth had forgotten that fundamental truth and needed the reminder. It is the Holy Spirit who testifies about Jesus, so when we get the awareness of the presence of Holy Spirit in the church, we also keep our focus on the Lord Jesus.
The Holy Spirit dwells in every individual Christian. An awareness of the presence of the Spirit in us completly changes our spiritual life. The Holy Spirit's presence impacts the whole person: spiritual, moral, and physical. The Holy Spirit even promotes health in us, he quickens us. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 3 – 1 Corinthians 4 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? (1 Corinthians 4:16-21)
“Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” With this simple sentence Apostle Paul tells us what kind of leader he was, and what kind of leader we need to be. In our walk in Christ what we do speaks louder than what we say. That is why it is so difficult for us to bring the Gospel effectively to the people closest to us, since they know us very intimately. Only when our way of life in Christ matches what we teach can we have great spiritual influence.
In the Christian way of life, the concept of “do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work. The “talking” needs to agree with the “doing.” Sadly most of the time, people are not hypocrites by choice they are by default. They just cannot do it. It is totally impossible to live the spiritual life based on will power. The spiritual life must solely live based on spiritual power.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Corinthians 4:20). We need to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit in order to produce the fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) and to receive the gifts (1 Cor. 12:1-11). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8a).
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 5 – 1 Corinthians 5 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 4:16-21)
I have heard Christians boast about being rebellious, I have even heard Christians boast about being prideful, “Tout moun konnen mwen se yon rebèl, tout moun konnen mwen frekan.” This is so sad, why would a Christian put such a label on himself? I think this is the result of bad theology, a misunderstanding of the doctrine of grace. The Corinthian Christians thought that since they had “grace” anything was allowed.
Every Christian knows that salvation is by grace, and grace alone as we read in Ephesians 2:8-9. However, right there in the next verse, we are told that there are works for us to do after our salvation. “ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
One of the good works that we need to do is the control of our thoughts. We are called to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).” Paul urged the Corinthian church, “Expel the wicked person from among you (v. 13).” We urge you, “Expel all bad thoughts and attitudes from your mind.”
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 6 – 1 Corinthians 6 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined[d] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[e] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:15-20)
The Corinthian Christians grew up in a culture that had no concept of sexual purity, Paul had to teach them some fundamental truths about the spiritual aspect of human sexuality. For us this is quite different, we have the whole Scriptures. We know God’s will about sexual purity, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thess. 4:3)
1 Corinthians 6 tells us why God is so categorically opposed to sexual immorality, “Our physical bodies are members of Christ.” God gives great importance to the human body. We can see its value in the story of creation in Genesis. The human body was the only creation made with God’s hands. Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature (Genesis 2:7).
God had a plan for the human body that went beyond the mere physical. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).” How profound is the love of God for humanity! No wonder Jesus healed them all (Matthew 12:15). We are temples of the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 7 – 1 Corinthians 7 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you[b] to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:12-16)
Every action that we take can have a big effect on the rest of the world. It is more so when it comes to our loved ones. “For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Cor. 7:16). In fact, no one knows. Theologians may try to explain those verses out, but truthfully, we need to admit we just don’t know.
We don’t know why one person marries a particular person and not a different one. It seems at time that there are forces pushing people toward each other. Why? Still we do not know. Even in our modern world, where marriage is based on romantic love, we sense that there is a greater purpose behind our choices. Could your choice of a marriage partner be a way for salvation for that person?
We want happiness and fulfillment but, but God sees our marriage as mean for our transformation. Marriage gives us a training ground to escape our natural self-centeredness. The day to day self-renunciation in the Christian marriage allows us to do the work of love. We are being pushed to love the way that God loves, unconditionally and faithfully. Faith leads to hope, and hope leads to love.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 8 – 1 Corinthians 8 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-2)
The first of the Beatitudes deals with the question of knowledge in a very surprising way. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).” Although “We all possess knowledge (v. 1)”, yet there is an attitude of the spirit which recognizes the limitation of our knowledge forcing us to depend on God and God alone, the Lord Jesus called this attitude poor in spirit, and it is blessed.
“But knowledge puffs up while love builds up (v. 2).” The side effects of knowledge is shown more in more in our youths. We are living in the time of the Internet, the information superhighway, knowledge is at the touch of keyboard. Because the youths are generally more technological savvy than their parents, a lot of them think that they don’t need to listen to their parents. But as Rabelais said, “Science sans conscience n’est que ruine de l’âme.” Knowledge without love will only lead to destruction.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth (Ephesians 6:1-3).” This truth will last forever. It is good for us to get as much education, as much knowledge as we can get, but this is not enough. All of us need to pursue without a pause the love of God since this is the ultimate reality of our lives. “But whoever loves God is known by God (v. 3).”
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 9 – 1 Corinthians 9 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
How do you see your church leaders? Two important relationships between church leaders and the people they serve are discussed in 1 Corinthians 9, our Challenge for the day. Verses 1-15 say that “Church leaders are to be honored and supported”. Verses 16:27 tell us that “True church leaders are to be rewarded.”
Our concept of leadership in the church tells a lot about our own heart. Are we grateful for the gifts that the Lord has provided for his church? The way that a gift is handled tells a lot about both the giver and the receiver.
Since the leaders are generally chosen from the people, would you agree that “the people always get the leaders that they deserve?”The leaders are a reflection of the people.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 10 – 1 Corinthians 10 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:11-13)
Every time Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament, we saw him actively working to put doubt in the heart of man, to tempt them to go against the word of God, to go against what they know about God to be the truth. In Job 1 and 2, Satan challenged God about Job’s walk with the Lord, “But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face (Job 1:11). But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face (Job 2:5).”
The Bible tells us twice that Job overcame the temptations, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 1:22).” “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said (Job 2:10b). This story is there in the Bible as an examples for us to learn from, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11).”
What was the secret of Job success in overcoming the temptations? The answer was “Praise and Worship.” After hearing all the bad news of destruction, we read that Job fell to the ground in worship (Job 1:20). Worship? Yes worship. And Praise, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21).” We too can overcome life’s temptations by focusing on God’s love and grace. No complaint, but worship and praise.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 11– 1 Corinthians 11 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Those verses of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Christians about the Lord Super are amongst the most beautiful passages of the Bible. When they are said aloud, they sound like poetry. I love to say them aloud in French, there is something sublime about the way these words are put together and the idea that they express. It is the past, the present and the future merged into one event – salvation.
Our salvation started way back in the past, it started in Jesus, “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelations 13:8b).” Our salvation continues in the present in Jesus, who was victorious over death, and who is now at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34). Our salvation will be fulfilled in the future in Jesus, the groom who will forever be united with her bride, the church, the bride of Christ (Revelations 19:7-9).
The Lord Super is a time for remembrance and a time of self-examination. Are we living our lives to the glory of God, are we living by faith and obedience which lead to great blessings. Or are we living by our own strength and our own thoughts which lead to destruction. As we partake of the elements of the Lord Super, we remember the broken body of the Lord on the cross. We also remember what the Prophet Isaiah had prophesized about the Lord in Isaiah 53.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 12 – 1 Corinthians 12 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
We rejoice that 1 Corinthians 12:7 says “Now to each one,” instead of “Now to some,”, or “Now to a few”. The full verse is now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” When the Bible says “to each one,” it includes all of us. Every single Christian in the local church has been giving at least a gift of the Spirit for the common good. It is then the responsibility of the believer to actively put his gift to use.
What is your gift? What are your gifts? A lot of Christians think that the time of the gifts have passed. Why should that be? When our churches are filled with young people without direction and without hope, would not the gift of “a message of wisdom” be beneficial for those youths. One word of wisdom given by the Holy Spirit is enough to change a life for eternity.
The Lord Jesus showed his compassion to suffering men and women during his earthly ministry by healing all who sought out his help. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Has he lost his compassion? No. Gifts of healing are needed in the present local church as much now as it was before great medical discoveries. There are still sick people in the church that modern medicine can’t help. All of us should eagerly desire the greater gifts. The body of Christ needs the manifestation of all the gifts of the Spirit.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 13– 1 Corinthians 13 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 14 – 1 Corinthians 14 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. (1 Corinthians 14:1-5)
Speaking in tongues is one of the most controversial subjects in the present church. But it should not be so, since the Lord Jesus himself said that people who believe in him would speak in new tongues. “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues (Mark 16:17-18).” The Apostles and the first Christians did speak in tongues.
It is said that “a chain is as strong as its weakest link.” If this same idea was applied to the local church, meaning “a local church is as strong as its weakest member,” we would see more Christians encouraging each other to be as strong as possible in the Lord. And one sure way to do that is giving in Jude 1:20, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” All Christians should pray in the Holy Spirit to build themselves up.
During the off season, professional football players build themselves up by going to the gym without their teams, preparing for the regular season of training as a team. Personal devotion is the key to a successful church. Apostle Paul used this individual building up very effectively for his successful ministry. He said, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you (1 Cor. 14:18). That’s a lot of speaking in tongues. What about us?
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 15 – 1 Corinthians 15 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58)
Last week, we had a whole week of revival in our church on the verse 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Every preacher addressed the same passage, but each time we were able to see the truth of this passage explained in a different way.
We do not work for our salvation since salvation is by grace alone, however Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. What are those good works? They are many, one of them is to function as an ambassador for Christ, to proclaim the good news of the gospel, that men and women should be reconciled with God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
Another good work is to pray that God’s name be glorified in our lives and our churches. Jesus commanded his disciples to do miraculous works, ”Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10.8).” God is gracious and compassionate. By engaging ourselves in deliverance ministries, we show to all mankind that God loves them and cares for them.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge – Day 16 – 1 Corinthians 16 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
Now concerning[a] the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. (1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
We end the Book of 1 Corinthians Challenge with some words of encouragement about giving. Apostle Paul did not feel embarrassed to ask the Corinthians church to help the Jerusalem church. The Corinthians church benefited spiritually from the Jerusalem church by having leaders sent to them to teach them the way of the Lord. So, for Apostle it was fair that they would help that sending church in their time of need..
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out Laborers into His harvest (Luke 12:2).” Not all of us can be fulltime Christian workers, so we need to pray for and support financially those called to ministries. There are a lot of people living around us and in the world, and realize they are hurting, empty, wandering, and searching for purpose and meaning, like sheep desperately needing a Shepherd. (Matt. 9:36-38).
We should always be willing to share our material possessions with those who help us in our spiritual journey. However, we need to note that the collection urged by Paul was completely voluntary. We should give sacrificially but cheerfully, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).”
May the Lord richly bless you!