lighthouse2014

Having patience and being humble with them will kelp promote unity in the church, even if we grow tired of some of the annoyances of some of our brothers and church leaders. Having patience will help us to share our love and edifying one another, thus keeping unity in the congregation. knowing the word of God and boasting of ourselves for this, we become arrogant. Those that disagree with us will soon lose respect for us. Thus our arrogance has ruined our ability to help others grow and be edified in the word of God. Many will come across our paths in life and will ultimately disagree with our belief, being of a gentle nature we can put up the good fight of the faith, without giving others reasons to reject God and His word.

The levels of correction and discipline short of excommunication would be to bring the individual before one or two of the church leaders or pastor, If the sinner repents, he would still be welcome in the church. If he refuses to repent and continues in his sinfulness, he then is excommunicated from the church. Exercising this this kind of correction should be done by the congregation of the church. If the sinner repents he is welcomed back into the church with love. Excommunication is necessary when the individual absolutely refuses to repent. We are so unwilling to exercise anyone today because, as I have seen in a past congregation, they worried about loosing the tithes and other members who maybe sinning in he same situation or having members sins brought to light.

The Corinthians were proud of their tolerance of immorality because this was their norm for the day. They tolerated it because most likely elders were practicing it also. They had lost their love and purpose for being Christians. Their valve system was totally corrupt and immoral as the pagans were brought into the church they kept their practices, thus a little leaven (sin) will ruin the lump (church). So the church went by the way of the pagans, they had forgot their valves and standards for being Christians.

According to verse 1, our standard of behavior is to live in unity with one another, which is worthy of our calling to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. The calling to which God has called us is one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God who is Father of all.

Timothy has established himself as a the and dedicated follower of Paul and his teachings. he knows the scripture well and can enforce it. Paul tells them timothy is like a son to him and they should respect his ministry. If the Lord were to call me to fulfill a sensitive mission, first I would doubt that He would call on someone like me. I would most likely accept it if my spouses health was good. To stay in the community with a mission would be easier, being able to care for my spouse and the grandchildren at the same time, which I feel is a mission and a task in it self.

The Corinthians seem to boasting about their gifts they have received, Paul is trying to convey to them that through great suffering the apostles have received, they should humble themselves, they have received these gifts freely and at this this time have not suffered for their belief in Christ. Paul was telling them of the sufferings he had received for the cause of Christ, hoping they would appreciate him for bring the message of the gospel to them. The effect on me for the suffering of the message of the gospel is indeed a total commitment to Christ. I admire those that have suffered for our salvation. I do not avoid the abuse that comes with the ministry of Christ. I only fear that I will not be capable of delivering the message with knowledge and power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul does not care how others judge him, because he is totally devoted to Christ. He allows nothing to enslave his flesh. He knows Christ will be the final and just judge. He knows with the flesh, temptations will cause him to stumble, learning from these mistakes he ask the Lord for forgiveness. He continues on, trusting in Christ to keep him on the straight and narrow path. Paul knows in the flesh we stumble, we do things we do not want to do, trusting Christ for pardoning his mistakes he continues in delivering the message of the gospel, having faith Christ will strengthen and guide him. Though we say our intentions were good, we try to explain away our excuse for sin, but god knows our hearts intention at the time of our stumbling. At times our motives maybe selfish, envious or just plain jealousy. The Lord will judge us by these motives at His judgement seat. We may see God as a harsh judge if we continue to live in sin, knowing that He will judge us justly. We feel we are not worthy of His love. As an easy judge we know God has excepted Christ sacrifice for our sins and we know if we truly repent He will be somewhat of an easy judge. This of course gives us no right to continue in sin, we will be sanctified here on earth just as He is in Heaven, if we continue in His love.

A Christian servant can be a pastor who feeds and cares for the sheep of the Lord. A teacher who edify s his fellow Christians by explaining and helping them to understand the Word of God. We as Christians are servants of Christ by bringing the Word of Christ to our fellow man. I have never known a Christian worker who was not faithful. It would ruin his witness for Christ and his fellow Christians would no longer trust him. It would probably cause the congregation to wonder how many more were unfaithful in their ministering duties. Becoming overwhelmed with our work place could cause us to forget Christ and turn us to worldly ways for our achievements and progress. Some reasons we could find, if he became involved with someone's married or divorced fellow worker. Which could cause our witness to be useless. To remedy the situation above, by keeping our eyes, mind and heart on God and His plan for us would help us stay faithful and avoid temptation

I have seen divisions and church splits in the past. It brings much unneeded chaos to the congregation. A pastor may understand the Word differently than another. Instead of trying to bring the congregation together on issues, they become hard hearted and decided to elect a new pastor. Thus, half go one way and the rest the other. Though both divisions eventually prospered, there were many hurt feels, gossiping and even losing church members period. With prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit all these problems could have been avoided. The trouble makers were eventually confronted and expelled, however, new believers were dumb founded that such havoc went on in the congregations of Christ. With kind and diligent explanation, plenty of prayer and hope the new believers would continue on in the faith of Christ and His church.

When building congregations in our day with quality materials and methods we first start on the foundation of Christ, His teachings, His commands, His Crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Only on Christ can we build a true congregation. With materials that help edify the brothers and sisters in Christ. With the word that sets the congregation on fire and encourages them to spread His message of the Kingdom of God. Training helps us to further our knowledge and understanding of the Word. Prayer with doctrinal accuracy and learning new technic's in a way to convey the word. With faith, a devoted life to Christ, we help, perhaps to bring a simpler understanding to those who are with out God.

Denominations encourage encourage Christian unity by their faith, love and hope in Christ. Encouraging evangelism, classes in the faith and encouragement to attend Sunday services. The foster disunity by insisting that their way is the true church for one, another preaches that their method of baptism is the only true baptism and one must be re-baptized into their denomination. Belonging to a non denominational church makes no difference in the body of Christ. Usually most believers that attend there because they like the preacher or they don't agree or contend with tenants of most main stream congregations. It will be difficult to tear down these barriers because there are so many various forms of worship. If we could just come together and worship God and adore Him in one accord, it would be an accomplishment.

In behavioral terms, classifying myself in hunger for the word of God, starving for even more of the truth and understanding. It brings my heart joy and comfort. In terms of jealousy and quarreling, adult. What will it take for me to grow to the next stage, patience, love and understanding.

To have the church congregation bring glory to God as it's most important function, there would be an explosion of evangelism to the community and the world. That churches prime mission would be to edify it's members. Giving to the poor, supporting missions and bring Glory to Christ and God our Father. If bring god glory was my most important job, I would be an evangelist to the community, seeking to hep bring Christ to our neighbors.

Being filled with the spirit of Christ is to give yourself total commitment and dedication to Him, to understand the depths of His love and comprehend His will for you. To be filled with Christ spirit we must pray to be filled daily to carry out the work the Lord has for us to do. In this way Christ can give us all that He has promised us, including the gifts we can use to witness to others. The difference between the fullness of God or filled with all the fullness of God, is as we continue in life we are continually sanctified by his love and grace. This of course that we daily devote our selves to him, in turn we share His love and gain in understanding and knowledge which gives us better wisdom in serving Him.

The things that can prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ love is keeping certain carnal practices or habits in our life after accepting Christ as our savior. Hatred, selfishness, envy or just totally not surrendering all of our selves to Christ is just a few of the things that hinder us from Christ love. For some it will be a long road in our life and a lot of work for the Holy Spirit before we totally sanctified. When we do experience the fullness of Christ love we are on our way to being Christ like, as He is in heaven so are we on earth. Gods ultimate goal for us is to share our love and the word of God with others. Comprehending His love for us, we should love those that hate us, for understanding their hardness of heart is what Christ had done for us before we knew Him. The difference in our lives when we grasp the love that Christ has for us, no doubt would cause us to want to share His love with others regardless of the cost.

The concept of strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person and Christ dwelling in our hearts are separate. When we are born again Christ enters our hearts and we are filled with His love. We know He is dwelling with us because our faith and our feeling of His permanent residence. In acts of the N.T. many converts believed in Christ and His redeeming work he did for sinners. After baptism they were filled with the Holy Spirit, manifest by the outward display of the gifts. I know after I was born again I was not filled with the Holy Spirit until a later date. Because my faith may waiver at times, I know by the Holy Spirit that the Lord is still by my side, so to speak. He never forgets, fails or abandons me.

We can explain "having the mind of Christ" by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and minds. We know we have this mind by His witnessing to us that His spirit is true and express spiritual truths and spiritual words. This mind of Christ works for us because we have received the spirit Who is from God. By this we can understand what He has given us. His spirit lives in us so that we are no longer controlled by the sinful nature. By having the Holy Spirit circulating through our mind we can get into the thoughts of God. We can understand spiritual things, being able to discern between what is false and what is true. We are bestowed with His Spiritual gifts that help us minister to our fellow man.

Paul did not conform to the rhetorical standards of his day because he wanted the pure true gospel with power of the Holy Spirit to convince and convict the Greeks. The repackaging of the gospel would give the people a message that would not be perfectly true and cause the people to make the wrong mental image of the gospel message. Paul used no eloquent words, he allowed the Holy Spirit to work through him. He allowed God to bring out the perfect message for them to hear and convict them of their sins.

Christ represents Gods wisdom because being the Son of God He came to proclaim the Kingdom of God, giving man the assurance the Father in heaven is merciful and full of everlasting love and forgiveness. Demonstrating the fathers wisdom through scripture. In His righteousness by obeying the law and the Father demonstrating His approval of the Son saying "This is my Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight". In His Holiness or Sanctification by His complete submission to the Fathers will. By this He had authority to forgive sins on earth and He told His disciples "that no one fully knows the Son except the Father and no knows the Father except the Son". In His redemptive power by being the pure and spotless lamb for the sacrifice of man's sin. By paying the penalty for our sin's on the cross God our Father has accepted His sacrifice for us. Christ has become our redemption from the penalty of sin, all who believe are forgiven. There is no other way on earth by which man has been redeemed for our sins and reconciled to God our Father.

Non Christians stumble over the gospel of Christ for many reasons, for one they do not want to live the "religious life in exchange for their good fun life they are having now. Some people just don't believe at all. Some are afraid to believe. I know of no way to bridge the gap at this time except to use the present situation to explain the message of the cross. If we get off tract like some of the churches now days do, they use the message of prosperity to draw in the crowds. But I can find no scripture that promises monetary success in life, on the contrary, Christ and the apostles tell us we will suffer persecution for our belief in Christ. We can not escape this currant culture and it's influence because we live this world just as the apostles did in their time and just as the gospel was already being perverted then. The time has changed but not the situation.

Major values differences between Christian teachings and the values pushed on TV are; many TV sitcoms now push homosexual behavior to be acceptable in society today and even encourage it. We know that in scripture it is not acceptable and was not tolerated. Another concept pushed on society is the fun life, whether it is a new fast car, amusement park, luxurious cruise vacations or people running about in skimpy bathing suits. we are tough to dress modestly. Christian moral commands as in the ten commandments are taken down in public places and schools. Fortune telling on late night TV advertises that you look into your future or gain wealth, contact your dead loved ones. All these are an abomination to Lord and lead us away from Him and His love. With all the media show contents be it TV or radio, we are inundated with worldly pleasures and wisdom's. It is becoming very hard to find anything that pertains to christian belief, in fact it is becoming unpopular to be a christian now days.

Eph.3:12 teaches us that because of faith in Jesus Christ, we can now come boldly to the throne of God it self with our prayers and petitions. This freedom gives access to God with boldness and confidence, knowing that we may receive His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. Also to worship, praise and extol God, to receive the love He has for us. This love assuring us our fellowship with Him. To pray without these qualities of access, boldness and confidence, we are left with a feeling of emptiness, no knowing if our prayers are heard or not. Some congregations try to use the spirits of the departed ones to get their prayers answered. The Lord is the only mediator between man God the Father.

Being humble to his call and apostleship, Paul never forgets what he had done to persecute the church of God. He considers himself to be the worst of all sinners. We can remain servants as Paul had by remembering that our past was total enmity towards God. We thank God continually for His peace and mercy that He has bestowed upon us.

The mystery Paul is speaking of is that through the gospel (Jesus words and actions conveyed to us by apostolic teaching) is that the gentiles are heirs, sharing together with the Jews, is one body in the promise of Jesus Christ. The mystery of the gospel was important to the Gentile church in Paul's day because now the moral and spiritual wall had been torn down that existed between the Jews and Gentiles. Suffering, as Paul did for preaching the gospel for their belief and being sharers of Gods promises, they were to have salvation and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's revelations to the Apostles and prophets are His very own breathed words. It is in our authority and responsibility to maintain Gods revelations to all men and edify the church and continue it's growth and purpose. By straying away from these revelations we begin to insert man's ideas and practices. This being totally opposite of God's word. As in the answer above, if we supersede His revelations, then we are once again putting man's ideas and practices in place of God's. The dangers of not believing that god reveals Himself to us through His word would mean we still in our sins and there is no future hope for us and Christ death is a fable.