The Daily Dose

God calls the foolish

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  1 Corinthians 1:20

Several years ago God put writing in my heart.  I tried a little at that time, but it was the opposite of good.  Now, I write a daily message of encouragement.  I enjoy it very much, but I have no training and had no childhood dreams of writing.  I have no aspiration to be a bestselling author and I don’t expect to become a well-known novelist.  I do, however, have dreams of helping and encouraging others.  My heart is to see people avoid traps that I once got caught in.  My mission is to lead as many people that I can influence to discover their life of significance and purpose.  I’m starting late in life and I hope some will answer their call much earlier through this mission.

Here’s the point:  God calls me to write at this point in my life, so I do.  There are many who are qualified and many more available.  Some use their gift of writing to become well known and famous, never considering using their God given ability for the Kingdom of God.  Others consider it, but put it off until a later time because of much more pressing issues in their day to day living and the busyness of life.  There are only a few who will take the time to answer the invitation God is calling them to right now.  Here’s the thing:  God doesn’t always call the qualified, but He does always qualify the called!  It is more about a willing heart of surrender to Him.

Today’s text says that God had made foolish the wisdom of the world and that the world sees God’s wisdom as foolishness.  So here’s the question for you:  what is in your heart to do?  What have you been putting off?  What ideas do you dismiss and find to be foolish to pursue?  Each one of us have something, something we can do right now that will lead to the next open door.  It doesn’t matter if you are educated in that area or not, God will get you there if He has put it inside of you.  The solution is to submit that idea and desire to the LORD and let Him lead you through the process.

Today I want to encourage you to set time aside to do the things that God has put in your heart that He is prompting you toward.  Maybe it is writing, maybe it’s speaking and teaching.  It could be some form of art or coaching.  Or maybe it is reaching out to the next generation.  Whatever it is, surrender it to your Father today.  He will guide you and equip you to complete the things He has put in your heart and He will take you through the doors required to be effective at your calling.  “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Today’s scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Enriched in everything

“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 all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,”  1 Corinthians 1:4-7

Have you ever felt like you were being ineffective in your witness for Christ Jesus?  Have you ever been in a position that no matter what you thought to say it just didn’t seem like it would be enough to bring someone to the truth of God’s love?  What about the feeling of not being gifted enough to touch and influence the lives around you?   

According to today’s reading, God’s grace on you will enrich your life in the areas of speaking, knowing and being gifted to share His message of Salvation and reveal Jesus to those around you.  My favorite part of this passage is the word “enriched”.  For some reason every time I hear the word enriched, I think of enriching uranium.  I know it’s an extremely random and strange thought, but my understanding of enriching uranium in the context of nuclear power is to bring it to its fullest strength or potential.  The process is taking something from a useless or inactive state and bringing it to a useful form to its greatest potency.  So, to be enriched in all utterance (speech) and knowledge in Him would be to increase to full strength or our greatest effectiveness.

It is not only God’s grace that produces this enrichment in your life.  If you continue reading in the chapter, you will find that coming into agreement in speech and getting rid of contention with those you fellowship and worship with, enriches your speaking ability and knowledge of God’s goodness.  It also brings your gifts together with others to grow them to their greatest fruitfulness in God’s kingdom progress. 

In the same way that components are added to develop uranium to become an armor-penetrating weapon, God’s people can come into agreement to form one body to function properly and powerfully with each other.  Concluding that adding God’s gifts to His body of believers and agreeing with each other enriches God’s people to become an armor-penetrating weapon that defeats the enemy and rescues the wounded.

Today I want to encourage you to begin enriching your speech and knowledge of God by adding God’s grace and His goodness to your everyday activity.  Start each day receiving His grace so that you are not lacking in any gift needed to be a blessing to others.  Ask God to make plain the opportunities in front of you to use the gifts He has given you.  Then, position yourself in the body of Christ to do your part so that God’s work can be brought to its fullest potency.  In doing this you will accomplish your life’s mission.

Today’s scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-17

Grace and Peace

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:3

This scripture is the greeting that the Apostle Paul used in his letter to the people of the church at Corinth.  It’s an interesting greeting in that he starts by giving grace to them.  He says: “I’m sending grace and peace to your from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ”.  How can he write this message?  Did He get permission from God and Jesus to offer grace and peace to those in Corinth?  Paul uses this greeting in many of his letters.  So why does he think it is ok to speak on behalf of God and the Lord Jesus?  The reason is because grace and peace are for all God’s people, and are necessary to live life and complete each assignment.  How does the Apostle Paul know that it is ok to greet members of the body of Christ with grace and peace?  Because he knows that God freely gave them to him at his conversion and also gives them to all believers that receive the Lord Jesus as Savior.

This may sound like a simple concept, but why did he choose these two aspects of salvation as his greeting?  Grace and peace?  We read in 1 John that the Apostle John offered prosperity and health in his greeting. So there are many different ways that the letters were addressed.  The reason, I believe is because that is what they needed at the time he was writing to them.  Paul starts his letter by letting the Corinthian people know that grace and peace are available and this is what he wants to draw their attention to.  God’s unlimited grace and excessive peace.  As we read through 1^st and 2^nd Corinthians, notice the trouble the people at Corinth are having, then we can decide if the solution is indeed grace and peace to all their struggles.

Secondly, although this offer of grace and peace was sent to the Corinthians hundreds of years ago, it is still available today for you and me.  Glory to God!  God’s unlimited grace and excessive peace are still here for us to walk in each day.  Not only that, but we can give them to others just as the Apostle Paul did.  We can greet each other with words of encouragement and remember that grace is available to get you through the day and peace is there to calm the storm you are facing.  Instead of getting down in the dumps with those who are already down, give a word of truth that will remind them they are a child of God and more than a conqueror. (See Romans 8:17 & 37)

Today I want to encourage you to remember that grace and peace belong to you.  As a born-again child of God, you don’t have to be knocked off course and have your world rocked every time a new problem comes along.  The storms will not stop, but you always have a way through riding on the wave of grace through the goodness of God’s love and peace!  Take that with you and then share it as you have the opportunity.  Help others to navigate their storms by remembering that grace and peace are theirs to carry them through, too.

Today’s scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Avoid them

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. Romans 16:17

Have you ever been around people who like to stir up trouble?  Every time they come around they are always looking for an opportunity to cause an argument.  They don’t really want to be involved, they just want to get it started and then step back and watch as relationships melt down.  What about those who like to be offensive.  It seems like some people’s entertainment revolves around who they can through an offense in front of and then watch them stumble over it. Now think about what that would look like if it happened in your church congregation.  How would you handle it or how would you want to help the situation be better?

In today’s reading, Paul is talking to the people of the church in Rome about these kind of people and gives explicit direction on how to handle them.  He plainly says: “Avoid them!”  He doesn’t say “correct them” and he doesn’t say “help them to understand how to have good relationships”.  He says “stay away from them.”  This can be hard to do, especially if it is a friend or family member, but definitely do not get involved. 

I have had some personal experiences with people like this and it is almost miraculous how God can work in the situation if you simple walk away and pray for that individual.  The Lord showed me that I do not have to fix everyone, in fact, that is not my job at all.  My job is to love and pray for them and that opens the way for the Holy Spirit to bring His peace into those situations and gives me peace as well.

So how do we avoid those who want to stir up strife and discord?  Paul says the first thing to do is to recognize them.  Identify people who are instigating arguments and disagreements.  You can pinpoint them by the way they are serving/concerned with their own selfish needs and not the things of God.  Another quality they will display is smooth words and flattering speech that deceive innocent/naïve people.  The text says to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil.  In your obedience to turn away and not get involved in these conflicts, (avoiding them) you are opening the door to the God of peace to crush Satan under your feet soon after.  Meaning, that kind of activity will not come around you anymore.  When that person comes around, that spirit of discord will not show up, because you have released God’s peace that pushed it far away.

Today I want to encourage you to be aware of anyone that comes around you trying to cause some stress.  Be alert and notice their selfish attitude and manipulating conversations to get their own way.  Next, turn away from such activity and do not get involve.  Ask you Heavenly Father, the God of peace to crush that enemy under your feet and the grace of your Lord Jesus will be with you as that evil is driven far away.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 16:17-27

Your partners

Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.   Romans 16:3

Did you know God has connected you to certain people to be partners with them?  Its true, God brings people into your life to do ministry with.  Whether it is in your local church, at your place of employment or maybe you have your own outreach to lead people to salvation.  The point is, God sends help for you to partner with.  You ask for prayer for your mission, and then you pray for others in their ministry too.  You probably support some in their calling financially and God connects you with others that sow seed into your assignments.  God has called all His people to stand together and through partnerships, we can maximize our impact for His Kingdom.  Partnering with other believers in the work of ministry is a coming together in faith.

The bridge of partnership is not a one-way street, but it’s a mutual connection that offers a two-way exchange.  As you partner with other believers through prayer and giving, you will begin to experience the fulness of God’s blessing and share in the benefits of God’s grace on the missions that you are supporting in partnership.

In today’s reading, the apostle Paul talks about his partners in Rome.  At the beginning of chapter 16, he lists many names of people who have helped and supported the mission he was on.  In exchange, he prayed and wrote letters to them to encourage and build them up.  He also sent support to some as needs arose.  He starts by sending a greeting to Priscilla an Aquila who gave him a job and risked their lives for his ministry.  He talks about Mary who worked for the mission and many others that helped and gave throughout his journey.  The point is ministry doesn’t happen without people praying and helping each other out. 

Today I want to encourage you to partner with other believers.  Whether you are praying for them, encouraging them or supporting them financially, this is what makes God’s kingdom grow.  Start with your local church.  Get involved with ministry there and begin to pray and connect with others to help the mission they are on.  Then take a look at ministries that you grow from whether by reading their material or listening to the messages online. You can partner with them by first of all praying for their ministry to flourish and accomplish the things God sets before them to do.  You can also give to those ministries either in a one time donation or monthly support.  If you think about what you support in the natural world, such things as: cable, internet access, phone, water and electric, you have partnered with these to get the benefits they offer.  Oh, I know you don’t pray for these, but you do get something from them. Why not support the programs that you are getting and growing from spiritually? How much more eternal benefit will there be in partnering with God’s ministries?  Becoming partners with God’s people that are doing God’s work will boost your faith walk greater than ever before.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 16:1-16

The journey

Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.  Romans 15:24

We are all on a journey, that’s what life is, a journey.  Your journey will take you in one direction while mine takes me in another direction.  Everyone’s journey is different, yet one thing is the same.  Every journey will have twists and turns, bump and bruises, that is a guarantee.  It doesn’t matter how close you walk with God, life happens and sometimes you will be faced with crisis, issues and barriers.  Walking in a close relationship with your Heavenly Father does not mean you will never experience trouble, it simply means He will get you through it.  He doesn’t always take away problems, but He is always faithful through them.

The apostle Paul knew this truth all too well.  He was full of the Holy Spirit, but faced more predicaments and setbacks than any of us ever have.  He was preaching and teaching every where he went.  We know he had a close relationship with his Father, and he even met Jesus face to face, but that did not make his journey perfect.  In today’s scripture, he talks about his plan to visit the church in Rome on his way to Spain, but he was already preparing that he would need some help on there way.  He was pretty sure by this time in his ministry, that stuff always happens and many times his plans were changed at the last minute.  That is why he was seeking to enjoy their encouragement and fellowship when he got there.

On my own journey, I have had many struggles.  Most of them self-inflicted, but many were just because life happened.  What I have found to be true through it all is that God’s grace is great enough to get me through whatever obstacles come my way.  I used to believe that when a problem got in the way that whatever I was heading toward was not God’s will or else it would just work out.  However, now I understand that sometime life gets in the way and with God’s help, you can push through or find another avenue to get you there.  The most important thing is to follow His lead and He will take you through every barricade.

Today I want to encourage you on your journey.  If you do not know where you are going, seek His direction today. Ask Him to make His path plain and clear so you can follow. Also ask Him to put His desire into your heart so you will be lined up with the right way of thinking and attitude on your way.  If you know you are on the right path and journey, I want to encourage you to stay strong and close to your Father.  Listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice as He speaks to your heart the secret solutions to every obstacle and ask Him to expose and traps and potholes the enemy may be trying to catch you in.  Lastly, connect regularly with others that can help and encourage you along the way.  The journey God has planned for you is good, but the path will never be perfect.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 15:22-33

Mighty signs and wonders

In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.  Romans 15:19

Here is the gospel according to the apostle Paul: Mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Sprit of God.  This is what the New Testament church did to lead people to Jesus.  They did mighty acts and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit!  This is how they were able to spread the message throughout the entire world.  They were not preaching a gospel about how Jesus came to give a better life or receive Jesus to fulfill your purpose in this world.  They were preaching an eternal gospel, by laying their hands on the sick and seeing them recovered, by casting out demons and by healing the lame and broken around them.  When these signs and wonders were done, people ran to follow Jesus because they knew where their help had come from. 

This was the reason Paul could say back in chapter 2 of Romans that the goodness of God leads people to repentance.  They were tasting the goodness of God firsthand and turning their lives completely over to the Lord.  The whole point was that Jesus didn’t come to make life here in this world better for people. The reason Jesus came was to give people that were dead in their sin eternal life everlasting in His salvation.

This is where we need to be today.  The Holy Spirit hasn’t changed, Jesus hasn’t changed and God the Father hasn’t changed.  It is just people/Christians that have changed.  Because we have not been a generation that has seen a lot of supernatural healings and deliverance, we have somewhere gotten the idea that these things have passed away.  But it simply isn’t true.  We know that God’s Word says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever so it is up to us to walk in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus name.

So, where do we start?  We can start by praying the same prayer, in agreement with other believers, that the disciples prayed in Acts 4:29-31 – Now, Lord, grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Today I want to encourage you to ask your Heavenly Father for a revelation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how to submit to the Spirit’s leading to operate in those gifts.  Then pray for the boldness that the disciples prayed for even after they had been punished for preaching the name of Jesus.  Stop fear from holding you back and step out in faith to pray for the goodness of God to come on those who are broken and lost so they will be lead to repentance.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 15:14-21

Receive others

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Romans 15:7

Do you remember when you first met the Lord Jesus?  Do you remember the time you ask Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life?  You didn’t get a response like: You will need to go clean up first or I can’t be bothered by someone as low as you are right now.  Think about it . . . the King of the universe bent low to hear your voice when you called on Him the very first time.  You didn’t have to make an appointment and you didn’t have to persistently ask until He acknowledged your calling out to Him.  He was waiting to hear from you and ready to receive you into His family with open arms.  He didn’t care about your background or what mess you were currently in, He was only interested in opening wide the door to His home for you to walk through by faith into His love and sacrifice.

Such a great reception, yet do we receive others that way?  Do we look at people who are lost and hurting and quickly turn away so we don’t have to look on their sin? Or do you receive them as Jesus received you.  I know we do not condone their sin, but when you think about your own salvation, did you immediately change and get rid of all sin in your life?  Most likely it was a growth process where you worked on getting closer to Him by spending time with Him in prayer and scripture reading. After some time you were able to step away form sinful habits that had a grip on you.  Even then, you were not able to attain perfection.  We still miss it at times and when we turn back to Jesus, He welcomes us back with open arms.  He doesn’t try to make us pay for our offenses.  That would be like making His payment non-effective.  No, the price Jesus paid for our sin was more than enough for ours and the sin of the whole world.

So why do we turn others away or ignore them because their sin is hard to look at.  Even worse, why would we ever look down on someone that is trapped in a sinful lifestyle, when we have the answer and lifeline to get them out.  Not by condemning their behavior, but by loving them as a person created in the image of God.  It is bad enough when done to those who don’t know Jesus, but how much worse when done to a new believer that is learning how to trust God through their struggles?

Today’s passage sums it all up by saying: receive others at Christ Jesus received and keeps receiving you.  Open up your heart and your life to love others who may not be so lovely.  By treating people different than the rest of the world does, you impact their life in a way that opens the door for the love of God to get through.  In that way you can complete the end of the verse that says: by receiving others, we give honor and glory to God our Father.

Today I want to encourage you to receive all people into your life as Christ Jesus wants to receive them into His love.  Have an open heart and hand to help those who are trapped in the clutches of sin.  Do not despise or look down upon those who have struggled through a hard life.  Instead, show them that God loves them by loving them right where they are right now.  It is not your job to change people anyway, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to change a heart and life.  Your job is simply to love and let Him do the rest.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 15:7-13

Help them

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.  Romans 15:2

Chapter 15 of Romans starts out talking to strong believers.  Paul says: We who are strong should consider and be sensitive to the cares and concerns of new and weak Christians.  We are not here to please ourselves.  We are not here to make ourselves comfortable and never notice those struggling around us, we are here, in this world, to help others.  Just as today’s key verse says, we should help the weaker believer do what is right and encourage them in every little step forward that they take.

The place to start is to evaluate yourself.  Are you a strong believer, mature and walking step by step with the Holy Spirit’s direction, or are you one of the weak ones that is easily knocked off course with life’s adversities.  Do you walk through trouble with the peace of God guiding you or does turmoil send you into a frenzy.

Once you have determined your level of strength in the Lord, begin to watch those around you and become aware when they are struggling.  You can start right in your own home.  If you see son or daughter, brother or sister, or even father or mother going through a difficult time, help them.  The best place to start is to pray for them.  Then share a scripture that they can hold on to through their crisis.  Lastly, notice or even ask for a way to help out in the situation, either by doing tasks around the house or helping with other family members.  Whatever you can do to help them walk through the difficulty more smoothly.

Begin to extend this grace into your neighborhood and even where you work each day.  Pay attention to others who are hurting and come along side them with prayer, scripture and a helping hand.  Put your own desires and comforts to the side for that time and determine to be a source of strength and energy to empower others through their predicament, whatever it may be.

Today I want to encourage you to stop and take a close look at your walk with your Savior Jesus.  Do you trust Him through every dilemma and setback?  Do you let the peace of God have the lead when things are uncertain in the natural?  Do you need to take a step closer when life looks like it is falling apart?  Once you have decided where you stand with your Heavenly Father, take the necessary steps to grow in the area you may need to.  Now you are ready to reach out to those around you.  Pray each morning to be prepared when you encounter a discouraged person.  Follow the steps of: Praying for them, sharing scripture and then find a way to lend a hand.  When you step outside of your own comfort, you will observe many who you can guide through the pressures of life in peace and confidence.  I promise you will find great fulfillment in helping others do what is right and building them up in the Lord.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 15:1-6

Bait of offense

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

This chapter if Romans is focused on offence.  Paul is speaking here to Christians in Rome. He is encouraging the mature believers not to take on offense.  He is also telling them not to be offensive to the weaker, younger believers.  He lets them know exactly where to turn when offense tries to come.  He says:  the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, so don’t even pay attention to those things where God’s people are concerned.  Rather, turn your heart toward being in a right relationship with your heavenly Father, walking in the peace of that relationship and being full of His joy.  All these things are possible through His Holy Spirit.

Here’s the thing: Jesus said in Luke 17 that it is impossible in this world not to expect offenses to come into your life.  Whether through eating and drinking or any other area for that matter. The key is what you do with that offense.  Offense is actually a lure to draw you away from the love of God.  When you become offended with another person, you step right into the enemy’s trap of unforgiveness.  The next thing you know, your thoughts are surrounded by the voice of bitterness and resentment.  You them begin to focus on your hurt feelings and how the person who offended you was wrong in their actions.  While all this may be true, it is not the prison God wants His children to live in.

This is why Paul tells us in vs. 19 to pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify and encourage another.  So even though someone has caused you to be wounded, you are to look for the peaceful solution that brings encouragement and builds up all those involved.  Especially in the case of weaker believers.

Today I want to encourage you not to step into the trap of unforgiveness through the bait of offense.  Instead, focus on righteousness, peace and joy.  Practice turning your heart in these directions daily, so that you establish a habit of turning your heart to the Holy Spirit no matter what is going on around you.  Then when offenses come, you will be well prepared.  Your first response will be to go directly to your heavenly Father through His Spirit.  You will lay all offense down before Him and keep your relationship with Him in right standing.  Then ask Him for the solution that brings peace into the situation and take action if required.  Lastly, rejoice that God has gotten the greatest victory possible in the outcome of the entire process.  Don’t let your enemy hold you in a prison of thinking you are justified to hold on to offense.  God’s greatest victory is accomplished in bringing others closer, not pushing them farther away from Him because you are offended. Release those bitter feelings and fill up your life with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit today.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 14:14-23