19/07/11

Being rich

1 Corinthians 1:7 - so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Corinth was a principal city of Greece and due to its strategic location its 2 ports were preferred for trade. Its ports were also situated at convenient positions; one did all the trade to Italy and to the west and the other to Asia. So we see this city was a commercial capital and thus all the people were well to do. Along with riches came various vices into the lives of the people of Corinth.

Paul landed in this place due to his trade connections and then started witnessing Jesus Christ to the people there. He initially started with the Jews in the synagogue, who in the start rejected him but then some did turn to the Lord and were baptized. Paul built a large Church (congregation) but the people mostly struggled in their spiritual life.

In today's message Paul was telling these rich believers about not lacking. Surely Paul was not referring to the material aspect but to the spiritual aspect. Paul also specifies the areas in which they would be richly blessed and they were in all utterance and knowledge.

People have the wrong idea about Christianity and prosperity. Christianity does assure us abundance but this abundance is not in material or worldly riches but in spiritual richness. Christianity does not say we will be beggars but assures God will provide us our needs and little extra to bless others.

Jesus Christ became poor by humbling Himself in the Spirit world from God He became mere man less than even the Angels. Jesus was never in need of money for the group had sufficient money for them always in their money bag and Jesus wore not rags but a robe which was considered valuable during His time. He did this not because He liked to dress well but to fulfil scriptures.

In the Bible no Man of God was richie rich other than Solomon and we know how Solomon fell indirectly due to his lavish life. Even Abraham who was blessed was found historically to be a middle class citizen by his assets compared to others during his time (he had an army of 800 while the richest person had an army of 5000 and these were all private armies, not the king's army).

In today's message the spiritual gifts and spiritual understanding which we will be provided, will be with only one purpose and that is to edify the people of God and to make His bride blameless when He comes. The spiritual gifts have one purpose and that is to know the Truth and spread the Truth to the people of God and therefore is mostly speech and knowledge. All gifts like healing, prophesy, tongues, wisdom etc. are connected with either knowing the Truth, or delivering the Truth, or building the environment for people to receive the Truth.

We hold the most powerful weapon in all creation and that is our mouths. It becomes powerful only when we are filled with the knowledge of the Kingdom of God and when we speak His Message unto others.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord God, your Word is like a flaming sword which no being in all creation can come against. It is your sword which keeps the fallen spirits from entering Heaven. You have blessed us with the ability to hold this mighty weapon, which is the only weapon that works against Satan and his army. Lord Jesus Christ, your coming in the flesh made way for man to know the Truth and You will come again when man has the whole Truth in them and has the Heavenly sword with them. You with your Angels will use this sword against Satan and his army in the end days and eradicate darkness. Lord, help us realize the importance of your spiritual knowledge and the power of the tongue...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
1 Corinthians 1:4-8
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 13:4-5
4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

Revelation 1:10-16
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)