Daily Encouragement

May 17, 2009 - Can Christians Partners With Non-Christians For God's Work?

For our spiritual growth to be successful, our ministry to be effective and our church to be pleasing to God, there is a godly principle which we must abide by. Believers cannot be partners together with the unbelievers in God's business. God's work cannot be contaminated with any unclean vessel. For a little sinful leaven leavens the whole lump. (1 Corinthians 5:6) Verses fourteen to sixteen give us six illustrations to show the reasons for this spiritual tenet as follows:

1. For believers and nonbelievers to work together on spiritual ministry is like having two entirely different kinds of animals yoke together to plow a field.

2. A person who has the righteousness of Christ and adheres to the law of Christ cannot have spiritual fellowship (Greek word is “Koinonia” meaning partnership) with a person who is lawless in God's eye and does not follow nor know God's principles.

3. Those in God's kingdom, the believers are in the light but nonbelievers are in darkness belonging to Satan's domain. They are basically exclusive from each other. They cannot share anything in common spiritually.

4. Since Christ has no accord with Satan, the worthless one and destroyer, a believer has no harmony with a nonbeliever in spiritual thing either.

5. The believers and nonbelievers do not have a common spiritual ground. They have opposing ideologies in many matters. How can they work together without agreement?

6. The believers are the temple of the living God. They are not compatible with idol worshipers nor should the temple of God contains any idol at all.

If we want to be useful for God, we must clean church house or get out of a deeply contaminated situation.

May 18, 2009 - What Makes Christian Leaders Happy In The Midst Of Difficulties

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 7

Paul and his co-workers had encountered great tribulation in their ministries. He said that there were conflicts outside and fears inside. (v. 4-5)

In spite of all their troubles, Paul was exceedingly joyful and so were his companions. (v. 4 f) The reason was that Titus, the messenger gave them the report of the repentance and obedience of the Corinthians church after they received Paul's letter (1 Corinthians). Titus himself was greatly encouraged. His message also brought great comfort to Paul and other ministers.

The repentance of the Corinthian church was genuine. Their sorrow for what they had done wrong was godly. They were eager to make correction and careful to do what was right. It impressed Titus who had observed them and was refreshed by them. In turn when Paul heard about it, he was rejoicing even more knowing the impact of their repentance. (v. 10-13)

When we talk of the Corinthian church, we should not just blend them as a carnal church. We need also to point out their true repentance and brought so much joy to all the people who had ministered to them.

The news of godly sorrow and repentance brings comfort and joy to Christian’s leaders who realize their hard works are not in vain.

May 19, 2009 - The Proof Of Love

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 8

I know many Christians would dedicate their service to the Lord. They are willing to do anything for the Lord in their own church. However they give very little to the Lord as far as money is concerned because giving their hard earned money is like cutting their flesh. Every time they give they almost cry.

Look at the giving record of many politicians who go to church and make speeches to ask citizens to sacrifice. You can hardly find any of them give ten percent of their income to worthy cause. Probably most of them give less than 5 percent. Why? Giving is a grace from God. And they don't want to get it.

The Macedonian church gave so willingly even out of their great poverty because the grace of God has bestowed upon them for giving. (v. 1-4) Several times Paul called giving as the act of grace. (v. 6-7) The Lord Jesus himself demonstrated such grace that he gave to the point of becoming poor for our sake. (v. 9)

Have we received such grace of giving? Yes, all Christians should have. For we have been blessed with every spiritual blessings. (Ephesians 1:3) Most of all we have been given the ability to love in our heart by Christ. (Romans 5:5) How do we prove that we really love Christ and His church and His people? It is by giving. (v. 24)

God wants to test the sincerity of our love by providing us the opportunity to give (v. 8), especially when we are in the time of economic woe.

May 20, 2009 - Experience The Joy Of Giving

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9

Giving is a joy. The more we give the more joy you will have. There are many reasons for that. Paul gives us some of them here. The most important principle we should realize is that giving is like sowing seeds. When you sow little, we reap little, When you sow more your reap more. (v. 6)

Notice God's promise to the givers: "God is able to make it up to you by giving you every thing you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own need, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. It is the Scriptures say: 'The godly man gives generously to the poor. His good deeds will be an honor to him forever.' For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plants, and later on, good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruits from your harvest." (v. 8-10 The Living Bible)

So the more you give, the more you will be able to give. The great thing is that your generous giving makes the receivers overflow with thanks and praise to God. (v. 11-13) Your action has proven your faith and they will surely pray for you with deep feeling and favor also. (v. 14)

All these are certainly the cause of joy.

May 21, 2009 - Destroying Fortresses

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 10

There are some fortresses in our own lives or church life that have been built up for a long time which hinder our spiritual growth and church growth. These are traditional concepts and human ideas or worldly philosophies and man-made speculations that are stopping people from knowing the truth of God. (v. 4-5) Therefore many are still living in difficulties, sins, and disobedience.

The only way to win this battle of the mind is to not by human ingenuity and persuasion. Paul called that fleshly weapon. But this warfare can only be won by the divine word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17) It is through the preaching and teaching of the word of God that we can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (v. 5)

Paul was confident in the power of the word of God to confront the false teachers and destroy any people's arguments which exalted themselves. It was also the Word of God which caused the Corinthians to follow the truth.

Do you have a battle against some false concepts today? Is there any fortress you need to pull down? Turn to Word of God for your answer!

May 22, 2009 - Beware Of Another Jesus

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 11

Paul continued to deal with a great problem among some of the Christians in Corinth. They were easily persuaded by the false prophets and preachers of the wrong doctrines. Paul even said this about them, "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it." (v. 4 NKJV)

In another word, they were disloyal not just to Paul, but to Christ Himself like a wife who was not faithful to her husband. Those false teachers were like Satanic servants who acted like angels of light in order to deceive the Corinthians. These false workers were boastful, self exalted and trickery. Paul warned the Corinthians to watch out.

Today, there are all kinds of false teachers and wrong gospels in the world. Indeed many have preached in the name of Jesus. Yet their Jesus is different from the Jesus the Scriptures teach. When you hear anyone who claims that Jesus is not God Himself and is not co-equal with God, you know that he or she is teaching another Jesus. Or if someone comes to tell you that Jesus is not the eternal Son of God who is with God in the beginning, this person is preaching another gospel.

You and I must know who Jesus is. He is Jehovah Himself. (John 12:41) God has manifested Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three are one. (John 1:1, Titus 3:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19)

May 23, 2009 - Boast In Our Infirmities

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 12

The apostle Paul shared his spiritual highlight with the Corinthians whom he loved very much as his spiritual children in the Lord. The vision of Paradise he saw was most likely his own vision though he referred it as a third person's experience. He could have been very proud of himself about that revelation from God. But he did not. (v. 1-6)

He rather boasted in his own infirmities. He said that God had given to him a thorn in the flesh through a messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he be exalted above measure. (v. 7)

Scholars have varieties of opinions concerning his thorn in the flesh. Some think that it was a physical illness that appeared once awhile. Some feel that it may be a mental or spiritual weakness. Others considered it as Satan's attack on Paul's progress in the ministry. But whatever it was, the result of those attacks caused Paul to have infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses for Christ's sake. (v. 10)

Yet Paul took pleasure in them. For God said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (v. 9a NKJV)

"Therefore", Paul said, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (v. 9b)

May we learn that from Paul.