Daily Devotionals

“For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast,
since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me
if I do not preach the gospel!”
(1 Corinthians 9:16).

There are life vocations and pressing missions that leave their mark forever. Paul may renounce his name, Saul, his rights as an apostle, his right to be supported by the church, his Jewish bloos, his Roman citizenship, his preparation with Garmaliel’s lectures, and eating for several days. However, there is something that he does not want to – and cannot – give up, even for a moment: proclaiming the gospel. This is his pressing need. And he has nothing to boast about, for it is not he who enhances the gospel, it is the gospel that enhances life.

Paul had been called to announce, not to keep quiet. Staying silent was a sin, for he would be denying his call and the great commission. The joy of those who recieved his message was as great as the joy of the messenger. As Martin Luther King said,

“What worries me is not the cry of the violent…
what worries me the most is the silence of the good people.”

In the early days of the work in Chile, the difficulties were tremendous. It was not easy to go frm place to place. The pioneers were consumed by the gospel. Pastor Victor Thomann traveled long distances on horseback, carrying the blessed hope. He visited the new believers, strengthened their faith and missionary commitment, and carried the tithes and offerings that the brethren gave in their generosity and faithfulness for the growth of the church and the mission.

On a cold night in 1905, he galloped through pine forests, illuminated only by the moonlight. He was singing and praising God when he suddenly perceived that he was being followed by someone, clearly with the intention of robbing him. He accelerated his pace and took a path parallel to the river, until he reached a wooden bridge. On the other side he encountered a large illuminated house, in which lived two policemen guarding the area.

“How did you get here?” he was asked
“I crossed the wooden bridge,” replied the pastor.
“Impossible! There is no bridge here,” the policemen said.

Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), built a bridge in the form of a cross to save us. On this side of the river  band of temptations and dangers seduce and hurt us. On the other side of the river, a large mansion full of light and life awaits us.

The same God who brought water out of rock
and who opened a path into the sea also made a wooden bridge
to save the life of Pastor Thomann.
May we, like him and Paul,
also say that we have a compelling need.

May the good Lord bless you and your family…

“Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel
should live from the gospel”
(1 Corinthians 9:14).

Those who live to preach the gospel must be sustained by the gospel, that is, by the church. How? Through having every church member return ten percent of what they earn. Tithing is used for the support of the ministry and the fulfillment of the mission. However, the central issue is not money. The biblical principle is to acknowledge that God owns everything, and in gratitude, the believer returns a part to be used for His glory.

Thus, tithing id not just for preaching throughout the world or to sustain the ministry. It is the personal responsibility of each worshiper to faithfully recognize and administer their life and resources according to God’s will.

The Lord expects our complete consecration of what the we have and are. He wants us to know how much we appreciate His blessings and how much gratitude we feel for His mercy. he expects not only our faithfulness in the return of tithes, but also our generosity in the giving of offerings.

Not only should we faithfully render to God our tithes, which He claims as His
own, but we should bring a tribute to His treasury as an offering of gratitude. Let
us with joyful hearts bring to our Creator the first fruits of all His bounties – our
choicest possessions, our best and holiest service
(The Faith I Live By, p. 245).

David asks, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12). He himself answers, “I will pay my vows to the Lord now in presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:14).

When we return our tithes to God, we recognize that the Lord has enabled us to acquire all that we have. God does not need our money, for He is already the Owner of the whole universe: “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine” (Haggai 2:8). Instead, we need to give tithe as an act of worship and an attitude of trust and faithfulness.

The promise of Malachi 3:10 is impressive: ” ‘Bring all the tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,
and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open
for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing
that there will not be room enough to receive it.‘ ”

This does not mean guarenteed employment or economic prosperity,
but it does mean blessings according to His good pleasure
until they abound. I do not know what they are,
I just know there are a lot of them.

I encourage you, try God today! 
May the Lord bless you…

“Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?”
(1 Corinthians 9:1).

Paul defends his freedom, but renounces it for the good of others: he is filled with the Spirit of Christ, and therefore is willing to strive for the advancement of the interests of the kingdom of God.

“The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel
should live from the gospel”
(1 Cor. 9:14).

Just as the soldier receives his livelihood from those who emply him, it is right that the minister of the gospel, who lives for the church, be supported financially by the church. Just as the man who plants a vineyard does not want his work to be ini vain, and longs to eat from the fruit of his labor, in the same way, it is right that the minister who dedicates his life to the vineyard, which is God’s church, be supported by it. However, despite all his arguments for supporting the ministry, Paul himself decided to be self-supported.

Finally, Paul compares the Christian life to a race (1 Cor. 9:23-25). Everyone competing in Greek races tried their best to win the prize. The brought into play all their skill and used the vigor acquired through hard, intensive training. None of them was indifferent, apathetic, or careless.

The crown of eternal life is offered to all, but only those who go through the training will obtain the prize. This means that at all times the Christian must be guided in word, thought, and action by the high standards of the Bible, and hence will not be controlled by the desires and inclinations of their own heart.

Let us ask ourselves at every step of the way: What would Jesus do? Is this attitude, this plan, this pastime, this music, or this friendship going to increase or decrease my spiritual strenght?

Anything that somehow interferes with spiritual progress
must be rejected; otherwise, victory cannot be won.

Since 1992, there has been an international obstacle course competition held in Finland called “wife-carrying.” The male must carry the female on his back through a course that includes several obstacles. The couple who arrives first, without having the woman drop at any moment, wins. A Lithuanian couple took the 2019 prize. The team completed the 253.5-meter course in one minute and six seconds.

In our race in life we face obstacles, and many are very difficult to overcome.
And we, too, have to take others with us, because no one
will get to heaven alone. In this race, everyone can get first place
and win an equal prize. Paul himself, who was certain of his crown,
said that there was not only a crown for him,
but also for all who love the coming of the Lord.

May the Lord bless you today…

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things,
and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things,
and through whom we live”
(1 Corinthians 8:6).

Paul says that for us believers “there is one God.” That contrasts with the thousands of gods of the heathen, which are false or non-existent. Ours is true and eternal. This God created all things, including life, which He also sustains, maintains, and protects (Col. 1:17; Heb. 2:10).

Unlike the other non-existent gods whose anger must be placated, or their favor won over, ours presents Himself as Father, which makes the bond closer. He does not relate to us only as Creator-creature, Worshiped-worshiper, Sustainer-sustained, Protector-protected; but also in a Father-child relationship. He is a Father who can do anything, is everywhere, knows everything, loves, sympathizes, and is affectively and effectively close.

The heathen said there were many gods; for Christians, there is only One. Through the Son all things were created, and through His sacrifice we are redeemed, recreated, saved, and adopted. We cannot do anything; He is the only One who can do it all. In the New Testament, this Father is the “heavenly Father”; Paul says that for us He is “our Father” (Rom. 1:17; 1 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; 4:20; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1-3; 3:11-13; 2 Thess. 1:1; 2:16; 1 Tim. 1:2; Phil. 1:3).

Pastor Fernando Stahl (1874-1950) and his family, dedicated pioneer missionaries in Bolivia and Peru, arrived in Queñoani, Peru, near the border with Bolivia. One day, a mob of about five hundred men, armed with whips, stones, and clubs, instigated by religious leaders and authorities, attacked the hut where the missionaries were. They were incited to kill them with the promise that it would be an honor to do away with the heretics, and that they would suffer no consequences. There was a shout: “Pichantañani Catuñani!” (“Grab them and burn them!”). But suddenly, they all fled terrified.

A native, still frightened, said, “Can’t you see that huge group of armed natives who are coming to defend you?”

It is wonderfully comforting  to remember that the God who created us from nothing continues performing miracles to care for and sustin the lives of His children. It is even more wonderful to know that He surrounds us with His strong arms as a Father. While the accuser seeks our death, our Defender sustains our lives.

Even if five hundred people surround your hut, even if the fire
is lit and the mob rages, even if the enemy wants to apprehend you
and burn your faith, your dreams, and your life, keep going!
Live faithfully, remembering that we were created and redeemed
by the eternal God. Because of Him we exist and because of Him,
very soon, we will live forever.

God bless you, you were wonderfully created by Him…

“So this is what I say about eating meat [sacrified to idols]:
We know that an idol is really nothing in the world,
and we know that there is only one God. It’s really not important
if there are things called gods in heaven or on earth – and there are many
of these ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ out there”
(1 Corinthians 8:4-5).

An idol represented a diety that supposedly lived in heaven and from time to time visited earth. The pagans believed in imaginations they called gods. They were representations of things from heaven and earth, such as the sun, moon, stars, fire, water, earth, animals, and birds, as well as mythological beings, such as Apollo, Jupiter, and Venus.

In addition, the Roman emperors declared themselves gods, raised statues of themselves, and then persecuted to martyrdom those Christians who did not worship them. Paul claims that the idol is nothing – it represents a god that does not exist. Nothing lacks life, and consequently lacks spiritual power.

The idol is made of wood, stone, or metal, and means nothing, whether on heaven or earth. The word “idol” refers not only to the image, but to the god ot is supposed to represent. The belief that various deitied dwell in man-made idols is only a fantasy of their worshipers. Some idols were false, other were manifestations of demons. Whether imaginations of mythology or human vainglory, they are nothing… nothing at all. They deserve neither adoration nor trust, nor dependence.

How “pagan” our way of life is. We too can have idols. Things we hold in high regard, almost at the level of veneration, they can be certain consumer goods, certain political or cultural figures, musicians, or athletes. They may be certain ideas, concepts, or practices that we idolized. We could be building our own idols to be worshiped.

Worshiping idols is both foolish and a sin. It is a sin, because no image can capture or represent God; He is not represented by idols. And it is also sin because the comandment itself expressly asks us not to make or worship images of anything.

“It is a solemn, fearful time. There is no time now for cherishing idols,
no place for concord with Belial of friendship with the world.
Those whom God accepts and sanctifies to Himself are called
to be diligent and faithful in His service, being set apart
and devoted to Him” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 168).
Like Luther, we should ask for forgiveness “because we have gone
from faith to disbelief and worship of idolatry.”
May our prayer be:
“Lord, help me to leave all my idols,
to be diligent, faithful, set apart, and dedicated.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

God bless you…

“Now concerning things offered to idols:
We know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge piffs up, but love edifies”
(1 Corinthians 8:1).

Before entering into the subject of foods sacrificed to idols, the apostle Paul established an essential principle: knowledge fills us with pride, but love strengthens us in the faith. In this way, Paul condemns pride in intellectual knowledge, which leads to contempt toward, and belittlement of, the less educated.

Those who are proud of their knowledge, to the point of looking down on others and ignoring their needs, show that they have not yet learned the principle of true knowledge. Those who are truly learned are humble and modest, and care about others.

In saying this, Paul is affirming that the issue of food “sacrificed” to idols would not be solved by mere knowledge, but by love for one’s neighbor. It so happens that the true Christian knows that and assimilate it; for many, it is difficult to immediately abandon old superstitions and customs. Therefore, it is necessary to have love, patience, and kindness with these people.

In this sense, care must be taken so that the conduct of some, who consider themselves to understand an issue correctly, does not lead others, with less understanding, to conduct themselves errouneously. This is a general principle of Christian behaviour, a golden rule even in minor cases.

Remember: the weak person is the one who must be treated with the most patience and tolerance. Christ died for the strong and the weak; therefore, nothing should be done that makes Christ’s sacrifice for a person fruitless.

There is a misleading idea that everyone has the right to do whatever they want without considering the effect on others. We cannot think like that. Those who have the love of Jesus in their heart do not wish to use their freedom in a way that leads their brethren to stray. On the contrary, they are happy to refrain from privileges and pleasures if that will prevent someone from being discouraged. This is what it means to use knowledge with love.

Using knowledge with love is only possible
to the extend that we are joined
to the Most High and Sublime One.
“The more of heaven there is in our lives,
the less of earth we shall covet”
(Charles Sourgeon).
May it be so. Amen.

Allow yourself to be filled with His Wisom and Love…

“Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing,
but keeping the commandments of God is what matters”
(1 Corinthians 7:19).

What makes us Christians?Is it a mark on our bodies? In Paul’s day, the Jew was circumcised and the Gentile was not, and the debate was whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to become Christians. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans practiced circumcision.

Circumcision was considered a physical mark of distinction for the Jews. For some this was a mark that should always be applied, while for others, it was not obligatory as a rite passage in the faith. In the New Testament, baptism replaced circumcision as the act showing commitment to accept the Lord (Col. 2:11-12). Paul says it makes no difference whether circumcision was practiced or not.

Rites must be accompanied by dedication and commitment. It is no use having a cross as an amulet, kneeling down to pray without humbling my heart, or being baptized without committing to live daily with Jesus.

Are we apparent or evident Christians? Sporadic or permanent?

The great paradoxes of our time were notably expressed by Pastor Bob Moorehead:

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgement, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We… get too angry and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We’ve learned to make a living, but not to live. We’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space…
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small characters… of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are times of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality… and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

How paradoxical that we strive for appearances
and not for being who we are.
Strengthen your relationship of faith and obedience with Jesus,
now and forever.

May the Lord bless you today. Stand for what is righteous…

“Let each man have his own wife,
and let each woman have her own husband”
(1 Corinthians 7:2).

In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul presents marriage as a protection against fornication. Thus, he consistently defends and argues that the marriage covenant should not be broken and that there should be no separation. In the face of possible separation, the apostle asks,

“For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband?
Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” (v. 16).

As for relationships, the apostle presents reasons to prefer chasity and to likewise prefer the unmarried life: he says that difficult times are good reason to remain single. Let us agree that Paul’s extremely difficult life would have made a possible marriage very complicated.

As the end of his letter, Paul presents reasons for marrying or remaining single. He is not prohibiting a certain marital status or promoting on to the deteriment of another. What he does is warn people about marriage relationships in difficult times.

The other topic present in this chapter is circumcision.

Neither the fulfillment of the Jewish rite of circumcision nor ceasing to practice it could affect the individual relationship with God through faith in Jesus. Paul emphasizes that outward ceremonies and observances have no value without faith in Christ. Converted Christians are accepted by God not through any work that they can do, but by faith in Christ’s work on the cross on their behalf.

Thus, the author of the Epistle starts from the biblical premise that God is the Author of marriage, and that what is established by God is the union of a man and a woman, in a bond of love and faithfulness. Marriage was created by God for four specific purposes:

1. Companionship: “It is not good that man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18).
2. Growing love: “Flesh of my flesh” (2.:23).
3. Perfecting the personalities: “And they shall become one flesh” (2:24).
4. Procreation: “Then God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth’ ” (1:28).

The enemy attacks the family as an institution created and established by God. That is why we need to strengthen our prayer and vigilance.

“You are not secure a moment against the attacks of satan.
You have no time to rest from watchful, earnest labor.
You should not sleep a moment at your post.
This is a most important warfare. Eternal consequences are involved.
It is life or death with you and your family.”
(Child Guidance, p. 185).

Dear Heavenly Father, today we pray for You to protect, rescue, and restore the families…. 

“Dare any of you, having a matter against another,
go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?”
(1 Corinthians 6:1).

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul deals with another serious problem in the church: brethren who accuse each other before unbelieving judges, rather than resolving their differences with brotherly love. This was contrary to Christ’s teachings. Christians were not to take their brethren to the courts of unbelievers, so as not to expose the weakness of the church to those who did not love the Lord.

The apostle also shows how sin blinds those who practice it so that they do not perceive that they are in error:

Familiarity with sin makes us
lose sight of its real nature.

Sinners end up believing that they can live in transgression of God’s law and, at the same time, confidently expect salvation.

God makes it clear that there can be no agreement between sin and righteousness, and that anyone who adheres to sin will have his reward (2 Cor. 6:16; 1 John 3:8). Even in these circumstances, there is hope for all kinds of sin and sinners.

Christians are free to participate in all that is part of the lifestyle shown by God to be the most beneficial to mankind. They are free to do what they want, but there is one condition to meet: they should not do something that causes scandal to their neighbor. Jesus sums it up: loving God and others are the principles that govern the life of the true Christian. We have full freedom to do what we want, as long as we are not in conflict with these two principles.

The only sure way to practice God’s will is to flee from all impurity, from all sin. In this way, we please God and perserve the holiness of our bodies.

Paul felt that the church was losing internal balance and external strenght to fulfill the mission. As with an individual, who has to to have internal balance, through communion with God, and an outward presence of fidelity and mission. Likewise, the church: an internal balance and external strenght to fulfill the mission.

There was once someone who would drop garbage over the wall that divided his house from his neighbor’s. His neighbor would kindly return the “courtesy” with a box of vegetables that he had grown, with a note that read: “Each one gives what they have.”

As people and as a church we give what we have.
Whoever is filled with the garbage of conflict and sin
weakens his contribution to the community.
Whoever is filled with Christ and His Word
gains strenght to fulfill the mission.

May the Lord bless you today, may His Word be filled in you, to give you strenght to fulfill the mission…