Daily Devotionals

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I have become sounding brass
or a clanging cymbal”
– 1 Corinthians 13:1 –

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most extraordinary and meaningful chapters in the Bible, and should be read as a continuation of the argument Paul presented in the previous chapter. Spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, understanding great mysteries, having faith that will move mountains, giving everything in favor of the poor, and dying as a martyr, are inferior to the gift which is quintessentially superior: the gift of love.

A person can prophesy in an impressive manner, be a captivating teacher, cure the most complex illness, perform the most spectacular miracles, but if they do these things without love, these actions lose their value.

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstacy but don’t love,
I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all His mysteries
and making everythng plain as day,
and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’
and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor
and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr,
but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do,
I’m bankrupt without love”
(1 Cor. 13:1-3, The Message).

What the apostle Paul clearly says is that love which is born in God’s heart should be the only motivation for any use of the spiritual gifts. Why is that? Because love that is born in the heart of God is the one that gives purpose, validation, and the correct guidance to everything the gifts can lead us to accomplish.

Everything we do, no matter how well-intentioned it may be, remains incomplete, because someday everything will be plainly revealed in light of the love which was consolidated on Calvary, and still remains as a mystery, because our mind is not capable of understanding the love of the One who is love incarnated: Jesus Christ.

A very talented writer once said that “when love fills the heart, it will flow out to others,
not because of favors received from them, but because love is the principle of action.
Love modifies the character, governs the impulses, subdues enmity,
and ennobles the affections. This love is as broad as the universe,
and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. Cherished in the heart,
it sweetens the entire life and sheds its blessing upon all around”
(Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p. 38).

May our Loving God bless you today…

“For as the body is one and has many members,
but all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body, so also is Christ”
– 1 Corinthians 12:12 –

The image used the most as a metaphor for the church in the New Testament, and Paul’s favorite, is that of the human body. Our body is a real marvel. It has between thrity and forty trillion cells, twenty-one different organs, and eight systems: the locomotive, the respiratory, the digestive, the urinary, the circulatory, the endoctrine, the nervous, and the reproductive.

The human bodyis an organism composed of many members, each with its indispensable function and requiring the work of countless cells. All these parts and the cells that make them up, essential but different in shape, size, and function, joins harmoniously in a body under the same power that directs them: the head.

This figure of the human body applies to the church (1 Cor. 12:11-27; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:24). It represents authority, unity, diversity, and purpose. The authority of the body and the church is the head, and according to Paul, the Head is Christ, from whom come the commands and the impulses that coordinate and harmonize the whole body of faith (1 Cor. 11:23; Eph. 2:21-22; 4:15; 5:23).

The unity of the parts is indispensable. The members are the individual parts, but none of them have a life of their own.

The diversity of the church is evident in the variety of gifts and ministries the Lord has distributed. All members play a role. The purpose of each member does not differ from the purpose of the whole. Beyond different functions, they develop a unique purpose, namely life itself. This purpose is evident in the ability to fulfill their obligations, share everything, and take care of one another. For example, the circulatory system makes it possible to transport blood, but it is the red blood cells that carry oxigen. This interaction shows us the indispensability of unity and diversity to achieve the ultimate purpose.

Paul emphasizes the character of the church as a body composed of members full of vitality, whose Head is Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who articulates that living unit. The goal is to grow to the stature of Christ (see Eph. 4:13), as all the individual members use their gift received to maintain life and reproduce it in another believer.

“While all heaven is astir, dispatching messengers to all parts of the earth to carry forward the work of redemption, the church of the living God are also to be co-laborers with Jesus Christ. We are members of His mystical body. He is the Head, controlling all the members of the body” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 19).

Jesus still dreams of us becoming one, as His prayer of John 17 says,
He wants us to be united and for the world to know us,
so that the world can believe.
Let us fulfill Jesus’s dream today.

May the Lord bless you, be the difference, let’s be united in Christ…

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,
I do not want you to be ignorant”
– 1 Corinthians 12:1 –

In 1 Corinthians 12, there are at least five essential principles:

1. Every Christian needs to know the spiritual gifts (vv. 1-3) to actively participate in the mission that Christ left to His church.
2. There is a diversity of gifts and diversity of services, or ministries (vv. 4-10), but the Lord is the same. And there is a diversity of accomplishments, but God Himself operates everything in everyone.
3. The Holy Spirit distributes gifts to all as He pleases (v. 11).
4. Just as the human body has several parts, but they all make up one body, so the gifts from God are given to those who make up the body of Christ, and that implies that no one feels superior or inferior because they have received this or that gift (vv. 12-27).
5. We cannot all receive the same gifts (vv. 28-30). First, the church, as a body, needs to develop in all aspects to fulfill its mission completely. Second, the Holy Spirit resolved to distribute various gifts as the best way to strengthen the church.

God encourages us to use the gifts the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us so that we can help strengthen the church, maintain its unity, and personally collaborate in the fulfillment of the mission. It is God’s plan to bestow a diversity of gifts in the church.

There are professing Christians who think it their duty to make every Christian like themselves. This is man’s plan, not the plan of God. In the church of God there is room for characters as varied as are the flowers in a garden. In His spiritual garden there are many varieties of flowers (Evangelism, p. 99).

BBC World News presented a report entitled: “Why do we hate wasps and love bees?” The negative view of wasps in unfair, because they are as beneficial to the environment as bees. The pollinate flowers and also play a key role in killing and eating other insects considered pests, thus reducing the use of pesticides.

Wasps cause aversion in many, while bees are appreciated by most. A survey conducted in 46 countries and published in the journal Ecological Entonomy reveals that the words most associated with wasps are “dangerous,” “stinging,” and “annoying.” For bees, on the other hand, they were “honey,” “flowers,” and “pollination.”

Although similar, they are different, and although different, they are similar.
It is not one or the other; it is one and the other,
each making its contribution.
We need “wasps” and “bees” to help us
end the plagues of sin
and sweeten the world with the honey of the gospel.

God has blessed your talents already, feel free to use them…

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you:
that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed
took bread… In the same manner He also took the cup…
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes”
– 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 –

It was January 1077, Henry IV, with his wife and son, who was still young, set out to go across the Alps through the Mount Cenis Pass, where there was no established route. The descent was under a blizzard and through snowdrifts. The Holy Roman Emperor had to transport the empress and their son in a sled made of cowhide by the strength of his arms and ropes.

Henry IV spent three days with both his head and feet bare in the snow, fasting and imploring mercy and forgiveness from Pope Grgory VII, until his excommunication was lifted. Suffering and sacrifices. Could this be the means to attain grace and salvation?

Paul says that he received from the Lord what he taught. What did he receive? He was not present when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in the first Communion service. Still, he received it by direct instruction from Christ. Both the Corinthians and the Galatians are told that he received revelations from the Lord.

The apostle mentions that the sacrament was instituded by Jesus Himself, to remind us of His incarnation and sacrifice:

“This is My body” (1 Cor. 11:24): His crucifixtion.
“It is the new covenant of My blood” (v. 25): His death.
“This do, as often as you drink it” (v. 25).
“In memory of Me” (v. 25): His mission and His dedication deserve it.

So then, the three great purposes of the Lord’s Supper are: 1. to remember Christ’s sacrifice, 2. proclaim His death, and 3. prepare for His return.

Just as Passover was celebrated to remember Israel’s liberation from the bondage of Egypt, the Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the deliverance of sin. “The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was given to commemorate the great deliverance wrought out as the result of the death of Christ. Till He shall come the second time in power and glory, this ordinance is to be celebrated. It is the means by which His great work for us is to be kept fresh in our minds” (Counsels for the Church, p. 298).

It is not about merrits, or our sacrifices, or efforts.
We do not have to walk on our knees, kneeling in the snow,
to touch tha Father’s heart. On the contrary,
it is our hearts that must be moved, grateful, and committed,
recognizing the cost of our salvation.
It is for me that He died; it is because of Him that I can live.

God bless you…

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ”
– 1 Corinthians 11:1 –

Look at how this chapter begins: telling us to be imitators of him… because he is an imitator of Christ? No, it is not pride that drives him. Paul wants us all to imitate him in his imitation of Christ. This is also my duty, because others are watching me.

The apostle then mentions what should be the place of the woman in the church. He deals with some cultural issues, but the principle is clear:

“Neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man,
in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also
comes through woman; but all things are from God” (vv. 11, 12).

The fact is that man and woman are creatures, and God is the Creator.

Paul reminds us that we should celebrate the Lord’s Supper with responsibility and awareness. Beware of playing around with serious things! The Lord’s Supper is a moment of intense personal reflection, for the symbols of which we participate are directly related tothe body of Christ and to His sacrifice and His death.

Two great lessons are highlighted in chapter 11:

• We are representatives of Christ.
• Men and women have different roles, but that does not make the superior or inferior to each other.

The roadrunner is one of the most interesting birds. It is given this name because it prefers to run rather than fly. It will fly if you lock one up and it does not have another way to escape; but as soon as possible, it will run as quickly as its feet allow. It is perhaps the best-known running bird, and can reach a speed of twenty miles per hour – even more when it chases fast lizards or elusive prey.

These fast birds live in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The roadrunner lives with its “wife” all its life, and it is said that this running bird is a wonderful Christian, because wherever it runs it leaves the cross of Christ imprinted on the ground due to the outline of its toes.

“We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20),
“Christ’s representatives upon the earth.
How do we fulfill our mission?”

“We are the Bibles the world is reading…
we are the sermons the world is heeding” (Billy Graham).
Even a simple roadrunner illustrates the need to live faithfully,
leaving the marks of the cross at every step.

May God’s mercy be upon your life…

“And all drank the same spiritual drink.
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,
and that Rock was Christ”
– 1 Corinthians 10:4 –

It is considered a masterpiece of architechture and engineering. Its peculiar architectural and landscape features and the veil of mystery that surrounds the area have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. I am referring to Machu Picchu, a cultural and ecological complex that was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981, a UNESCO World Herritage Site in 1983, and, since July 7, 2007, one of the new seven wonders of the modern world.

Located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peu at 7,972 feet above sea level, in the Cusco region and above the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the name Machu Picchu comes from Quechua and means “ancient mountain.” Each year, one million people visit the place fascinated and amazed by such an ancient wonder.

I too was fascinated and amazed, and am more and more so, but because of the wonder of wonders: Christ, the Rock of Ages. Paul reminds us that everyone drank the spiritual drink. The Rock in the desert had satisfied the thirst of the people. Likewise, Christ continued to quench the thirst of His children.

The Rock became a name for God. He is the Rock who quenches thirst, nourishes, and guides. He is the immutable Savior, always willing to support, sustain, and strenghten. Instead of being revived for salvation by the Rock, many “stumbled at that stumbling stone” (Rom. 9:32) bringing on their own doom.

Not all those who drank from the spiritual drink in the wilderness inherited the Promised Land. The Lord did everything to save them; the did everything to be lost. Instead of being fed and shepherded in the new land that flowed with milk and honey, they were scattered and roaming throughout the desert. Promises and blessings do not ensure unconditional immunity; we must approach God permanently.

What happened to the people on the journey from Egypt to Canaan
is a wake-up call for all of us who travel to the heavenly Canaan.
Christ, the true Rock, who follows you and wants to quench your thirst
and feed your soul, does not want you to be roaming in the desert of sin.
He wants to guide you and take you to the heavenly Canaan.
You simply have to always follow the Rock, drinking from Him,
feeding on Him, and sharing Him, today and every day.
“Life is a walk. Every day we take steps.
Our tomorrow is determined by the steps we take today” (Charles Spurgeon).

May the Lord bless your steps today…

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers
were under the cloud, all passed through the sea”
(1 Corinthians 10:1).

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul presents several themes, which we could summarize in this way:

1. Let us no be idolaters (v. 7, 14), worshiping someone or something other than God. Doing so is showing disdain for all of God’s care and love for us.
2. Let us not practice immorality (v. 8), which threatens our mind, our body, our spirituality… and offends our God.
3. Let us not test Christ (v. 9). We know what is best for us, but we insist in doing wrong, to see if parhaps He somehow accepts our mistakes.
4. Let us not grumble (v. 10). To grumble is to complain, finding flaws and being unhappy about everything. Complainers think themselves to be perfect, while all others are wrong and must be reformed. However, they are egocentric, resentful, and unbearable. They are at church not to learn and worship, but to teach and criticize.
5. No one is safe or free to sin. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (verse 12).
6. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow youto be tempted betond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (v. 13).
7. “All thins are lawful,” some say. Indeed, but not all things are helpful. And although “all thnigs are lawful,” not all benefits the spiritual life of others. “Not all things edify” (v. 23). They may be legal, but if they are immoral, we should not practice them. They may even seem correct, but if they cause a bad impression, it is better not to do them.
8. We must glorify the name of God with our way of life (v. 31). God does not need vigilantes of sin, who are observing and judging what others do. What God does need is for each of us to live Christianity day by day. In this way we will hononr and glorify His name.

A prologue (vv. 1-6) precedes all these guidelines, which shows us how it is possible to follow these principles. Paul tells us not to ignore the testimony of our ancestors who were under a cloud, a symbol of God’s protection and visible presence. It was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, accompanying their pilgrimage in the desert, from Egypt to Canaan.

And so they were “baptized… in the cloud and in the sea” (v. 2);
submerged and surrounded by the love and power of God;
coming out of slavery, darkness, and the filth of sin;
to enter the freedom, light, and joy of a new life.
From Egypt to Canaan, from God’s creature to a child of God,
from earth to heaven! God wants to do the same in your life,
Will you give Him permission?

Our Mighty God is a real gentleman, let Him in today…

“For though I am free from all men,
I have made myself a servant to all,
that I might win the more”
(1 Corinthians 9:19).

In just seven verses, Paul repeats six times that he wants to win the maximum number of people for the kingdom of God. That is why he has “enslaved” himself seeking the salvation of all. His salary ad his rewards were souls. He sought to save as many people as possible, because deep down he wanted everyone to be saved. Without putting at risk the biblical principles or doctrine, he adapted to customs, culture, and philosophy. His sole purpose in adapting was to lead people to the Savior.

That is why he worked for the Jews who believed themselves saved by the law and for the heathen who are lawless (Rom. 2:11-13). He worked for the weak and the powerful, for the dejected and the guillible, for the intellectuals and the illiterate, for the rich and the poor. He did not arouse prejudice, he did not scandalize them, and he did not go around trying to provoke them, so that “by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

Everyone wants to win: the one who plays a sport, the one who does business, the one who sells, the one who studies, the one who teaches, the one who deposits money, the bank that receives it, the one who sells health, the one who sells health insurance… everybody wants to win, and as long as it is lawful, that is great! Now, when we talk about winning souls and when we say that we have to win the most, some in church get nervous, but look at what a great evangelist said:

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”

Another great writer puts it this way: “The church of Christ on earth was organized for missionary purposes, and the Lord desires to see the entire church devising ways and means whereby high and low, rich and poor, may hear the message of truth” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 29).

There is a volunteer missionary in Cayambe, Ecuador, in addition to attending to her family and work responsibilities, led forty people to get baptized in eleven months. She visits people in their homes, helps them, gives them Bible studies, and brings them to Jesus, to church, to baptism, and to discipleship. What a wonderful expample!

Our Savior worked tirelessly to seek and to save.
No sacrifice stopped Him.
“His colaborers must work as He worked, hesitating not
to seek the fallen, deeming no effort too taxing,
no sacrifice too great, if they may but win souls to Christ”
(Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 495).
Lord, You can count on me today!

May the Lord bless you and fill you with courage and boldness!

 

“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…