Romans 16:17

Romans 16:17 - I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

In your life you will find that there are some who desire you to fall. They see the life you are living and want to trip you up. Sometimes they will be doing it on purpose, while other times it may just be because the life that they are living is contrary to yours.

We must watch out for these people. It is easy to guard against this from those who do not like you, it is when it is from someone close to you that it becomes harder to catch. That is why it is so important to always seek God for the truth in every situation.

We must understand that God wants us to succeed and be unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we are unified together in Christ we become a powerful entity that will make a difference for the kingdom of God.

Obviously our enemy, the devil, does not like this. He will do whatever he can to split you apart and divide you. Be on your guard against such attacks. If there is someone in your life that is constantly trying to trip you up, stay away from them. They are not looking to help you out, but instead wish to make you fall. It is the enemies goal to split you off from the body of Christ.

Just like a lion attacks the weak and vulnerable animal that is split off from the herd, so too the devil wants you alone and vulnerable. When you are unified with other believers you will not only do more for God, but you will also be stronger. You will be able to watch and protect others while they do the same for you. So be on your guard and keep away from those who seek to divide you.

Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 - Jesus answered, “It is written ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Jesus was the same as we are now. He was 100% God and 100% man. He was different, of course, in the sense that He was God first, and then He came to earth in the flesh. Jesus was the firstborn.

We started in the flesh and then were reborn into God. But the point still remains that when Jesus came to earth He received the same sinful nature that we have. He had to; if not, He would not have been able to go through the same temptation as we did.

Jesus did, however,  come in the flesh and He did go through everything that we go through. He faced every temptation and every sin, but He stood His ground. Jesus never sinned.

So when we are facing temptation and sin we can first know that Christ went through the exact same thing, and then we can look to Him to find out how to say no.

Notice during Jesus time in the desert when satan was tempting Him how He handled it. Satan saw Jesus physical desires and wants and appealed to His flesh. He offered bread to a starving man; he offered immortality to a God who had taken a mortal body; and he offered kingdom authority to one who had stepped out of His kingdom.

Just as satan attacks you and me he also attacked Jesus; with the desires of the flesh. Jesus however turned it around and brought in the spiritual. When our flesh is weak, our spirit is made strong.

If you are facing temptation the best thing to do is look to the spiritual. Just as in this verse, if you are tempted with food, look to the Word to get spiritual nourishment. Through Christ and with God’s Spirit inside of us we have the ability to face temptation and stand firm.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in Love.

          In closing his first letter to the Corinthians Paul gives us a summary of how to live a successful life. We have already given our lives to Christ and received salvation; now it is a matter of living it.

          “Be on your guard,” he says, but what do we guard from. Proverbs tells us, “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).” Christ has made our hearts new and now we must protect it from being corrupted again. Our life flows from our heart, so guard it and protect it from evil.

          “Stand firm in the faith,” is his next statement. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of ourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).” Our salvation comes by faith and all the blessings of God are received through faith. So stand firm in what you believe and don’t let doubt or unbelief move you.

          “Be men of courage.” We all strive to be courageous, but we must realize that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is standing up in the face of fear and knowing that our God is bigger than whatever obstacle is in your way. If you weren't a little bit scared it wouldn't be courage.

          “Be strong.” This next statement seems so simple, but let’s look a little deeper, Where do we find our strength? “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10),” and the “Joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).” We also see that Paul rejoices in his weakness, because that is where God gives him strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). Our strength comes from God, so be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10).

          “Do everything in Love.” This statement wraps it all up and ties everything together. Jesus told us to Love God and Love people. He said that sums up the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). God looks to the heart, so if all you do is out of Love, even if you mess up it’ll be ok, because God will see your motive. So above all else I stress to you: walk in Love. Love is the fulfillment of all things. Let the Love of God flow through you.

1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.



         Life gets busy. There is always something going on. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. We have our spouse, our kids and then there’s our work life and any extra-curricular activities that we’ve added on. It often seems that there is no time for anything else. And then Paul tells us, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” After all that is already going on in my life how can I add more?
         It is time to renew our mind to this passage of scripture so we can truly understand what we are instructed to do here. What is the ‘work of the Lord’? That is the first question we must address. Often, we think this to be one of the five-fold ministry roles (teacher, preacher, evangelist, prophet, or apostle). While those are people that do the work of the Lord they are not the only ones this applies to.
         We must realize that there is an order to our life and ministry, and most of all realize that every area of our life is ministry. Now let me explain what I mean. I am not saying that you need to give up things in your life to go and minister to people. It’s more about your mindset and how you view your life. I’ve often felt that “if I could just make it through this week I will make it to Sunday and can minister at church.” While that is not entirely wrong it is missing the heart of God for your life.
         God’s desire is that you don’t just make it through your life, but that you show His Love and make the most of all you do. As I was saying, there is an order to our ministry and all our life is ministry. First and foremost you must tend to your personal relationship with God. This has nothing to others, it is about you and God. That is your first ministry.
         Next, if you have them, is your spouse and children. Your spouse is your second order of ministry and must not be neglected. Then, third on the list are your kids. If you have them it is your responsibility to teach them and train them in the Lord. After that comes extended family, friends and then ministry to others and your ministry in your workplace.
         We must live every area of our life for the Lord. As we begin to take on this new view we will stop looking to just ‘get through life’, and start looking to how we can let God use us in every situation to bring Him glory.