Living by God's Power

 QT/Daily Devotion for 1/25/2021


Scripture

    Our dedication to Christ Jesus makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. YET WE ARE TREATED LIKE THE WORLD'S GARBAGE, LIKE EVERYBODY'S TRASH - RIGHT UP TO THE PRESENT MOMENT.

1 Corinthians 4: 10-13 (NLT, emphasis mine)


Observation

    These verses feel like my testimony during the 2010s. I never felt connected to the rest of the congregation in the church I was serving in. I did the things I did to encourage people to go deeper in their faith. I did not want to see them stay complacent with their relationship with God. Their praise and worship were weak, and they were very immature spiritually. As time went on, I did not see them mature at all and they seemed satisfied with where they were at. As long as they go through the religious motions they deceived themselves into thinking they are saved. However, they failed to realized that God was very offended and would not let them into Heaven in their current state.

    The Apostle Paul admonishes them for their faulty thinking. He tries to show them what his life was truly like despite what they believed it to be. He bluntly explains how poorly he was mistreated by others instead of being treated like a powerful person with a lot of honor. Obeying God and following His commands puts us in direct opposition with the rest of the world. They do not recognize Him as the Lord of lords, and think of themselves as higher than Him. They operate under a hierarchal system with one person in charge and not God.

    And the church operates the same exact way. Instead of the Godhead making all the decisions, ultimate authority falls under one single person. Also, unlike the Trinity, there are no checks and balances with the head pastor. It seems like the only person who can rebuke him is his wife. I have been thinking lately that the church should be restructured where EVERYONE is treated equally, and not like a chaste system. One reason why the Trinity exists as it does is to show us that not One Figure in it is above the other Two. All Three are equal in authority, honor, and respect. Unfortunately, His people do not recognize this and act no differently than non-believers.


Application

    East Asian culture tend to overvalue education. To them academic success is all that matters. Therefore, in their churches they care too much about theology and esteem the Father, and recognize Jesus the Son, but do not honor the supernatural and therefore dishonor the Holy Spirit. Starting with 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul continues, "I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you... Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. But I will come - and soon - if the Lord lets me, and then I'll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God's power. FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT JUST A LOT OF TALK; IT IS LIVING BY GOD'S POWER."


Prayer

https://youtu.be/wrQuKK6jz-4

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