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The Aroma of Messiah

"But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of pure motivation, as commissioned by God, in the sight...

The Greatest of These Is Love

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13).In this chapter, Paul interrupts his discussion about spiritual gifts to discuss the most important thing in the Christian faith: love. He describes what love looks like.We can do lots of good, spiritual things. But if we do not do them in love, they are nothing. Love must be the motivation for everything we do. To love is to say and do what is best for another person. It is to be loyal to that per...

Baptized into One Body

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Messiah. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many" (1 Cor 12:12-14).Thank you, Father, for how you have formed the church to be one body. We are one living organism, held together by bones, muscles, and ligaments, and functioning ...

The Head of a Wife Is Her Husband

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Messiah, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Messiah is God" (1 Cor 11:3).In God's economy, there is a chain of command. God is the head of Messiah Jesus, his Son. Jesus is the head of every man. And the husband is head of is wife. This chain of command is good and in line with the nature of things as God has designed it. Those in headship are to lead as God leads, and those in submission must submit as Jesus submits to h...

The Way of Escape

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor 10:12-14).There is so much wisdom in this chapter. I love the Bible and starting the day with it. And I love observing the life, thinking, and stra...

Run to Obtain the Prize

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable" (1 Cor 9:24-25).As believers, we are to picture ourselves as running in a race against many other runners. We are all running for one prize. To win, we have to exercise self-control in all things. This includes in training and in the race itself. The winner of a ...

Knowledge Puffs Up, but Love Builds Up

"Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that 'all of us possess knowledge.' This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God" (1 Cor 8:1-3).In a choice between showing our knowledge and showing or love, we are to choose showing our love. Love is greater than knowledge. This does not mean knowledge is unimportant (vv. 2:6-7). Often the effect of showing our knowle...

Good Order and Undivided Devotion to the Lord

"I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord" (1 Cor 7:35).Paul wants the Corinthians to make marriage and family decisions that promote the goals of good order and undivided devotion to the Lord Jesus. These are the goals the Corinthians believers should aim for.Some practical ways I can promote good order and undivided devotion to the Lord Jesus in my own life are: (1) waking up at 5am for a sh...

One Spirit with the Lord

"Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, 'The two will become one flesh.' But he who is joined to the Lord [Jesus] becomes one spirit with him" (1 Cor 6:16-17).The reason we are to flee from sexual immorality is because as believers our physical bodies are already members of Messiah (v. 15). We were bought with a price (v. 20). We are joined to the Lord Jesus and have become one spirit with him (v. 17). Our body is a temple of th...

Cleanse Out the Old Leaven

"Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Cor 5:7-8).Paul commands the Corinthian church to publicly discipline a believer among them who has committed a horrible sin. This man has done something not even unbelievers do and has brought shame upon th...

Already You Have Become Rich!

"Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men" (1 Cor 4:8-9).Some in the Corinthian church are falling for a sort of health and wealth, prosperity gospel, and Paul is not happy . Paul is being sarcastic. They have b...

It Is God Who Gives the Growth

"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord [Jesus] assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Cor 3:5-7).Paul views Apollos and himself as nothing more than God's servants. The Corinthians believed through Paul and Apollos at the coordination of Jesus. Paul planted, and Apollos watered. But only God gets credit for the spiritual growt...

An Important Update from Jeff and Averil Coleman

Dear Friends,We would like to inform you of a big decision we have made over the past few weeks. For Averil to have the best possible chance to recover from stage three breast cancer, we have decided to move back to the United States and will do so in the next few days. We made this decision in late February after an online discussion with Averil’s doctor at the Riordan Clinic in Wichita, Kansas.We have been saying goodbye to the brothers and sisters of Riverside Chapel, Cornerstone Internatio...

That We Might Understand the Things Freely Given Us by God

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual" (1 Cor 2:12-13).As baby Christians, we have a lot to learn. Thankfully, the Father gives us the Holy Spirit so that we may begin to understand all the wonderful free gifts the Father has given to us by his grace. The a...

God Chose What Is Weak in the World

"For consider your calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1 Cor 1:26-29).Our world is full of boasting. W...

Reasoning and Persuading

"And [Paul] entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus" (Acts 19:8-9).Paul's ministry was one of reasoning and persuading about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and the fact Jesus is the Messiah promised by the Old Testamen...

With Toil and Labor We Worked Night and Day

"For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate" (2 Thess 3:7-9).Paul, Silas, and Timothy worked very hard during the few weeks they were among the Thessalonians. They didn't take any money from the T...

They Refused to Love the Truth

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power, false signs, and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess 2:9-12).The Thessalonian believers have heard that the day of the Lord Jesus has already ...

Every Resolve for Good

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess 1:11-12).Paul is proud of the Thessalonian believers and the way they have grown in faith and love despite suffering intense persecution. His prayer for them is that their good resolve and wor...

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the desire of God in Messiah Jesus for you" (1 Thess 5:18).Toward the end of his letter, Paul urges the Thessalonian believers to give thanks in whatever circumstances they face. This is because their salvation is certain (vv. 8-9) and they are in the process of being sanctified completely by God (vv. 23-24).Our family is going through a big move, and every day is filled with placing items on Facebook marketplace and TradeMe, interacting with buyers...

What Is It to Really Live?

"For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord" (1 Thess 3:8).Paul, Silas, and Timothy had to flee Thessalonica quickly on account of their Jewish opponents. They didn't have a long time to say goodbye and give final instructions to the believers of the new church there. When Paul reached Athens, he became deeply concerned about them. Had all his teaching been in vain? So he sent Timothy to check up on them. Timothy found them remaining true to what Paul had taught, despite suffering per...

You Are Our Glory and Joy

"For what is our hope, joy, or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy" (1 Thess 2:19-20).Paul and his companions were driven out of Thessalonica by their Jewish opponents. They long to go back and see the believers there, but Satan has so far hindered them (v. 18). But even if they can't see them face to face, the Thessalonian believers are still very much on their hearts and minds. They are the glory and joy of Paul, Silas, and Timoth...

You Became an Example to All the Believers

"You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord [Jesus], for you received the message in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia" (1 Thess 1:5-7).We see a pattern here. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are flesh and blood examples of what it looks like to be believers and Christ-followers. The Thessalonian believers imitated what they saw in these thr...

I Will Return to You if God Desires

"And they came to Ephesus, and [Paul] left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, 'I will return to you if God desires,' and he set sail from Ephesus" (Acts 18:19-21).Paul has spent considerable time in Macedonia, Athens, and Corinth preaching the gospel and establishing churches. Now it is time for him to return to his home church, Antioch. On the way back, ...

God Commands a Change of Mind

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to change their minds, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man [Jesus] whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).Paul is speaking before a crowd of philosophers at the Areopagus in Athens (v. 22). After clarifying who God is and what he is like, he encourages his audience to move from Epicureanism, S...