Good morning, all!

Father, Your word declares that You would guide us through this life with Your eye. Help us to keep our eyes on You to find a look of approval, a look of confidence, a look of determination to know that we will finish Your course of life. May we forever be changed with just one look from You to know who we are and that we are loved, Amen.

1 Corinthians 2

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
So, I made up my mind while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, and the one who was crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
I came to you in weakness–timid and cautious of my approach.

4 And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my words and my preaching was very simple, easy to understand, I did not try to wow or persuade you, but trusted God’s spirit would move you.

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
I did that so you would know the power of God is NOT based on man’s intellect but rather faith alone.

Bottom line

Paul didn’t read the book “how to win friends and influence people” before preaching the gospel, instead he trusted that God’s word and faith were all that was needed to change a life. In fact, Paul was a very educated man and studied and went to school for many years and you know what he thought of all that training?

[Phl 3:8 NIV] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may win Christ. Whatever we think we KNOW or don’t it’s all worthless compared to living as Christ. How determined are we to know Christ in one another? And if we would find Him in each other, would it change how we live? This is what Paul is trying to convey to the Corinthian church. They thought they were a cut above, sought of speak, they were educated and wealthy and honestly thought they were better than others.Paul was very careful when he spoke with them to be humble and soft spoken, he knew the spirit of Christ has NO part in the pride of the world or the pride of religion. The only thing worse than pride is religious pride, it’s disguised by self-righteousness and hard to see in oneself and hard to see the Christ in others.

[2Co 4:4 KJV] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. When our mind is blind, we can’t see Christ in each other, who is the image of God. Think about it, how much pride did Jesus Christ have? I mean God said He hates pride. Remember Jesus and the father are one, there is NO darkness in Him. What do you think blinds the mind?

[Oba 1:3 NIV] The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground? God hates pride because He knows it will deceive us; it will blind us from living as Christ and alienate us from God. Pride is NOT determined to find Christ in mankind; it’s too busy living above everyone else and it certainly is NOT humble itself before others. The whole world is determined to win, to make money, to be successful, to be right, but what if we lose Christ in the process? What if we lose Him and we don’t even know it? Is that possible?

[Rev 3:17 NKJV] Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They don’t know that they are BLIND, when you’re deceived you don’t know you’re deceived. They say they have need of NOTHING and yet they’re NOT happy, NOT satisfied, they think they’re rich but the truth is they are poor. Scripture says we are to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, First is First…when you wake up in the morning what is the FIRST thing you do? If the FIRST thing you do is seek God I promise you will WIN Christ and when you have Him, you have everything!

Point to Ponder

You want to win? [Eph 4:23-24 NLT] Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God–truly righteous and holy. Change your ATTITUDE and when it looks like Jesus…congratulations you’ve won.

Let’s all be determined to live as Christ, In Him Phil

Faith – Family – Friends