YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED!

1 CORINTHIANS 7: 32

"Those who use the things of this world, YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED to them.  As we all know, the world will soon pass away!"

Do you have an inventory of all the things that you own and possess?  Within that list how many things are there that you just can not live without?  Is it your home, a car, a piece of jewelry or some furniture that is an heirloom?  What about that high definition TV stereo system with the surround sound.  What about that land that defines your family and its heritage?  What about that state of the art computer system with all the programs and accessories?  How could you ever be separated from them and be happy?  If you lose them will you just die, or when you die, will you just lose them?  The One Truth Today tells us that when it comes to all the things of this world, YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED!

The way some view the world is summed up in their slogan," the one with the most toys in the end is the winner".  Could they be any more of a loser?  What would it profit a person if they gained the whole world and yet lost their eternal soul?  You brought nothing into this world and you will take nothing with you when you go.  We need to avoid becoming absorbed in the possessions of this world and focus on the eternal prospective.  Remember we are just passing through and our home is in heaven!  The truth is that we do not own anything, it all belongs to God, and what you have He has given to you.  More importantly, everything of this world is going to burn, except our eternal souls!  We are merely stewards of what God has given us to be in charge of.  You are not the owner and YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED!

If you want to be free of all anxiety and stress you need to understand what belongs to whom. The right approach is to realize that you do not have to give up what you never owned in the first place.  If the house burns down or is foreclosed, it was never yours to begin with.  If you lose a piece of jewelry it was not yours in the first place.  No matter what is taken from you the only important thing to retain is you Salvation and your eternal soul.  When the fire starts and you rush in to save your most important possessions, remember that the most precious thing that you have is your relationship with Jesus Christ the Lord God!  Who will save you, who will give you eternal life, who will give you a mansion in Heaven and who will supply all of your needs in perfection?  You will not find it here on earth and whatever you possess God is trying to explain that YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME ATTACHED, you know that all of this will soon pass away!

WHAT PLEASES THE LORD?

PROVERBS 21: 3

"The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just, then when we offer Him sacrifices."

Do you love Jesus Christ the Lord God?  Do you want to please Him, or are you more concerned with pleasing yourself?  When you wake up each morning, do you think what can I do to please the Lord today?  Instead is your planning for the day all about you and your needs and desires?   Do you have a personal plan about what you want to accomplish and obtain in this world?  What part does God play in your plan?  The One Truth Today lets us know what God wants, when it come to us.  We sometimes fail to keep an eternal perspective and focus on the temporary life of the here and now.   We need to always remember why we are here and the purpose of our lives.  We are here to worship God and to give Him praise, honor and glory!  So WHAT PLEASES THE LORD?

In the past, most people thought that bringing sacrifices to the Lord was what pleased Him. They believed that the shed blood of animals would be a cover for their sins.  They believed that bringing tithes into the temple would please Him.  If that was true, then why is it that their is no temple for sacrifices anymore?  You may have noticed that no temple sacrifices have occurred since Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the Cross 2000 years ago.  The death and resurrection of the Lord was the ultimate sacrifice and no more animal sacrifices are required! The Passover Lamb of God filled all that was required.  Man has now been reconciled to God! So what is it now that is most pleasing to the Lord when it come to his children?  

The most pleasing way to honor God, is to worship and praise Him, and it is directly related to your daily living.  God wants you to do the right thing, do the just thing.  God will know that you are His child and that He is your father if  you act and think like Him.  If you honor His Word and you live accordingly, full of faith and His righteousness, you will please God.  The laws of God should be written on your heart and acted out in you life.  God is our conscience and He leads us to do what is right and what is just!  Do you listen to His Word and live in His truth?  Others will know if you are a just person who knows and does what is right in the Lord's sight.  Do you seed God first in everything that you do?  Do you solve problems and issues by seeking the Lord and His wisdom?  Do you do the right thing?  The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and what is just, then when we offer Him sacrifices.  Now you know WHAT PLEASES THE LORD!

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY!

1 CORINTHIANS 6: 19-29

"Do you realize that  your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You no longer belong to yourself, for God bought you at a very high price!  So you must HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY!

Almost everyone believes that their body belongs to themselves, right?  There is an important concept that God wants you to know, found in our One Truth Today.  If  you have been saved by Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has entered your body and now dwells with in you.  Your body is now the temple that the Holy Spirit lives in.  This gift from God is what allows you to be a new creature with a new heart and a new body.  You are no longer your own person, you belong to the Lord who bought you by laying down His blameless life for you.  You are one of the stones in His Holy Church.  We no longer have the option to abuse our body in habitual sin anymore. We must honor God and use our body to worship Him and give Him Glory.  Are you honoring Jesus Christ with your body?  Are you an appropriate temple for the Holy Spirit? 

Most of us do not think of ourselves as a temple.  It is difficult to think of our body as a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.  Yet the Spirit now resides in us and it was the gift of God that brings us honor and requires us to Honor Him.  God has kept His promise, and it is important that we keep our promise to God.  We repented of our sin and promised to walk in His ways. We promised to follow Him, and worship Him only.  Do  you HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY?  Do you realize that your body is not your own anymore?  Do you know that it is now meant to bring honor and glory to God.  Do you realize that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

If you do not use your body to glorify, worship and honor God, then you have an important question to answer!  Have I been saved by Jesus Christ?  Is the Holy Spirit residing in me, and living in my heart?  Am I now a child of God and one of the stones in His temple?  If you go on habitually committing the sins of your past then the answer is NO!  If you are more concerned about your own body than the body of Christ then stop and reflect.  Are you showing the fruit of the spirit in your every day living?  When you believed Jesus Christ and accepted His free Gift of Salvation did you become a new person?  A good way to answer the question is to know in your heart that you HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY! 

YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THIS WORLD!

1 CORINTHIANS 5: 9-10

"I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.  I was not talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols.  YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THIS WORLD  to avoid people like that."

There is a clear message in this One Truth Today.  We are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer, but still indulges in sexual sin.  The clear direction deals with believers who are abusive, greedy, cheaters or who worship idols.  The fact is we are advised not to even eat with or associate with such people.  We are also told that, to avoid non believers that act like that, we would have to leave this world.  Unbelievers do not fear God and will do anything that they can think of.  Believers on the other hand are held to a different standard by God and should be by man.  Paul is talking about those who profess to love and follow Jesus Christ but commit the same sins as unbelievers.  If you love and fear the Lord you can not habitually commit the same sin over and over.  You are a new creature with a new heart and mind!

Paul never meant that we would never have to associate with unbelievers.  We are in the world, but we are not of it.  We are to avoid the profane, impure and unchaste whenever possible. This would include even those who profess to be believers but their fruit says otherwise.   Why should we avoid or shun those who habitually indulge in all kinds of sin?  A little yeast leavens the whole loaf.  A little sin can spoil the healthiest fruit.  We are affected by the world that we live in and the amount will be determined by our interactions.  We make one choice at a time and the choices have consequences.  Who do you associate with?  Who do you let close to you?

The amount of time we spend with people will reflect our true belief and feelings.  Do you avoid unbelievers whenever possible?  Do you spend your time with those who are of like mind with you and the Lord?  If you continue to associate with those that indulge in sexual sin, greed, drunkenness, and idol worship they will have an affect on you.  Unbelievers actions lead to bad consequences and they will take you right along with them, if you are closely linked.  We need to make prudent judgements about who we spend time with and allow into our inner circle. We choose who we spend time with and those who we believe.  We are known by our friends and associates.  Do not associate with people who indulge habitually in sin!  In order to avoid the effects of sin altogether we will have to be patient, YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THIS WORLD!

THE GIFTS OF GOD!

1 CORINTHIANS 4: 7

"What do you have that God has not given you?  If everything that you have is from God,  why boast,  as though it were not a gift?"

Do you believe that you have been blessed by God.  Has He given you  health, both mental and physical?  Has He blessed you with artistic gifts or spiritual gifts?  Have you accumulated wealth after working hard or receiving gifts?  Do you believe that you have obtained almost everything that you want or desire?  Stop for a moment and digest the One Truth Today!  Just what exactly have you earned and deserve, and what has been given to you by God?  Do you really believe that it is all by your own effort?  Are you superior and set apart from all others?  The truth is that what you have was given to you by God.  Be careful not to boast about your accomplishments, achievements and accumulations.  Everything that you have are THE GIFTS OF GOD!

Humans can be arrogant and carnal by nature.  Think of all the kings potentates and leaders of the world.  Many have built up empires and controlled massive wealth and possessions.  If we had a conversation with them they would boast of all their accomplishments at any time.  Think of some religious leaders who have built up great churches with huge followings,  that believe that they are the ones responsible.  Many have come in awe and wonder to them and tried to learn and then emulate their success.  Many have failed miserably.  What was that magic ingredient that they are missing?  How did others achieve their glory?  What do they have that was not given to them by God.  THE GIFTS OF GOD are just that and no one should boast.

Humility, compassion and a lack of arrogance are the prerequisites of a truly blessed person. We need to know that whatever we have and whatever we have accomplished was by the grace of God and a gift from Him.  Pride falls before the man, and that is proven true by so many who try and take the honor and glory for themselves.  In God's sight no man or leader or celebrity is better than another and all owe their positions to the Lord.  How could anyone boast as though they are the source of their gifts?  The only way they can do this is if they do not know and fear God.  Every good gift is from God and only those that know and recognize this will continue to get THE GIFTS OF GOD!

WHY TRY TO UNDERSTAND?

PROVERBS 20: 24

"The Lord directs our steps, so WHY TRY TO UNDERSTAND everything along the way.?

Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why did God allow that baby to die?  If there is a God who cares for us and loves us why does He allow bad things to happen?  If I am a Christian, why do I have to suffer?  How many times have you heard these or questions like them? They are all examples of the same issue, just asked in different ways!  If God is a good God then how can He allow anything bad to happen?  The concept is used to allow people to conclude that there is no God and then they do not have to bow down and respect God and His Laws.  By rejecting God and disrespecting Him they can do anything that they want without impunity. Thus the homosexual with aids, instead of concluding that they have broken God's law, will instead conclude that there is no God and they can continue in their life style.  So many choose not to allow the Lord to direct their steps, and they fail to understand the consequences!

Remember, we do not have the mind of God.  The Lord knows and can see the end from the beginning.  What man may perceive as bad may be good in the eternal kingdom of God.  To be absent from our body is to be present with the Lord.  Death has no Victory and the grave has no real sting!  To be in Heaven and perfection with the Lord is not a bad thing, it is a good thing! Do you ever hear the question, why did God allow that good believer to come home and be in heaven with Him?  Did you know that babies that die are immediately with the Lord Jesus Christ!  When we try to understand everything along the way of our life, we sometimes tend to see only the horizontal moment in time and fail to consider the vertical and eternal life of perfection!  Your eternal life and your soul have no ending!  Remember we are just pilgrims or travelers,  passing through this life.  This is not our home, this is not our final destination!  

God's ways are not our ways, and His mind is not our mind, so WHY TRY TO UNDERSTAND!  You will never understand God with your finite mind.  Instead we need to trust God and His Word.  God is infallible and omnipotent, we are not.  Jesus has the power over death, we do not!  So if a tragedy of any kind happens to those close to you or just in your purview, you should always consider this One Truth Today.  If the Lord is directing your steps and you are in His will, then whatever happens to you or yours, it is from God.  God is good and only has good in mind for you in this limited time here on earth.  Look up for your redemption draws nigh! Trust God that He knows what is right for you and everyone else and He will do the right thing! The best idea is allow God to be God, WHY TRY TO UNDERSTAND the mind of God!

THE WISE AND THE INTELLIGENT!

1 CORINTHIANS 1: 19

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent!

Human beings many times are really arrogant.  Many individuals think of themselves as wise or intelligent, when in reality they are no more than fools.  Think of the physicians that thought blood letting healed people.  Think of the scholars that thought the world was flat.  Think of the pharaohs that planned to live forever in their pyramids.  Philosophers, scholars and the worlds brightest minds in the end look foolish if they do not recognize God and His creations, including themselves.  Has man brought peace to the world, cured all illnesses, overcome death and conquered the universe?  The clear answer is no!  In fact we are not far from the deserts and jungles that we rose from.  We can not create something from nothing and more importantly we could never save our selves from death.  So are the wise men really wise?  Are the intelligent really intelligent?

The One Truth Today is that God gives wisdom and intelligence to believers and He can destroy the wisdom of those who do not respect Him and Know and Fear Him.  God can discard the intelligence of the intelligent if they do not Love and Worship Him.  God has continually baffled the supposed learned men.  We overcome one disease or problem and another takes its place.  Man asks for peace and there will be no peace until the Lord comes again.  No one is really clever or discerning without the inspiration of God.  If we compare the wisdom of God with the wisdom of man, there really is no comparison.  God's mind is not our mind and His ways are not our ways!  So who really is wise and who really is intelligent?

THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS THE FEAR, KNOWLEDGE, AND LOVE OF GOD!  That is right, if you do not fear, know or love God, you are a fool!  Knowledge of the Lord and His Word and the Word of His Prophets lead to wisdom and understanding.  What part of this equation can not be missed if you want to be wise and intelligent.  Putting God first in every aspect of your life is the most important part.  If you are unwilling to believe in the Lord then you will be incapable of true wisdom or true intelligence.  To fools the story of the cross is folly and untrue and they do not even know that they are dead men walking!  You can not be more of a fool than that.  God frustrates and brings to nothing anything that non believer's espouse or believe.  So who are THE WISE AND INTELLIGENT?  Everyone who has come to a Saving Grace and believes in Jesus Christ the Lord God has achieved that gift in this life and the life to come!