The opening of 1 Corinthians chapter 12, (the chapter on the gifts of the Holy Spirit), says, “…you were Gentiles (heathen) carried away by dumb idols.” This means the Corinthians had been fanatical, (carried away) about gods made by man. They had been carried away by gods who were unable to speak to them. The gods they once served were stone, metal or wood. They could speak to the idol, but it could not respond to them.

Now you serve the true and living God who can and does speak to you. He speaks to your spirit or aloud through gifts of the Holy Spirit. I think one thing Paul is reprimanding them for is their former enthusiasm for gods who could not speak. Why are we not as enthusiastic for a God who cares and who communicates with us? We often are more excited over metal cars and wood furniture than the living God. We do not necessarily have to be heathens to worship idols called televisions or other forms of new technology.

The problem is not with God. He loves to speak to us. The problem is us. We are usually preoccupied with the things of life and don’t spend time waiting for His voice. There are things we can do to guarantee hearing God’s voice. Our prayer life, especially praying in tongues, is a great inspiration to our hearts to hear from God. By praying in the Spirit, we edify, build ourselves up, and become sensitive to the voice of God. Waiting on God is an important part of prayer. It is like talking to a friend and then being quiet to hear their response. Over half of prayer should be listening.

God is speaking. Are you listening?

Paul told the congregation at Colosse to take a fresh look at their pastor, Epaphras. I want you to notice a few things Paul said about him. It will help you as much as it did the congregation Paul wrote to.

First, Paul said Epaphras was faithful, dedicated to fervent prayer for the saints. As I looked up the definition of faithfulness one day, I ran across the example of a plodder, one who continues to put one foot in front of the other no matter what the situation. When things are good or when things are bad, we are to keep on keeping on. Situations in life are not to interfere with our faithfulness to do what is expected of us, attend church, do our job, and take care of the needs of others.

Secondly, Paul told the congregation that Epaphras was one of them. Apparently, he was saved at a young age and raised in the church. In our day, he probably would have come up through the children’s and youth ministries and been involved in volunteer ministry. Epaphras eventually became the pastor. The old expression, familiarity breeds contempt, might have been an issue with the church members as they looked at this young man they had known for years and were having a difficult time accepting him as their pastor. God loves to put heroes in front of us who have come up through the ranks. It is sad to give recognition solely to those who have come from outside our ranks, or who have a dynamic testimony of deliverance from drugs or a rebellious lifestyle. These testimonies are inspiring, but thank God for those who have been raised in church and have stayed with it.

Finally, Paul used an example of a hero the people knew. We often refer to those who were famous coaches, presidents or business leaders as examples to inspire others. This is fine, but God prefers to use those who are in our midst each day. These are local heroes. There comes a time to put down the books of those who are famous in history and look around. There are fellow workers who are inspiring and need to be recognized. You may be discouraged and wanting to give up. Look at those on the job who may be going through worse times than you may be going through. They are faithful to work each day and do what is required of them despite what is going on in their personal life. We are to look to those around us each day and “follow those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God.”

Famines

I am in Jerusalem holding a ministers conference. Between sessions, I have been watching the news and can't help but notice the increased numbers of famines in the world, especially in Africa and North Korea. This is a great fulfillment of what Jesus told us in Matthew 24. It is a great indication of the soon coming of Jesus for His Church.

I will give you the words of Jesus, "Don't be concerned, all these things must come to pass." No matter what the cost of gasoline or food in the days to come, David told us the righteous would never be forsaken and God's seed would not be found begging for bread. Keep your trust in Jesus and follow His promises. God will keep you, His child. If gasoline rises to $9.00 a gallon as it is in Europe, or if a loaf of bread rises to $10.00 a loaf, God will supply the money according to His riches in glory. You will have pocket change to cover the cost of your needs because God will continue to supply!

Jesus gave us a way to fulfill all the law in two commandments. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Then we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Ten Commandments are divided into exactly those two sections. The first commandments are directed toward God and the remainder toward those who live around us each day.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us the Beatitudes and then followed them with this commandment, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He now reduced the two commandments down to one, which we often call the Golden Rule. It may appear to be simple, or simpleminded, but even if we only know a little of the Bible, if we do things to and for others we wish they would do to and for us, we can fulfill all God wants for us. God has always tried to make the Christian life simple, not complicated. God’s love is simple. Why don’t you choose to treat others today as you would like to be treated?