Sunday, October 4, 2020

Today's Passage - 1 Corinthians 14:12-19

1 Corinthians 14:12-19
 
...Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.  For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.  So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.  If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?  You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified...
 
In this passage, Paul instructed the church to allow the use of tongue, which shows that tongue needs to have its proper place in the church.  Paul also had the gift of tongue, but he thought that the church needs words that people can understand and be edified, otherwise tongue might become a cause for church division and can even made a selected group of people more proud.  This is surely not God's intention when He granted us the gift of tongue.  Tongue is for edifying ourselves and to speak all kinds of mysteries to God.  In the church, we should seek words that edify others and gifts that edify the church, so that people would know the will of God.  Thus, both tongue and prophecy are important, but neither one is more important than the other.
 
The church must exercise the gift of prophecy more frequently.  The word "prophecy" sometimes gives people the impression that it can only be spoken by pastors or certain individuals from the pulpit, but that's not true.  The word simply means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the words that edify, comfort and encourage.  Everyone of us can serve others with such a gift.  Sometimes God prompted you to call a brother or sister, but you thought it was too late and decided to call the next day, and then you'd forget to do it.  Didn't you have such experience?  Holy Spirit often prompts us, and we need to follow it and make the call to express our care.  That way we can bring others encouragement, comfort and edification.  That is the gift of prophecy!
 
Holy Spirit actually often prompts you and me, but we also often put off the prompting and not follow the quiet voice from inside us.  If all Christians can be trained to be more sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, there won't be so many heartbroken people in the church.  May God help us to understand that we must support each other in the church, so that love of God will continue to flow through us.
 
Pray with Pastor Tong
 
Lord, we thank you for giving the church all types of gifts.  You've given us the gift of tongue so that we may be edified, and the gift prophecy so that we may support one another.  May the Holy Spirit prompt us and help us to follow His quiet voice, in order for your work to be accomplished through us.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
   
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