“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and
immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that
someone has his father’s wife.  You have
become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this
deed would be removed from your midst” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)

Humans have a way of looking the
other way in the face of the obvious. 
For whatever reason, we do not want to confront what is wicked and evil
in our midst.  Fight against ignoring
what is wrong and stand firm on what is right. 
Mourn for those who do evil and pray the Lord to lead them in a
direction toward repentance.  In all
cases look to the Lord and uphold what He declares as true.

Lord, where I have ignored the truth and gone my own way, help me to
repent and be led by You in the right way. 
Guide me, O Lord, that I may be both bold and firm, yet always gentle
and gracious.  Guide me in the way of
truth that I may now and always live the life You have called me to live.  Guide me by Your grace that I would not be
tossed about by the wickedness of this world.

Lord Jesus, You know what it is
to see wickedness.  You knew Your cousin
John would be beheaded amidst a similar circumstance.  That fear of retaliation for standing firm
can be debilitating.  Help me, Lord, that
I may abide in You such that I have strength amidst fear to hold my ground and
do what is right.  Lead me to always be
faithful amidst the troubles of this world. 
Amen.

“For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.  What do you desire? Shall I come to you with
a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? (1 Corinthians 4:20-21)

We convey the Kingdom of God
with words and sometimes make the mistake that all we are delivering are
words.  God spoke into existence all
things with words, but Christ Jesus is the power of God that created all
things.  Come into the power of God.  Walk in the Holy Spirit and know that it is
God at work in you.  He is the One who is
maintaining all things and He invites us to live in Him and He in us.

Lord, it is not my power, nor my ability, but yours that makes all the
difference.  Help me, I pray, to see
through the fog of this age that I may now and always walk in Your will and
Your way.  Lead me according to Your
purposes and for Your sake that I may abide in Your power now and always.  Lead me, O Lord, according to the plans You
have for all of creation now and forever.

Lord Jesus, You came humbly and
walked among us.  Many confused the use
of Your words as a lack of power.  You
did many miracles and even raised the dead, yet they would not believe.  Help me, Lord, to see more clearly that I may
also walk humbly and see Your power flowing through all I say and do.  Guide me by Your Spirit, O Lord, in the ways
that are pleasing to the Father.  Amen.

“Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to
you.  But I will come to you soon, if the
Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but
their power” (1 Corinthians 4:18-19)

There are always those in our
midst who do not believe what the Lord says. 
He even spoke of them when He instructed believers to leave the tares amongst
the wheat.  They act as if they had immunity.  But neither cater to them, nor empower
them.  Be diligent to do what the Lord
gives you to do knowing that it is You who is in relationship with Him.  He is always the final authority.

Lord, help me to learn how to walk the fine line in this world that I
may remain faithful amongst those who are not faithful.  Let me not be carried away with the nonsense
of those who will not listen, but obediently look to You for all things.  You have given me the words of eternal life.  Let them richly dwell within me that I would
now and always abide in the truth of Your eternal presence.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You
have given all the instruction I need. 
Guide me in the way of living my life here and now that I may abide with
You and walk in Your presence.  Give me
instruction when those who will not listen arise that I may live into the kind
of relationships You are developing within me knowing that I am always in Your
presence.  Be my guide always, Lord.  Amen. 

“Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy,
who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my
ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church” (1
Corinthians 4:16-17).

Be an imitator of Paul if you
are unable to begin being an imitator of Jesus. 
But ultimately, be an imitator of Jesus, for Scripture tells us that we
will be like Christ.  The point is to
learn and grow, preparing for the eternity into which you are being guided by
the power and grace of Christ.  In Him is
the true hope into which you were baptized. 
We need all the help that has been given.

Lord this is an age that believes we are fine just as we are: clean up
a little and then live life.  Help me to
see the greater purpose that I may pursue preparation for the eternity that You
have promised.  Guide me in Your goodness
to daily increase in Christ-likeness whether it be by imitation of another
faithful person, under the tutelage of a mentor or by simply following Christ.

Lord Jesus, You are the model of
the godly life.  Help me, I pray, to see
that in You is the hope of glory.  Guide
me according to the Father’s will to walk today and every day with my eyes upon
those things which are right and fitting and help me to not compromise.  Grow in me the character You know I need to
possess that I may fulfil Your will on earth as I shall in heaven.  Amen.

“I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my
beloved children.  For if you were to
have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in
Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:14-15)

We all need to be
admonished.  We wander where we will and
do not follow the Lord as we ought.  Take
this to heart, for this is never for condemnation, but for edification.  Be lifted into the life to which You have
been called and know that He who has called you is more than able to accomplish
your salvation.  He will lead you; and
your part is to follow wherever He leads.

Lord, teach me to follow that I would walk with You regardless of
circumstances.  There are many You have
sent who have taught me elements of the faith. 
They have been mentors to me. 
Help me to continue to learn and to share with others as You have shared
with me.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way You
know I need to go that I may faithfully fulfill Your plan for my life.

Lord Jesus, You demonstrated
great perseverance in doing all that needed to be done.  Guide me with the same purposefulness that I
would live my life faithfully as Your follower. 
Help me teach where You appoint and sit and listen when You send a
teacher.  In all things, help me to keep
my eyes upon You alone.  You are the One
who saves, and my life is committed to Your salvation.  Amen. 

“To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly
clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with
our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we
endure;  when we are slandered, we try to
conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things,
even until now” (1 Corinthians 4:11-12)

What is your eternal life with Christ worth?  We live in an age such that if things aren’t just the way we want them we go to another place.  Is this living the Gospel life?  To what are you committed and for what do you live?  To live for the self is to die.  To live for the Lord is to live forever.  Come to the Lord and live as He directs no matter the consequences.  In the Lord alone is life.

Lord, I have had it easy in that I can pick and choose what I want and
how I will gather in fellowship.  Lead me
away from myself that I may serve You wherever You would place me.  Guide me according to Your Spirit to
surrender myself to You wholly.  Lead me,
Lord, where You will, for I know that You will provide all that is needed.  Use me as You will for Your glory.

Lord, You know all things.  You know what is needed.  Jesus, You were willing to go to the cross
for me that I could be eternally united with You.  Help me now and always to follow You and not
be tossed about by circumstances.  You
have given Your promises and I have given mine. 
Lead me to live into the promise of salvation, following You wherever
You lead all the days of my life.  Amen.

“For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men
condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to
angels and to men.  We are fools for
Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong;
you are distinguished, but we are without honor” (1 Corinthians 4:9-10).

In this world, the ones God
would call the greatest in rank are counted as fools in the world’s eyes.  Do not live out your faith in the expectation
of greatness, but seek faithfulness.  Be
content with what the Lord has made you to be and live according to His will
and way.  The strength of the Lord comes
to us in living life faithfully as He calls us to live it.  Abide in the Lord always.

Lord, help me to see that only in You is there hope and promise.  You have called me into a life that is filled
with promise.  You are guiding me through
Your Spirit.  Let me see that it is not a
matter of getting ahead as the world see things, but about learning to be like
Jesus.  Help me to be willing to be a
fool for Your sake knowing that Your foolishness is wiser that the greatest
wisdom this world has to offer.

Lord Jesus, Your Word says that I
will be like You.  Lead me in the
humility You demonstrated.  Guide me
according to the Father’s will to live now the life to which I have been
called.  Help me now and always to
understand that only through Your grace can I live faithfully.  Let my weakness rest in the truth of Your
eternal strength that I may live faithfully now and forever.  Amen.

“For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not
receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received
it?  You are already filled, you have
already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that
you had become kings so that we also might reign with you” (1 Corinthians
4:7-8).

Each has what has been given
them.  There really is no cause for
boasting.  An intelligent person did not
create their intelligence.  One who is
artistic and has an eye for form and function did not create the ability.  We can only use what has been given us.  Therefore, use what the lord has given you
and use it for His glory.  He is the Lord
of creation and the One who gives what He gives.

Lord, You know where there are those places of pride in my heart.  Lead me away from these places.  You have given me the gifts I have, so help
me to simply use them for Your glory. 
Guide me according to Your purposes that I may live the life You have prepared
for me to walk in, knowing that only in You is there hope and a future.  May my heart be turned to You always Lord.

Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, You
through whom all things have come into being, in You and through You is all
hope in this sinful world.  Lift me up by
Your Spirit knowing that only in You can I hope and have a being that will go
into eternity with You.  Lead me in the
way I need to go that I may live according to Your grace and mercy.  Help me always to abide in You as You abide
in me.  Amen.

“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait
until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the
darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise
will come to him from God.  Now these
things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your
sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no
one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other” (1
Corinthians 4:5-6).

You know what you know of the
Lord’s plan.  The Lord Himself told us to
leave the wheat and tares together.  He
is the Lord of the harvest.  Both here
and to the Romans he wrote admonishing us to not judge, for we have limited
understanding.  But this does not mean
that one allows all things.  On the one
hand, apply mercy and on the other, be diligent to prevent holier-than-thou arrogance.

Lord, only You know the hearts of men. 
Guide me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go and stay me when I
would act against what You have commanded. 
Bring me to the place of being humble and diligent, but keep me from
judging what is not mine to judge.  You
have promised salvation to all who turn to You. 
Lead me in the way You would have me go.

Lord Jesus, Your instructions are clear and yet I often ignore
them.  Lead me, O Lord, to become like
you where I am stern when I need to be stern and merciful when mercy is needed.  In the mystery of salvation, grant me a
willingness to be humble so that I live according to the Father’s will.  In all things, may I look to You and be
guided according to Your salvation.  Amen.

“But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or
by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.  For I am conscious of nothing against myself,
yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord” (1
Corinthians 4:3-4).

Do not trust in your own ability
to determine where you are in matters of your faith and heart.  The Holy Spirit searches the heart and knows
all men.  Come into the presence of the
Lord and abide in Him that He may examine your heart.  He alone knows all that is needed.  He alone is able to provide the path which
You must walk to remain faithful.  Look
to Him for all things.

Lord, in this world many are making defenses and accusations as if by these they may find what they are looking for.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of everlasting life that I may live by what You have given.  Search deep into my heart and transform it that I would now and always abide in the truth You have revealed through salvation.  May I now and always look to You for all things.

Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the way of truth.  You have come that I might have life and have it more abundantly.  Keep me close to You that I would learn from You as You teach me.  Keep me from the way of arrogance and untruth.  Save me from being my own keeper, so I can learn that You alone have the words of eternal life.  Lead me, O Lord, that I may follow You always in the way of truth.  Amen