Author: Pastor Mike

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 12 Day 2

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11

God doesn’t leave us alone; He gives us His Spirit with all the abilities to do life like Jesus did.  God, working with our faith, lives by His Spirit with His gifts in and through His people.  Our challenge is to learn to submit to His Spirit.  This life is a growing experience, where we learn to receive and live in the Spirit by the Spirit.  Don’t be afraid to learn and to live in the Spirit.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 12 Day 1

​¹ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Now all this talk about submission comes into play.  The Holy Spirit comes with power to equip and empower us for the ministry of Jesus and only those who learn to submit to God will truly grow in these gifts for this life.  We were all born as babies and had to grow up into adults.  The same is true spiritually, we must grow up in the things of God by submitting to His word and His work in our lives.  As we learn to submit to the Holy Spirit we will learn how to speak “Jesus is Lord” over the issues and individuals of our lives.  That’s where the power is in this life.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 4

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Jesus kept His eyes on the mission and message of God, not the worries and wants of those around Him.  Keep the main thing, the main thing.  Communion brings us back to the main thing and keeps us from being distracted and divided by the agenda of fear.  Jesus gave all of Himself so that we could have all that we need to live in His love forever.  Want that for yourself and others and enjoy God’s peace.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 3

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, ²¹ for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. i

1 Corinthians 11:19-21

Sometimes to get to the best places you must go through the worst places.  There must be submission to the authority and activity of God or there will fractions among the sons of men.  Remember, where there is agreement, there is authority.  When we submit to God’s promises, we can enjoy God’s power in our lives.  So, submit to Father’s word, work, and will and you won’t separated by the foolishness of this world.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 2

Therefore, the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.

1 Corinthians 11:10-12

This issue of submission is substantial.  Without submission, even the angels are limited in what they can do in our lives.  Angels are limited to working the word and will of God in the believer’s life.  Until we are submitted to the word of God, we will not be successful in the will of God.  And a covering doesn’t necessarily reveal our character, but our character will reveal our covering.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 10  Day 4

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. ²² Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? ²³ All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

1 Corinthians 10:21-24

Be careful who you eat with!  All things are lawful, but some things are awful on your spirit.  If you eat with demons, you will begin to talk and think like demons.  Don’t let anyone but the Holy Spirit determine your consumption and your conversation.  Bad company corrupts good morals. (1 Cor 15:33)  Don’t argue with the Holy Spirit and know this:  When everything becomes about you, look for him who wants to kill you and call on Him who wants to save you.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 10  Day 3

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

 1 Corinthians 10:14-16

Man warps the intelligence of man we he bows to the ignorance of man.  Idols are statues and systems devised by the mind of man to address the miseries of man.  Christians don’t bow to created things but to the Creator of all things.  We have hope, help, and honor because of what Jesus did.  We drink of the cup of blessing and eat of the bread of life.  Live in the intelligence of what God has done for us and you’ll escape the ignorance of what man can’t do.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 10  Day 2

Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

1 Corinthians 10:6

The smartest person in the room doesn’t just learn from his own mistakes but from the mistakes of others.  The problem is that until we get over ourselves, we often just think we’re the smartest person in the room.  Idolatry, immorality, insubordination, and ingratitude always end up in death and destruction.  Learn from the lives of those who have gone before.  Crave good, not evil, and crave life, not death.  That’s really what smart people do.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 10  Day 1

​¹ For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and all ate the same spiritual food; ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

This isn’t God’s first rodeo, and He knows what we need better than we do.  Here’s the key!  Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and pay attention to our own spiritual growth and walk.  Anyone can fall, we all do.  But trouble begins when we end up focusing on others and other things rather than ourselves and our God.  We can be walking in the stream and find ourselves face down in the dirt because we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus.  Keep the main thing, the main thing.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 9  Day 5

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Run your race, the one God has called you to, not what others want you to run or need you to run.  Don’t let the freebies and frustrations sideline you.  The focus is witness, not worship.  You can have worship without witness, but you can’t have witness without worship.  Focus on becoming who God wants you to be and you’ll do what God wants you to do.  Run the race to win.