1 Corinthians 6:12-17 

¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

JavaNight

If you are still thinking about the JavaNight, you may have enjoyed it very much. Truly, it was very memorable JavaNight experience for everyone who attended.

When the idea was floated for JavaNight to be regular monthly or weekly ministry activity, it sparked excitement; some even suggested that if it’s available on livestream, those who can’t attend or people with illness may watch at home.

            The names of particular groups who performed during the JavaNight have captured curiosity: Prayer Buddies, Prayer Besties and Prayer Homies. Those names of groups are thematically spiritual, so to say. Can you agree? Maybe, they added the term “Prayer” in their group name because may have sensed a strong desire to attend Prayer Meetings regularly. What do you think? We pray that members of Prayer Buddies, Prayer Besties and Prayer Homies may regularly attend Prayer Meetings and realize its essentiality to their spiritual growth.

            Together, let us meditate on what it encourages us in Hebrews 10:23-25:

            ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

            If you consider JavaNight as church ministry to invite friends and relatives, then Prayer Meetings should be a priority as church activity; we pray together as a church for particular friends and relatives we wish to invite to attend JavaNight.

Additionally, we can also ask attendees in Prayer Meetings to pray with us that God may speicifically show which talent he had designed for you to excel.

You may have thought that you’ve the right to do whatever you wish to do, but praying for specific revelation can be more productively beneficial somehow.

1.  Benefit

¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

            Everyone may claim or say, “I have the right to do whatever I want to do!”

Given! Nobody will dispute that! You have freewill! How do you interpret human freewill? Personally, what is your realization of human freewill? Do you conclude that human freewill is doing what you want to do or saying what you want to say?

            “Follow your heart!” That is popular but questionable advice. Is it beneficial for us to follow the desire of our hearts? Before you decide to follow your heart, carefully and prayerfully consider what the Lord declared in Jeremiah 17:9-10:

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ¹⁰ “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

            Are you conscious that the Lord has records of whatever we do privately or publicly? You may still insist, “I have the right to eat whatever I want to eat; I can cook my favorite dish anytime, anywhere!” How can food affect our spirituality?

Toyo

Now, if you live in an apartment building, and you cook your favorite dish, the aromatic smell of what you may cook will spread to the next door or room. Do you seriously consider if renters at neighboring apartment appreciate the smell of what you’re cooking? What’s your favorite cuisine? Do you like dried fish or Toyo?

            There were Asian women who lived in an apartment. And they love to eat “Toyo”or dried fish. At one time, they’re frying Toyo for lunch; the pungent smell of dried fishspread to neighboring apartments. Their neighbor called for welfare check. They reported that some rotten smell is coming out from the apartment next door; they were afraid that their Asian neighbors next door have died.

            When the police arrived, what do you think that they found out? The Asian women were very much alive; they were just frying Toyo dried fish for their lunch.

            This story is not isolated case; it happens anywhere, not just in apartment buildings. Have you experienced it when your neighbors would frown or pout in annoyance because they cannot appreciate the smell of your food? We have to be aware of what we may eat and consider also our health and others as well.

            Anyone who is conscious of physical health can be particular of what they eat; how much they eat; when they should eat; or when to stay away from food. Such routine about eating food can be very useful to maintain or improve health. But remember what the Scripture clearly revealed. In his perfect time, God would destroy both the food and the physical body of everyone, believers or not yet.

            Our behavior should testify of a transformation that Christ had done for us.

Whether we eat food or perform activities, we testify for God’s grace and love.

Together, let us seriously reflect on what Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 14:7-9:

            ⁷ For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Liechtenstein

            Have you ever visited the country of Liechtenstein? Liechtenstein is located between east of Switzerland and west of Austria. An online article had reported the death of the youngest son of the reigning monarch in Liechtenstein, Prince Constantine. The prince was 51-years old when he died unexpectedly last week.

            Powerful or ordinary, famous or infamous, young or old, during wartime or peacetime, everyone has their designated time to live on earth. Do you agree?

When our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, he’s buried, resurrected and returned to heaven. By faith, we hope that he resurrects us also and takes us into heaven eternally. So, we’ve got to be aware that if the Lord won’t return sooner and he declares that it is our time to depart this world, we cannot prevent that.

2.  Be Aware

¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 

            Personally evaluate your faith in Christ. Sense it for yourself. Do you have strong and firm confidence that when Christ returns anytime sooner, he will take you into his heaven for all eternity? Do you sense peaceful joy in your heart now?

            Joy and peace that comes from the Holy Spirit of Christ practically assures us that we belong to Christ, and that we’re members of Christ himself! What does members of Christ mean to you personally? Are you a member of Christ yet?

Ephesians 5:29 says, ²⁹No one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.

            Everyone belongs to a community or group. We join groups and engage with others who share common interests and hobbies. We are a member of a family, a member of sports team; we join group of friends, colleague at work.

We identify with cultural or ethnic groups. We sense belonging to a group.

Fellowship

            Parents: Are you concerned of spiritual life of your children? You are not alone. Many Christian parents are very much concerned that when their children start earning money, they prioritize their career and neglect their spiritual life.

But seriously, parents are concerned of the spirituality of their children and ignore their own spiritual life. Parents: We set spiritual examples in the family.

            If parents neglect their spiritual life, can we expect career young people to be more serious spiritually? How serious are you in your spiritual life, parents?

            Praise God for his work in the youth fellowship ministry; together, they gather every week and learn more about God; they fellowship; they interact with their group regularly. In comparison, adult fellowship groups gather together only on monthly basis. What do you think, which group is growing stronger spiritually?

As Christians, we are members of Christ when we join his body, the church.

Together, let’s seriously reflect on what it admonishes us in Romans 12:4-8.

⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

            Fellowship groups in the church are opportunities to practically discover and practise spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts of leadership, teaching, encouragement and prophecy are applied when we study the Scripture. Likewise, to prepare for food, tables, chairs, and clean afterward, the spiritual gift of service is exercised. Working together in unity practically proves that we become members of Christ.

3.  Become

¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

            The Scripture particularly emphasized a consequence of sexual immorality.

The one who unites himself with a prostitute is united with her as one body. The Scripture warns against sexual immorality because instinctively, wickedness comes out of the human heart. Really? Let us seriously meditate on what our Lord Jesus Christ declares in Matthew 15:19, ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts —murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

            And as members of Christ, we are united with the Lord; we are one with him in Spirit. But how can we be spiritually integrated with the Lord if our heart is filled with evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, slander or false testimony? Who is worthy to be called members of Christ then? No one!

That’s why God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

Together, let us seriously meditate on what it prophesied in Isaiah 53:6.

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

            Everyone had become sinful, and God took all our iniquities, blames, guilt and all things that cause us to sin and crucified them with Christ. In his mysterious process, God cleansed us from any unrighteousness so that when we believe in Christ and his sacrificial death on the cross, we are declared righteous before him.

Evangelism Explosion

            Here’s an advice: Before sharing the gospel of Christ to potential believers, practise sharing it to children. Someone practised sharing the gospel of Christ and said, “The Lord laid on Christ all our sins,” The listener asked, “If the Lord laid all our sins on Christ, it means that there’s no more sin in me, and so Christ has become sinful because he carried all sins of humanity on the cross, right?

What do you think? If the Lord took all our sins and laid them on Christ at the cross, it means that Christ had all our sins, and he had become sinful, right?

            Together, let’s reflect on 2 Corinthians 5:21, ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

            How strong do you believe that? Pray for increase of faith and wisdom. All members of Christ Jesus are declared righteous before God. We are worthy to be called children of the Righteous God. Praise God for his grace and love! Amen!

            The iniquity that the Lord laid on Christ at the cross includes anything that cause us to sin, unrighteousness, blames, guilt, worry, pains, what else?

            Pray for increase of faith and godly wisdom to personally realize that.

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