by Elder Lady Brandy J. Lee, Guest minister
“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love,” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, CSB.
We need to ‘advance to maturity.’
Being ‘alert’ means to be quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances.
‘Standing firm’ refers to refusing to change a decision and/or position.
Being ‘courageous’ means you are not deterred by danger or pain, but instead, you are brave.
Being ‘strong’ means you are able to withstand great force or pressure.
During the ever growing changes of society and people, we must remember the wisdom of God given through the Apostle Paul in our key verses. We must become more spiritually aware. Spiritual awareness is a shift in consciousness in which a person moves from identifying with the physical body and mind to recognizing a deeper connection with the divine.
Christians are to be like strong soldiers: on guard, and watching for their Lord’s return. Jesus commanded us to “watch” (Matthew 24:42, 26:41, and Mark `3:37).
Paul warned Christians to “stand fast” in their liberty in Jesus (Galatians 5:1), in Christian unity (Philippians 1:27), in the Lord Himself (Philippians 4:1), and in the teaching of the apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Christians are told to be strong in passages like Ephesians 6:10 and 2 Timothy 2:1.
The theme in this verse is very ‘militant’: watch and be continually on your guard; stand fast in the faith; keep in your ranks; do not be disorderly; be obedient and resilient; keep close together.
When you are attacked, do not flinch; maintain your ground; resist; press forward; don’t stop; stay unified; conquer.
Be strong. If one part is too great as a force of the enemy, strengthen that division and maintain as the body of Christ. Summon up all your courage, sustain each other. Fear not, because you were made to be fearless.
God is calling on all the children of the Kingdom to rise up and be strong ‘together’! We, as Christians, have become complacent and believe we are strong in sections instead of being all unified. Just as previously explained, if one part of the body is weak, go and strengthen it. We have some weak parts of the body of Christ today, and as ‘Kingdom leaders’ of today, we are required to build the Kingdom and remain! God called us out to be His army for the Kingdom of God, because we have a war at hand in the Spirit.
All the watching, all the standing fast, all the bravery, and all the strength the Corinthian Christians might have shown meant nothing without love.
“If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing,” 1 Corinthians 13:2, CSB.
Even as we teach, preach, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ we must do it in love. We can no longer be known as the church of ‘judgment.’ We must grow up and strengthen our weakness. We need to be alert, stand, be brave, and be strong in love.
Will you grow, or will you keep allowing the Kingdom of God to suffer under your leadership. It’s time for a change, and it starts with us. We need to be renewed, revived, and anointed fresh with God for this new era of time.
