Posts by Alan Allegra (Page 5)

1Corinthians, Day 10 Remember These Five Things I Corinthians 16   “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (I Corinthians 16:13 – 14). In the last chapter of I Corinthians, Paul informs and challenges the church about their role in the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. Then, he commends two of his top leaders for their great work and calls them to be vigilant in the…

1 Corinthians, Day 8 DON’T LET DIFFERENCES CAUSE SCHISMS “Spiritual Gifts” 1 Corinthians 12 – 14  DEFINING SPIRITUAL GIFTS — Chapter 12 One of the issues in the Corinthian church was the misuse of spiritual gifts. Paul found it necessary to go into great detail explaining the origin and use of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts come from the same source: the Holy Spirit. Here are the 18 spiritual gifts that are mentioned in God’s Word in alphabetical order: Administration, being…

1 Corinthians Day 6 1 Corinthians 8 – 11:1 The Dangers of Christian Liberty “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1 Corinthians 10:24). “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). We in the United States relish our constitutional guarantee of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As Christians, we are no longer under the Jewish law, but we walk in…

1 Corinthians, Day 5 I Corinthians Chapter 7 The Love of My Life Who is the Love of your Life? If you are married, you should probably answer, “My lovely wife” or “My wonderful husband.” In I Corinthians Chapter 7, Paul gives extensive instructions on marriage. Likely, these instructions were given to address the low esteem for marriage that was a general problem in the “sin city” of Corinth, and that may have been a problem in the Corinthian church.…

1 Corinthians, Day 4 I Corinthians 6 |“I’m Gonna Sue!”  Two problems are discussed in I Corinthians 6: lawsuits between believers and sexual immorality. As I read this chapter, I am reminded of a story that was shared by a professor back in my undergrad studies. I was a business student in a class that focused on applying theology to work. It was such a time of growth as we developed a biblical ethic of business that would help us…

1 CORINTHIANS, Day 2 DON’T LET DIFFERENCES CAUSE SCHISMS The Problems #2 1 Corinthians 3 – 4 Divisions in the church — Chapter 3 Paul begins this chapter by telling the Corinthians that they were conducting church matters in a worldly way and not a spiritual way. He states that while he was with them, he gave them Christian baby food (milk) and not Christian adult food (meat) because they were not spiritually ready for adult food. They had the…

Romans, Day 12 Romans 15 – 16 | Acceptance without Exceptions “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). The U.S of A. was once known as “the melting pot,” a country where people of different ethnicities could come from all over the world and blend together into one homogeneous, happy family of “Americans.” In reality, once you take the lid off the pot and look inside, you see more of a…

Romans, Day 10 Timely Insight (Romans 13) “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1 – 2). I have received many phone calls that eventually lead to a question that starts out like this: “What do you think about our government’s actions concerning…

Romans, Day 8 GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES BY FAITH IN JESUS The Problem of Separate Peoples #2 Romans 11 Did God reject His people? The LAW was given to Moses somewhere around 1440 BC. When Christ died on the cross for our sins, He fulfilled the LAW. Paul in his teachings in Romans is trying to explain the fulfillment of the cross and the entrance into grace to the Gentiles. It appeared to Jews and Gentiles that God has rejected His…

Romans, Day 6 Romans 7 – 8 | Wanted: Dead and Alive Remember those Old West posters that had a picture of a bad hombre on them and the title: “Wanted: Dead or Alive”? The Law was after someone who was destined for the boneyard. In Romans Chapter 7, the apostle Paul writes about the law, no doubt referencing the law of Moses, the Jewish constitution. As do many today, people thought that obeying the law was the way to…