BLESSINGS IN LEARNING EXPERIENCES

My Dear Precious Child,
     In Paul's informative first recorded letter to the Corinthians he contrasted Israel's curses from their lack of adherence to the Law to the glories inherited from My kingdom of God and its blessings.  He used the children of Israel who were led out of slavery by Moses as an example and he used the examples of Mosaic laws which became their own lords because the people who did not obey every law were subject to condemnation and guilt by the devil, which usually led to a lifetime of curses and then eventual death.  He wrote in his letter that the Corinthians should think about Israel in the flesh and how those people who ate the sacrifices shared in the altar.   He went on to write that, for the Gentiles, the food sacrificed to idols is not really offered to the idols, they are sacrificed by Gentiles to the demons who are empowering the idols.  Paul made it clear that he did want the Corinthians to return to sharing in the curses of those demons.  His explanation was that he did not want them to share in the table of the Lord Jesus Christ and also share in the table of demons.  Paul asked that they not provoke Me to anger and that surely they did not consider themselves to be stronger than Me.  (I Corinthians 10:18-22)  
     In covering so many of the problems derived from people worshiping idols, Paul declared to the Corinthians that even though the Corinthians were free from guilt and condemnation by the blood of Jesus Christ and all things were legal to them, he emphasized that not everything was advantageous to them.  In order to curb the desire to make earthly things into idols, Paul advised the people not to seek their own selfish interests but instead to think of their neighbors and their interests first, that being a good way to curb the selfish interests with which the devil tempts people.  He told them to eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without raising any thoughts of guilt and condemnation.  However, he advised that if anyone comments that what you are about to eat is food that has been sacrificed to idols that you should cease from eating it for the sake of the conscience of the person and not yourself.  In other words, don't let your liberty restrict the conscience of another person.  If your eating of the food sacrificed to idols was blessed and you have thanked me for it, then you must consider if you have influenced someone to sin who is under Law and subject to the devil's guilt and condemnation.  Paul wrote that My children must not do anything which would be offensive to either Jew or Gentile by seeking only to their own advantage but instead they must seek everything for the advantage of others so that the other people might be saved by your yielding to the Spirit of Love instead of yielding to the demons of self advantage.(I Corinthians 10:23-33)
    Paul had been alerted to many actions of selfishness and self interest in the congregation of the Corinthian Christians which were contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ and of Paul.  Because Paul was imprisoned and could not immediately travel to give them personal instructions on getting rid of the infantile self interests and self concerns of the Corinthians, he had to write long letters of instructions, exhortation, guidance and chastisement to them in order to spur them to reject the devil's temptations of selfishness, jealousy and strife which were cursing the entire church.
   His words are as appropriate today as they were in Paul's letters to the Corinthians.  There are spiritual babies in My kingdom of God whose actions deny their commitment to Me and My loving virtues.  They confess with their mouth devotion to Me and to Jesus Christ, but when temptations and trials come from the devil's persecution and harassment, their devotion switches from their being devoted to Me to their being devoted to the idols in the earth which are so easy to obey, which are the demons of self interest and selfishness.  A person is devoted to whatever occupies his or her time and interests.  Paul wrote in his letter that the Corinthians must imitate him and his devotion to Me just like Paul imitated Christ and His devotion to Me.   It is to your advantage to remain loyal and devoted to Me.  My blessings are the rewards.
    Your Father of Loving Devotion and Loyalty