I was meditating I Corinthians 9:1-11. In that passage, Paul was talking to the Corinthians about, his calling, his personal life, money, and what he should get. Remember he is also the author of some of your beloved passages in the bible such as I Corinthians 13, Romans 8, Ephesians 1, and many others. So what Paul says in I Corinthians 9 has accreditation.
I want to point out one thing he said in that passage. Actually, I want to point out a couple of things! It is important that you grab this because this passage has more to do with honor than anything else. In the world system, honor is a dying word. Proper civil disobedience, which carried honor, has turned into just blatant disrespect and a lack of honor. This is why the economy is in the shape that it’s in and our country is headed in the direction it’s headed. WE CAN’T LET DISHONOR ENTER THE CHURCH!
Paul began by reaffirming his calling to the people of Corinth. Then he proceeded to talk about the rights that he and Barnabus have. Paul goes on to talk about farm animals. Read what he said in I Cor 9:9.
For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
Paul was telling the people at Corinth, who were beginning to experience success in their lives, that it was because of God using them (Paul and Barnabus) to share with them (the Corinthians) spiritual principles and anointing to add to their obedience that was causing the success. So Paul wanted to know why was it a problem for them to receive HONOR from them. Paul was letting the people at Corinth know that life is easier because they have someone teaching them how to make life easier. Of course they (the Corinthians) could have treaded the corn themselves (discover, develop and position plans for success with out any guarantee that they would work), but now all they had to do was follow principles (gather and cook the corn) that were taught and enjoy the fruits of their labor (eat the corn). I hope you got my illustration.
Your life is made easier because you are being taught principles of life that govern the Kingdom of God and cause you to be successful in a stingy world system. So it’s only right that you HONOR the one that is enlightening you to those principles of the Kingdom of God.
That leads me to my 2nd and final point in this passage. Paul made a statement that shows more about his trust in God and His word than anything else. In the I Corinthians 9:11, Paul said this:
11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal (natural) things?
That scripture was written in the light that success overtook the Corinthians. Paul had so much confidence that what God was revealing to the Corinthians through him and Barnabus would produce. And it was the reason for the Corinthians success!
In that same manner, what you hear spiritually at your church from your man or woman of God should produce results, fruit, or manifestation in your physical life. And if it does, then you should show honor to who honor is due! But sometimes to understand a scripture completely, you need to hear what it means but didn’t say. Paul was also saying that if what we have taught you spiritually hasn’t produced any natural results then there is nothing for us to reap and we shouldn’t!
It is dishonorable for you to forget about the man and woman of God that made life easier and better for you by praying with you, crying with you, standing with you, counseling you, fighting battles with you, spending time with God so that they could minister to you, constantly searching for more of God to share with you, and most importantly, releasing their anointing on you!
Think about what you would want to happen to you when you were in those positions helping somebody and their life increased because of what you did. Maybe you’ll take it better if I use bible talk. Galatians 6:7 reads:
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
If you sow honor, you will reap honor. If you sow dishonor, you will reap dishonor. The next time you increase don’t forget that if it wasn’t for you spiritual leader saying what “THUS SAITH THE LORD” to you then you wouldn’t have even sniffed increase. I structure my life on four things, LOVE, HONOR, LOYALTY, AND INTEGRITY. And I’m reaping all those things in my life as a result!
I leave you with this statement. If the church you are in is not causing success in your natural life, then the leader, pastor, overseer, bishop, prophet, or apostle of that church should reap anything either!
Releasing the Spirit, Provoking Thought, and Causing Increase,
Leroy Thompson Jr.
www.ucanbeatdebt.com
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