1 Corinthians 15 & 16
Today’s reading ends the book of 1 Corinthians. In this letter, Paul addressed several problems plaguing this church. Two dominating issues were spiritual immaturity and divisions in the church body. Other problems that seemed to stem from these were sexual immorality, a misunderstood representation of spiritual freedom and disorganization in worship and church ministry. To resolve many of these problems, Paul emphasized the importance of loving your fellow brother and sister in faith. Through exemplifying love, one should perform certain actions that raise other believers up. Still, other behaviors should be avoided if they cause other believers to stumble in their faith.
In viewing the last two chapters, their topics could not be better timed for Easter. The final issue Paul deals with is the disbelief in resurrections. Due to Greek influence, some believers questioned this event. Paul used this opportunity to restate the Good News and how everyone placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul continued as he explained how vital the resurrection is to completing the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. As with Bro. Bobby’s sermon today, Paul refers to the same situation in 15:21-22, as he stated that one man (Adam) brought death into the world and new life is given through another man (Jesus) through his resurrection. Paul laid out a clear line of understanding: 1) If there is no resurrection then Jesus was never raised. 2) If Jesus was never raised then we are all still guilty of sin in the sight of God. 3) if we are guilty in the sight of God, because of no covering we are doomed.
During this time of year, however, we can rejoice over the fact that Jesus did rise from the dead as he said he would and sits at the right hand of the Father, acting as our intercessor. Paul concluded on this topic by stating that through Christ’s resurrection and defeating death, deceased believers will someday be resurrected and all (including the living) will be transformed into eternal bodies what a glorious gift.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Saturday, April 16
Mark 9:30-32 and Mark 10:32-34 both show Jesus predicting His death. As He talked about such things to the disciples, they struggled to understand what He was actually talking about. The death of Jesus was not something they were expecting. But as we know, it was exactly the reason He was here! Jesus wanted to place the idea of His death into the minds of the disciples. And I think that is exactly where it should be still today. As Easter approaches next weekend, it is common for us to think of the death and resurrection of Christ, but I think that we see Jesus here encouraging us to think about it more often than just once a year. The gospel message is why we celebrate Easter, but we should be grateful for that message more than just one day a year. We should live by Jesus' example and talk about it often!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Jeremiah 12:1-4 expresses just how I have felt at times. The question "Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" has been stated my many over the years. Have you ever asked the Lord "How long?" How long will the wicked prosper and the righteous struggle? To Jeremiah's question the Lord tells him it is going to get worse before it gets better, but there will come a day when God will bless His people. Today I find myself thinking that it might get worse before it gets better. Every year more and more people turn their backs on truth, on God's Word. Every year true believers seem fewer and fewer. Every year the wicked seem to get stronger and stronger. The Lord tells Jeremiah "But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it,... (Jeremiah 12:17)" Jeremiah 13 - 15 reveals God's intent for His people Judah. It is not a pretty picture. Famine, sword, and pestilence is what awaits Judah. Jeremiah complains, but God will not relent. God had given Judah opportunities to repent and they did not. God in His mercy will always give us opportunities to repent, but if we refuse, judgment will come. Jeremiah 16 finds the prophet renewed by the Lord. In every difficult situation God is faithful to renew His children if they are faithful. When life seems to get tougher and tougher, remember that God is not lost. He is not asleep. He is right there to give you strength and to renew your heart and mind. Let Him renew you today.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thursday, April 14th
Calamity has a way of bringing relationships into focus. That is true in national relationships; country to country. It is true is business relationships. It is especially true in personal relationships.
Job paints a picture of this painful reality in full color. In chapters 29 and 30 Job talks about they way things once were. I have to admit that as I started reading this passage I struggled a little bit. Is it just me or does Job seem a little boastful? Upon further reading and reflection however I think that Job is just telling the truth. He was the “upper crust.” He was an “upright man.” But even Job recognizes that God is in the business of humbling those who would become too proud. (30:11)
I would like to point out one thing in this passage that I see different from the other times that Job has spoken. Job’s theology goes a little “sideways.” Job says that he wishes for days prior when God watched over him; when God was with him. In the coming chapters Job will soon know that both he and his situation have God’s undivided attention. Let me pause for a moment and recognize that you and I also have God’s attention. Despite what we might think about our circumstances; God still sees the sparrow fall and still holds our lives in much higher regard than the birds.
Job compares the way that people would react to him before he lost everything. I recently spoke with someone who described losing a position of power. This person talked about how, before the change, that their phones (plural) never stopped ringing. After the loss; nothing. Even worse, “friends” had turned their backs. Again I feel the need to go all “pastor” on everyone. As believers our love for others is not to be based on who they once were or could be. Our love for others is rooted in who God is. God is love.
Is there someone in your life that may have lost their power or prominence? When did you last speak to them? Do they know that you love them regardless of their title or bottom line? Search our hearts, Lord. Teach us to see others the way that you see them. Teach us love. Teach us how to love.
Tuesday April 12 posting wednesday the 13th
In I Samuel 21-22, we see that david is on the run and goes tot he Phillistine city of Gath, the hometown of Goliath. He acts like a madman and the king after finding out who he is had no use of another madman to be in his court. David leaves and goes into a cave where many people who were in distress, discontented and who were in debt came alongside of him and joined up with him. This is a reminder to me of two important thoughts: first, you actract who you are and you better be careful who you are. Second, God can use anyone as these people would become David's mighty men. This would happen in spite of their circumstances that they had been facing. Good leadership and spiritual direction is to bring people up to a new place with the Lord in usefulness and intimacy with the Lord. May we not be quick to give up on the people that are around us.
In I Samuel 23-25, I notice that David deals with those whom God has placed in positions of authority with great precision and care. David protects the Priest Abiathar and we also see that when he gets a chance to take the life of Saul he makes the decision to not take it because he sees the king as God's anointed. I would encourage us all to look at people whom have been placed in positions of authority with great care and give them prayer even when we may not agree with them. This is true for those in political positions of leadership as well as positions of church leadership positions. This does nto mean that they are nto wrong at times and that we can't communicate it to them in the right way but we are to do so in the right attitude, atthe right time and not in public. David is a wonderful example of his care for God's anointed.
In I Samuel 23-25, I notice that David deals with those whom God has placed in positions of authority with great precision and care. David protects the Priest Abiathar and we also see that when he gets a chance to take the life of Saul he makes the decision to not take it because he sees the king as God's anointed. I would encourage us all to look at people whom have been placed in positions of authority with great care and give them prayer even when we may not agree with them. This is true for those in political positions of leadership as well as positions of church leadership positions. This does nto mean that they are nto wrong at times and that we can't communicate it to them in the right way but we are to do so in the right attitude, atthe right time and not in public. David is a wonderful example of his care for God's anointed.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Exodus 1-8
A quick recap of what has happened in these 8 chapters:
Chapter 1:1-7 could be summarized by saying that the Israelites were having tons and tons of babies, so much so that, "the land was filled with them"
The rest of chapter 1 tells us that the new king of Egypt noticed that the Jews were becoming too populated and if they wanted to could overtake them so he devised a plan to control the population by killing all the sons born. I find it interesting that the solution to the population explosion back then was the same as it is now: kill children. Back then they killed them at birth; today we kill them before birth. The principle is the same: there isn't enough room here for all of us, therefore kill the ones that take up the least amount of space. This is sound logic, if you're a child of the devil. The sons of God know better:
WE DO NOT MURDER THE UNBORN TO MAKE LIFE MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE BORN
I find myself wanting to veer off from the rest of this blog to focus on attacking abortion and the evil mindset that is inherent in its practice and theory. But that topic is for another day.
Chapter 2-4 and a half or so give us a leader named Moses. Moses' mom hides the newborn because she's afraid of the law that says the child should be killed. (Again, my mind is racing towards our country's whacked out abortion laws) but eventually decides to put the little boy on a raft and floats him down the river to at least give him a chance. (she's leaning heavily on faith here folks) Before he sets sail, the daughter of the king comes down to the river to bathe and finds the baby. Basically what happens is that Moses' life is spared and he's raised and then becomes the son of the king's daughter.
Moses then grows up and sees how the Egyptians are treated and actually kills a guard who was beating a Hebrew slave. At this point he runs away from his privileged upbringing and marries a lovely lass from Midian. Moses becomes a shepherd, helping his father in law, Jethro, tend his sheep.
God, during this time begins to act and starts to unfold His long awaited plan to set His people free from slavery. He calls Moses by showing up in a burning bush and tells him to go back to Egypt and to tell Pharaoh that God has decided that it is time for the Hebrews to be set free so they can begin this stage of redemptive history.
Moses questions God and God sets Moses straight and sends him on his way telling him that God will do mighty wonders before the world's eyes that will convince Pharaoh to eventually set the Hebrews free.
God tells Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
Long story short, chapters 5-8 are Moses and Aaron telling Pharaoh what God said and Pharaoh telling them in effect, "Who is God? I don't know God. I'm not setting the Hebrews free. Y'all are dumb for even asking."
Oh, and at this point, Moses is 80 years old.
God speaks to Moses again and tells him that He's going to stretch out His mighty hand and do wonders before Pharaoh and yet still harden Pharaoh's heart so that he won't let the Hebrews go.
Chapters 7 and 8 are the first four plagues:
1. Water to blood: An interesting plague. The Egyptians worships the Nile. They had also bloodied its waters with the lives of the newborn Hebrew children. Now God had turned their whole source of life into blood and cursed them.
2. Tons of frogs: Everywhere the Egyptians turned there were frogs. I suppose God could have used Lions or Tigers...or ever Bears...(oh my) but He chose a little frog to impede the lives of the Egyptians. Such a mighty nation brought to utter stand still because of such a vast majority of small creatures.
3. Plague of Gnats: This plague was an attack by God on the Egyptian priests. They had rituals that called for a clean area and these tiny creatures were able to keep them from performing their satanic rituals. The priests also tried to recreate this miracle but were unable to.
4. Plauge of Flies: At this point, Pharaoh was going to relent a little bit and allowed the Hebrews to go into the wilderness to worship God as He had commanded. But as we'll soon see, the relenting goes away and Pharaoh's heart is hardened yet again.
Chapter 1:1-7 could be summarized by saying that the Israelites were having tons and tons of babies, so much so that, "the land was filled with them"
The rest of chapter 1 tells us that the new king of Egypt noticed that the Jews were becoming too populated and if they wanted to could overtake them so he devised a plan to control the population by killing all the sons born. I find it interesting that the solution to the population explosion back then was the same as it is now: kill children. Back then they killed them at birth; today we kill them before birth. The principle is the same: there isn't enough room here for all of us, therefore kill the ones that take up the least amount of space. This is sound logic, if you're a child of the devil. The sons of God know better:
WE DO NOT MURDER THE UNBORN TO MAKE LIFE MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE BORN
I find myself wanting to veer off from the rest of this blog to focus on attacking abortion and the evil mindset that is inherent in its practice and theory. But that topic is for another day.
Chapter 2-4 and a half or so give us a leader named Moses. Moses' mom hides the newborn because she's afraid of the law that says the child should be killed. (Again, my mind is racing towards our country's whacked out abortion laws) but eventually decides to put the little boy on a raft and floats him down the river to at least give him a chance. (she's leaning heavily on faith here folks) Before he sets sail, the daughter of the king comes down to the river to bathe and finds the baby. Basically what happens is that Moses' life is spared and he's raised and then becomes the son of the king's daughter.
Moses then grows up and sees how the Egyptians are treated and actually kills a guard who was beating a Hebrew slave. At this point he runs away from his privileged upbringing and marries a lovely lass from Midian. Moses becomes a shepherd, helping his father in law, Jethro, tend his sheep.
God, during this time begins to act and starts to unfold His long awaited plan to set His people free from slavery. He calls Moses by showing up in a burning bush and tells him to go back to Egypt and to tell Pharaoh that God has decided that it is time for the Hebrews to be set free so they can begin this stage of redemptive history.
Moses questions God and God sets Moses straight and sends him on his way telling him that God will do mighty wonders before the world's eyes that will convince Pharaoh to eventually set the Hebrews free.
God tells Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
Long story short, chapters 5-8 are Moses and Aaron telling Pharaoh what God said and Pharaoh telling them in effect, "Who is God? I don't know God. I'm not setting the Hebrews free. Y'all are dumb for even asking."
Oh, and at this point, Moses is 80 years old.
God speaks to Moses again and tells him that He's going to stretch out His mighty hand and do wonders before Pharaoh and yet still harden Pharaoh's heart so that he won't let the Hebrews go.
Chapters 7 and 8 are the first four plagues:
1. Water to blood: An interesting plague. The Egyptians worships the Nile. They had also bloodied its waters with the lives of the newborn Hebrew children. Now God had turned their whole source of life into blood and cursed them.
2. Tons of frogs: Everywhere the Egyptians turned there were frogs. I suppose God could have used Lions or Tigers...or ever Bears...(oh my) but He chose a little frog to impede the lives of the Egyptians. Such a mighty nation brought to utter stand still because of such a vast majority of small creatures.
3. Plague of Gnats: This plague was an attack by God on the Egyptian priests. They had rituals that called for a clean area and these tiny creatures were able to keep them from performing their satanic rituals. The priests also tried to recreate this miracle but were unable to.
4. Plauge of Flies: At this point, Pharaoh was going to relent a little bit and allowed the Hebrews to go into the wilderness to worship God as He had commanded. But as we'll soon see, the relenting goes away and Pharaoh's heart is hardened yet again.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
1 Corinthians 13 & 14
What’s LOVE Got To Do With It?
Today’s reading is one of my most favorite verses. I use it frequently in different work settings and apply it constantly in my personal life. Ladies and gentlemen this is sometimes not an easy task. What characteristic of love do you need to work on?
In viewing today’s reading as a whole, Paul continued to confront the Corinthians on their lack of spiritual maturity and divisions being started in the church. More precisely in these chapters, the apostle addressed the people’s mishandling of spiritual gifts. As in chapter 12, Paul gave order to the different types of church ministries. Throughout chap. 14, he addressed the level difference between speaking in tongues and prophecy. He rated having the gift of prophecy higher due to its ability to minister to more people.
v. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
v. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Paul wanted to stress that the purpose for having any spiritual gift was to share it with others in order to draw people towards Christ. It is still true today, if these spiritual gifts are not used for God’s people and purpose, they are just empty actions. This is why Paul emphasized LOVE in chap.13. He made known that regardless of your gift, if not used in love, it was in vain. Paul proceeded to answer the question of what exactly is LOVE. We need to acknowledge that this definition, found in 13:4-7, is not set by human standards but are characteristics of God’s nature.
My challenge to the reader is to note in a daily journal situations where you demonstrated the characteristics of LOVE. When were you patient or kind? When did you avoid boasting or tracking others mistakes? When did you give hope or build someone up despite your own pressing situations? Always keep in mind Mark 12:29-31, the greatest commandment.
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
What’s LOVE Got To Do With It?
Today’s reading is one of my most favorite verses. I use it frequently in different work settings and apply it constantly in my personal life. Ladies and gentlemen this is sometimes not an easy task. What characteristic of love do you need to work on?
In viewing today’s reading as a whole, Paul continued to confront the Corinthians on their lack of spiritual maturity and divisions being started in the church. More precisely in these chapters, the apostle addressed the people’s mishandling of spiritual gifts. As in chapter 12, Paul gave order to the different types of church ministries. Throughout chap. 14, he addressed the level difference between speaking in tongues and prophecy. He rated having the gift of prophecy higher due to its ability to minister to more people.
v. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
v. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Paul wanted to stress that the purpose for having any spiritual gift was to share it with others in order to draw people towards Christ. It is still true today, if these spiritual gifts are not used for God’s people and purpose, they are just empty actions. This is why Paul emphasized LOVE in chap.13. He made known that regardless of your gift, if not used in love, it was in vain. Paul proceeded to answer the question of what exactly is LOVE. We need to acknowledge that this definition, found in 13:4-7, is not set by human standards but are characteristics of God’s nature.
My challenge to the reader is to note in a daily journal situations where you demonstrated the characteristics of LOVE. When were you patient or kind? When did you avoid boasting or tracking others mistakes? When did you give hope or build someone up despite your own pressing situations? Always keep in mind Mark 12:29-31, the greatest commandment.
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
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