1 Corinthians 15 - 12.22.23

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

1 Corinthians 15:22, 42-44

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

The church of Corinth was dealing with a false theology that was being preached alongside the teachings of the apostles, the resurrection of Christ was being contradicted by a group of believers who were saying that it never happened.

Paul responds by pointing out the resurrection of Christ was one of the main points in the gospel of Jesus that the apostles, the authoritative witnesses of Jesus’s ministry on earth, had been sharing.

Paul, drives his counter-argument further by sharing the hope that we all have in Jesus. While we all die, our hope is that because of Christ, we may yet still live.

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

As I fast until 12 pm every day this week, Lord, I will honor Your Life and Your Message by constantly reflecting on the power you have over my natural body. I will fast daily unto you. And I will change my spirit and my mind to align more fully with you this week.

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

Lord, I pray that you will help me to see. When the world gives me the impression that all I have left is my body, may I look forward to my future in You. Though I feel weak, dishonorable, perishable - natural; I will remember that Christ rose from the dead. In the name of Jesus I can be raised imperishable, in glory, in power, and as a spiritual body.

In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee

Psalm 37 - 12.21.23

Psalm 37:18-19

S –  The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine, they will enjoy plenty.

O – This Psalm was written by David and contrasts the wicked person with the righteous as well as reminds us to trust in the Lord and wait patiently for him to act.

A – There were so many verses in this chapter that stood out to me, and these two verses are almost two completely separate thoughts that came to mind, but this blameless word really caught my eye because who of us is blameless? Uhhhhh, not me! Does that mean I will not spend all MY days in His care? I had to look into this word blameless and find out its definition vs. what it means Biblically. In my mind blameless meant sinless. The Webster’s definition of blameless is “innocent of wrongdoing.” Oh oh. However, the good news is that the Bible is speaking of people who cannot be accused of wrongdoing before people or God. A blameless Christian is one without deceit in his heart. It does not mean we are sinless, but willing to be led, taught, holding fast to all the truth that God has imparted to us. We cannot be perfect (leading a sinless life like Jesus) but we can be blameless by living a lifestyle that is above reproach.

               Psalm 19:13 Keep your servant also from willful sin then will I be blameless.

That is a prayer by David who is seeking blamelessness not in a physical, but in a moral sense.  It is to be free of guilt.

If you would be blameless, don’t pretend to be sinless, but do with your sin what God, in Christ, would have you do - admit your sins and confess them, lay hold of God’s forgiveness in Christ, and walk in the light. And when you are at fault, and to blame, walk toward it, not away from it. Admit your wrong and seek peace, with God and men. And though not sinless, you will be blameless before God. You yourself are not without blemish, but you have a Savior who is! www.desiringgod.org

Verse 19 is saying the Lord will take care of the blameless and we will have more than enough. I just need to think back on Covid days and how scarce things were and the fact that we were living through what seemed like a famine and definitely a disaster of sorts, and all the ways HE provided. He not only provided the necessities, but He gave us joy and fun and brought us into deeper relationship with Him, having more uninterrupted time together, and closer relationships with friends and family through lots of phone calls, Facetime, and time spent indoors with immediate family. I found joy in cooking for others, taking long, quiet walks, listening to worship songs and praying, and even learned to bake sourdough. I never ran out of toilet paper, or food or water-the necessities!

P – Lord, I thank you for your son who made it possible for me to have a relationship with you even though I am a sinner. Thank you that you have washed away my sin and call me blameless in your eyes. May I continue to seek you in all that I do so that I can live a life that is above reproach. And thank you for always providing MORE THAN ENOUGH for me and my family. YOU are enough! And may we all get a chance to slow down this Christmas weekend and really kick our focus into gear. May we keep our focus not on the food, the gifts, the decorations, etc. but the bestest gift in the whole wide world..your baby boy Jesus who I am guaranteed to one day spend eternity in Heaven with.  AMEN!

- Crystal Flory

1 Corinthians 13 - 12.20.23

Scripture

I Corinthians 13:13 -- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Observation

Every single thing we do should be motivated by love.

“For as 1 John 4:19 tells us, “we love because he first loved us.” It is the effectual love of God that first changes our hearts in order to make us capable of love, and it is His example of love that reminds us again and again of our need to love other people.” Liogoneer.org/devotionals

Application

In I Corinthians 13, Paul reminds us that we can serve, and study, and memorize, and prophecy, and worship, and give, and share – and if we’re not doing it out of love for God and others, it serves no purpose.

When asked what are the greatest of the commandments, Jesus said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

As we follow Jesus, we should be becoming more and more like him. “God’s love for us, our love for Him, and our love for others are inseparable. If we have been loved by God, we will love God and we will love others.”

Prayer

Thank you for this reminder today that I am called to love you and love others like you love them. Thank you for loving me. Please continue to work on my heart and fill it with your love to pour out on others.  

Fun fact – when I was a teenager, Open Bible Churches had a youth program called Quiz Team. The year my church participated, we studied I Corinthians for six months and competed against other local teams and at the regional conference. I was excited when I saw that I Corinthians 13 was the chapter for today’s SOAP journal.

- Debbie Dunn