Monthly Archives: June 2015

2015 Day 161 – 2 Corinthians 2

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

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Paul paints and interesting picture of Christ in 2 Corinthians 2:14, But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. In the Roman empire, when a general would return from a successful military engagement, the Romans would have a triumphal procession where the general would display his conquered treasures and captives in a cloud of incense offered up to their gods. It was the sweet aroma of victory to the Romans and the smell of slavery and death to the captives. When we preach the gospel, it is good news to some and repugnant to others. Believers recognize the fragrance as life-giving and non-believers are reminded of the hopelessness they live in.

2015 Day 160 – 2 Corinthians 1

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

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Today we begin Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church. In this first chapter, 2 Corinthians 1:20 caught my attention, For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ. What Paul is trying to say is all of God’s promises were, and are, fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Christ’s faithfulness in ministry, sinless nature, death on the cross, and now His intercession for us shows how much God loves us. It is through this perfect example of love and faithfulness to us that we are to be back towards God and reflect to others.

2015 Day 159 – 1 Corinthians 16

08 Monday Jun 2015

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As Paul closes this first letter to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 16, it is important to remember why he wrote the letter in the first place. Corinth was a major cosmopolitan port city in Achaia. It was also filled with idolatry and immorality. Paul wrote the letter to help identify the issues in the church and to teach the believers how to live for Christ in such a corrupt society. While this book was specifically written to the Corinthian church, much of what Paul writes applies to us today. This world is getting worse and the life God wants from all of us seems to be less and less popular in our society today. I think one of the keys is to make sure we understand and live for our relationship with Christ. It does no good to become God and judge when all He really wants is for us is to love like God. Jesus made our job very clear in Mark  12:30-31, 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

2015 Day 157 – 1 Corinthians 15

06 Saturday Jun 2015

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I love reading Paul’s quote from Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Because of Christ’s victory over death through salvation we no longer have to fear death and the uncertainty of eternity. When we have faith in God, and His promises through Christ, we are certain of our eternal life in heaven with Him.

2015 Day 156 – 1 Corinthians 14

05 Friday Jun 2015

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At some point in our lives we must grow up. The same is true for our spiritual lives. In 1 Corinthians 14:20 Paul says, Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. Being like infants when it comes to evil means we should never allow ourselves to become good at it. We should mature in our relationship with God and in doing good and bringing glory to Him. If we focus on being servants for the Kingdom of God, then there will be less time and energy to do evil.

2015 Day 155 – 1 Corinthians 13

04 Thursday Jun 2015

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Nothing else matters with out love. 1 Corinthians 13 is the Love chapter and is one of the greatest passages in the Bible reminding us to love one another no matter what. It seems fitting that we share the entire thing here.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

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

2015 Day 154 – 1 Corinthians 12

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

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I had many thoughts as I read 1 Corinthians 12:27 this morning, Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. First, none of us is more important to the body and community of believers than the other. Even the pastor in your church does not have more importance than you or anyone else. Second, when one part of the body hurts, so does the rest of the body. The body rejoices and hurts as a whole. It is for this reason it is important to work as one unit and lift each other up. There is no room for gossip and petty arguments because it is being done to itself. It’s like having the right hand beat up the left had. In the end, the body is still hurt.

2015 Day 153 – 1 Corinthians 11

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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In today’s reading, Paul goes over a lot of things about public worship and the Lord’s Supper. But 1 Corinthians 11:31 is what stood out to me, But if we judge ourselves, we would not come under judgement. We must read scripture and listened to the Holy Spirit in order to properly judge ourselves. If we are honest in our interpretation of scripture and in our relationship with God, then we don’t have to wonder what is right versus wrong.

2015 Day 152 – 1 Corinthians 10

01 Monday Jun 2015

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Let’s not get hung up on what we do or don’t do, but instead do it all for God’s glory. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul says, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. When we use the following thought, “Is this action glorifying God?” as a guiding principle, our actions will speak for themselves and we don’t have to worry about our individual contribution.