Finding gems in God's Word
Some will be serving “trick & treaters” tonight, but some will stop to honor Martin Luther for his decision to write 95 theses and nail them to the WittenburgCastleDoor. Read about it here: https://thisdayofhistory.com/2024/10/30/on-october-31-1517-martin-luther-and-the-dawn-of-the-protestant-reformation/
1 Cor 11 Rules
We live in an area where the churches have women who place coverings over their hair for each and every service. Having not grown up with this demand, it is uncomfortable for me to worship in these churches. Paul is sharing not just the cultural ways in Corinth but it is to be shared every where and at every time. In my neighborhood there are women who wear a head covering at all times as well as skirts and dresses that touch the heel. What are we to do, what am I to do? Having thought long and hard on this issue, I have concluded it is a cultural thing not something demanded of me. Am I right or wrong?
Paul’s second set of thoughts is more important; it is about how to serve the Holy Communion which is done every Sunday in our church. We follow Paul’s steps and do serve it just as the early NT church did but also our church plays music during it which is uncomfortable for me, but it is our church’s way so be it.
How do you think about each of these areas? Share your thoughts with me.
1 Cor 3 “First Class or Third Class or Baggage Car?”
Look at your church, look at yourself, look at the world. Some people are traveling in first class, they are saved and they are maturing. Others are traveling in third class, they are saved but not producing fruit. And then there rather those who are riding in the baggage car, these are the unsaved and they are traveling with other’s baggage and also their own. This is an illustration of the Church in Corinth. (Compliments to Alan Redpath, British author and teacher)
Paul wants so much for the Corinthians to mature but as he notes there is still strife which leads to divisions. He wants to feed them meat but they are like babies who can only feed on milk. He is reminding them that they are the temple of the Lord and should therefore live holy lives.
As we read this chapter, the Spirit is challenging us to address which person we resemble. Are we traveling this route in life in first class or third class or worse are we in the baggage car?
Romans 13 Submit to the Government
Today we are being bombarded with anti-government forces. We have those who want to defund the police. They are being used by the evil one to seek,kill and destroy. This should not be. Instead, we are to honor and obey those in government because God has instituted such for our good.
Do you fear the government? Do you obey them that hold positions there? You should because “authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing.” [Rom 13:6] God has allowed them for this purpose that our time here on earth may be quiet and orderly.
Just as in Paul’s time, it is so now. The evil one seeks to undermine what God has placed over us. What will you do when faced with these arguments? Do you do as Nehemiah or Esther? Take a page out of their diary to find out what to do.
Romans 12 As Paul directs his thoughts to the Romans, he reminds them of what Jesus had said: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Then he adds this counsel: “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.” [ Rom 12:14] Thinking back on those who have gone before me, I recall Joseph whose life mirrored that in spades. Then as I am reading The Cost ofDiscipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I see it in again. Neither man cursed but prayed for their persecutors. Joseph must have prayed diligently for his brothers because when they appeared before him, he blessed them with a test of their love to prove that they had changed. When Bonhoeffer was in prison, he prayed and taught and on the morning of his execution, he spent time in prayer for those who were going to hang him. What is the lesson I am to glean? It is this: no matter what comes my way, I am to bless those who persecute and do not curse. How does one do that? They do it by being in a mode of prayer.
Psalm 95 & 96 How to worship
In these psalms we are encouraged by how worship was done and we can learn and apply these same standards to us today. The psalmist says “Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Creator.” [Ps 95:6] How many of us do that in our quiet time? How many of us do it in our churches? How many of us exhibit these qualities? If truth be known, few do with the exception of one church in particular, but the question remains is it to worship the Creator or just a mode that we learned as children and now do almost without thinking why.
The psalmist also encourages singing! Charles Spurgeon, in his discussion of family worship, says to do three things: bow, pray and sing. What a beautiful expression of our faith! What a beautiful way to honor God in our families. Again the psalmist encourages us to worship: “Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Creator.” [Ps 96:2]And then he gives the reason why: “For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;” [Ps 96:4]
Today as you begin your quiet time, take some time to sing,pray, kneel and honor God.
Psalm 92 Because of the sin in the Garden, all that grows, both flesh and plants will wither and die. That was the consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve. It is hard to watch the things we love die, parents, siblings and animals. It is hard to put a precious pet to sleep and it is all because of the sin of our first parents. But, into this scene we find the psalmist shouting these words of encouragement; “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon, Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God.They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green.” [Ps 92:12-14]
Yes, sin has cast a pall upon all living things, but God sent His Son to make a way to make us righteous so we can yield fruit as we age. So with that in mind, what fruit are you yielding for those around you before God calls you home to heaven?
Romans 9 The Crux of the Matter
Paul has gently but forcefully been seeking his countrymen to believe in
Christ, but as it has been for a millennium and as Christ said, they are blind to the truth. He reminded the Corinthians of this fact when he said that our enemy has blinded our minds so we cannot see the glorious image of the Christ. Now Paul cuts to the chase and says you will never reap the blessings of God if you remain in your unsaved state and in your blindness.
To help the Jews understand his point he illustrates the choice of Jacob over Esau. This is what we call a conundrum: It is an inconsistency, a sharp irregularity, that often produces a conundrum, which is a riddle or puzzle.And we cannot solve it using human means, this is a God choice and a God given riddle. But, we ask God why? The answer is God is God and what He has decided in eternity past is His choice. If it were me, I would not have chosen Jacob or me! But, God chose and that is the end of the matter, accept it or reject it.
So where are we today? We read and seek the understanding that only the Holy Spirit can and will give. He will provide the answers as we seek Him in prayer. We may not know or understand all of it but we are called to believe. Peter said it like this: You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,[1 Peter 1:8]
Psalm 84 In the spring of each year, the swallows return to repair their nests of last year or build new ones. They find the highest point and the safest place to protect their young and are the acrobats of nature with their fast swooping in and out of their nest. Just as the psalmist loves the Temple and yearns to be there, the swallow yearns to return in the spring of each year when their God ordained internal time clock says now is the time to rebuild, so too, the people of God have a spring calendar date to return for the solemn occasions for worship near the altar of God.
As the psalmist is pondering these creatures of nature, he notes that just as they seek refuge, so does he. He knows that just like the swallow, those who live in the Temple as well as those who travel the roads to Jerusalem to come to the Temple are the ones who are blessed, because they trust in God.
Oh to be a swallow high up in the eaves where you can witness the activities of the people of God. Are you like the swallow? Do you yearn to be near the altar of God? Is your ‘nest’ steadfast so it can weather the storms of life?
Psalm 81 “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices.”[Ps 81:12] is echoed in Romans 1. As a last resort, God steps aside from the disobedient to allow them to experience the fruit of their ways. This verse echoes Romans 1 where God says the same words: I gave them over…
The long suffering and patience of God and His mercy is revealed in this psalm. God loves His people but if they refuse to obey, He will do as the father of the Prodigal, give them what they want until they come to their senses.
How do you relate to this verse in Psalm 81? Is life troublesome? Are you experiencing difficulties? Perhaps it may be that God has stepped aside and allowed you to experience these challenges so you will return to Him so He can bless you. Think about it.