GregLaurie: Jan3
At Home in Your Heart?
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. —Ephesians 3:16-17
Is Christ at home in your life? If He were to walk around from room to room, would He see things that would make Him ill at ease? Would He see things that might cause Him to ask, "Why do you have that? What is that on the wall? What are these magazines? What is on your computer screen? What are you reading? What are you doing?"
The apostle Paul made an interesting statement to the believers at Ephesus. He said, "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him . . . " (Ephesians 3:16-17). Why would Paul pray for Christ to dwell in the hearts of Christians? Doesn't He dwell in the heart of every believer? Yes, He does. In Paul's prayer, the word "dwell" has more meaning. From the original language, "dwell" could be translated, "settle down with finality, be at home in." So Paul was saying, "My prayer for you Christians is that Christ may settle down and be at home in your heart with finality."
It can be difficult to settle down and feel comfortable in some homes. Then there are other homes that feel comfortable the moment you walk in. We should live our lives in such a way that Jesus would be at home in every room of our hearts and where He would have the master key to every lock.
We should be able to say, "Lord, make yourself at home. Go where you want to go. Want to look in that closet? Look in that closet. Anywhere you want to go, it is all yours, because you are a permanent resident."
Is Jesus settled down and at home in your heart?
TheBigPicture: Jan3
January 3
Judgment By Flood
References:-->Genesis 6:5-7:24; Psalm 2:10-12; Proverbs 1:10,16
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark-you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them."
Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made." And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.
So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark- they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.
Genesis 6:5-7:24
WORSHIP
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Psalm 2:10-12
WISDOM
My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Proverbs 1:10, 16
GodCalling: Jan3
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A.W.Tozer: Jan3
January: Personal Life
Some things may be neglected with but little loss to the spiritual
life, but to neglect communion with God is to hurt ourselves where we
cannot afford it. The Root of the Righteous, page 9
January 3
Personal Life: Face Down, Listening Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: "As for
Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of
many nations." --Genesis 17:3-4 The Scriptures declare, "Abram fell on his face" as the Lord talked with him (Genesis 17:3). Abraham was reverent and submissive. Probably there is no better picture anywhere in the Bible of the right place for mankind and the right place for God. God was on His
throne speaking, and Abraham was on his face listening! Where God and man are in relationship, this must be the ideal. God must be the communicator, and man must be in the listening, obeying attitude. If men and women are not willing to assume this listening attitude, there will be no meeting with God in living, personal
experience.... Yes, Abraham was lying face down in humility and reverence, overcome with awe in this encounter with God. He knew that he was surrounded by the world's greatest mystery. The presence of this
One who fills all things was pressing in upon him, rising above him, defeating him, taking away his natural self-confidence. God was overwhelming him and yet inviting and calling him, pleading with him and promising him a great future as a friend of God!
Men Who Met God, pp 21-22. "In this fast-paced, busy life, Lord, we don't spend nearly enough time face down before You. Tozer talks of lying flat on his face in his study in prayer; draw me to this position of
humility and reverence more often this year, I pray. Amen."
StreamsintheDesert: JAN 3
The Lord is My Strength
"The Lord hath sent strength for thee" (Ps.68.28, PBV).
The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision. We are "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." And the strength is continuous; reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.
"As thy days, so shall thy strength be"--strength of will, strength of affection, strength of judgment, strength of ideals and achievement.
"The Lord is my strength" to go on. He gives us power to tread the dead level, to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning, to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise, and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.
"The Lord is my strength" to go up. He is to me the power by which I can climb the Hill Difficulty and not be afraid.
"The Lord is my strength" to go down. It is when we leave the bracing heights, where the wind and the sun have been about us, and when we begin to come down the hill into closer and more sultry spheres, that the heart is apt to grow faint.
I heard a man say the other day concerning his growing physical frailty, "It is the coming down that tires me!"
"The Lord is my strength" to sit still. And how difficult is the attainment! Do we not often say to one another, in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet, "If only I could do something!"
When the child is ill, and the mother stands by in comparative impotence, how severe is the test! But to do nothing, just to sit still and wait, requires tremendous strength. "The Lord is my strength!" "Our sufficiency is of God." The Silver Lining A Door Opened in Heaven "A door opened in heaven" (Rev. 4:1).
You must remember that John was in the Isle of Patmos, a lone, rocky, inhospitable prison, for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And yet to him, under such circumstances, separated from all the loved ones of Ephesus; debarred from the worship of the Church; condemned to the companionship of uncongenial fellow-captives, were vouchsafed these visions. For him, also a door was opened.
We are reminded of Jacob, exiled from his father's house, who laid himself down in a desert place to sleep, and in his dreams beheld a ladder which united Heaven with earth, and at the top stood God.
Not to these only, but to many more, doors have been opened into Heaven, when, so far as the world was concerned, it seemed as though their circumstances were altogether unlikely for such revelations.
To prisoners and captives; to constant sufferers, bound by iron chains of pain to sick couches; to lonely pilgrims and wanderers; to women detained from the Lord's house by the demands of home, how often has the door been opened to Heaven.
But there are conditions. You must know what it is to be in the Spirit; you must be pure in heart and obedient in faith; you must be willing to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ; then when God is all in all to us, when we live, move and have our being in His favor, to us also will the door be opened. --Daily Devotional Commentary
"God hath His mountains bleak and bare,
Where He doth bid us rest awhile;
Crags where we breathe a purer air,
Lone peaks that catch the day's first smile.
"God hath His deserts broad and brown--
A solitude--a sea of sand,
Where He doth let heaven's curtain down,
Unknit by His Almighty hand."
There We Saw the Giants
CalvaryBoise: Jan 3
Monday, January 3, 2011
Gifts Expressed in Love
(1 Corinthians 12:1-13:13)
The misuse of some of the Holy Spirit's gifts is the next area of correction by Paul for the church at Corinth. In this chapter we discover, as with all things, love is the filter through which all things must be purified. First, he expresses his concern that we all should make sure we are "not being ignorant" about the gifts of the Spirit, or for that matter any other area of truth. In the current situation, what had arisen was a use of the gifts that was insensitive to the misunderstanding that was being created because of how the gift of tongues was being used. The use of the gifts had also become a platform to exalt one's self in the eyes of others. In 14:12, 17-19 and 23, Paul points out that the use of tongues is primarily to find personal spiritual edification. The misuse of this gift had actually caused some to see Christians as mentally unbalanced (14:23). He therefore gave clear guidelines on how best to express this gift so it would serve and edify the believers, rather than stumble them (14:6-25).
The edification of God's people must be at the center of why the gifts of the Holy Spirit are used. For this reason, Paul lays a foundation in chapter 12 that the distribution of spiritual gifts are given to enable each believer to edify others, to serve and build up fellow Christians. It is not a platform to bring attention to ourselves, but just the opposite. It is an opportunity to express God's love to one another. It is for this reason that Paul places chapter 13 between 12 and 14. These two chapters deal with how to use gifts in the gathering of Christians. But at the center of their use must be the goal of love. This is why we are told that love is the most excellent gift that assures all other gifts will be used to create lasting value. Without love the most amazing display of gifts is completely in vain, empty, and of no value in God's eyes. We are told to keep ever before us that love will be the only gift we give others that will endure eternally (13:8-13).
With this in mind, Paul goes to great lengths to describe the rich value of every person that makes up the body of Christ. As a matter of fact, he especially gives credit to the parts of the body that may appear to be of less honor (12:22-25). Our gifts will be as different as the different parts of our physical bodies. But we need every part—we need each other! God has built an interdependency in the body of Christ just as He has in our natural bodies. A great and mighty tree is nothing if it does not have soil to be rooted in, sun to bask in, and water to drink. Likewise, we are given diversities of gifts, different ministries, activities, and manifestations of the Spirit for a reason. We need this diverse and interdependent life that is God's design for us.
Therefore, may none of us hold back from being fully what we are called to be and do in His body. If we do hold back, all other parts of Christ's spiritual body will suffer. May we not devalue any person or his or her unique contribution to the whole. We are nothing without each other.
NKJV Bible Text
1 Corinthians 12:1-13:13
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
| v. 1 concerning spiritual gifts – Paul used the word "concerning" to refer to several topics the believers in Corinth had written him about (1 Cor. 7:1; 7:25; 8:1, 4). It can be compared to our "subject line" in an e-mail or "Re:" in a memo. He addresses their questions regarding spiritual gifts. spiritual gifts – literally "that of the Spirit" (i.e. the blessings and gifts the Holy Spirit gives to believers) ignorant – unaware and uninformed v. 2 you were Gentiles – Most of the Corinthian believers had been pagans and not part of the Jewish people. carried away – "led astray by force" — When someone chooses darkness, Satan and his powers can force him into deeper evil and error. dumb idols – not "dumb" in the sense of stupid, but mute and unspeaking – The Old Testament prophets mocked idols as deaf and dumb, unable to respond to those who worshipped them (Is. 41:21-24). | however you were led – People are led into error and darkness in many different ways. v. 3 no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed – This would seem obvious, but Paul is saying that there is a clear dividing line between speaking inspired by God's Spirit and that which is spiritual darkness. The test is what one has to say about Jesus. To say, "Anathema Jesus!" ("Jesus be cursed!") never originates from God. Some Bible scholars suspect that there was a group in Corinth who were saying this to emphasize that Jesus' life and story were unimportant; it was the spiritual "Christ" that counted. Paul makes it clear that without the earthly Jesus one cannot have the heavenly "Christ." except by the Holy Spirit – To say "Kurios Jesus" ("Jesus is Lord!") in Roman society, where everyone was saying "Caesar is Lord!", sometimes meant putting your life on the line. To truly do this requires the work of God's Holy Spirit in the heart of a person. |
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
| v. 4-6 – The different ways believers serve God are related to their different spiritual gifts. But all the "work" that is accomplished is due to God Himself acting in them. (Note also what theologians call the "trinitarian" formula that Paul uses here: "Spirit... Lord... God"; the entire Godhead is involved with His people.) v. 6 God who works all in all – In the face of the diversity and variety of Christian activities, Paul emphasizes that it is still the same God who is at work among all His people in every genuine spiritual manifestation. v. 7 given to each one – Paul emphasizes the fact that God's Spirit is at work in each and every believer. None are left out. for the profit of all – benefit, common good — The activity of the Holy Spirit in each believer works for the good of all those who belong to Christ. v. 8-10 – Paul now lists different "manifestations" of the Spirit (i.e. signs of the presence of God's Holy Spirit that are given to different believers). These work for the benefit of all God's people. The emphasis of this passage is not on the manifestations themselves but on the source of the gifts. This is underlined by the constantly repeated phrase, "the same Spirit." v. 8 word of wisdom – A divine "word of wisdom" applies God's principles of proper living to our personal reality and connects a practical situation or question of life with God's wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 2:4, Paul contrasted persuasive "human wisdom" with wisdom that comes from the "power of God." This "wisdom of God" connects life to His eternal plan in Jesus to redeem His world (1 Cor. 1:21-24). This gift helps us effectively deal with the challenging issues that face us in the world and interpersonal relationships by seeing them in perspective of God's purpose in Jesus for the world and us. word of knowledge – A "word of knowledge" does not just give information but the ability to "connect the dots" and understand what that information means. It may involve supernatural awareness of things we would not otherwise know. Compare this with Jesus' supernatural knowledge of individuals and circumstances (John 2:23-25, 4:18). Knowledge that comes from God's Spirit will always be in harmony with the scriptures. The Bible must be the standard for evaluating all teaching, correction, and training (2 Tim. 3:16). Paul says that the key danger for those who have knowledge is that it can result in arrogance or pride (1 Cor. 8:1). v. 9 faith – This gift, according to 13:2, generates the kind of faith that can move mountains, but it must be used with love. True faith, according to Hebrews 11, involves understanding, courage and action – all based on recognizing God's dependability and His promise to act for His people. This gift cannot be exercised apart from God's will and His promises in the scriptures. It is given so that we can accomplish His purposes in the world. | gifts of healing – This is the only time that the plural word "gifts" is used in the verse. It may imply that a person with this manifestation of the Spirit does not simply have the power to heal everyone, but rather in each situation God reserves the right to decide whether or not to give healing. by the same Spirit – literally "by the one Spirit" — The contrast in these verses is unmistakable: different believers with differing manifestations but only one Holy Spirit who is at work. v. 10 working of miracles – This manifestation of the Spirit involves God overruling the normal course of nature and His natural laws. These laws are the general pattern He has ordained for the world, but He can give power that suspends them to accomplish His purposes in redeeming His lost creation. prophecy – The gift of prophecy is an enabling by the Holy Spirit to provide light upon past, present, or future issues facing God's people. Prophetic utterances do not have the same status as the prophecy of scripture. They must be judged according to their harmony with the Word of God and are susceptible to the influence of the person the Spirit of God is using (1 Cor. 14:29-32). discerning of spirits – the ability to distinguish between spiritual manifestations that are from God and those that are from human or demonic sources different kinds of tongues – In scripture, tongues are a gift of the Spirit that enable a believer to worship or prophesy in a language that is unknown to him or her. Tongues can be used by the Holy Spirit to build up the personal spiritual life of a believer. In chapter 14, Paul gives more information on this gift and also provides guidelines for the use of it in public gatherings. interpretation of tongues – As we will see in 1 Corinthians 14, tongues are not to be used for speaking in public gatherings without interpretation. The gift of interpretation is given so that the meaning of the utterance can be given in a language the people listening can understand. v. 11 distributing to each one individually as He wills – Paul emphasizes that the different spiritual gifts are manifestations of one and the same Spirit. He also makes clear that they are distributed to each and every man or woman who knows Christ. No one is without a gift. God distributes the gifts as He wishes, not as we would. |
Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
| v. 12 – Beginning with verse 12, Paul introduces the most prominent image of the church in all of scripture: the Body of Christ. one body...many members.../many members...one body – Paul emphasizes the point he wants to make by reversing the same phrase. v. 13 by [or in] one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – "We all..." means all who belong to Christ. Each of the four Gospels records the promise that Jesus would baptize God's people in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). Baptism in His Spirit is what Jesus does to make each believer part of His body, the church. Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – The huge social divisions of Roman society no longer counted in the body of Christ. All partake of His Spirit. | and have all been made to drink into one Spirit – Jesus gives the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39, He invites "all who are thirsty" to come to Him. He promises to give them to drink of the Spirit, which will become as an artesian well within them, overflowing and fresh. v. 14-17 – These verses emphasize the fact that it is not the parts of the body that choose where they should be placed. There is no room for self-pity at having a less prominent gift; each and every part of the body is vital for the working of the whole. v. 18 just as He pleased – God has arranged the members of the body of Christ (each individual with his or her gifts) according to His will. v. 19-24 – Just as verses 14-17 explain, there is no place for self-pity over receipt of a supposedly unimportant gift. These verses make clear that there is no room for self-exaltation and boasting at having a more prominent public gift and role in the body. |
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
| v. 24 God composed the body – God Himself arranged the members of the body together. having given greater honor to that part which lacks it – Prominence in public does not equal honor before God; He values the faithful service of the smallest of us. v. 25 no schism – God purposely combined believers into the body of Christ in such a way that there should be no division between them. | the same care for one another – Believers in the body of Christ should have equal concern for each other, regardless of what gift or place of visibility each has. v. 26 one member... all the members – Whether in suffering or honor, believers are connected to each other. |
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
| v. 27 Now, you are the body of Christ – The plural "you" refers to the Corinthian believers together. and members individually – Each believer is personally integrated by God into the body of Christ. v. 28-31 – Having shown the importance of each believer and his or her gifts for the total body, Paul goes on in these verses to present how the gifted members are structured and have an ordered position in the church so that they may work together in harmony. v. 28 God has appointed these – The word "appointed" literally means, "set." In verse 18, Paul says that God has "set" the members in the body with their various gifts. In this verse, he makes clear that God has also "set" people in different positions of responsibility for the church. first...second...third...apostles... prophets...teachers – Having made clear the differences in manifestations and gifts of the Spirit in the body, Paul now outlines the different ministries in the church (v. 5). God has appointed these gifted people to lead and guide His people. apostles – literally "a person sent on a mission" — After the coming of the Holy Spirit, apostles were sent out with the special task of proclaiming the Gospel and establishing churches. According to Ephesians 2:19-21, the church is built upon the ministry of the apostles and prophets. | See verse 10 above for explanations of several of the gifts associated with these ministries (prophecy, miracles, gifts of healings, tongues). helps – literally "those who help" (i.e. people who have the gift of aiding others in various ways). administrations – literally "leadership or managerial skill" — The same word is used for someone who pilots a ship. A person with this gift can help the church navigate difficult times and crises without crashing on the rocks. v. 29-30 – Paul frames these questions in a way that a negative answer is expected: "All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they?" v. 31 earnestly desire the best gifts – "Eagerly desire the greater gifts" (i.e. those in v. 28) who benefit the church the most). a more excellent way – a way that surpasses all others — Paul says, however, that there is a way of living (chapter 13) that surpasses even having the greatest gifts to exercise. |
1 Corinthians 13
The Greatest Gift
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
| Chapter 13 This chapter is the most famous statement about love in the entire Bible. The Greek word Paul uses for "love" is agape, the love that is rooted in God's person and character and that reflects His attitude toward us and concern for us. v. 1 tongues of men and of angels – "Tongues" refers to languages. In their encounters with human beings described in the Bible, angels speak in a way that the person can understand. So this may be Paul's way of saying "languages beyond anything we can imagine." In 2 Corinthians 12:2-5, he recounts his experience of being "caught up to Paradise" where he heard "inexpressible words" that man is not permitted to tell. sounding brass – a gong v. 3 give my body to be burned – as a martyr for Christ it profits me nothing – I gain nothing. v. 4 love suffers long – i.e. love is patient | love does not envy – Envy or coveting is not "jealousy." Jealousy can be linked to love and is a completely fitting emotion when it is toward inappropriate and wrongly directed love, attention, and devotion. In the Bible, God is "jealous" when His people go after idols. But coveting or envy wants something or someone for oneself without considering God's perspective or what is best for the other person. It is an attempt to "possess" and control things or people without respect for proper boundaries. love does not parade itself – Love is not boastful and full of itself. not puffed up – Love is not conceited and arrogant. v. 5 does not behave rudely – Love handles others gently and does not purposely embarrass them. does not seek its own – Love is not self-seeking, always trying to get the best "piece of the pie" for oneself. is not provoked – Love is not irritable and easily angered. thinks no evil – Literally, love does not reckon up wrongs done to it. iniquity...truth – The Bible contrasts evil and truth. According to 1 John 1:6, having fellowship with God means "living by the truth." v. 7 bears all things – Love is not focused on claiming its "rights." |
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
| v. 8 prophecies will fail – "they will cease"— When the fulfillment of all things has come, prophecy will have completed its purpose and be no more. tongues will cease – Speaking in tongues will no longer be needed. knowledge will vanish away – The gift of knowledge will also no longer be needed. v. 9 – In this verse, Paul pictures our present state and situation – everything is "incomplete" (i.e. "in part"). v. 10 which is perfect has come – When perfection comes, that which is imperfect disappears. Paul explains in verse 12 that the contrast is between "now" and "then." This is true not only for him, but for all believers. | v. 11 when I was a child – This is the time of our "childhood." We talk, think, and reason like children. Paul looks forward to the day when we will be fully mature and put all this behind us. v. 12 then face to face – The "then" that Paul is writing about is when we see God "face to face." 1John 3:2 describes this: "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." Now I know in part – Paul contrasts our present partial "knowing" (through a dim or obscure image) with knowing then fully or completely, just as God knows us. v. 13 faith, hope, and love – These three virtues are the things that will go with us from "now" into "then," from our present state of dimness to knowing God face-to-face. And of these three, the greatest is love. |
OneYear: January 3rd
January 3rd One Year Bible Readings
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Genesis 5:1-7:24 ~ Matthew 3:7-4:11 ~ Psalm 3:1-8 ~ Proverbs 1:10-19
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TranslateOld Testament - Today in Genesis chapter 5 we read about the genealogy from Adam to Noah. You will note that there are some long life spans here in this genealogy! These life spans are often interpreted to be either literal or symbolic - and many evangelical commentaries will say either is possible. (Similar to the 6 days of creation which I mentioned in the January 1 post below. Evangelical commentaries say that God certainly has the power to create the earth in 6 literal days - or the 6 days of creation in Genesis may be symbolic of thousands or millions of years - as "a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day" to God.) Those who believe these ages in this genealogy are literal believe this is the case because of a few reasons: 1. the human race was more genetically pure in this early time period, so diseases did not shorten life spans; 2. no rain had yet fallen on the earth - until the next chapter - so the expanse of water above the earth protected people from environmental factors; and/or 3. God gave people longer life spans so they would have time to fill the earth - per Genesis 1:28. Below is a portrait of Noah and his wife by Guy Rowe:
In Genesis 6 we read about the Flood. Most evangelical commentaries say that this was a literal flood that covered the entire earth, while some do say that it's possible that it was a flood that covered the Mesopotamian region of the earth. More seem to go with a literal flood covering the entire earth. I think with all of these questions - was the earth created in 6 days? did people live to be 900 years old? did the flood cover the entire earth? - we can get caught up in arguments on either side and miss the theological point. Points being... God created everything, God dictates how long we live, and God cares enough about continuing the human race to save a righteous family and the future human race from an increasingly evil world at the time. Basically - God's in charge and we are not... :) Which is a very good thing! Because God is a loving and compassionate God who wants us to live lives of freedom from sin and to love God and our neighbors. God's ways are not our ways... they are so much higher! I do absolutely believe the Bible to be the inerrant, inspired, very Word of God - so please don't hear my thoughts above as questioning this point at all. I just thing that the Bible does at times use amazing truthful stories and parables and symbolism and poetry to bring us theological truths - or, I should say, the Truth. And I certainly believe in the humankind & animalkind preserving Truth of Noah's ark! Below is "Noah's Ark" by American folk painter Edward Hicks from 1846:
Chapter 6 verses 5 & 6 stood out to me in today's readings: "Now the LORD observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart." I think it was this last sentence that really stood out to me - It broke his heart. God's heart was broken over our behavior. I love realizing that God has this type of compassion and care for what we do. What we do matters to God! When we are obedient and faithful and loving, God rejoices! When we are not, it breaks his heart. I hope it encourages you to know that God did not just create you and doesn't really care whether you do well in this life - he is rooting for you! He wants you to run the race well and receive the prize!
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Genesis titled "Coming to Grips with Genealogies"is at this link, "The Flood" is at this link, and "The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men" is at this link. Please click on this last link to learn more about the Nephilim from today's readings in Genesis 6:4. A quote from this link is: "According to this view, the ‘sons of God' of verses 2 and 4 are fallen angels, which have taken the form of masculine human-like creatures. These angels married women of the human race (either Cainites or Sethites) and the resulting offspring were the Nephilim. The Nephilim were giants with physical superiority and therefore established themselves as men of renown for their physical prowess and military might. This race of half human creatures was wiped out by the flood, along with mankind in general, who were sinners in their own right (verse 6:11,12)."
New Testament - Today's Matthew readings are incredible on so many levels. We begin by reading about John the Baptist scolding the Pharisees and Sadducees! John is not joking around here... I think one verse that really stood out to me was verse 8: "Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God." and verse 10: "Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." I think what I hear John saying here is that we are called to truly repent and change our ways. Not just to say some nice words or just show up to church on Sundays - but to be transformed. Our lives should be visibly different from our past if we have really turned from our sins and turned to God. And this change will be evident by our lives producing "good fruit" - examples of which can certainly be seen in any of the Ten Commandments or loving our neighbor as ourselves and above all loving God with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. Our lives should look very different from our past. Do they? Does yours? Below is a stained glass image of John the Baptist used by permission and copyright held by cambridge2000.com/gallery:
Verses 16 & 17 are phenomenal as we see the three persons of the Trinity interacting with each other! God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: "After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him."" Jesus' baptism is very significant because it is the act that opens up the public ministry phase of Jesus' life.
Now - I think what happens just after Jesus' baptism is something each of us should take heed of - the devil comes in full force after Jesus. I heard someone tell me just before I was baptized about 6 years ago that whenever we make a public declaration that we love God: the Father, Jesus the Son, & the Holy Spirit and that we want to follow Him, the devil and temptation very likely will appear. The devil isn't happy when we are moving forward in our love of Jesus and loving others - and he wants to derail it. And that's what we see here in chapter 4 - God: the Father, Jesus the Son, & the Holy Spirit have just declared "Game On!" with Jesus' public ministry via the baptism - and then who should show up coming after Jesus? If the devil showed up to tempt Jesus, don't you think he might try to show up in our lives when we are starting something big in our faith walk? Fortunately, Jesus gives us all the answers we need in chapter 4 to thwart the devil's attacks.
Chapter 4 verse 4 I believe is one of the most important verses for us to commit to memory in all of the Bible: "But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, `People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.'" (NLT). Or, you might recognize this verse a bit better in NIV format:"Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” This is such a powerful spiritual truth that Jesus is conveying - we will not live full and true lives if we live simply on bread alone. We need spiritual nourishment - food - from every Word of God. Where do we get this Word of God? You got it - the Bible. And note that Jesus says "every" word of God. This means the whole Bible is spiritual food for us. All of it. Not just the parts we like the best. :) We can learn something and be nourished by even the long genealogies! Seriously. So - I want to applaud you for going through the One Year Bible - you will be getting nourishment from "every" Word of God this year! Below is an oil painting by Juan De Flandes from 1504 - (he actually painted this piece for Queen Isabella of Spain's private altar at that time):
One other important point to make in Matthew 4:4 and the 2 other temptations in this chapter. We see the devil tempting Jesus with things that may look enticing to Jesus or to us. But they are lies. And note - this is important - how Jesus fends off the devil's temptations and lies - by quoting Scripture! Jesus knew Scripture (well, yes, technically He is Scripture...:) The point is this. I do believe that we need to do more than just read the Bible. We need to memorize many portions of the Bible to protect us when the devil is attacking. If we have Scripture memorized, when we are tempted, we can quickly call to mind a verse or two that will bring us back into right state of mind - focusing back on God: the Father, Jesus the Son, & the Holy Spirit and their love and strength available through the Holy Spirit. If we don't have Scripture memorized, as Jesus clearly did in this chapter, we are at risk of falling prey to the deception and lies of the temptation. So - I am mostly preaching this to myself! :) But, I really want to do more memorization of Scripture this year. I have several verses down - but not enough. Proverbs 3:5-6certainly comes to mind for me often when I am worried or stressed and it transforms my state of mind immediately! What can you apply in your life today based on how Jesus rebuked the devil's temptations?
Very important to note is what happened when Jesus rebuked the devil's temptations with Scripture, the Word of God, in verse 11: "Then the Devil went away." Amen to that! :)
Bible.org's commentary on our readings today in Matthew titled "The Baptism of Jesus" is at this link,"The Temptation of Jesus, Part 1" is at this link, "Satan's "Leap of Faith"" is at this link, and "The Third Temptation of Jesus" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 3 is a wonderful Psalm of David's, when he was fleeing his own son Absalom - details of which we will read about later this year. Verse 5 stood out to me today: "I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me." God watches over us as we sleep! I like that a lot! I hope this verse comforts you as you sleep tonight!
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 1 verses 17 and 18 teach us this today: "When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away. But not these people! They set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives!" I think these verses basically say that birds are smarter than those who conspire to do harm to others - Are you with me on this thought?? :) Speaking of smart birds and one who conspires to do harm to another...:
Worship God: Today's readings in Psalm 3:5 reminded me of the line "you do not faint, you won't grow weary" in the Lincoln Brewster song "Everlasting God." Here's a great live version of this song:
Do you know our Everlasting God? Click here to meet Him!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"Matthew 4:4 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray for God's leading in ways that He might be calling you to memorize Scripture this year. Pray that this year you literally will live on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Pray for our world to repent and not live on bread alone, but on God's Word.
Comments from You and Questions of the Day: Back to my reflections above about how Jesus rebuked the devil's temptations today with Scripture. Are you memorizing Scripture on a regular basis? Are you bringing Scripture to mind when faced with temptation or sadness or whatever ails you? I would love to know which verses you have found useful in your life? Do you have advice on how to best go about memorizing Scripture? Will you join me in my plan to memorize more Scripture verses this year? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike