August 31 :: Psalms 132-134; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

The Lord's Supper

In 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 Jesus says, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

In this section, Paul is very concerned with expressing clearly to the Corinthians,  who were known for their corruption in the early church, that to come to the Lord's Supper (the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine) was to proclaim the new covenant of Jesus' blood - not something to be done lightly or without examining their state of heart. 

Paul said in 1 Cor 11:30 that because many were coming to partake in the Lord's Supper without concern for the state of their own heart, "many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." They sleep because of their unthoughtfulness. They sleep because they are not surrendering their minds and hearts to God and to what He has done for them...they sleep. 

Paul explains a few verses earlier on in 1 Cor 11:27 that "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Aka? If you come to partake in this confession of Christ's work without the...confession part of it...you are equivalent to those mocking Him as He hung on the cross - screaming for His blood. This is serious business! I'm glad Paul makes this known.

August 30 :: Psalms 129-131; 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

August 29 :: Psalms 126-128; 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

August 28 :: Psalms 123-125; 1 Corinthians 10:1-18

August 27 :: Psalms 120-122; 1 Corinthians 9

August 26 :: Psalm 119:89-176; 1 Corinthians 8

Psalm 119 Notes

...from the Ryrie study bible...

- This is a wisdom psalm (refer to July 13th post for explanation).

- It is also alphabetic acrostic, meaning each stanza of 8 verses is assigned a successive letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

- Thought conveyed: that the Word of God holds every truth man needs to know.

- Every verse save 90, 122, and 132 mention a description of the law; aka the Word of God.

- The law is described using 10 different terms:

1) law - instruction or revelation

2) testimonies

3) ways

4) precepts

5) statutes

6) commandments

7) judgments

8) word

9) path

10) and word - different than the first hebrew "word" - this one meaning promise and/or utterance

August 25 :: Psalms 119:1-88; 1 Corinthians 7:20-40

1 Corinthians 7:20-24

Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. 

August 24 :: Psalms 116-118; 1 Corinthians 7:1-19

Psalm 116:1-7

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;

he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD :
"O LORD, save me!"
The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.

Do not be afraid to be weak and call out to the Lord for help - it is in the simple who are not ashamed to call to Him to whom He answers! And His answers are GOOD...

Psalm 118:22 - Prophecy of Jesus Alert!

The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

August 23 :: Psalms 113-115; 1 Corinthians 6

"He raises the poor from the dust 

And lifts the needy from the ash heap,

To make them sit with princes,

With the princes of His people."

- psalm 113:7-8

August 22 :: Psalms 110-112; 1 Corinthians 5

August 21 :: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4

1 Corinthians 4:12-13

When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 

Oh, the secrets within Your word God! How does the world hear them? When the world is cursed, it curses back twice the destruction. When the world is persecuted, it lunges at its opposition wrathfully. But You say, "no" God - in truth, we are to repay cruelty with friendship; harsh words with a loving grip. You contradict the world as it lies in a pool of its own sin, Lord...and ask us to do the same, empowering us all the while. We praise You God that You are not like the world, that You are HOLY.

August 20 :: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3:17-18

"If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise."

These two verses speak volumes to me, especially as of late. What does this verse make you think of? What does the Lord put on your heart and mind when you read this?

 

 

August 19 :: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

...happy reading...

August 18 :: Psalms 100-102; 1 Corinthians 1

"...but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong..." - 1 Corinthians 1:27

Intro to 1 Corinthians

Information retrieved from Ryrie's Study Bible.

City of Corinth :: A port city, a wealthy commercial center. "The immoral condition of Corinth is vividly seen in the fact that the Greek term Korinthiazomai (lit., to act the Corinthian) came to mean 'to practice fornication.' There were taverns on the south side of the marketplace, and many drinking vessels have been dug up from those liquor lockers. Corinth was noted for everything sinful."

The Church in Corinth :: Paul ventured on his second missionary trip to Corinth in 50 A.D. and wrote this letter in 55 A.D. after leaving and upon hearing discouraging news about the believers there and the questions they were asking Paul in their letters to him (he wrote this from Ephesus).

Problems and Questions :: divisions in church, immorality, questions concerning marriage, food, worship, and the resurrection.

August 17 :: Psalms 97-99; Romans 16

Here is a string of scriptures, spoken by first Asaph (around 970 B.C.), then Matthew (around 55 A.D.), and lastly, Paul (around 58 A.D.). The connections...wow. I will list them in backwards chronological order, from the most recent to the least recent:

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen." 

Romans 16:25-27 (Paul, around 58 A.D.)

"All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'" 

Matthew 13:35 (Matthew, around 55 A.D.)

"I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old..." 

Psalm 78:2 (Asaph, around 970 B.C.)

* Mysteries were not thought of the way we think of them today...as things we can never know. Mysteries in biblical times and in these contexts, referred to things unknown in Old Testament times, yet were expected to be revealed in New Testament times through Jesus Christ.

August 16 :: Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

Psalm 95:7-10

"Today, if you would hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

When your fathers tested Me,

They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

Fort forty years I loathed that generation,

And said they are a people who err in their heart,

And they do not know My ways."

* To Hear - includes the idea of obedience
* Meribah means "argument" / "strife" - root word "Massah" - exodus 17:2

It seems the Lord wants to remind us with this scripture not to harden our hearts during "strife," because even in that time, His voice will come to us and we are to praise Him and be obedient listeners. 

August 15 :: Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

Sometimes we are afraid to ask for good things, because we believe God has us just where we're at for a reason; that to ask for joy, peace, or hope would be selfish, because maybe we're supposed to be feeling a certain way. But in Romans 15:13, Paul asks that the Holy Spirit would fill up the followers of Christ, simply because they believe in Him.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

God doesn't want you to feel like this...

...so don't be afraid to ask God why you're lacking hope and to ask to be filled with hope through the Holy Spirit!

August 14 :: Psalms 89-90; Romans 14

August 13 :: Psalms 87-88; Romans 13

Psalm 87:5-7

But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her";
         And the Most High Himself will establish her. 

The LORD will count when He registers the peoples,
         "This one was born there." Selah. 

Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,
         "All my springs of joy are in you." 

August 12 :: Psalms 84-86; Romans 12

Psalm 85:8-13

"I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
       he promises peace to his people, his saints—
       but let them not return to folly. 

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
       that his glory may dwell in our land. 

Love and faithfulness meet together;
       righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
       and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

The LORD will indeed give what is good,
       and our land will yield its harvest. 

Righteousness goes before him
       and prepares the way for his steps."

What a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l depiction of the kingdom of God! With God comes peace. 
With God comes salvation...
love...
faithfulness...
passion...
righteousness...
goodness...
leadership...
with God comes everything worth anything. 
With God is a good place to be.

August 11 :: Psalms 81-83; Romans 11:19-36

I heard this psalm prayed this evening for current day Israel; that her enemies would be defeated and that God's precious promises for her would be fulfilled. The woman prayed that most importantly...the end part would be fulfilled...

Psalm 83:13-16

"O my God, make them like the whirling dust,

Like chaff before the wind.

Like fire that burns the forest

And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,

So pursue them with Your tempest

And terrify them with Your storm.

Fill their faces with dishonor,

That they may seek Your name, O LORD."

And as a perfect parallel, what do we find in Romans 11:25-27? 


"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, 'The deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.'"

August 10 :: Psalms 79-80; Romans 11:1-18

August 9 :: Psalms 77-78; Romans 10

August 8 :: Psalms 74-76; Romans 9:16-33

Romans 9:22-24

"What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath—prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"

This kind of word in scripture is especially difficult for us to deal with, because it makes the point that some people are prepared ahead of time for glory and some for destruction. Why wouldn't God prepare all for glory, we ask? I cannot claim to surely know the answer to this and thoughts are very welcome. I will say that none-the-matter, if you read this sort of thing about God's plan, knowing His goodness and love for you, and think to yourself, "I don't know exactly how this all works, but I can't bear the thought of not knowing Him any longer (or anymore)," then you shall seek Him with full assurance that He will reveal Himself to you, forgive you of all your sin, and cleanse you of all your shame. You have been set apart for Him. 

In the name of the Lord Jesus, I ask that those whom You will call, call. Those whom You will reveal Yourself to, reveal Yourself to. Bring the captives home and set Your people free. They desire You, God.

August 7 :: Psalms 72-73; Romans 9:1-15

Psalm 73:21-25 - a psalm of Asaph

When my heart was embittered

And I was pierced within,

Then I was senseless and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

With Your counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

I didn't know much about who Asaph was, but he seems to have an important story in scripture. Here is some information I found on Asaph by author Richard Thomas, click on his name to read more:

"It is recognized that Asaph was David's music director, and probably wrote much of the original, now lost, music for David's Psalms, but much more importantly, he wrote twelve Psalms. He wrote more of the Bible than Peter, James, Jude, Jonah, Amos, Micah, Joel, Malachi, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Nahum, Haggai, or Obadiah. Interestingly enough, if we take the time to dig it out, the Bible tells more about Asaph's life than it tells us about any other author of scripture except Moses, David, Samuel, and perhaps Isaiah, Hosea, and Jeremiah. We know the times Asaph lived in (circa 1020 - 920 BC), from David's reign, through Solomon's to Rehoboam's. We know he lived in Jerusalem. We know that he worked as the director of music at David's Tent of Meeting and at Solomon's Temple. We also know a great deal about his personal and family life. We also know the great historical and spiritual events which were the context of Asaph's life. It is important to reconstruct Asaph's life because, without understanding his life and times, it is impossible to fully comprehend the faith amidst adversity that Asaph's Psalms reflect!"

August 6 :: Psalms 70-71; Romans 8:22-39

 

Romans 8:38-39 ~ on the love of God

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Nothing in the entire universe is outside of God's control...because He created it all. Not even ourselves...can keep His love from us. Now THAT is reassuring!

August 5 :: Psalms 68-69; Romans 8:1-21

Romans 8 is packed with good stuff, whoa! Here are some of the verses that stuck out to me. What did you notice?

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

The Spirit of life...wow.

7-8. ...because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This seems to explain a bit the reasoning behind the defensiveness you can face when people get angry about your beliefs. Have you ever had anyone judge you, saying "how can you be Christian? It's so judgmental." It may be ironic, but I have faced this. If one is living out of the flesh, opposed to the Spirit, of course they will be defensive and hostile! They aren't even able to recognize the law of God and of life.

15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

We continually cry out to God now instead of fearing.

20-21. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The problem of evil explained here: how can there be an all-good God and still be evil? The creation was brought into a state of what is known as "natural evil" as a mercy to us to remind us and call us back...bringing us to salvation. 

24. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

Hope explained, what it is and what it's not.

29-30. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

God foreknew only some.

38-39. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTHING can separate you from the love Jesus has for you.

August 4 :: Psalms 66-67; Romans 7

"We went through fire

and through water,

Yet You brought us out 

into a place of

abundance."

- Psalm 66:12

August 3 :: Psalms 63-65; Romans 6

August 2 :: Psalms 60-62; Romans 5

August 1 :: Psalms 57-59; Romans 4

Psalm 57:1

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
       for in you my soul takes refuge.
       I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
       until the disaster has passed."

A great song about God's mercy: listen to "Into Your Mercy" by Garth Bostic here.