Saturday, October 31, 2009 Devotion

Saturday, October 31, 2009

2 Corinthians 7:2-7

²Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. ⁴I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

⁵For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. ⁶But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

Quick Notes

Continuously in scripture we are told to offer a place to stay for those who need one. It is this mark of compassion that seems to define the God we worship, who always makes room for those who need it... like us. We are not only to go around talking about God while denying the actions that go with it. The action, in particular, that we need to practice more is compassion.

Quick Questions

Who receives your compassion?

Quick Prayer

Christ Jesus, your love and compassion have made a place for me. Build compassion in me to make a place for others. Amen.

Friday, October 30, 2009 Devotion

Friday, October 30, 2009

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

¹⁴Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
¹⁷"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
¹⁸"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

7 ¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Quick Notes

This passage usually gets used as a reason to separate ourselves from those we do not approve, but what Paul is saying here has to do with a different kind of boundary. It is a boundary of grace. Grace changes us to be more like Jesus. Grace does not mean we are to act in ways that are contrary to Jesus in order to possibly evangelize a group of people. Unfortunately, more often than not, this is a very thin line and we need to struggle with it. We are being freed from sin by grace in order to be grace to those who are slaves to sin. To make an example: We do not need to do drugs to reach those who have drug problems nor do we need to cheat on our boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband to reach those who are unfaithful.

Quick Questions

How do we reach those that we come in contact with but live lives that seem contrary to Christ?

Quick Prayer

O God, I really struggle sometimes with being a friend and being influenced by their bad decisions. Allow me the courage and strength to share your gospel with no compromise. Amen.

Thursday, October 29, 2009 Devotion

Thursday, October 29, 2009

2 Corinthians 6:3-13

³We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. ¹²We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Quick Notes

People experience God's grace through us. It is mediated from God through us to them. Too many times, we give up quickly on people when they annoy or bug us. But we are not to withhold from them, no matter how tough it gets.

Quick Questions

Who has God used to mediate his grace to you? To whom has God mediated his grace through you?

Quick Prayer

O God, continue to work through me. Let me be an amazing loving person for you. Amen.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Devotion

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

2 Corinthians 6:1-2

¹As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. ²For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Quick Notes
Grace is something freely given to us that is not dependent on anything we do. Sometimes those of us who are Christians forget that and think that we are entitled because we are believers. That is not the case. We are no better and they (whoever they may be) are no worse and we are no worse and they are no better when it comes to grace.

Quick Questions

Do you thank God for gracing you or yourself for being graced?

Quick Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace. It gets me through when everything else fails. Amen.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Devotion

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

¹¹Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ¹²We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Quick Notes
Christ's love compels us. It compels us to make reconciliation with those where brokenness abounds. Brokenness leads to death whereas reconciliation leads to life. Christ was broken ultimately on the cross that our brokenness could be reconciled. He allowed himself to die that we may live.

Quick Questions

Are you willing to die to allow others to live, so that the pursuit of reconciliation can happen? Why or why not?

Quick Prayer

Lord, forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Amen.

Monday, October 26, 2009 Devotion

Monday, October 26, 2009

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

¹Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷We live by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Quick Notes

We completely believe that God loves us, but sometimes we think that means we have a clean slate and we are forgiven in advance of any sin. But the reality is that all of us will be judged for the deeds taken. In other words, heart holiness is very important, but body holiness is just as important.

Quick Questions

What does it mean to bed judged? Is being judged always bad thing? Can being judged ever be a good thing? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer

Almighty God, if I am to be judged, I am glad that you are the one judging me. May my life be worthy of a good judgment. Amen.

Sunday, October 25, 2009 Devotion

Sunday, October 25, 2009

2 Corinthians 4:7-17

⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Quick Notes

The events and circumstances of life can really kick us around sometimes. We can get discouraged by what we see. So Paul encourages us to look of what will be, the not yet Kingdom. As we look there, everything else will still be a struggle, but it will be a struggle worth having.

Quick Questions

What is bothering you the most right now in your life? Do you have hope that the Kingdom can reconcile your problems? Why or why not?

Quick Prayer

Almighty God, let your Kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Saturday, October 24, 2009 Devotion

2 Corinthians 4:1-6
¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Quick Notes

Telling the truth is very important in being a Christ follower. Manipulation is not what we should do. If we live for Christ, I honestly believe people will be attracted to Christ by the way we live our lives. We really are to let God's light shine through us.

Quick Questions

Who needs to see God's light through you?

Quick Prayer

Christ Jesus, shine through me. Amen.

Friday, October 23, 2009 Devotion

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹²Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. ¹³We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. ¹⁴But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Quick Notes
Most of us have secrets that keep us boxed. We feel so trapped that we bury it deeper and deeper, hoping nobody will know. Yet at the same time, we want everyone to know, so that we don't have to carry the burden anymore. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the freedom to confess our secrets and to make reconciliation for any misdeeds done.

Quick Questions

Do you feel trapped by your secrets or free to reconcile? Which do you hope for? Why don't you pray for freedom in Christ?

Quick Prayer

Holy Spirit, sometimes I feel so trapped and am afraid for everyone to know what I'm struggling with. Please release me and free me to make restitution. Amen.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 Devotion

Thursday, October 22, 2009

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

¹Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. ³You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Quick Notes

One of the things that is often difficult to deal with is how "good" of a Christian are we being. Paul expresses that it is by those whom we have touched, i.e. the fruit, that speak for how well we have done. And this is from Christ.

Quick Questions

Who have you touched by grace? Who has touched you by grace? Who still needs to be touched by grace?

Quick Prayer

O Lord, your grace is more than sufficient for me. Please flow through me to others. Amen.

October 21, Wednesday Devotion

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

¹²Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, ¹³I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

Quick Notes

Paul appeals more to our minds when trying to convince us of Christ. He appeals to our senses, and in this case the sense of smell. We are like a perfume that spreads through the air proclaiming Christ crucified and the Kingdom. It is not only in the conscious that we spread the good news, but also the unconscious. What an awesome opportunity!

Quick Questions

Does your fragrance smell of Christ? Why or why not?

Quick Prayer

Lord Jesus, may my aroma be pleasing to you. Amen.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Devotion

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

2 Corinthians 2:5-11

⁵If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. ⁷Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ¹⁰If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Quick Notes

We are to share in each others joys and sorrows. Reconciliation, peace, and justice are to be retrained in us until it becomes second nature. Christ is our example in how to forgive when there is no reason to,

Quick Questions

Who can you forgive today?

Quick Prayer

Lord, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Amen.

Monday, October 19, 2009 Devotion

¹⁵Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. ¹⁶I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"?

¹⁸But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." ²⁰For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

²³I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. ²⁴Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

2:¹So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. ²For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Quick Notes

Sometimes we have the best of intentions of what the future could be. We plan with hopes and dreams, but circumstances change and therefore how they become implemented change as well. Despite the changes in our schedules, we always have opportunities to encourage one another and tell the good news of the future that Christ will bring in the already/not yet Kingdom.

Quick Questions

Where do you put your hope and dreams?
Quick Prayer

Jesus, when everything goes differently than I plan, let your grace flow through and bring your Kingdom into reality. Amen.

Sunday, October 18, 2009 Devotion

2 Corinthians 1:12-14

¹²Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. ¹³For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Quick Notes

Sometimes we feel that we have to impress people with what we have accomplished, but the reality is that people are attracted to grace. Grace compels people to move forward into God's holiness. That is something impressive indeed.

Quick Questions

What do people see in you? Do they see the holiness and sincerity that are from God? His grace through you?

Quick Prayer

Almighty God, your grace has compelled me to respond to others with grace. Amen.

Saturday, October 17, 2009 Devotion

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sorry about missing the devotion Friday. I was completely drained. Today we start 2 Corinthians. Bless and be blessed.

-Mike

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: ²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

⁸We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Quick Notes

Did you know that our God is the one who comforts us in our troubles? He does this that we can comfort others. It is interesting how what is done for us is also done for the benefit of others. God cares deeply about all of his creation, not just those who are already in the "in" group.

Quick Questions

Who have you comforted today?

Quick Prayer

Christ Jesus, let me accept the comfort you offer me. Amen.

Thursday, October 15, 2009 Devotion

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Psalm 4
¹ When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room;
Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me!
² You rabble—how long do I put up with your scorn?
How long will you lust after lies?
How long will you live crazed by illusion?
³ Look at this: look
Who got picked by God!
He listens the split second I call to him.
^4-5 Complain if you must, but don't lash out.
Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking.
Build your case before God and wait for his verdict.
^6-7 Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say.
"More, more."
I have God's more-than-enough,
More joy in one ordinary day
^7-8 Than they get in all their shopping sprees.
At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep,
For you, God, have put my life back together.

Quick Notes

We find our meaning in life through God. He is who gives us our wholeness. Whether we need answers or support; if we need someone to listen, God is there. With God, we find joy in otherwise mundane activities.

Quick Questions

Do you feel like you have someone to help you release your burdens? If not, have you ever thought about asking God to do it for you?

Quick Prayer

O Lord, you are my rock and my salvation. Keep me strong when the waves come crashing. Amen.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 Devotion

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Psalm 3

^1-2 God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God!" ^3-4 But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.

^5-6 I stretch myself out. I sleep. Then I'm up again—rested, tall and steady, Fearless before the enemy mobs Coming at me from all sides.
⁷ Up, God! My God, help me! Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth!
⁸ Real help comes from God. Your blessing clothes your people!

Quick Notes

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by all the things that we are into that we feel like everything is attacking us. Yet we have to come to the realization that God is our help. We are allowed to cast our cares and burdens on Him. He is our Rock and our Salvation.

Quick Questions

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you think you can give your stress to God?

Quick Prayer

Lord Jesus, help carry me through my times of stress. Amen.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Devotion

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Psalm 2

^1-6 Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: "Let's get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!" Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: "Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet Is spread for him on the holy summit."
^7-9 Let me tell you what God said next. He said, "You're my son, And today is your birthday. What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? You can command them all to dance for you, Or throw them out with tomorrow's trash."
^10-12 So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won't regret it!

Quick Notes

Our world is full of people constantly trying to gain position and authority to better their cause, but they forget that there is already a King who is looking out for them best. We live as if there is no King despite our mouths proclaiming there is.

Quick Questions

Do you live as if Jesus is Lord of the world or as if he isn't?

Quick Prayer

Lord, let your kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Monday, October 12, 2009 Devotion

We are going to take a 4 day break from the letters to Corinth. This week, we will look at the first 4 psalms and be using Eugene Peterson's The Message. Enjoy.

Psalm 1

¹How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.
^2-3 Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
^4-5 You're not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.

⁶ God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.

Quick Notes

When we come to God's Word, we find stories and literature that helps form and shape us to become what we were created to be. As we are formed, we also help form the world, by God's grace, to be the living, peaceable kingdom.

Quick Questions

Do you meditate on Scripture? Or do you quickly read it to get to other things? Which is more formational or which forms you in God's image more?
Quick Prayer

Jesus, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Amen.

Sunday, October 11, 2009 Devotion

1 Corinthians 16:15-24

¹⁵ You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, ¹⁶ to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. ¹⁷ I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. ¹⁹ The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. ²⁰ All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. ²¹ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Quick Notes

1 Corinthians begins and ends with grace. The God that Paul testifies to is a God of grace. Grace is unmerited favor. And God, through Christ, always gives us favor without any works of our own. If God is willing to grace us, we should give the same option to others.

Quick Questions

Who has shown you the most grace? Do you remember it clearly? Can you use that grace to grace someone else?

Quick Prayer

Almighty God, I want to thank you for the grace you have bestowed upon me. May it change my life to grace others. Amen.

Saturday, October 10, 2009 Devotion

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

¹³ Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. ¹⁴ Do everything in love.

Quick Notes

Paul seems to be equating that what we do in love is pleasing to God. That being said, love makes us vulnerable. We are to be on our guard not because we are to keep from being too vulnerable but so we do not get discouraged when others abuse our vulnerability.

Quick Questions

How vulnerable do you make yourself because of loving?

Quick Prayer

Christ Jesus, you have shown us the example of the most vulnerable love of all. You submitted yourself to the death of humanity only to be resurrected. Love conquers all. Amen.

Friday, October 9, 2009 Devotion

Friday, October 9, 2009

1 Corinthians 16:10-12

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. ¹¹ No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. ¹² Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

Quick Notes

We need to be thankful for those who are willing to serve the Lord by serving and sharpening us. Too often we take people who do ministry for granted. Think about how appreciated you feel. Now think about the fact that people who minister seem to get the worst of people most of the time. Tell them thank you. Better yet, show them how much you know they care by caring for them.

Quick Questions

Who do you appreciate? Do you tell them? If not, why?

Quick Prayer

O God, thank you for those who put themselves on the front lines of service for you. Amen.

October 8, Thursday Devotion

1 Corinthians 16:5-9

⁵ After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

Quick Notes

Our fast-food world rarely slows down to enjoy some of the pleasures of what the Kingdom at hand really means. It is not lazy to spend time with each other. It is a way we build each other up with encouragement. Sometimes it is better to not do something than to do it and not have time for those around you.

Quick Questions

When you do something, who do you spend your time with?

Quick Prayer

O Lord, please make my time more effective than efficient. Amen.

October 7, Wednesday Devotion

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

16 Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. ² On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. ³ Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Quick Notes

Where I grew up, several people hated coming to church because it seemed as if the churches only wanted people's money. Though collecting offering is a part of what we do, we always do it with the purpose to spread the gospel.

Quick Questions

Where does the money you receive go to? Do you spend it with purpose? Do you spend it to spread the gospel? Where do you spend it?

Quick Prayer

Lord Jesus, let the money that I spend be glorifying to you. Amen.

October 6, Tuesday Devotion

1 Corinthians 15:58

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Quick Notes

There are a lot of people who do things for the Lord that are not necessarily of the Lord. We constantly ascribe things to God to justify and rationalize what we already do - that is work for, not of, the Lord. Work of the Lord is bringing reconciliation and redemption back to relationships. It is the co-existence of peace and justice together, and not apart. Ultimately, work of the Lord is the holy encountering the profane and sanctifying or redeeming it.

Quick Questions

Are you more caught up in the Lord or of the Lord?

Quick Prayer

Lord, let me be of you. Amen.

October 5, Monday Devotion

1 Corinthians 15:35-57

³⁵ But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. ⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Quick Notes

Death has been swallowed up in victory. I do not want to make a trite statement, but death is the absence of life. And we find life through Jesus Christ. When we find life through other means, it always leads to death. Yet the death of Jesus lead to life everlasting. We pursue life, not death.

Quick Questions

What areas of your life seem to be plagued with death? Do you believe you that Jesus can bring life to these areas?
Quick Prayer

Jesus, bring life to me abundantly. May my life bring life to others. Amen.

October 4, Sunday Devotion

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he “has put everything under his feet.”^a Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰ And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? ³¹ I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

³³ Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” ³⁴ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

Quick Notes

Without the resurrection, our faith is useless. The cross is important, but only seen in light of what the resurrection is and does. Because of the resurrection, it completely validates everything Jesus said and did and because of this, it gives a not yet world to live into already, today.

Quick Questions

Don't you want to live into this not yet world? Don't you want to bring the not yet into the already? Don't you want to see the resurrection mean something in your life?

Quick Prayer

Almighty God, may the grace of your Holy Spirit continue to transform us and through us may your grace change the world. He is risen indeed!

October 3, Saturday Devotion

Hey, everyone,

It has been about 46 days since I wrote anything before the devotion. We have about another week of 1 Corinthians and then we will move into 2 Corinthians. I have heard some stories of how God has encountered you in your lives, and I myself have been encouraged. My email is always open to any and all if you have any issues to work through. I will be glad to help point you in certain directions and find people locally to give you encouragement. Blessings upon you all and bless others.

Grace & Peace,

Mike McVey

1 Corinthians 15:3-11

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Quick Notes

What Paul is talking about here is that the gospel he preaches is consistent with the testimony of Peter, the Twelve, and over five hundred more. It is important that the story, the testimony, the gospel, that we tell others is true to the testimony of others who follow Christ throughout history and geography (time and space). In the Apostle's Creed, we call this the "catholic" or "universal" Church.

Quick Questions

Does what you say about Jesus measure up to the universal testimony? Do you talk about Christ's death and resurrection?

Quick Prayer

Christ Jesus, thank you for taking upon death and conquering it. Thank you for the forgiveness of sins. Thank you for witnesses along the way. May I join that cloud. Amen.

October 2, Friday Devotion

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

15 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Quick Notes

Christianity is not really a position of prestige. Yet is it amazing how many Christians think it is a status that shows them higher than others. The gospel that Paul preached was Christ crucified - the man who had everything yet gave it all up to serve. That is the gospel, not whatever one might "get" for being a Christian.

Quick Questions

Do you see your faith in Christ as prestigious or humbling? Why or why not?

Quick Prayer

O God, that I might follow your Son's footsteps forever. Amen.