I Corinthians 14-15 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58.

“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42-44).

The congregation with which I work has been focusing on confident living in Jesus Christ. We want folks in Christ to be confident about their salvation. We are convinced that confidence in God’s love is much more likely to produce love in us that constant doubts and worries (cf. I John 4:19). We are convinced that confidence in God’s working is much more likely to produce working out our salvation than doubts about God’s presence (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).

Paul reminds me that confident living is one thing. Confident dying is another. But where is my confidence if I’m not also confident at death. We have nothing to fear regarding death. Look at these pathetic, pitiful, perishable, dishonorable, weak, natural bodies. These are going to get put in the ground. We get to shed these bodies like a molting lizard. For those of us in Christ, we have hope beyond hope (earnest expectation, not wishful thinking) of our resurrection. This pathetic body is going in the ground but we will come out of that ground again with new bodies, with spiritual, powerful, glorious, imperishable bodies.

When the time of death draws near, why would I desperately cling to this frail flesh. Let’s die confidently, as we have lived, looking forward to the glories that will be revealed to us (cf. Romans 8:18).

Today, while I’m not hastening y death, I won’t fear it either. I’m going to live confidently so I can die confidently in Jesus Christ.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking the following link: Click here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20.

“…and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

What an interesting perspective on Jesus and the wrath to come. Most of the time, I think of the wrath to come as something Jesus is going to bring on me because of my sinful actions. But Paul grants us a different perspective. The picture here is not that Jesus brings wrath. Rather, wrath is where I’m heading all on my own. Jesus doesn’t have to bring that wrath, I’m walking headlong into it.

Instead of bringing wrath, Jesus is bringing deliverance from wrath. He is bringing peace, safety, reward. He is not bringing wrath to punish my way, rather, my way just leads to wrath. He is bringing forgiveness so that I don’t have to face the wrath I deserve. He is showing me a new way so I can avoid wrath. Why would I go any way but His, if He is offering that victory and deliverance?

My way is leading to wrath. I think today, I’ll choose Jesus’ way. I’m sure it will work.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Revelation 21:1-22:21.

One of the most repeated themes of the Bible is of God’s children leaving, wandering, being disbursed and then returning.

Abraham traveled into Egypt from the promised land and then returned. Jacob went to Paddan-aram but later returned. Joseph went down into Egypt, but his body was later returned. Jacob’s family went down into Egypt, but later returned. Naomi went into Moab, but later returned to Judea, bringing Ruth. David fled Jerusalem before Absalom, but later returned in victory. Israel was led captive into Assyria and Judah led captive into Babylon, but later returned to Judea under Medo-Persia. Even Jesus’ story begins as He was taken down to Egypt, but then later returned to Nazareth.

Over and over again, God’s people are sent away from their home and later come back. Really then, it should be no surprise to see how Revelation ends. It is not just a fitting end for Revelation but for the whole Bible. In Genesis 3:222-4, God’s children were sent out of their home. God had made a garden. In the midst of the garden was the tree of life. God sent His children away from that tree. However, in Revelation 22:1-5, they return. God’s children are able to drink from the river of life and eat from the tree of life. 

It was a long time coming. It took tremendous planning. It took tremendous time. It took the sacrifice of God’s Son and the surrender of our lives to Him. However, in the end, we will return home. Christ is victorious. Satan loses. The battle began in the beginning, but Jesus has already won.

If we want to be in that homecoming, we need to be on Jesus’ side. I can’t wait to get home. How about you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

In Philippians 3:21, Paul talked about our lowly bodies. Every time I look in the mirror, I’m reminded, I have a lowly body. I mean really lowly. Big behind. Big gut. Wide thighs and hips. Flabby cheeks. I’ve been able to get a lot of things in check. Eating and exercise haven’t made it on that list yet. The result–a really lowly body.

No doubt, for my health and my family’s sake, I need to do something about that. If I work really hard, maybe I can transform my body into something more glorious.

That, however, is not what Paul is talking about. His point is about eternity. The fact is, no matter what I do with my body here on earth, it is still going to be lowly. I may work hard and attain super-model status (okay, that may be stretching it a bit), but I can really look a lot better. Yet, I still just have a lowly body that in the end will start to whither and decay. Sooner or later, no matter how hard I work, this body will lose its health and appearance. Eventually it will die. 

However, this life is not merely about this life. There is another life coming. We don’t actually end up in the graveyard. That is merely a transition to something else. If I’m in Christ, my lowly body will be transformed in the end into a really glorious body. No, it doesn’t mean I’ll be Charles Atlas. I won’t be a super-model. Women won’t swoon at the sight of me. Instead, I’ll have a spiritual body that doesn’t have the weaknesses of this flesh. My body will be transformed to be like Jesus’. 

No wonder bodily exercise profits only a little but godliness is profitable in all ways, both in this life and the next (I Timothy 4:8). Sure, I need to exercise. I’ll get to that tomorrow. Today, however, I better make sure I work on the godliness.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?