NO MORE MANAGING OUR LIVES: I Cor 9:23
“Run in such a way as to get the prize … a crown that will last forever. I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Paul is a free man writing this letter to Corinth. Running hard for the finish line. He lived by the letter of the law at one time. No more. This is not about how to live behavior-wise, how to manage our lives, but how to live from the heart. One Master. One Race. One Prize. One Life to Live.
DEFEATED BY TEMPTATION: I Cor 10: 5-6.
The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as the Israelites did. “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.” I Cor 10:13
NO WITCH HUNT FOR SIN: I Cor 10:23
“Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. And our Beautiful God’s Kindness will lead us to repentance. Romans 2:4
Hold fast to Him! "The change I bring about comes slowly." 66 LL.
1 Corinthians 11
ReplyDeleteTo Honor God
1 -2 "It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ. 3 -9In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their "heads" to the Head: God."
10 -12"Don't, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman's body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her "head," her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let's quit going through these "who's first" routines."
13 -16 "Don't you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission?"
Yes, I'm still here and have gotten into that busy season. It has been full and wonderful! My boys are in the band and our football team is in the playoffs so we have had a game every Saturday. My daughter is busy with rehearsals in the high school's musical and I'm helping behind the scenes at our church's Christmas program this weekend. It has been busy and fun.
ReplyDeleteBev, I did get your card at my surprise party. Thank you for the beautiful letter and words of affirmation and encouragement. I did send you a reply. I appreciate you loving me!
I am still reading along with you and getting so much from The Message along with your and the other Pearl's reflections. I am just not as faithful to add my own comments but have been so blessed, challenged, stretched more this past year through this ministry.
I am currently reading Hinds Feet on High Places. I had never read it before and have found myself pondering over it!
Have you given any thought for next year?
Know that you all are loved and are kindred spirits!
1 Cor 9:23, 27 ~ “I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it“ and “I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
ReplyDelete1 Cor. 10:12 ~ “Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.”
It’s like Dr. Crabb was talking about in Romans: trying to describe Living Water but never drinking it in. Lord, help me not to be all talk, to live my belief and convictions in Your Grace and by Your Grace, not missing out on a single blessing or correction You have for me. Help me not to be a Christian who is all talk and no substance. I fall flat on my face so easily. Forgive me for all the self that still runs my life. Help me to submit to You in full God confidence. In the Saving Name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
"And don't tell me that I have no authority to write like this. I'm perfectly free to do this—isn't that obvious? Haven't I been given a job to do? Wasn't I commissioned to this work in a face-to-face meeting with Jesus, our Master? Aren't you yourselves proof of the good work that I've done for the Master? Even if no one else admits the authority of my commission, you can't deny it."
ReplyDeletePaul justifies the "call" on his life as coming from Jesus Christ face-to-face...the requirement of an apostle. First hand knowledge of the Master. A call.
What do you hear Christ calling you to do?
In my own life, I hear Him asking me to draw closer to Him. To peel myself away from distractions that may not be bad influences on my life...just hindrances to my time with Him.
I have a very unusual opportunity right now to set myself apart and just feast on His love...this love feast that is mentioned in today's reading...communion.
Communion is a call to remember Him as a community of faith. But I sense Him asking me, calling me, to draw closer to Him.
I know we all need that in our lives. We get so caught up in life that we sometimes just squeeze Him into our already full schedule.
Christmas is a time to "behold Him." Maybe that's what I most desire right now. To deliberately behold Him.
One Master.
One Race.
One Prize.
One Life.
Lord, don't let me miss Your grace...
You aren't missing the Grace of God...it's all over you! God has shed His Grace on thee.
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