The sun set on the Church in Corinth just as it will set this day.
Same Sun. Same God. Same Grace.
"If anyone has no love for the LORD, let him be accursed. Our LORD, come! The grace of the LORD Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus." I Corinthians 16:24. Amen. Beautiful words to give away. We can give nothing higher, better, richer, lovelier. Oh! the matchless Grace of this Word.
So Paul ends this book. He spared no words of correction for their lives, then he lavished God's Grace to fall on all. May God's Sovereign Grace be all over you this day.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
Father, it is good to sing praises to You, our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming. You built up Jerusalem; You gathered the outcasts of Israel. You heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds…. The Lord supports the afflicted. . . Thank you from grateful hearts for Your Glory and Grace poured on each of our lives, no matter what. Psalm 147:1-3,6
Words cannot express my gratitude for the grace lavished on believers.
ReplyDeleteThe sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Something wonderful has happened as we have read these verses in the past few years. I have come to really like Paul. For years, I thought he was a man few (women especially) could appreciate. He was "over the top" for me. As we read this year, I felt like I was visiting with an old friend. His devotion, his supernatural love, his correction, his pastoral care for all believers, even his intensity I admire and have come to love. In heaven, after I meet the Lord Jesus, Paul will be one of the first heroes of the faith who I will seek out.
ReplyDeleteBut Paul says of himself "not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain..." Like us all, it is only by Grace that Paul was able to do what he did and still does, thanks be to God. He says he worked harder than the other apostles, but even that, not of himself, but because God enabled Him.
By the grace of God, each of us finds authenticity and value in HIm. Because of His enabling, we are able--He gives us the victory through Jesus. The only thing that Paul did of himself was make himself available and worked hard, and even that was because God made him strong enough to carry on. So may it be with us. Let us offer ourselves this day. There are many who need to know Christ. There are many who need a word of exhortation. There are many still in the dark.
Thank you, Lord, for Paul's example and for these Words recorded for us to examine our own lives, for us to be loved and lovingly corrected by the Power of this Word.
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Cor. 16:13-14
I join Bev and Annette and the rest of the Pearls in praising You for Who You are, Lord. Let our praise be pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
Paul would mention how he wasn't "fit" and oh my. If he's not, who is? One commentary said that God allows us to remember our failures, our weaknesses, so that we remain humbly dependent. No cause to boast for we all have messed up. Paul was so genuine.
ReplyDeleteMy former student, Chandler, went to be with his Lord last night. It's the day we all live for. It just happened so soon for Chan. I had him in class for 3 years and loved him like a son. His mom has been my supervisor, my good friend here at school. I9 years old. So incredibly sad for this precious family who lost the love of their life. God will carry them through this. Deut 1:31
ReplyDelete"God will carry them." Such comfort in those words. My heart breaks for his family and for your sadness. Love you.
ReplyDelete