MY BODY, MY BLOOD
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 11
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Partaking of the emblems of the body and blood of Christ is not an option which we may or may not exercise. It’s an order! Paul says, “Do this!” (11:24b). Remembering Christ’s death and resurrection is of vital importance (11:25).
Let’s look at the positive aspects of Paul’s teaching regarding “hair.” Women in the Corinthian Church were taking advantage of their new-found freedom in Christ and they were praying and prophesying in public gatherings. Good! But some appeared to be flaunting social convention by what would’ve been considered in the culture of that time and place as inappropriate and distracting. We are informed by cultural historians that at that time in Greece, only the prostitutes were seen in public with their hair uncovered. For Christian women to disregard this would have hurt their testimony. However, Paul was not making this an order as he did with remembering the Lord’s Supper. He assures those of us who live in other cultures and at other times that we are not bound to these social practices of Corinth. “Contentious” people will make a big issue of hair styles even today. “We have no such custom, nor do the churches of God” (11:16).
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your death and resurrection which I remember daily in my personal devotions, and also, without fail, together with my local congregation. Help me, I pray, that I will discern (understand fully) the depth of Your love and provision for me in Your Cross. I ask for health, physical strength, and length of days which come to me as a result. In Your strong Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a boy I heard a certain minister called a “clothesline” preacher. His special interest seemed to be the way women dressed. I was not impressed. It seemed to be a superfluous, relatively unimportant issue. Nevertheless, this still seems to be an issue with some. The prohibitions of the religion of Islam are a case in point (the burka). That’s the ridiculous extreme. This story I’m about to share may be fictitious, but here goes…
A preacher titled his message, “Top Knot Come Down.” He wanted the women to take the bun in which their hair was gathered on top of their heads, which he saw as an evidence of worldly pride, and move the bun down to the back of their heads. His text was taken from Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 24:17, “Let him who is on the housetop not come down.” This story illustrates for me how unwise it is to take temporary cultural expressions and insist that they be followed always. I’ve asked my sons to find a photo of a very religious Jew in Jerusalem who rigidly follows a dress code which originated sometime in the middle ages in a remote village of Eastern Europe. I think about these things and want to make sure I don’t get caught in such a trap.
Yours for a fuller understanding of God’s Word in a constantly shifting culture,
David
Wise explanation and counsel on today’s scripture and thanking God for this continued guidance. Worshiping this morning, with you, fellow saints, in the Lord. May this song bless you and rekindle you, throughout the day. For He is with us, and shall never forsake us. Oh, that we are saved because of the sacrifice of our Heavenly King! His love for us is so great, it is beyond comprehension! Basking in the glory of His Presence! Be blessed in your day, fellow saints, in the Lord! For oh, how He loves you so!!!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
HOUSEFIRES – Build my life (Lyric Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLSDBG1OcGE
Nice song, Beverley. The piece following it is a truthful confession to help us remember the great ROCK & caring Father we have.
Amen Beverlee!
We are His chosen children! Amen!
Let this truth bless you, today!
https://youtu.be/bytj0G6RmEk
Thanks Luisa!
Thanks Luisa! I love that song!! 🙂 We are His children of God! Amen!
Lord God, thank You for loving us. I pray for boldness, for courage, for wisdom, for guidance, for open doors, and for your help in sharing your precious gospel with others. In Jesus’s great name, amen
Good teaching today as always from David. Thank you Irene and Luisa and others for your prayers. I slept very well and I believe as the result of your prayers. This is an unusual winter here in the Maritimes and in many places I believe. Read in “Streams in the Desert” for today as key verse, “My grace is sufficient for you.”(2 Cor. 12:9). The wild wind is blowing the snow around today and its reaching half way up my windows. Heard of one house that was completely covered. Thank God we can have peace in the storm. Amen? Thank you all for your posts and for the Mainse family who keeps this going when probably have their own challenges. God bless.
Just shown another mercy; the big farm tractor equipped with plough and big snowblower just came in and blew out a drift that formed overnight with this wind as high as the banks surrounding my driveway. God is still looking after me. Amen!
Amen, sister Ger!! Bless the farmer who did your snow blowing!!
Yes, Amen Ger!!
God bless and keep all the snowplough drivers who are working hard and faithfully out there. Amen!
My, my, wondering if that is the men’s real hair up in the cap or if that is just a hairy cap.
Blessings on all saints I pray.
Wise words by David re dress code.
Praise God we are free for religious bondage! In Jesus!
Trusting the severe weather is subsiding and we will all can enjoy some sunny weather soon.
Blessings to all you saints.
Sorry, that should read “Praise God we free from religious bondage”