ALL THINGS
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 14
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The ruins of Ancient Corinth (centre) are surround by a modern community. This view is from the Acropolis Hill (Acrocorinth).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:15
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
“All things” covered in this chapter are to be DONE (not neglected) “decently and in order.” A former Archbishop of Canterbury said that we trip over the word “decently,” and he also said, “When the Spirit moves, things can become rather messy.” The Archbishop was a speaker at a conference on evangelism here in Canada. He was not discouraging us from exercising the gifts but pointing out that our spirits are in our control (14:32) and that “God is not the Author of confusion but of peace (14:33). Note that the words “edification, edifies, edified” appear over and over. The public exercise of the Spirit’s gifts is for others, and for the whole Church. Also note that, in the final result, speaking in tongues and interpretation in the church service should produce the same building up (edification) as prophecy. However, it is important for a person also to build up the Spirit’s life within. Note that praying in tongues in personal prayer, while not knowing the meaning of what one is saying, edifies one’s self. Obviously this is what Paul referred to when he wrote, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all” (14:18). In the book of Acts, there are five occasions when believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. In four of those we know they spoke in tongues as an initial indication that they had experienced the Spirit in this way. In the first happening (Acts 2), people understood the tongues. In the others, it does not say they were understood. It would seem that they were “giving thanks well” (14:17) and were being personally edified by a private prayer language on those occasions.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, John the Baptist said that You would baptize me with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11b). I’m fully open to You every day. Please immerse me in Your Spirit again today. I’m praying right now “with the Spirit” and “with the understanding.” Hallelujah!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I need to be edified so that I may bless others, and I cannot do this unless I am blessed myself. I know that the Holy Spirit came to live in me when I went forward at a Youth for Christ rally in December, 1952, and He has constantly lived in me ever since. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, as are all believers in Jesus. Then in June of 1953, I was first fully filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, immersed in Him, and I spoke in tongues. It was while I was in prayer, and there was no interpretation of what I said. It was several years later that in my personal devotions I found myself praying in tongues. I immediately read again 1 Corinthians 14. I knew I was edified and that I was in good company with Paul (14:18). In the church, along with Paul, I’ve spoken well over 10,000 words in the known tongue.
I must not avoid verses 34 & 35 in our reading. My father, a preacher, missionary in Egypt, college professor, and my hero in ministry, told of a time in Timma, Egypt, when he was preaching. There was a wall between the womens’ section and the mens’ section of the church. This was a tradition based on the Temple in Jerusalem and on the synagogues. At one point in his sermon, a stressed-out mother (all of the children were on the womens’ side) yelled a question over the wall to her husband. He didn’t tell us what she asked, but I can use my imagination. My father quoted 1 Corinthians 14:35 and asked her to allow him to continue his sermon without interruption. She graciously complied. Some have taken this verse to forbid women in a preaching and teaching ministry. If that’s what Paul meant, then how does one explain the many women who did preach, teach, and prophesy with the blessing of the early Church? I like my Dad’s explanation of this Scripture!
Yours for encouraging “all things,” which Paul taught are for edification,
David
Here are the ruins of an ancient church that is on top of the Acropolis Hill (Acrocorinth).
Last day of February, with a post from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His HIghest. Blessings, fellow saints in the Lord! God be with you, all, today!
“Do You Now Believe?” By Oswald Chambers
“By this we believe….” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?” —John 16:30-31
“Now we believe….” But Jesus asks, “Do you…? Indeed the hour is coming…that you…will leave Me alone” (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.
We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to “walk in the light” of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to “walk in the light as He is in the light…” (1 John 1:7). When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others. But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation— just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.”
Charlene’s link yesterday, inspired this song, today:
What Mercy Did For Me [feat. Crystal Yates Micah Tyler Joshua Sherman]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG_BtqpfDGk
Amen Beverlee!
Found a great website called The Send and other great words that everyone could benefit from:
https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/the-send-marks-start-of-greatest-jesus-movement-as-more-than-40000-christians-gather-commit-to-missions?utm_source=The%20Daily%20Article&utm_campaign=bc4beacb8b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_06_02_04_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51f776a552-bc4beacb8b-273108149&mc_cid=bc4beacb8b&mc_eid=bd69046ae4
We know that “the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). As a result, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).
When we live for the eternal, we find purpose in the temporal. When we love God fully, we love our neighbor well. When we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” the result is that “all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
May God be with Pres. Trump and his government as he befriends Kim Jong Un and his lost nation.
Thank you Beverlee, Luisa, Lynda, Sah and Eleanor M for your kind remarks yesterday. Yes, I am also glad that I have lots of supplies in and have a deep freezer. Am overwhelmed by what is happening in our countries today; having natural and political disasters in our great democratic countries, Canada and the US. Lord help us! Am still blocked in well here and waiting for my helpers to come home from vacation. Keep safe saints!
Hope you can get out soon Ger. I didn’t go out yesterday because of the snow and I am babysitting my grandson today as he isn’t feeling well. Perhaps Edward and I will go out later.
Blessings to all. Good reading from Beverlee and Bill.
We just found our constitution.We lost our 90 yr old do-everything,much loved clerk-deacon 2 1/2 yr ago.He knew where his boundaries were but we need this constitution to know our separate duties.Our next senior deacon (85)just resigned Tues night at our meeting leaving 2 of us,the other is also about 85.She filled in when I turned it down the first time.My point is that I felt woefully unqualified and later realized that I was not trusting His Spirit to lead me.In this same light ‘I’ must help them to realize we must pray before we vote on each decision to be made.Then I expect to see God’s hand leading ‘us’.
This article from Oswald Chambers is timed perfectly and inspired this short poem.Thank you again for this blessing
(I suspect you were inspired to post it?)God bless
Serve You Truly
When You bring me to Your cross,
Don’t let me be deaf to Your word,
For I must learn to know Your loss
Through the echo of what I’ve heard.
Show me how to show the others
That we need You to make our choice
And we must pray like true brothers
But not before we hear Your voice.
Too often we stray aside,
Off the path that You have shown us,
So show us how we can abide
To serve You truly,Lord Jesus.Amen
G W (Bill)Marshall /28 Feb,2019
I try to never put a period after “God bless” or an “Amen” because a period denotes finality and after these words there should be no limit…Just a personal choice.Yall be blessed
Amen Bill!! The exclamation point does not count the same as a period 😀
Thanks for all your words of wisdom today. I sure did appreciate them today.
Blessings.
True love never fails: Thank you Jesus for Your True Love!
Words of wisdom by David! much appreciated!
Thank you all for sharing your thought, bless your day! Ger, I hope your helpers come even earlier than you expected!