July 25, Reading 3 – 1 Corinthians 16

Reading

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SAA Notes

I like to dwell on verses 13,14. They are so simple yet so challenging.

SJA Notes

* Gracious Father, please open our hearts to hear Your word to us today.

“… Be subject to such as these, and to every fellow workers and laborer.”

Paul ends this first letter to the Corinthian church with specific call-outs and exhortations, for individuals and for churches.

These were encouragements for the readers then, and are for us today.

It is a good thing to be encouraged with the work of the gospel that is going on outside of our own local churches. Places nearby, and places far away.

Let us keep each other in prayer.

* Gracious Lord God,

Thank You for Your church, that You continue to build it – all across the world.

Please help bind up the broken-hearted, heal the sick, give strength to the weary and courage to those in fear.

Amen.

July 24, Reading 3 – 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Reading

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SAA Notes

Resurrection is a necessary first step before we enter heaven. This resurrection hope in Christ takes the sting out of death, out of my death and yours. What a wonderful exhortation there is in verse 58!

SJA Notes

* Mighty God, please wash us clean today, please forgive us our sin and teach us. May we hearken to Your word today.

“The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.”

We follow the man of dust down to the grave, the perishable being sown in death.

But PRAISE GOD, that through Jesus we follow Him, the man of heaven; That after we are sown to death we are raised to life, spiritual bodies.

Right now, our bodies earthly, they are but a bare kernel, a little seed.

However through Jesus, that perishable will become imperishable, that mortal will become immortal.

At the last trump!

“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

This passage is to be a wonderful encouragement to us, our hope in glory, new resurrection bodies!

Let us be encouraged.

* Gracious Father,

Your plans for us are so strangely wonderful that we are humbled by Your grace and mercy.

That You would have importance and worth in these mortal and perishable bodies.

That these bodies would have importance in the NOW, but even more in the NOT YET, the THEN.

On that final day when Jesus returns what we read here will be fully revealed.

Thank You Lord, what a loving God You are!

Amen.

July 23, Reading 3 – 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

Reading

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SAA Notes

The death and resurrection of Christ are central to the Gospel. Their truth is the hinge upon which our faith turns.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, You are all that is good and holy, righteous and true. Thank You for saving us!

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

Paul states plainly a foundation truth that we are to boast in.

That Jesus was raised from the dead.

What a strange and often-derided position this is to take from an earthly perspective.

But if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we are the saddest of created mankind. We are to be pitied, for if this were true then our faith is worthless, our trust is empty.

But He did.

Jesus rose from the dead. He broke death for us.

Do we believe this? Do we boast of this?

* Father God,

We believe in You, please help our unbelief.

We long for Your love, please open our eyes to what You have done, will do and continue to do right now for us.

Please remind us each day of Jesus; His work for us, saving us from our sin and from the shadow of death.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour You are!

Amen.