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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, May 12, 2023
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Divisions in the Church (Part 2) Bible Verse:1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (ESV) "Iappeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. " Message:
In yesterday’s discussion, we thought about how strongly Paul rejected divisions of Christianity. We call these “denominations.” Rather than unity, harmony, and cooperation, Christians divide themselves, one from another, by their squabbles, their prideful interpretation of words, the egos of their leadership, and other such anti-Christian distinctions.
We must be careful not to mistake an earthly institution or religious leader for the true subject of our faith, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” We hit on this yesterday, but I wanted to repeat it and think about the significance of it, because Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 1 is so vital to Christian practice, and so little understood or discussed. It will be restated forcefully in the next verses, but let me try to get a head start on how I understand Paul’s central message in this chapter.
We are not going to find God by looking within ourselves. We are not going to find God in our minds or our opinions, and we are not going to find God in the words of other people. We cannot demand miracles; we cannot wait for signs. These might (or might not!) help us to find our way, but they are not our destination. Our destination is Christ crucified.
But wait, you say, what about Christ resurrected? But if you understand what Paul is saying, you will see that you are quibbling over words, for Christ hanging on the cross is Christ resurrected and Christ ascended; for we know that in His death lies an absolute promise of eternal life. Another person might see an empty cross with Christ in heaven; it is the same thing, simply at different points in time.
The phenomenal power of Christianity rests in the cross. There is no other miracle to witness and there are no words capable of explaining it. The cross of Christ is the end of our inquiry. My aim in worship is to have Christ crucified fill my mind 100% so that, for once, I am not thinking about myself. Words and songs and artwork simply help us to find our way there. They lead us to the cross, for on the cross hung the body and blood of our Savior.
And so, people who quibble about words and rituals and ideas are misdirecting us, for these things are simply paths to the top of a hill, where stands an ugly wooden cross.
There are some basic and very simple things that Christ commanded us to do, but any person can read the Bible and see what they are. Be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Remember Jesus when we eat and drink — bread and wine, crackers and grape juice, do these things really matter? Believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Have faith that He was resurrected from the dead, and in this death and resurrection we will find eternal life.
Well, that is a pile of words, isn’t it? But I hope it might help you to follow Paul’s terminology in 1 Corinthians 1, and to find his meaning.
Meditation : Prayer : Now all glory to God, who is able to keep me from falling away and will bring me with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time,.......Amen |
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