Devotional Thoughts

1 Corinthians 12:1-3    “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” Paul has spent a great deal of time speaking to the Corinthian church (and to us) about their behavior. They have been soundly rebuked concerning the division among them. He has counseled them in their attitude towards one another as brothers and sisters, as husbands and wives, and as the body of Christ collectively. He now calls attention to gifts of a divine or religious nature (see Strong’s). Again, he emphasizes his feeling of family towards them by addressing them as brethren. Paul had no desire to appear to just be venting at them. His whole purpose in this letter was to assure them of his continuing love for them, an...

Psalm 119:105    "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Proverbs 3:5-6    "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." John 14:6    "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." I hope to be able to connect all three passages to make sense. If I ask ten people what is the purpose of the Bible, I would probably receive several different answers. And most, if not all, of those answers would contain some truth. Paul gave the answer in his 2nd letter to Timothy, chapter 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Notice in all of our Scripture for today that there is one source t...

1 Corinthians 11:33-34    “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” In the verses prior to the closing of this chapter, Paul had rebuked the church at Corinth soundly for their poor behavior toward one another. He further instructed them that behaving poorly toward one another in connection with the Lord’s Supper brought judgment upon them. Nevertheless, this judgment was from the chastening hand of the Lord and therefore a matter of some encouragement because this was a sign of His love for them. Paul evidenced a great concern over their self-centered behavior. He rebuked them in verse twenty-one for each one seeking his own satisfaction. The outcome of this behavior was some were given to excess (even becoming drunk) while others were left hungry. Their lack of concern for one another and the proper recogn...

Psalm 119:103-104    "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  (104)  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." It is no coincidence that this Psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible. The entirety of the Psalm is given to the subject of the Word of God. I say it is no coincidence because of the importance of constant prayer, reading, studying, and meditating upon the Word of God. We have seen that we gain understanding and our hope gains strength as we give ourselves to the Word of God. It has been my experience on many occasions that I would read something and not get the immediate thought of the passage. It is at that time that I begin to ask the Lord to open my understanding. It isn't always an immediate thought that comes to me. It just might be at that time that the Lord is saying, "Let's just talk a while." Reading and enquiring about the words written in the Bible is a great aven...

1 Corinthians 11:30-32    “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” In order to understand the “cause” that Paul speaks of, we must look back to verse twenty-nine, which says “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” Any attempt to partake of the communion of our Lord Jesus without truly understanding His sacrifice for us as the church, the body of Christ, condemns us. The consequence of our action is that we are spiritually weakened with infirmity to the extent that we become dead to the joy of His kingdom. The condition described in these verses in no way indicates that we can lose our eternal salvation. Scripture plainly teaches us that we cannot be plucked out of God’s hand (Joh 10:28-29). The fact that Paul wa...