1 Corinthians 1: 18

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For further study - I Corinthians 1:18-31

In the passage for our devotional reading today we see how that those today who exalt human wisdom will one day come to an understanding that man's wisdom is "foolishness in the things of God".

That's how Paul begins our devotional passage, which is an excerpt of his letter to the very "carnal church" in Corinth. What a powerful truth, that which seems to be "foolishness" to those of the world today who are not saved, not believers in Jesus Christ for eternal life, they consider the "preaching of the cross" foolishness.

But Paul tells those of us who do believe that we came to that belief by the "preaching of the cross" which is to those of us who believe, the "power of God", verse 18.

If we take a closer look at the philosophy of this world today, and its people, they are bound up by "human wisdom", the knowledge and intellect of man. Even the "church", the institution ordained by God on Earth, has appropriated that "humanistic" philosophy, that "human wisdom," which they have made key to their "pattern of life."

Paul uses this letter to the Church in Corinth, who had bought into this philosophy and he revealed to them that man's wisdom was "foolishness."

God's wisdom is what we should long for. It is very evident in what is termed "post-modern Christianity" in the Church today that they have allowed for "man's wisdom to take control of leadership and ministry.

In fact, Paul even said that the foolishness of God, verse 25, is wiser than men. Verse 27 reveals God's plan for this matter. God has chosen the "foolishness of this world to confound the wise".

Paul realizes that many in this world must have "signs" to believe what is of the Lord, verse 22, especially the Jew. If one has to have a "sign" to believe, faith will not then spring forth.

Hebrews 11:1 says that "faith" is the substance of things "hoped for", the evidence of things "not seen." If we must have a "sign" before we believe then we don't have "real faith".

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10:17. The Jew and some others require a "sign" and the Gentile craves for wisdom, the wisdom of man, verse 22. Both are the opposite of God's design for the Church and it's ministry and worship.

Paul sets the standard, verse 23, "we preach Christ crucified." Not only crucified, but resurrected, ascended into heaven and one day coming again. Now that is "real wisdom", God's wisdom.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to stay in the Bible for the Godly wisdom that will carry me through life and into eternity future.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. For further study I Corinthians 2:1-16

I love our key verse, verse 9, it is a promise of things that God will give me and you, if you know Him as Lord and Saviour, things that I can not even imagine. My eyes have not seen them, my ears have not heard them and my heart is void of what these things might be that will come to me in the future.

What we do know is that God has prepared these things. Because I love Him they will come to me. I feel like a little child who has the prospect of receiving something special from someone special. In order to receive from God this something special we must not only love the Lord, but we must be "born again", become a new creation.

Verse 14 states that the "natural man", a lost person without Jesus Christ, will not be able to know about God's gift. Whatever God would count as special, the lost person would consider it all foolishness. The gifts coming from the Lord will come better into focus as we study through the Word of the Lord, the Bible.

Paul explains in this passage the ministry of the Holy Spirit in communicating to the believer what God wants him to know. The first method that God uses to communicate to man is "inspiration," verse13.

Paul says it wasn't his words and his wisdom but the Holy Spirit breathing into him, as He did into some 40 men over 1,500 years, 66 books, the Bible; with God's message for humankind, II Timothy 3:16.

These "truths" or "revelation" were also God-breathed and given to men the Lord Himself chose. None of the prophets received these truths by his own will but were Holy men of God and were able to speak prophetic truth as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, II Peter 1:21.

Maybe the most exciting thought in this passage is that we as Christians have the Holy Spirit living in us to not only empower us but also to teach us through "illumination," a third ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told His disciples that He must go, but He promised that when He had gone, He would send the Holy Spirit to teach us. And notice, the Holy Spirit would not only teach us but teach us things to come, John 16:7-14.

I must admit that after 50 years of studying God's Word there is much more than I can imagine that the Lord has in store for me in the future.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you, Lord, for breathing into Godly men, Your Word, and then sending the Holy Spirit, the one who gave men Your Word, to dwell within me and teach me Your Word.

1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. For further study - I Corinthians 11:23-30
One of the blessings we have as the member of a local church is to join with others to partake of the Lord's Supper, or the Communion. Paul tells the church at Corinth that they must observe the Lord's Table properly and with noun-confessed sin.

Those who come to the “Lord's Table” without having confessed all of their sins to the Lord are in danger of a serious illness or even death. The Lord wants those who come to His table to be clean before Him.

Paul exhorts the people of the church at Corinth to examine themselves before coming to take of the Lord's Supper. Each of us must look “inward”. We must look in at our own lives, starting from the point of our salvation till today, to see if their is any need to be reconciled to God. Then we must be ready to restore our fellowship with God,

Paul also tells us that at the Lord's Supper we must look “backward” to what Christ did on the cross for each of us. We must look back to His death, burial, and resurrection as the means for eternal life.

Then Paul tells us to “look upward”. This is the part I really like. We are to look up everyday, awaiting the return of Christ.

We “look in” to see our relationship with Christ.

We “look back” to see what Christ has done for us.

We “look up” in anticipation of the Rapture of the Church.

The Rapture is when we get to be with Christ forever, which could happen at any moment. We are to anticipate His return each and every time we sit at the Lord's Table. Remember, prophecy is very practical.

As you look up continually, eagerly awaiting the Lord's Return, it will help you to be pure, productive, and prepared for the gathering of God's people to be with Him forevermore.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you, Jesus, for Your death, burial, and resurrection. Please allow our knowledge of this great event to motivate us to live for You, as we anticipate Your return.

1 Corinthians 15:52 - In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For further study - I Corinthians 15:51-58

In my King James Scofield Reference Bible there is a "headliner" above verse 51 in our extended text for today's devotional. It reads "All believers will not die. "This is what I call a "blessed hope".

I've often said I don't want the "undertaker" to take care of me, I want the "upper-taker", Jesus, at the Rapture to deal with me at the time of my departure from this world.

In other words I want to be in the group of believers who will not die but instead will be "translated" into the heavenlies as Jesus shouts and I am called up to meet Him in the air at the Rapture of the Church. This is my "blessed hope", and yours as well.

The Rapture is the focus in these last seven verses of I Corinthians 15.

I Corinthians 15 opens with the focus on the "Resurrection" of Jesus Christ. The chapter closes with the "Rapture". I must remind you that it is because of the "Resurrection" that we have the "blessed hope" and assurance of the "Rapture".

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us of the procedure of the Rapture. The "archangel" shouts and the "trump of God" sounds and "Jesus shouts". Then the "dead in Christ" rise first and we which are alive and remain on earth should be caught up to join Jesus in the air, as we enter the heavenlies.

Paul writes the Church in Corinth about the Rapture about five years after he introduced the subject to those in the Church in Thessalonica, I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

In our devotional passage for today we are given more details about this "blessed event". Paul tells us it will happen "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye", verse 52a. Remember, the "twinkling of an eye" is much, much faster than even the "blink of an eye".

The "dead in Christ" are raised, incorruptible. We that are alive at the Rapture are changed. We put on incorruption and immortality. This all happens faster that you can blink your eyes, that is fast. We can all then join in the chorus singing in harmony with Jesus, "O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?", verse 55.

We'll also join together to sing the "thank you chorus", "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.", verse 57.

Paul concludes this passage with our "marching orders". He tells us to "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord", verse 58. We do this because we know that our labor for Him is not in vain.

Prophecy is so very practical. As we better understand the next event on God's time table for the future, the Rapture, we see how then we should live until He calls us to join Him in the heavenlies.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the promise of the Rapture. Help me to live for You today knowing how close we may be to the Rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

For further study - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

I could hardly wait to get to this chapter in 1 Thessalonians for our devotional time. The "hope" of my life and indeed the main prayer of my life is that the Rapture will happen in my lifetime.

I have traveled across this world telling people of the Rapture and then teaching the prophetic passages of His Word to help everyone that I have contacted to understand that today could well be the day of the Rapture.

We'll look together at the description of how the Rapture will play out in a moment, but first just a word or two about Paul's message to this people in Thessalonica who he had led to the Lord just three weeks before he wrote this letter to them.

Paul tells these new Christians, as well as us long-time Christians, that we will "abound" if we will walk with the purpose of "pleasing God," verse 1. Paul then tells them, and us, what the will of God is for our lives, verse 3-12.

No longer do we have to say "I wish I knew the will of God for my life."

The best way to be in God's will is to follow the instructions in these verses.

Now to the Rapture, actually the word "rapture" is not used in this passage, in fact the word rapture is not used in the entire Bible. Don't be concerned about that, the word "trinity, the term for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is not used in the Bible. The truth of the matter is that the word "Bible" is not used in the Bible.

The word "rapture" comes from the Latin word for the phrase "caught up" in verse 17. The Latin word, "rapturo," in verse 17, is how we get the word Rapture. 1Corinthians 15 says, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye", we will be caught up to be with the Lord.

Verse 14 says that only saved people go to be with the Lord at the Rapture. Verse 16 says that those Christians which have already died, they will be the first ones to respond to the Lord's shout, the sound of the trumpet and the voice of the archangel.

It is after the "dead in Christ" have been raised and start towards heaven that the rest of us Christians move from this earthly home to a heavenly home, never to leave the Lord's presence, forever, verse 17.

This event, the Rapture, could happen at any moment and with the prophetic events recorded in God's Word seemingly coming to pass, the Rapture could happen today. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

PRAYER THOT: Lord, my hearts desire is for the Rapture to happen in my lifetime. Help me to live every day as if it would be today.

2 Corinthians 4:5 - For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For further study - 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Each day as I come to my time in the Word of God, devotionally, I am continually amazed at how practical the Bible is for my every day experience of living out my Christianity in the days in which we live.

Today's passage for our devotional is no exception. I won't be able to elaborate on everything in our passage but let me challenge you to spend time in this passage and "dig deeper" for the "treasure" in His Word.

Paul begins this chapter with the fact that his ministry compels him to not be dishonest even in secret, verse 2. The apostle sets the standard for every person in ministry, and I must remind you that each of us does have a ministry in this life, thus we must follow the standard that Paul sets for us, until he calls us home.

We must walk honest, not in craftiness, not handling the Word of God deceitfully, as related to us in verse 2. Verses 3 and 4 reveal how the "god of this world," that would be Satan, is today blinding the minds of the lost people of our world to the "gospel".

The "gospel", I Corinthians 15:1-5, is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This "gospel" is the "power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth", Romans 1:16.

Paul exhorts us to not allow the "gospel" to be hid from the lost. That "gospel" is hid today from the lost by false teachers, pseudo-ministries and unresolved sin.

I mention "pseudo" or "false ministry" which would be a ministry that allows the things of this world to direct how we perform ministry in the "church" because many churches are moving in that direction in order to build s "large" church. The things of this world distract from the "purity" of the "gospel" and dilutes the "gospel" so that it is of none effect.

Let me skip over some great "meat" in this passage, some of the "treasure"

that you can dig out for yourself in verses 6-16.

The last two verses of our devotional passage for today, verses 17-18, look to the future. They speak of the "hard times" we may be facing today and into the future. Paul encourages us to look at these times as "light afflictions", verse 17, which are but for a moment.

Paul even mentions that the "light afflictions" are the "training ground" preparing us for the future. Paul concludes with a word of encouragement for the church at Corinth and for those of us in churches, worldwide, today.

Verse 18 says, don't look on the things of today, "things seen", because they are "temporal", for a short time. We should "look upon those things not seen", they are eternal.

See how practical the Word of God, and prophecy are, the current events of this world, our afflictions for today, must not be our focus, we must focus on the "things to come", as revealed in God's prophetic Word, the hope for tomorrow.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to keep my focus not on the things of this world but instead on the truths of Your Word as I move through these days and into the future.

2 Corinthians 5:9 - Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

For further study - 2 Corinthians 5:1-9

Paul is writing a word of encouragement to those in Corinth about what the time of death will bring to each of us. Most of us look at death as something to be dreaded, something to be avoided at all cost.

May I remind myself, as well as reminding you also that are reading this devotional, that death is not the end all. It is actually the beginning, the beginning of eternity future. The Apostle brings to our attention that in our present "tabernacle" our present body, there is groaning.

Let me stop right here. Everyday, as I become aware of another ache or pain that I never have experienced before, I usually spend several minutes or sometimes even several hours worrying about what the discomfort may be and what it could become.

Paul is telling us that we will one day put on a new "tabernacle" , a new and wonderful heavenly body. Paul talks about confidence and he reminds us of where the confidence comes from.

The Holy Spirit has sealed each of us into the Body of Chris. It is the "earnest of the Spirit" that gives us the confidence of where we are and where we will be one day. As we are alive on this earth we are absent from the Lord and we know this by faith not by sight.

Paul then speaks of another confidence, the confidence that when we die on this earth we go directly into His presence, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, verse 8. At death all born again Christians are transported by angels, Luke 16:22, into the heavenlies, and into His presence.

Now re-read our key verse. Until that victorious time of death when we go into His presence, Paul says He will be ambitious and so should we be the same. Paul wanted to live a life, do the work of the Lord, so that when he saw Him he would be accepted of Him. That should be the same for us, when we see Him we will be accepted of Him.

The very next verse, verse 10, speaks of us then standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul says he wants to be well-accepted of Christ at that time. This is a Godly ambition, because at the Judgment Seat we are given "crowns" for those works we have done for the Lord, in His power and for His glory.

Then we take these crowns and lay them at His feet as He sits upon His throne, Revelation 4:10, in thanksgiving for all that He has done for us.

We must join Paul in this Godly ambition, so that we can give Him the glory.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to live a life that will receive reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ so I can show thanksgiving to You, for all You have done for me as I cast my crowns at Your feet.

Acts 1:3 - To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

For further study - Acts 1:1-7

Dr. Luke, the author of the book of Acts, has given us the account of the post resurrection days of Jesus Christ, His departure for the heavens and the history of the early church with all of its problems and blessings as the followers of Christ move out to spread the message to all the world.

As a prophecy student and teacher, I especially like this first seven verses of Acts because it focuses us on what Jesus thought to be a priority for Him as He spent 40 days with His disciples. Verse 3 explains that Jesus showed Himself alive after His resurrection for the 40 days leading up to His departure.

Verse 3 also reveals to us the subject of the teaching that Jesus gave His disciples for that almost 6-week period. Jesus focused on the things pertaining to the kingdom of God to come.

In fact, when asked, Jesus said He could not tell His disciples that it was the time for Him to set up the kingdom. The Lord told these inquisitive young men that only His Father knew when that day would be.

It is very interesting to me that Jesus spent the last six months of His life on earth teaching prophecy to His disciples. Then, with only 40 days after His resurrection, He again focused on prophecy.

It is also interesting to note that the last book of the Bible, Revelation, includes the letters to the “seven churches” of Asia Minor and each of these letters contain prophetic truth that the Lord's people need to know. Jesus put an importance on knowing the “truth of prophecy” for all those who follow Him.

Over 30% of the Bible is prophecy and that seems to indicate to me the emphasis that the Lord puts on prophecy. Any individual Bible study should include a study of prophecy. The study of prophecy will help us to understand the current events of our day. The study of prophecy also gives us an assurance that the Lord is still in charge of world affairs.

Jesus understood this, of course, so He taught His followers what the future would hold and what would give evidence of the time of His return.

With the understanding that the Lord could return at any time these disciples went forth to turn the world of their day upside down, Acts 17:6.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to understand the days that I live in could well be the time of Your return Lord and therefore, help me to go out and turn the world "upside down".

Acts 1:11 - Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

For further study - Acts 1:8-14

This Scripture, the record of the ascension of Jesus back to heaven, has much to say about the events of that day recorded in Acts but also about the future. This passage also lays out the plan Jesus had for spreading the Gospel to the world.

Jesus told them to tarry there until they had received the power of the Holy Spirit which He had promised, (John 16), and then be witnesses of what He had done, around the world. This message was to go first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth.

As soon as our Lord had given His disciples His method for spreading the Gospel, a cloud came and took Him up into heaven, (Acts 1:9). The truth be known, on a clear day, I pray for clouds because the next verse says, "as He has gone, so shall He return in the clouds." At that time, two men in white apparel, (Acts 1:10), standing there gave the confirmation that He would return in the same manner and to the same place, the Mount of Olives, (Zechariah 14:4).

But please notice the two men in white apparel that gave us this information. I have an idea as to the identity of these two men.

Before I tell you, please notice another verse in the Gospel of Luke also written by the author of Acts, Dr. Luke. In Luke 24:4 it records two men also in white apparel who told the Marys that Jesus was not in the grave but had risen from the dead.

I believe I know who these two men are also. They are the same two men of Acts 1:10. So, these two men witnessed the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension into heaven and said He would return. These are the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-12. These two witnesses preach 3 1/2 years from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

There message will be that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and went to heaven but is coming again to the same spot where He departed. These two themes will be the message of these two witnesses which will bring many to Christ during the coming Tribulation Period in the near future.