PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 31, 2023

 

Oct 31 – Future – 1 Cor 15:24

 Oct 31 – Future – 1 Cor 15:24

 

24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.

 

     Paul then gives his audience and readers a snapshot of the future.  When Jesus Christ has come back first for His church and then back with His church.  Jesus will hand the Kingdom back to His Father.  Up to this point it is Jesus who has been ruling but, on the day, when there is a new heaven and earth.  After Jesus has destroyed the enemy and all His legions and laid waste to the evil of the day.  He has destroyed their power authority and dominion.  Paul is saying that the evil of this day and all the chaos, havoc and destruction is causes has an expiration date.  Paul is giving them a little glimpse and lesson in future events.  This is something that he taught in all the churches.  He called it the blessed hope.  They have a future destiny different from what was taught in pagan temples and Greek mythology.

Proverbs of Steel for Oct 30, 2023

 

Oct 30 – Fourfold blessings – 1 Cor 15:23

 Oct 30 – Fourfold blessings – 1 Cor 15:23

 

23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

 

     Paul then reveals four things.  There is a reality for those who are in Christ.  Christ is the first one to rise from the dead, but He is not the last.  Next, then and this is the promise and the future for the believer.  They have a glorious future.  Thirdly, when Jesus Christ comes.  This is the blessed hope of everyone who loves and lives for Jesus Christ.  He is coming back.  This event will be in the twinkling of an eye.  The pain, sorrow and uncertainty of this life will be done away.  The enemy will not defeat us but we will defeat the enemy.  Lastly, those who belong to Him.  Those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior.  Those who have been a new identity, hope, mission, and destiny will have all they have believed in, hope for and wish will see it come to pass. 

Dad spend time with your children

DAD THE PROPER DISCIPLINE

Mini prayer time for October 27, 2023

The Lord is there.

Dad the role model

Mini prayer for October 27, 2023

Prayer time for October 28, 2023

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 27, 2023

 

Oct 27 – First Fruits – 1 Cor 15:20

 Oct 27 – First Fruits – 1 Cor 15:20

 

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

     Paul then flips it around and then goes back to the witnesses he listed at the beginning of the chapter.  Jesus was raised up on the third day.  The empty tomb, his resurrection appearances and the witnesses are indisputable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.  The is the first fruits of the dead.  Jesus was just the first of those who will be risen from the dead.  Where the dead are is just a transition stage and the future will be one of completeness.  Paul would get more in that later in the chapter.  Paul uses a familiar analogy of the harvest.  As God received the first fruits of the harvest in return Jesus became the first individual to be raise from the dead but He would not be the least and this is part of the blessed hope we have in Christ.

Matt 4:23

Matt 4:23

Prayer time for October 24, 2023

Prayer time for October 25, 2023

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 26, 2023

 

Oct 26 – Pitiful – 1 Cor 15:19

 Oct 26 – Pitiful – 1 Cor 15:19

 

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 

     Paul says that if we only put our hope in Christ in this life.  If we have put all our marbles in this one adventure than we are of all people most to be pitied and laughed at.  If Christian hope is limited by the boundary of mortal existence and does not extend to the hope of the resurrection, then Christians are the most pathetic of people since their hope is based on a mere illusion of life beyond death.  We have been living in a fantasy, a lie, a counterfeit, and falsehood.  The most pitiful person is the one who continues to believe a lie when truth has been presented to them that can’t be disputed.  We unfortunately have that played out in the scientific, cultural, and educational realm.  One man wrote,” Don’t destroy my fantasy with your reality.” 

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 25, 2023

 

Oct 25 – Dead – 1 Cor 15:18

 Oct 25 – Dead – 1 Cor 15:18

 

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

 

     Paul points out that if there is no resurrection than the people who put their faith in Jesus Christ and have died are lost.  They are still in their sins.  Instead of going to heaven they have gone to hell.  They are dead entities.  Jesus said He was going to prepare a place and where He was so those who believed were going to be with Him.  The thief on the cross was assured that when Jesus died, he would be with Jesus in paradise.  This was based on the truth and fact that Jesus was going to rise.  If Jesus did not the thief has believed in vain.  The corruption that sin brings would still being destroying if Jesus had not risen from the dead.  Fortunately, He did.

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCTOBER 24, 2023

 

Oct 24 – Vain and Futile – 1 Cor 15:17

Oct 24 – Vain and Futile – 1 Cor 15:17

 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

 

     The result of Jesus not rising of the dead has two consequences which Paul points out.  First, our faith is in vin and futile.  We have believed a lie.  It is nothing but a fantasy and an illusion.  Our future is not secure.  All the truths we held on to were lies.  The second reality is that we are still in our sins.  Jesus said He came to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  His death, burial and resurrection were in vain.  His broken body and shed blood have done nothing.  His sacrifice was useless.   The resurrection is proof.  It is the cornerstone and without it we are just like everyone else.  All the other world religion founders are in the tomb, and we know where their graves are.  The empty tomb is evidence of the resurrection. The angel said to the women, “Come and see the place where He laid.”

Concise Truth – 1 Cor 15:16

  Concise Truth – 1 Cor 15:16

 

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

 

     Paul points out a simple concise truth.  If the dead are not raised than Jesus Christ is not raised either.  An event that proves the dead can and will be raised was when Jesus Christ died on the cross some people in the city of Jerusalem were raised from the dead and walk in the city that day.  Jesus broke up every funeral he went to.  He raises Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus passed by a funeral of a young man and raised him up from the dead.  Two men who did not see death were Enoch and Elijah.  Resurrection is a theme in the Bible, and it is one of the hopes that we have as Christian.  One day we shall be like Him and see Him as he is.  However, if the dead cannot be raised than Jesus Christ did not either.  

 

Cornerstone community church service for October 22, 2023

Prayer time for October 21, 2023

Lord is consistently

God sees not what we are but what we shall be

Prayer time for October 20, 2023

Oct 20 – Useless – 1 Cor 15:14

 Oct 20 – Useless – 1 Cor 15:14

 

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

 

     Paul makes a clear case for the resurrection. He says that is Christ has not been raised there are two results which are tragic.  First their preaching useless.  They have proclaimed a lie.  They have deceived literally thousands of people.  On the day of Pentecost Peter preached and 3000 people were saved.  After the healing of the lame man 5000 were saved.  All this effort and sacrifice was for nothing.  Secondly their faith was in vain.  They believed a lie and the are not going to heaven.  The do not have peace, love, joy, mercy, and grace.  The feeling and benefits they have been receiving is fake, counterfeit, and a lie.  Their faith is useless and of no value if Christ had not risen from the dead.  It is pitiable in the least.

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 19, 2023

 

Oct 19 – All a Lie – 1 or 15:13

 Oct 19 – All a Lie – 1 or 15:13

 

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

 

     Paul begins a logically presentation and a commonsense approach.  If there is no resurrection of the dead.  Then not even Christ has been raised.  Paul is stating that Christ and His post resurrection appearances were an illusion and fantasy contrive by the witnesses to deceive and manipulate a tragic event into a false religion design to comfort and help people in a chaotic and dark world to cope in the hopeless reality they were living in.  Oppression and slavery were rampant.  Racism, prejudice and bigotry abound so this message was design to give hope but if no resurrection then in reality there is no hope because it was all a lie.

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 18, 2023

 

Oct 18 – Certain Truth – 1 Cor 15:12

 Oct 18 – Certain Truth – 1 Cor 15:12

 

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

 

     This next section is probably the most important part of this letter.  Paul goes on to explain the importance and reality of the resurrection.  Paul has just listed the witnesses of Christ’s post resurrection appearances.  Paul then states that he and others have preached has rising from the dead.  Yet there were some who in the audience that said Christ had not risen from the dead or that there was no resurrection of the dead.  This was a direct challenge to the Judaizers or former Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  This was the cornerstone of all the church believed and preached.  Paul was about to explain why the resurrection is essential to the faith.  Truth is always denied by certain people and elements in the church.  They must be confronted and educated about what the church believes and stands for in every generation. 

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 17, 2023

 

Oct 17 – Believe – 1 Cor 15:11

 Oct 17 – Believe – 1 Cor 15:11

 

11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

 

     Pul makes it clear that the vessel and ambassador of the truth of Jesus Christ is not the matter.  The reality is that Jesus Christ is preached.  Jesus Christ is object and subject of their faith.  He is the author and finisher of the faith.  Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is the central truth of the gospel.  His broken body and shed blood are the vehicles in which this faith is completed.  Paul says that this is what they believed.  It was also the reason why Paul listed all the post resurrection appearances.  They were to validate and authenticate what he has been saying.  Paul was presenting evidence.  Evidence that was indisputable because of the witnesses. 

Prayer time for October 15, 2023

PROVERBS OF STEEL FOR OCT 16, 2023