I Corinthians 4-6
We are in the Church Stream today hearing the Apostle Paul instruct the church at Corinth. We are using the Common English Bible this week.
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The Thread through the Streams
Looking over the terrain of the scriptures, we can almost feel it in our soul when God shows the vision to the 70 elders in Exodus. The Covenant is laid forth, they gather to dine and they see the dazzling blue above as if God opened a window from heaven and let them see in. “Watch this” <–they heard it back then and they saw. It was a spectacular gift of God.
-In II Samuel there is a rebellion getting some scary momentum. Will Ahithophel get away with this? No. Watch this. Will the army of Absalom snuff out King David? No. They are going down today. God will do them in – this rebellion will die in the forest, watch this.
-In Psalm 50:15, I can almost hear the question being asked of God and his reply, ” cry out to me, I’ll deliver you from trouble – watch this!”
-In Jeremiah they are justifying themselves thinking they will never be punished. “oh yea? watch this as the harvest doesn’t come in, mounted horsemen bent on obliterating you ride. You won’t want to watch this, but you will!”
-Hosea in ch. 11 especially muses at how frustrating this all is for God to call down punishment on His beloved children. Can they see it? God wants to show them compassion if they would watch for Him instead of looking for ways to err into sin.
-Right before Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time, there’s a “watch this!” as Jesus heals Bartimaeus of blindness. And think that the deed itself says the same thing to the blind man. Guess what?! He can watch Jesus now! Amazing.
-In Corinth there is a fellow engaging is a dark sin that leads to death / not just an ecclesistical inconvenience. He is arrogant about it. Paul almost retorts in his spirit to that man, “you think you are going to get away with this? Keep this up? Stay in the church? avoid evil and love your sin and not encounter grave punishment? Watch this as you get handed over to Satan himself.
Let’s everyday be watching for what God is going to do – it’s terribly marvelous.