Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / August 29 - 1 Corinthians 16

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August 29 - 1 Corinthians 16 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello, friends. It's Sean.
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  Here it is, Thursday, it's the 29th of August.
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  And today we are going to be reading the final chapter, the
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  very end of this first letter that Paul writes to the
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  Corinthian church. And this, of course, is like
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  most of Paul's letters that ends with final instructions to his
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  friends and then a greeting that of course, is filled with love
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  and kindness and sentimentality, particularly because Paul knew
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  this church so well, he he gathered them together.
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  He first preached and converted them.
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  And now from a distance, he writes this to encourage them.
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  And as you read it, I pray that you and I will be encouraged by
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  these words because this church that started there, well, it
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  just continued to grow and to spread.
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  Here we are in whatever corner of the world you are right now.
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  We are a product of this growing church that this Holy Spirit
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  just inspired and grew. So these words of encouragement,
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  well, really, friend, they are for you.
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  They are for you indeed. So let us read together this
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  final chapter, First Corinthians chapter 16.
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  Now regarding your question about the money being collected
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  for God's people in Jerusalem, you should follow the same
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  procedure I've given to the churches in Galatia.
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  On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a
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  portion of the money you have earned.
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  Don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at
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  once. When I come, I will write
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  letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to
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  deliver your gift to Jerusalem, and if it seems appropriate for
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  me to go along, they can travel with me.
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  I'm coming to visit you after I've been to Macedonia, for I'm
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  planning to travel through Macedonia.
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  Perhaps I will stay a while with you, possibly all winter, and
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  then you can send me on my way to my next destination.
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  This time I don't want to make just a short visit and then go
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  right on. I want to come and stay a while
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  if the Lord will let me. In the meantime, I'll be staying
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  here at Ephesus until the festival of Pentecost.
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  There is a wide open door for a great work here, although many
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  oppose me. When Timothy comes, don't
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  intimidate him. He is doing the Lord's work just
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  as I am. Don't let anyone treat him with
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  contempt. Send him on his way with your
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  blessing. When he returns to me, I expect
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  him to come with the other believers.
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  Now about our brother Apollos, I urged him to visit you with the
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  other believers, but he was not willing to go right now.
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  He will see you later when he has the opportunity.
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  Be on guard, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong
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  and do everything with love. You know that Stefanus and his
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  household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece,
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  and they are spending their lives in service to God's
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  people. I urge you, dear brothers and
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  sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with
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  such devotion. I'm very glad that Stefanus,
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  Fortunus, and Archaicus have come here.
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  They have been providing the help you weren't here to give
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  me. They have been a wonderful
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  encouragement to me as they have been to you.
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  You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.
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  The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings
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  in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who
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  gather in their home for church meetings.
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  All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you.
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  Greet each other with a sacred kiss.
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  Here is my greeting in my own handwriting.
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  Paul, if anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed.
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  Our Lord come. May the grace of the Lord Jesus
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  be with you. My love to all of you in Christ
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  Jesus Lord, I thank you for this
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  encouragement from Paul to his friends.
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  And I thank you for these words that echo through time to us.
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  That we are to be on our guard, that we are to stand firm in the
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  faith that you want us to be courageous and to be strong.
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  And most importantly, to do everything with love, because as
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  you have taught so clearly that nothing that we do amounts to
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  anything unless we do it with Your love.
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  So, Lord, I pray that in the uncertain, shifting sands of
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  this changeable world that we would place our feet firmly on
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  You, our rock, and that in You our identity, firm and set as
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  Your beloved child, can inspire us to love, knowing that we are
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  loved and that we are your treasures.
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  Ah, we love you, and we pray that you could use us in the
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  service of you and your Kingdom both now and every day.
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  In Your name we pray Jesus, Amen.