Feasting on God's Word (One Year Bible)

“Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments” ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ). There are many matters which are secondary. Living in accordance with the Gospel is the all-important thing: “We put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ” ( 1 Corinthians 9:12 ). “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods” ( Psalm 96:4 ). The fear of the Lord is directly related to worshipping Him. To fear the Lord is not to cower away from Him. It is to come to Him in worship. Together with the fear of the Lord, there is rejoicing in Him ( Psalm 96:11 ).

“Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise” ( Ecclesiastes 7:16 ). This is not a protest against wisdom and righteousness. It is telling us that, in our wisdom and righteousness, we must not become proud like the Pharisees. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” ( 1 Corinthians 8:1 ). Without love, everything else is nothing. We must never forget this. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” ( Psalm 95:7-8 ). Where our wisdom (or knowledge) and righteousness become centred on ourselves - ‘How wise and righteous I have become’, we have closed our hearts to God. Listen to God. Learn from Him. Live for Him. Real wisdom has nothing to do with self-centredness. It’s all about learning to be Christ-centred. Real wisdom leads to true righteousness. It’s about learning to become like Jesus. We look to Him and we learn to live for Him.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” ( Ecclesiastes 5:10 ). This is the world’s way. The Lord’s way is a better way. We are to “use the things of the world” without being “engrossed in them” ( 1 Corinthians 7:31 ). What we must remember is this: “The fear of the Lord leads to life; Then one rests content, untouched by trouble” ( Proverbs 19:23 ). When our relationship with the Lord is the most important thing in life, we do not get unduly anxious about how things are going, in terms of material prosperity.

“I know that everything God does will endure for ever” ( Ecclesiastes 3:14 ). In the constant flux of life in this world, here we have something which must never be forgotten. There are many circumstances in life which are confusing - “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” ( 1 Corinthians 7:16 ). In the face of life’s confusing circumstances, there will be times when we will say, “My foot is slipping.” In times like these, we must learn to say, “Your love, O Lord, supported me” ( Psalm 94:18 ).

"What You have done will be praised from one generation to the next" (Psalm 145:4). These words, from Psalm 145, are calling on us to give an answer to a most important question: What will we pass on to the next generation? Will we pass on something of permanent value? Will we pass on something that stands the test of time, something of lasting value, something that will last "not for the years of time alone, but for eternity"? "Jesus, my Lord, will love me for ever ... not for the years of time alone, but for eternity." "Jesus, my Lord, will love me forever " - This is the great message that we pass on to the next generation. The love of Jesus - There is nothing better than this. His love is the greatest love of all. In his great chapter on love - 1 Corinthians 13, Paul ends with these great words: "These three things remain forever - faith, hope and love. the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). What are we...

Romans 1:16 ; 1 Corinthians 2:2 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ; Galatians 6:14 Paul was no silent disciple, no half-hearted follower of Jesus. He was not ashamed of his Lord. He was glad to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith" ( Romans 1:16 ). Why was Paul bold to say, "God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Galatians 6:14 )? Why was Paul so emphatic in saying, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" ( 1 Corinthians 2:2 )? The answer is very simple and straightforward. He was a man who had been grasped by the power of the Gospel. Through the power of Christ, Paul was no longer his own. He belonged to Christ. This was why he was able to write to the Corinthian Christians, "You are not your own; you have been bought with a price" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ). He was a man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit....

1 Corinthians 10:1-33 ‘Participation in the blood of Christ… participation in the body of Christ’ (16): There is nothing more important than this. We are not to be spectators, standing on the side lines, watching what’s going on without ever getting involved. We are to be participants, getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ, growing in our love for Him, strengthening our faith in Him, bringing more glory to Him. We eat bread. We drink wine. We remember Jesus Christ, ‘the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us’. We do not only remember this great event from the past. We participate in Christ here and now. He has brought us out of our old life - ‘I have been crucified with Christ’ - and into His new life - ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’ ( Galatians 2:20 ). Participate ‘in Christ’ - not only in ‘the Church’!

Paul preached the Gospel, ‘not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’ (1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:4). He preached 'Christ crucified' with a determination ‘to know nothing except Jesus Christ crucified’(1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2). This is the message of our salvation - ‘Christ crucified... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God’ (1:1 Corinthians 23-24). All the glory belongs to God. We have no right to steal away any of the glory for ourselves: ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Our faith is ‘not based on human wisdom but on God’s power’ (2:5). ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace’ ( Mission Praise , 712). Christ is our full salvation. ‘Let us rejoice and be glad ’ in Him ’ (1 Corinthians 1:30; Psalm 118:24).

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 There is hope. This is a message which is very relevant in today's world. We hear of death and destruction. We ask the question, "Is there hope?" This question impresses itself upon us as we take seriously the events of our day. "Is there hope?" As we consider this question, we may find that we have more questions than answers. It is so important that we ask our questions in the right way. Many people ask questions, but they never expect an answer. We must ask the right Person, the Person who has the Answer. We must bring our questions to God. Many people do not bring their questions to God, because they do not believe that there is a God. They think that it is clever to disregard God. God's Word tells us that it is foolish to say that there is no God: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1). Many people believe that there is no hope, because they believe that there is no God. There are o...

1 Corinth ians 9:1- 27 ‘If I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting’ (16). Paul preached the Gospel. His whole desire was to bring men and women to the Saviour (22). He did not want to draw attention to himself. He didn’t preach so that his hearers would say, ‘What a good preacher Paul is!’ He wanted his hearers to say, 'What a great Saviour Jesus is!' He did not want to be ‘an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ’ (12). Paul was not a ‘performer’, trying to increase his own popularity. Paul described his ministry like this: ‘I do it all for the sake of the Gospel’ (23). Keep your eyes on Jesus. This is very important. Don’t get so preoccupied with ‘a good preacher’ that you lose sight of the great Saviour! There is no room for ‘superstars’: ‘Humble yourselves before the Lord’ - ‘The Name of Jesus is the Name above every name’ (James 4:10; Philippians 2:9-10).

1 Corinthians 7:25-8:13 We are to ‘use the things of the world’ without becoming ‘engrossed in them’ (31). Becoming more worldly in our way of living is not a purely personal thing. We harm other people ‘for whom Christ died’. They look to us for a godly example and we let them down. We ‘sin against them’. We ‘sin against Christ’. Our choices affect other people. We choose a self-centred life. We cause them to ‘fall into sin.’ We live a life of ‘love’, and they are ‘built up’ in their faith (11-13,1; Matthew 18:5-7 , 10 ). How are we to live? Are we to become preoccupied with how our actions affect those who watch our every move? That could become very confusing and distracting. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. We must live ‘not ... as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart...’ ( Ephesians 6:6-7 ).

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 We celebrate the Lord’s Supper (23-26). We take note of what Paul says about the way we are to come to the Lord’s Table (27-29). What’s this all about? Is it about the whole thing looking good - impressive? Paul gives us something to think about in verse 22 - ‘Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the Church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?’ In Paul’s questions, we hear an echo of the Old Testament prophets ( Isaiah 1:12-20 ; Amos 5:21-24 ). We rejoice in John 3:16 - ‘God so loved the world…’. Let’s not forget 1 John 3:16-18 - ‘let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.’ Jesus says, ‘…first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ ( Matthew 5:23-24 ). Don’t just think about it. Act on it ( James1:22-25 ; 2:14-17 )!

1 Corinthians 4:1-21 As ‘servants of Christ’, we must concern ourselves with one thing - being ‘found faithful’. This is not a matter of pleasing people - ‘it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you...' Pleasing God - this is the most important thing (1-4). Serving Christ is not easy. There are always those who are quick to pass judgment on the Lord’s servants. What does God say about this? - ‘Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes’ (9-13,5). Being ‘found faithful’ is not just a matter of ‘saying the right words’. We must be the right people. This is what Paul means when he says, ‘The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power’ (20). ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses’ ( Acts 1:8 ; Romans 12:11 ).

1 Corinthians 2:6-3:23 We come to know God when ‘the Spirit’ leads us to 'Jesus Christ' (2:10-13; 3:11; John 16:14 ). We must not attach too much importance to the preachers - ‘What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants ...’. When we make too much of the servant, we draw attention away from the Saviour. There is a very important lesson here - ‘Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth’ (3:5-7). We are not members of a ‘mutual appreciation society’ - ‘You pat my back, and I’ll pat yours’! We must learn to point to Jesus, saying, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ ( John 3:30 ). Let ‘Jesus take the highest honour’. Let His Name be ‘the Name high over all’. ‘’Tis all my business ... to cry Behold the Lamb!’ ( Mission Praise , 378,385) - Let’s say it and mean it!

1 Corinthians 1:1-2:5 Paul preached the Gospel, ‘not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’ (17; 2:4). He preached 'Christ crucified' with a determination ‘to know nothing except Jesus Christ crucified’(23; 2:2). This is the message of our salvation - ‘Christ crucified... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God’ (23-24). All the glory belongs to God. We have no right to steal away any of the glory for ourselves: ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (26-31). Our faith is ‘not based on human wisdom but on God’s power’ (2:5). ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace’ ( Mission Praise , 712). Christ is our full salvation. ‘Let us rejoice and be glad ’ in Him ’ (30; Psalm 118:24 ).

1 Corinthians 5:1-6:11 ‘Your boasting is not good’ - May we never become so taken up with ourselves that we forget Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us: ‘Christ, ou r Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us’, ‘you were washed... sanctified... justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God’ (5:6-7; 6:11). There were problems among God’s people - ‘sexual immorality’, ‘lawsuits’ (5:1; 6:7). In all of this, Christ was being forgotten. * There are no depths to which we cannot sink when we take our eyes off Christ. * There are no heights to which we will not be raised as we look away from ourselves to Him. Christ is able to lift from the guttermost and ‘save to the uttermost all those who come to God through Him’ ( Hebrews 7:25 ). Let it be more of Christ and less of self!

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:24 The Lord has placed the highest value on us: ‘you were bought with a price’ (6:20; 7:23). Our love for Him must be stronger than any other love. Some are under pressure, at home, from an unbelieving husband or wife. You wonder whether your Christian witness is doing any good (7:16). You feel you are getting nowhere. You feel like giving up. You feel yourself being dragged away from the Lord. What does the Word of God say? - ‘Lead the life which the Lord has assigned’; ‘Remain with God ’ (7:17,24). A difficult situation at home is just one example of ‘the world’ trying to ‘squeeze us into its own mould’ ( Romans 12:2 ). The world will keep chipping away at our faith - until there’s nothing left. ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world... He who does the will of God abides for ever’ ( 1 John 2:17 ).

1 Corinthians 12:1-31 Paul speaks about ‘gifts of the Spirit.’ They are ‘given for the common good’ (4-7). We’re not ‘to show off’: ‘Look at me. The Church can’t do without me.’ When we draw attention to ourselves rather than Christ, we are not living ‘by the Spirit of God.’ He moves us to say, with our whole heart, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (3). We live in fellowship with one another: ‘the body does not consist of one member but of many’ (14). ‘I’m happy - as long as I’m getting my own way’: We can do without this kind of attitude! What about ‘the common good’? Sometimes, things don’t go according to my plan. Perhaps, my plan needs revising - to take account of ‘the common good.’ When self raises its ugly head - ‘It’s my way or no way at all’ - let’s not forget the ‘still more excellent way’ (3). It is the way of love - Christ’s love!

1 Corinthians 15:46-16:24 In Christ, there is ‘victory’ - glorious, eternal, heavenly victory (54-57). Every day, we face a battle. It is a battle for faith, love and service. (a) We are called to trust the Lord: ‘Stand firm in your faith’ (13). We are to have faith. It is to be a growing faith, a faith which is growing stronger. (b) We are called to love the Lord. This is to be the most important thing in our life: ‘love for the Lord’ (21). Christ’s question comes to us: ‘Do you love Me?’ ( John 21:15-17 ). Is our love for Him growing stronger or getting weaker? (c) We are called to serve the Lord: ‘Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord’ (58). Let’s get rid of the lazy, ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude. We shall be victorious through ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus’ (23).

1 Corinthians 15:1-45 Here, we learn of Christ’s resurrection: the fact - ‘Christ has been raised from the dead’ - and the meaning - ‘the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep’ (20). * We look back to His resurrection. We ‘remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead’ ( 2 Timothy 2:8 ). * We look forward to our own resurrection. We will be ‘raised’ - ‘imperishable… in glory… in power… a spiritual body’ (42-44). Looking back to His resurrection and looking forward to our own resurrection, we are to live, here and now, in ‘the power of His resurrection’ ( Philippians 3:10 ). * We believe the fact of the resurrection. * We live in the power of the resurrection. * We rejoice in the hope of the resurrection. With ‘resurrection’ faith in the ‘resurrection’ God, let us live the ‘resurrection’ life as a ‘resurrection’ people!