Aug 2, 2022
JEREMIAH
24-25:
A
stunning prophecy was given in yesterday's reading:
Jer. 23:5 GNT The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land.
6 When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called ‘The Lord Our [GNT Salvation/NLT Righteousness].’
How amazing it is that this identity of ‘The Lord Our Salvation/Righteousness’ is specifically linked with the Righteous Descendant— whom we now know is Jesus! Yesterday's reading also contained the interesting command about not calling the Lord's message a ‘burden’.
Some Christian leaders today would do well to note God’s angry statements about the prophets who pan off prophecies that just come from their own imaginations as coming from the Lord. I would not like to be in their shoes at the judgment day!
PSALM 150:
The exuberant finale to the psalms!
1CORINTHIANS
6:17—7:
Yesterday's reading in 1 Corinthians started
out with Paul rebuking the Corinthian Christians for taking their
fellow believers to court before secular judges. Paul returned
briefly the theme of sexual sin. Then, in supporting his points,
Paul gave some of the most amazing verses in all Scripture about
our position in unity with Christ. Let’s review the last four
verses of chapter 6 to make the connection with chapter
7.
GNT Translation
notes:
1Cor.
7:1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about. [Like someone
there has said, “] A man does well not to marry.
[”]
5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless
you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in
prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you
will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation[s] because of
your lack of self-control.
16
How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your
husband[ if you remain living together]? Or how can you be sure,
Christian husband, that you will not save your wife[ if you
continue to live together]?
35 I
am [saying these thing//giving this advice//saying this] because I
want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you.
Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give
yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any
reservation.