Order among God's people

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Tuesday & Wednesday, October 6 & 7, 2009
Devotions: Ps 119:145-76; 121-130; 2 Ki 21:19-22:3; 1 Cor 11:2-34; Mt 9:1-17

Lord, I beg You: hear me and teach me Your word and Your ways! Preserve and assist me, God; redeem and bless me in Your great mercy, I pray. Your word is truth itself. Help me care more about You than the conflicts I have with human enemies or critics. Those who love You and Your law have great peace. I am still a sinner, but You have given me grace to live as a son of God. Help me live in a peaceable and kind way. My help is God, my Keeper and Sustainer. I am glad when I join God’s people in worship. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the blessing of Israel. I worship the Most High, merciful and mighty. If He had not taken my part, I’d have perished long ago. His love surrounds me as the mountains surround Jerusalem, for ever! I laugh in wonder at the great things YHWH does for me! Restore me, Lord, to reap with songs of joy! My household depends on God; we are founded on Jesus and His words. Blessed are they who fear God. Lord, may I have peace and concord with my children and grandchildren! I cry from the depths to God on high; hear my supplications and answer, great God! Thank You for forgiveness and mercy. My hope is in my Redeemer.

Manasseh’s son Amon was 22 when he succeeded his father as king of Judah. He was a wicked king, and his servant assassinated him in his own house. Then the people killed the conspirators and made Amon’s son Josiah king in his place. Josiah was 8 years old when he was made king; he ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years, and he did what was right in God’s eyes!

Paul’s counsel to the church in Corinth continues: ‘I commend your adherence to the traditions you were taught. [Here are some basics of godly order in worship:] Christ is the head of every man; a woman’s head is her husband; and Christ’s head is God. When men pray with head covered, they dishonor God; when a woman prays with head uncovered, she dishonors her head, as she would if her head were shaved. In church, in public, women should be veiled. Woman is the glory of man; she was made for him, not he for her. When she wears the veil, she honors God and man and makes a proper testament to the angels. Both sexes are under God, neither independent or superior to the other. Long hair degrades a man, short hair or none degrades a woman. These are church traditions. Here’s something you’re doing poorly: when you meet, there are divisions among you. Each goes ahead and eats at his own pace; some are sated or drunk, others are hungry. I got this directly from the Lord: On the night the Lord Jesus was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and told His disciples, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise, after supper, He took the cup of wine and said, “This is the new covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.” Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death, until He comes again. Therefore, whoever eats the break or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Lord’s body and blood! Let each person examine himself before taking the Lord’s supper. Anyone who eats or drinks without discerning Christ’s elements is eating and drinking judgment upon himself! That is precisely why many of you are weak and ill; it is why some of you have died. But if we judge ourselves truly, we would not fall under such judgment; when God judges us, He chastens us to that we won’t be condemned along with the world. So my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anybody is famished, let him eat at home. Otherwise, you come together for condemnation!

Returning from Gadara by boat, Jesus arrived at Capernaum. They brought a paralytic, lying on his pallet, to Jesus for healing. Jesus saw the faith of those who brought him, and spoke to the paralyzed man: ‘Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.’ Some scribes heard this and said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming!’ Jesus knew their thoughts, and addressed them: ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? Which is easier: to speak forgiveness, or to heal the body? So that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ He now turned to address the paralytic, ‘ Rise; take up your bed and go home!’ The man got up, and walked home carrying his pallet. The crowds who witnessed all this were afraid, and they glorified God Who had given such authority to men. Going on, Jesus came upon a man name Matthew sitting at the tax office. ‘Follow Me,’ Jesus said, and Matthew rose and followed Jesus. When Jesus sat at table in the house, many tax collectors and known sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. The Pharisees took offense, and asked Jesus’ disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered: ‘Those who are well need no physician; it’s the sick who need attention. You need to go and learn what the scripture means that says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’ Presently, some disciples of John the Baptizer came to Jesus. They asked, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not?’ Jesus answered: ‘Wedding guests must celebrate at the wedding, while the bridegroom is with them. Days will come when the Bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast. Nobody puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because when it is washed and the patch shrinks, it will tear away, making the original tear worse. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins, because when the new wine expands, it will burst old skins. New wine is put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’ [Jesus poured Himself into those newly ready to receive Him and His teaching.]