Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Here is a question that every human has a real answer for: "O Death, where is your STING?" Funerals, tears, grieving, wills, gravesite purchases, miscarriages, murders, cancer and emergency rooms are a very real part of our lives. We definitely feel the sting of death.

But let's not stop there.  Today, we have one of the greatest promises in all of scripture to enjoy.  It's not exactly the gospel, but it is surely the result of the Gospel.  Here it is. DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. The sting is swallowed by a bigger fish.  The sting doesn't have the last word.  A day is coming without tears, without pain and without death.  He is gonna FIX THIS.

Wait with me in faith until the day Jesus swallows up death in victory.  Subscribe while we wait at bewithme.us or [email protected] or apple podcast or deezer or Spotify.

It is no surprise to anyone listening to this podcast that we are of the DUST.  (Perishable, weak, flesh and blood) We bear the image of Adam...for now.

In a moment, a "twinkling of an eye" timeframe, we are changed to bear the image of Jesus and carry it into a new world of heaven.  

• Why? because our old body cannot inherit what is ahead.  It's not equipped.
• Where? We are heading to a new heavenly home with the Person of God and the people of God
• Who? This happens to those who have previously receive the grace and activity of God on this world,  who get more of Him and more of His grace and activity on the next

You DEFINITELY want to be a part of this party.  Listen 7 minutes to find out how, when, why and who.  Then share this today and come back tomorrow for some big news.  bewithme.us

Someday, you will get a body that is BEYOND CATEGORY.  It will be imperishable, raised in glory and power and somehow spiritual.  It is difficult for us to imagine, but God helps get us started...

We have "different categories of creation" that we can understand.  Even my favorite 4 year old understands these categories.  Fish are different than stars. Animals are different than the moon.  Birds are of a different category than the sun.  

We have all these categories of that we can categorize and get our arms around now, so that we can point to that future body: resurrected, imperishable, spiritual, raised in power, and exuding glory.  What a day. What a body.  I cannot wait.  Meantime, if we are here tomorrow with our broken bodies, listen again by subscribing at bewithme.us or Google Apple Spotify podcasts.

Death is going to be "put under subjection", destroyed and defeated.  Tears will be wiped away  forever and death shall be no more.  Wow.  I cannot wait.  The question is, can I believe it when I cannot quite see it?

Here is a supporting argument Paul makes. Even Jesus is "put under subjection" in the trinity.  There is order, functionality in the trinity for eternity.  Getting your head around this big concept makes the "death is under subjection" smaller in comparison.  Understand Christ's subjection, and death's subjection pales in comparison.

Christ is raised. If this is true, then He is going to defeat death. If this is true, then He's going to take us home with him. Let's wake up and act like these things are true.

Stick with me in this "theology of death." Here's how: subscribe at bewithme.us or write at [email protected] to sign up for more tomorrow.  You have 7 minutes, especially if it helps with the biggest of the big questions such as, "What happens to DEATH?"

Have you ever thought this world was a bit upside-down? Had an interaction with death that was unpleasant? Seen an evil that made you cringe? Wondered WHY is there evil?

If Christ wasn't raised, you can expect an eternity of the above.  However, if He really was raised, and the resurrection is true, then it has epic consequences for us:

• we get a future resurrection
• We get a future aliveness
• we get to say"I belong to Him" when faced with judgment
• we get to stay in a Kingdom that is better than a 7 day cruise to the Greek Isles
• we get to watch evil be destroyed forever
• we get to see death destroyed forever

Join me for a 7 minute listen for a future, a "hope", that we get to believe in IF Christ was raised.  Though I cannot answer today WHY there is evil, I will thoroughly answer WHEN there is evil, and specifically, when it will be no more. bewithme.us  You can like, share, retweet, forward, join, and sign up for more good news tomorrow.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is definitely worth a trip.  It was there that I saw, in 20foot high lettering, YOUR FAITH IS IN VAIN. I was unfamiliar with our verse today and my first thought was how harsh the designers of that dome were.

But it wasn't the designers that were HARSH. It was Paul! It is him making an argument to the Corinthians.  He's saying, if Christ wasn't raised then:

• we have a false savior
• our preaching is in vain
• YOUR FAITH IS IN VAIN (thank you Cathedral Basilica)
• Your teachers are lying
• the power of sin is unbroken
• the dead are damned and
• Christians are the most PATHETIC people in the world

If Christ was not raised, everything we have crumbles. It is the keystone of our faith.  The Cathedral had it right.  Listen 7 minutes please. bewithme.us

There is a tension in today's passage.  Paul basically says that "I stand in grace" therefore I WORK HARD.  He's getting to the heart of the idea of "what is an appropriate response to the favor of God?" For Paul, it is to WORK HARD.

Listeners may find themselves today as disfavoring God; as late to the party or even a no-show; as an enemy of God.  If so, there is some hard "work" to do of belief.

Or perhaps a listener has their butt in the spiritual butter tub of grace.  They have received more than they deserved, and got a dose of grace that of course they didn't earn.  How should they respond?  Listen 7 minutes to Paul making a case for grace...but then responding to it with HARD WORK. 

It is not that hard to subscribe for a daily dose of this journey through the New Testament.  Just go to bewithme.us or subscribe via your favorite podcast provider such as apple podcasts.

Where are the most beautiful, most powerful women in the world? Vogue magazine? Nope. They are in the church, winning the battle for real beauty.

Subjection is something all Christians do.  Submission is something that Jesus did. It is something that Wives do.  It is something the ancients did.  

Why would I want to be subject to any One, any one? Doesn't it show weakness? Or is it power under control?

Join me for 7 minutes as we see the difficult work in the hidden person of the heart. We will see that it is done for the LORD'S SAKE; freely; is witnessed externally though the battle is internal.  It results in something that is PRECIOUS, brave, Valuable, and powerful.  Submission is the most beautiful adornment in our world.  If you want to find the most beautiful women in the world, sit with me in church next Sunday and I will show you.

Order in the gathered believers is sometimes demonstrated by silence.  Regarding the speaking gifts, in the gathered body, there is a limitation based on gender. That is, women should be silent with regards to exercising the speaking gifts here.  

This doesn't mean that women cannot be great teachers; or are of lesser value; or are not gifted. It does say they have a different role than men at this place and in this time.  God has a created order that goes back way before any of us.  We would best avail ourselves of that plan.

We must not put ourselves above this teaching.  In fact, if we find someone who specifically disregards this, we can disregard them because of all this says about them.

bewithme.us    [email protected]

When the church GATHERS, leaders are shooting for something.  Their goals are order, building up, learning and encouragement.  This doesn't happen by accident.  

A theme of how this is accomplished is by LIMITATION.  In today's passage, Paul is going to put limits on the gathering:

• it is limited by purpose (to get to order, learning, encouragment, conviction, etc.)
• it is limited by command (Paul says this stuff is not opinion, but is from the Lord)
• it is limited by preparation (I like that everybody is getting ready beforehand)
• it is limited by time (too much of any one thing does not serve the purpose)
• it is limited by discernment (leaders are discerning what is being spoken)
• it is limited by office (leaders are putting their efforts toward this)
• it is limited by gifting (prophets should be doing the prophesying.  We are not flying by the seat of our pants here)
• it is limited by gender (there are defined male female roles)

Listen to these limited 7 minute podcasts as a part of your spiritual morning. bewithme.us or any podcast provider, instagram, linked in, truth, Facebook, etc.