Month: February 2024

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 13 Day 4

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Have you ever noticed that there is always more to discover where love lives?  There’s always an end to lies but love just keeps on opening windows and doors to new discoveries in this life.  But one day we will meet love face-to-face in the eyes of our Father and then we will know all things.  I can’t even imagine what that moment will be like or how we could take in all in, in that moment.  I think even heaven will be a continued discovery of all that God has, feels, and is.  Love is the blessing of submission to God.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 13 Day 3

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

1 Corinthians 13:8

 There it is.  Love never fails!  Why live in anything else than the love of God?  Do life His way and live in love.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 13 Day 2

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, ⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, ⁶ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is because God is.  Without God we would not know what love is and we find out what love is when we submit to God and trust in His love for us.  Anything contrary to love means that I’m leaning on someone or something other than God.  Trust Him, He loves us.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 13 Day 1

​¹ If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

The crux of the issue is love.  Only what’s done in love will last and if we don’t know love, we can’t give love.  Love belongs to those who can submit to His love.  If we can’t receive love, we can’t release love.  Receiving love requires submitting to the One who loves us and opening our hearts to believe and receive His love for us.  Let God love you today!

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 12 Day 4

But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:24-26

It’s been said that church is where you go to discover God’s dreams and where you go to defeat hell’s discouragement.  God has plans of abundant honor for anyone who believes and can submit to obey Him.  This life isn’t a one man show, but life lived with others who believe and care for each other too.  In that environment we discover the dreams of God for each and all of us.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 12 Day 2

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11

God doesn’t leave us alone; He gives us His Spirit with all the abilities to do life like Jesus did.  God, working with our faith, lives by His Spirit with His gifts in and through His people.  Our challenge is to learn to submit to His Spirit.  This life is a growing experience, where we learn to receive and live in the Spirit by the Spirit.  Don’t be afraid to learn and to live in the Spirit.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 12 Day 1

​¹ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Now all this talk about submission comes into play.  The Holy Spirit comes with power to equip and empower us for the ministry of Jesus and only those who learn to submit to God will truly grow in these gifts for this life.  We were all born as babies and had to grow up into adults.  The same is true spiritually, we must grow up in the things of God by submitting to His word and His work in our lives.  As we learn to submit to the Holy Spirit we will learn how to speak “Jesus is Lord” over the issues and individuals of our lives.  That’s where the power is in this life.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 4

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Jesus kept His eyes on the mission and message of God, not the worries and wants of those around Him.  Keep the main thing, the main thing.  Communion brings us back to the main thing and keeps us from being distracted and divided by the agenda of fear.  Jesus gave all of Himself so that we could have all that we need to live in His love forever.  Want that for yourself and others and enjoy God’s peace.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 3

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, ²¹ for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. i

1 Corinthians 11:19-21

Sometimes to get to the best places you must go through the worst places.  There must be submission to the authority and activity of God or there will fractions among the sons of men.  Remember, where there is agreement, there is authority.  When we submit to God’s promises, we can enjoy God’s power in our lives.  So, submit to Father’s word, work, and will and you won’t separated by the foolishness of this world.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

1 Corinthians 11 Day 2

Therefore, the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.

1 Corinthians 11:10-12

This issue of submission is substantial.  Without submission, even the angels are limited in what they can do in our lives.  Angels are limited to working the word and will of God in the believer’s life.  Until we are submitted to the word of God, we will not be successful in the will of God.  And a covering doesn’t necessarily reveal our character, but our character will reveal our covering.