Day 9/21 - Resurrection - By Whose Authority?

Sin’s Penalty – Romans 6:23 (ESV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” Matt Chandler

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Resurrection

Day Two Hundred Sixty-four

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17

It would appear that the resurrection of the body is not a good idea. Philosophers through the ages have reasoned that the body houses all that is bad in people: Sickness, pain, fatigue, the limitations of the spirit, all these and more can be ascribed to our physical bodies. Why did God insist on the resurrection of the body? Why not just the resurrection of the spirit?

When Adam and Eve sinned, they sinned as body and spirit. When Christ paid the penalty for that sin, He had to die in both body and spirit. This necessitated the Incarnation. Jesus was resurrected in both body and spirit, for it would be unthinkable that God would die, remain in the grave, and not be resurrected.

Jesus’ resurrected body differed from the resurrection of Lazarus in a number of ways. If you wanted to talk with Lazarus after his resurrection, you could probably find him in Bethany; if you wanted Jesus, you could not find Him unless He wanted to be found. He came and disappeared at will. Lazarus, after his resurrection, had to again face death. Not so for Jesus; He lives forever in an incorruptible state. Your resurrection from the dead at that great day will be like that of Jesus rather than Lazarus. You will live with Him clothed in an incorruptible body. Pain, sickness, sin, old age, none of these will again touch you. Christ has been raised from the dead and so will you; your faith is not futile.

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A history of these Daily Devotions along with other valuable Resources can be found at: https://lylebrennan.com.

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Ecclesiastes 7-9 2 Corinthians 13 (New King James Version)

Ecclesiastes 7-9

The Value of Practical Wisdom

A good name isbetter than precious ointment,

And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;

Better to go to the house of mourning

Than to go to the house of feasting,

For that isthe end of all men;

And the living will take itto heart.

[a]Sorrow isbetter than laughter,

For by a sad countenance the heart is made [b]better.

The heart of the wise isin the house of mourning,

But the heart of fools isin the house of mirth.

It isbetter to [c]hear the rebuke of the wise

Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

For like the [d]crackling of thorns under a pot,

So isthe laughter of the fool.

This also is vanity.

Surely oppression destroys a wise man’sreason,

And a bribe [e]debases the heart.

The end of a thing isbetter than its beginning;

The patient in spirit isbetter than the proud in spirit.

Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,

For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Do not say,

“Why were the former days better than these?”

For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Wisdom isgood with an inheritance,

And profitable to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is[f]a defense asmoney isa defense,

But the [g]excellence of knowledge is thatwisdom gives life to those who have it.

Consider the work of God;

For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful,

But in the day of adversity consider:

Surely God has appointed the one [h]as well as the other,

So that man can find out nothing that will comeafter him.

15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:

There is a just manwho perishes in his righteousness,

And there is a wicked manwho prolongs lifein his wickedness.

Do not be overly righteous,

Nor be overly wise:

Why should you destroy yourself?

Do not be overly wicked,

Nor be foolish:

Why should you die before your time?

It isgood that you grasp this,

And also not remove your hand from the other;

For he who fears God will [i]escape them all.

Wisdom strengthens the wise

More than ten rulers of the city.

For there isnot a just man on earth who does good

And does not sin.

Also do not take to heart everything people say,

Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

For many times, also, your own heart has known

That even you have cursed others.

All this I have [j]proved by wisdom.

I said, “I will be wise”;

But it wasfar from me.

As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep,

Who can find it out?

I applied my heart to know,

To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,

To know the wickedness of folly,

Even of foolishness andmadness.

And I find more bitter than death

The woman whose heart issnares and nets,

Whose hands arefetters.

[k]He who pleases God shall escape from her,

But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

“Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher,

“Addingone thing to the other to find out the reason,

Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:

One man among a thousand I have found,

But a woman among all these I have not found.

Truly, this only I have found:

That God made man upright,

But they have sought out many schemes.”

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

Who islike a wise man?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

And the [l]sternness of his face is changed.

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

2 I say,“Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

Where the word of a king is, there ispower;

And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”

He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;

And a wise man’s heart [m]discerns both time and judgment,

Because for every matter there is a time and judgment,

Though the misery of man [n]increases greatly.

For he does not know what will happen;

So who can tell him when it will occur?

No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,

And no one has power in the day of death.

There isno release from that war,

And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There isa time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Death Comes to All

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten[o] in the city where they had so done. This also isvanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times,and his daysare prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong hisdays, which areas a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just mento whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked mento whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also isvanity.

15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor allthe days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it,yet he will not find it;moreover, though a wise manattempts to know it,he will not be able to find it.

Death Comes to All

9 For I [p]considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works arein the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred byanything they seebefore them. 2 All things comealike to all:

One event happensto the righteous and the wicked;

To the [q]good, the clean, and the unclean;

To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.

As is the good, so isthe sinner;

He who takes an oath as hewho fears an oath.

3 This isan evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happensto all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness isin their hearts while they live, and after that they goto the dead. 4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they will die;

But the dead know nothing,

And they have no more reward,

For the memory of them is forgotten.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;

Nevermore will they have a share

In anything done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with joy,

And drink your wine with a merry heart;

For God has already accepted your works.

Let your garments always be white,

And let your head lack no oil.

9 [r]Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that isyour portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do itwith your might; for there isno work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

11 I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race isnot to the swift,

Nor the battle to the strong,

Nor bread to the wise,

Nor riches to men of understanding,

Nor favor to men of skill;

But time and chance happen to them all.

For man also does not know his time:

Like fish taken in a cruel net,

Like birds caught in a snare,

So the sons of men aresnared in an evil time,

When it falls suddenly upon them.

Wisdom Superior to Folly

13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemedgreat to me: 14 There wasa little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great [s]snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said:

“Wisdom isbetter than strength.

Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom isdespised,

And his words are not heard.

Words of the wise, spokenquietly, should beheard

Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.

Wisdom isbetter than weapons of war;

But one sinner destroys much good.”

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 7:3 Vexationor Grief
Ecclesiastes 7:3 wellor pleasing
Ecclesiastes 7:5 listen to
Ecclesiastes 7:6 Lit. sound
Ecclesiastes 7:7 destroys
Ecclesiastes 7:12 A protective shade, lit. shadow
Ecclesiastes 7:12 advantageor profit
Ecclesiastes 7:14 alongside
Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit. come forth from all of them
Ecclesiastes 7:23 tested
Ecclesiastes 7:26 Lit. He who is good before God
Ecclesiastes 8:1 Lit. strength
Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit. knows
Ecclesiastes 8:6 is great upon him
Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. praised
Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit. put
Ecclesiastes 9:2 LXX, Syr., Vg. good and bad,
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit. See life
Ecclesiastes 9:14 LXX, Syr., Vg. bulwarks

2 Corinthians 13

Coming with Authority

13 This will bethe third timeI am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” 2 I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent [a]I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare— 3 since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

5 Examine yourselves as towhether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you [b]are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

7 Now [c]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the [d]communion of the Holy Spirit bewith you all. Amen.

Footnotes:

2 Corinthians 13:2 NU omits I write
2 Corinthians 13:5 do not stand the test
2 Corinthians 13:7 NU we
2 Corinthians 13:14 fellowship

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PRAYER REQUESTS

Please continue to Pray for Lisa Long and her family … UPDATE: as you know, Lisa was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday, September 18, on her eyes… awaiting an update as to the results of that surgery, we just found out she did not have the surgery. Prior to the scheduled surgery, she fell out of bed resulting in dislocating her shoulder, and because of the bleeding and swelling, the doctor postponed the surgery. We continue to Pray for His Miraculous Holy Touch on Lisa and those surrounding her.

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte cousin who is very ill and says he is close to giving his heart to Lord.

Please continue to Pray for Darrell Blalock who has Parkinson’s disease. Pray for Darrell to become closer to the Lord.

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte whose doing ministry at UNLV … a student named Tyler is propaganda machine for the enemy… he continuously interrupts their ministry. Pray God will intervene and radically save Tyler and that our God will use Tyler to bring many to Christ. (Please continue to Pray for God’s supernatural strength of the witnessing group members as several are weakening.)

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Brother JohnLaPorte reports… Bryce, a UNLV student who recently received the Lord and came from occult background is engaging Tyler and defending the Faith. Please Pray for God to Grow Bryce and use him in a Holy Mighty Way.

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Remington, another UNLV student, says he is a new catholic… not a Believer, yet, but says he is a seeker. Pray God reveals His Truth, His Salvation to Remington.

Please Pray that our families and Brothers and Sisters in Christ will gather together to Pray… Jesus says in Matthew 18:20 (NKJV) “… For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Please pray for Lisa Greene who is having both her hips replaced… Pray for her surgeon and her quickly for coverage and that God will be seen in her.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Lance going through perilous times. Pray he would let God’s strength and peace show through his weakness and his testimony be a Blessing to many.

Please continue to Pray for our unSaved family members and those around us that we have relationships with. Or, is that you? … Have questions &/or need Prayer?… If yes, please reply or call (702) 592-4098.

Please continue to Pray for family members and those relationships around you who say they are Saved, but their lives don’t show it. And, if that’s happens to be you, the Holy Spirit can change you into a New Creation, Christ in you… but, you must totally surrender everything to Him. (As long as you think you can do it on your own, He’ll let you; and, you will fail.) … Have questions &/or need Prayer?… If yes, please reply or call (702) 592-4098.

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sins that are drowning us. Lukewarmness, abortion, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, rebellion, covetousness, etc. Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

… AND YET, God is Sovereign and has called us to live in such a time as this and to be His Light in the darkness… to give Hope to some. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Please Pray for Brother Robert traveling to preach in several churches.

Please continue to keep Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico in our Prayers. This Sister and her family, in a short time period, have been hit with a more tragedies (persecutions) than most of us have in our entire life time… the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children. And, recently, her modest home (a shack by any American standard) was burnt to the ground. …Her neighbor’s house caught fire and due to the closeness of her home, it caught fire, too. Brothers & Sisters, please Pray for God’s Holy touch on Fabiola and her family.

Please continue to Pray for Geo, a banker, who was deployed by the military to the Mideast. Pray God would keep him safe and that God would bring Geo closer to Him; and, that Geo would share God with all his company and those who come in contact with him.

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I’ve been told by one Geo’s co-workers, Lorraine Flores, who says she considers Geo a son, that the day Geo was deployed to the Mideast, his girlfriend delivered his new baby. Please Pray Geo would Walk in God’s Light and be a Godly husband and father. And, please Pray for Geo’s family. (Also, please Pray for both Lorraine Flores and her biological son that was deployed the same day as Geo, but to Africa.)

Please continue to Pray for Brother David Porter’s friend’s son, Giovanni (18yrs old). Pray for God’s Salvation, Strength, Healing, and Peace in Giovanni.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Mark Pedder, a missionary in the Philippines. Please Pray for Mark, Mark’s wife for strength in their trials, tribulations and persecution.

Please continue to Pray for Gemma that she be delivered from evil and receive Jesus as her Savior.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Walt to be reconciled with his son and his son’s family.

Please continue to Pray for Brother John LaPorte’s roommate, Brother Freddy, whose commitment to Christ caused his wife to separate from him for 6 years. The couple have 2 daughters. Both parents has stayed single all this time of separation… Within the recent past, it appears his wife, Arlene, has been Saved and the couple are beginning their reconciliation process. They are planning to reunite the family again under one roof in the next few months. Please Pray for their total reconciliation with God at their helm.

Please continue to Pray for a group of well-known Southern Nevada commercial real estate brokers and associates recently in a one-car accident. The occupants had all been drinking alcohol. One passenger died leaving 3 young daughters, one suffered serious head trauma, two had mild trauma, and the driver has been charged. Please Pray for the driver and all those effected by this tragedy …that God would direct their eyes to Him, The King of Mercy, Grace and Salvation.

Please continue Pray for our President and ALL our government leaders of both parties. Pray they would submit their authority to His Authority and ask for His Wisdom in directing the affairs of our nation. Please Pray that God would open their eyes and they would be obedient to His Will.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Frank Sun, a Taiwanese, that owns several businesses in China and Taiwan. Please Pray Frank will be bold in his sharing Christ in his companies and that he will be faithful to disciple the new Believers.

AND, let each of us use Frank’s example and share the Love and Salvation of Jesus to our coworkers, employees, family, friends and acquaintances … Invest in the Eternal!

Please continue to Pray for Brother Walt and His Friday Bible Study.

Please continue to Pray for the Women’s Pro-Life ministries in Las Vegas that they would lead women to the Lord and continue to assist in saving babies’ lives.

Please continue to Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China.

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by ISIS – Pray for their protection and their ministry. For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS.

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith.

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Please stand with your Brothers and Sisters in Prayer and Support. (See: The Voice of the Martyrs: https://www.persecution.com)

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children.

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD. Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India. Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas. After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials. Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas. Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet. Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples). Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 9/21 – Resurrection

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