The Riverchase Readings

In today's podcast, we go back to the place where the Lord's Supper was instituted. Let the text speak fresh to you again as we delve into the meaning of Jesus's words as he gave us the gift of the Lord's Supper.

In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul is making the case that the Lord's Supper is a place where Christians make an exclusive commitment to Christ. One cannot eat at the table of the Lord and the table of demons. When one partakes of the Supper they are participating "covenantally" in Christ.

Many people do not realize that Abraham was a successful warrior as well as the Father of Faith. After Abraham's victory and the rescue of Lot, he encounters a mysterious king of Jerusalem called Melchezidek. The offering that we celebrate together is bread and wine. We will explore the connections of this event to the New Testament.

In this Psalm, David points out that people rarely speak what they think. People tend to lack integrity in speech. The only true source of integrity is God. God is consistent in everything He does and says.

Paul commends the Macedonia church to the brethren at Corinth. The Macedonian church had experienced hardship but still wanted to give to the relief effort of the Jerusalem Church. We see that great grace was working in this church. Great grace manifests in giving.

The Bible tells us alot about living the wise versus the foolish life. Part of living in wisdom is not allowing our possessions or materialism to dictate terms to our lives. In the parable of the rich fool, a person is so caught up in the desire to multiply their possessions that they have lost sight of the reason for life.

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains the relationship between money, possessions, and anxiety. Jesus explains that what we treasure in our lives betrays our hearts.

In Genesis 13 we learn that Abram is very rich. This is not an indictment on Abram. Abram shows us the way forward in how to deal with wealth. Abram is a man not controlled by his possessions.

David is facing a tough challenge. His advisors are telling him to run and flee but David knows God is his refuge. It seems the foundations are falling apart but David knows God is still on the throne.

In Genesis 22 Abraham is put to the test. God asked Abraham to offer up his son, his only son, the Son whom he loves. Abraham passes the test and God prevents Abraham from going through with the offering. One will find Genesis 22 has many connections to the crucifixion of Christ.

In Genesis 17 we are introduced to a prominent covenant sign that God commands from his people--circumcision. Circumcision was a command to set apart Hebrew boys as belonging to the LORD. Covenants are more binding than modern contracts. Covenants were not an exchange of goods but an exchange of people.

In Genesis 15, we realize it has been twenty years since God called Abraham and promised him offspring. Still, Abraham has no children. God ratifies his covenant promises with Abraham with the strange blood path ceremony. This week we learn how this covenant-forming ceremony points toward the crucifixion of Jesus.

God called Abraham to leave his country, his family, and his father's household. Abraham is leaving everything behind to go to an unknown land. In the New Testament we will learn that Abraham is the epitome of saving faith.

Psalm 10 asks the painful question, "Where is God when it seems like evil people prosper?" This is a question that many of us have asked. In the Psalm, we are told that God will judge and God will hold evil accountable.

In today's podcast, we examine how God overturns how we typically look at the world. Continuing with this week's theme, we realize that God opposes those who are proud and exalts the humble. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul tells us that God works through things the world considers to be foolish.

James gives some important teachings in James 4. The source of all strife in the world is selfishness. For James, one of the most deadly sins is pride. God opposes those who are proud and exalts those who are humble.

In Acts 2, at the day of Pentecost, we witness the reversal of the curse. Pentecost occurred 50 days after Passover and celebrated the second harvest of wheat and the giving of the Law at Sinai. In Acts 2, we read of the reversal of the curse of Babel and the reversal of the fall at Mount Sinai in Exodus 32.

In Genesis 11, we read the age-old story of human pride. God has commanded people to spread out and fill the earth. Humanity would not listen and decided to stay and pool their resources. God judges humanity once again and confuses their language and forces them to spread out.

In this Psalm, David lays out the distress of this world. He has confidence that God will intervene and God will come to his aid. God also cares for those that are on the underside of power. God upholds the weak and voiceless.

In this passage, Paul is correcting some misconceptions the Christians at Thessalonica held. He is explaining that Christ will return with his angels and the shout of an archangel. The dead in Christ will rise first. Paul is giving us a snapshot into what the final day of history will look like.

In our reading today, we come to the judgment of the Lord. The final day has come, and all people stand before the Lord in judgment. There will be a separation between the saved andthe lost on this final day.

In Revelation, we come to the completion of God's plan. One can look at the Bible as the story of Creation,the Fall, Redemption, and Consumation. When we come to Revelation 21, we are in the time of consumation. God wants to restore complete fellowship with humanity, and now, in the New Jerusalem, God will accomplish that purpose.

In today's episode, we come to the end of the flood narrative. God remembered the covenant promises he had made to Noah. Noah becomes a type of second Adam who is given dominion once again over the created order. The flood was a type of de-creation, and now God is starting over with Noah.

In this Psalm, David describes how God uses the weak of this world to establish His strength. God takes the lowly according to human standards and exalts them. The ultimate fulfillment of this passage is found in Jesus. The Father will exalt the Son as the rightful ruler over all things.

Paul admonishes the Corinthian church to prepare for the final day by making sure they have built their life on the foundation of Christ. Paul explains that on the last day, when we stand before God, those things not built upon Christ will be burned away. We are going to be refined by fire.