Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.



Paul is writing a word of encouragement to those in Corinth about what the time of death will bring to each of us. Most of us look at death as something to be dreaded, something to be avoided at all cost.

As I remind myself, as well as reminding you also, those who are reading this devotional, that death is not the "end all". It is actually the beginning, the beginning of "eternity future". The Apostle brings to our attention that in our present "tabernacle" our present body, there is groaning.

Let me stop right here. Everyday, as I become aware of another ache or pain that I never have experienced before, I usually spend several minutes or sometimes even several hours worrying about what the discomfort may be and what it could become.

Paul is telling us that we will one day put on a new "tabernacle", a new and wonderful "heavenly body". Paul talks about confidence and he reminds us of where the confidence comes from.

The Holy Spirit has sealed each of us into the "Body of Christ". It is the "earnest of the Spirit" that gives us the confidence of where we are and where we will be one day. As we are alive on this earth we are absent from the Lord and we know this by faith, not by sight.

Paul then speaks of another confidence, the confidence that when we die on this earth we go directly into His presence, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, verse 8. At death all born again Christians are transported by angels, Luke 16:22, into the heavenlies, and into His presence.

Now re-read our key verse. Until that victorious time of death when we go into His presence, Paul says He would be ambitious and so should we be the same. Paul wanted to live a life, do the work of the Lord, so that when he saw Him he would be accepted of Him. That should be the same for us, when we see Him we might be accepted of Him.

The very next verse, verse 10, speaks of us then standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul says he wants to be "well-accepted" of Christ at that time. This is a Godly ambition, because at the Judgment Seat we are given "crowns" for those works we have done for the Lord, in His power and for His glory.

Then we take these crowns and lay them at His feet as He sits upon His throne, Revelation 4:10, in thanksgiving for all that He has done for us. We must join Paul in this "Godly ambition", so that we can give Him the glory.


PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to live a life that will receive reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ so I can show thanksgiving to You, for all You have done for me, as I cast my crowns at Your feet.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.



Each day as I come to my time in the Word of God, devotionally, I am continually amazed at how practical the Bible is for my every day experience of living out my Christianity in the days in which we live.

Today's passage for our devotional is no exception. I won't be able to elaborate on everything in our passage, but let me challenge you to spend time in this passage and "dig deeper" for the "treasure" in His Word.

Paul begins this chapter with the fact that his ministry compels him to not be dishonest even in secret, verse 2. The apostle sets the standard for every person in ministry, and I must remind you that each of us does have a ministry in this life, thus we must follow the standard that Paul sets for us, until He calls us home.

We must walk honest, not in craftiness, not handling the Word of God deceitfully, as related to us in verse 2. Verses 3 and 4 reveal how the "god of this world," that would be Satan, is today blinding the minds of the lost people of our world to the "gospel".

The "gospel", I Corinthians 15:1-5, is the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This "gospel" is the "power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth", Romans 1:16.

Paul exhorts us to not allow the "gospel" to be hid from the lost. That "gospel" is being hid today from lost people by false teachers, pseudo-ministries and unresolved sin.

I mention "pseudo" or "false ministry" which would be a ministry that allows the "things of this world" to direct how we perform ministry in the "church". Many churches are moving in that direction in order to build a "large" church. The "things of this world" distract from the "purity" of the "gospel" and dilutes the "gospel" so that it is of none effect.

Let me skip over some great "meat" in this passage, some of the "treasure" that you can dig out for yourself in verses 6-16.

The last two verses of our devotional passage for today, verses 17-18, look to the future. They speak of the "hard times" we may be facing today and into the future. Paul encourages us to look at these times as "light afflictions", verse 17, which are but for a moment.

Paul even mentions that the "light afflictions" are the "training ground" preparing us for the future. Paul concludes with a word of encouragement for the church at Corinth and for those of us in churches, worldwide, today.

Verse 18 says, don't look on the things of today, "things seen", because they are "temporal", for a short time. We should "look upon those things not seen", they are eternal.

See how practical the Word of God, and prophecy are for our daily lives. The current events of this world, our afflictions for today, must not be our focus, we must focus on the "things to come", as revealed in God's prophetic Word, the "hope for tomorrow".

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to keep my focus not on the things of this world but instead on the truths of Your Word as I move through these days and into the future.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.


In my King James Scofield Reference Bible there is a "headliner" above verse 51 in our extended text for today's devotional. It reads "All believers will not die." This is what I call a "blessed hope".

I've often said I don't want the "undertaker" to take care of me, I want the "upper-taker", Jesus, at the Rapture, to deal with me at the time of my departure from this world.

In other words I want to be in the group of believers who will not die but instead will be "translated" into the heavenlies as Jesus shouts and I am called up to meet Him in the air at the Rapture of the Church. This is my "blessed hope", and yours as well.

The Rapture is the focus in these last seven verses of I Corinthians 15. I Corinthians 15 opens with the focus on the "Resurrection" of Jesus Christ. The chapter closes with the "Rapture". I must remind you that it is because of the "Resurrection" that we have the "blessed hope" and assurance of the "Rapture".

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us of the procedure of the Rapture. The "archangel" shouts and the "trump of God" sounds and "Jesus shouts". Then the "dead in Christ" rise first and we, which are alive and remain on earth should be caught up to join Jesus in the air, as we enter the heavenlies.

Paul writes the Church in Corinth about the Rapture about five years after he introduced the subject to those in the Church in Thessalonica, I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

In our devotional passage for today we are given more details about this "blessed event". Paul tells us it will happen "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye", verse 52a. Remember, the "twinkling of an eye" is much, much faster than even the "blink of an eye".

The "dead in Christ" are raised, incorruptible. We that are alive at the Rapture are changed. We put on incorruption and immortality. This all happens faster than you can blink your eyes, and that is fast. We can all then join in the chorus singing in harmony with Jesus, "O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?", verse 55.

We'll also join together to sing the "thank you chorus", "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.", verse 57.

Paul concludes this passage with our "marching orders". He tells us to "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord", verse 58. We do this because we know that our labor for Him is not in vain.

Prophecy is so very practical. As we better understand the next event on God's timetable for the future, the Rapture, we see how then we should live until He calls us to join Him in the heavenlies. In fact, the Rapture could happen today. Even so Lord, come quickly, even today.


PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the promise of the Rapture. Help me to live for You today knowing how close we may be to the Rapture.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.


One of the blessings we have as the member of a local church is to join with others to partake of the Lord's Supper, or the Communion. Paul tells the church at Corinth that they must observe the Lord's Table properly and with no un-confessed sin.

Those who come to the "Lord's Table" without having confessed all of their sins to the Lord are in danger of a serious illness or even death. The Lord wants those who come to His table to be clean before Him.

Paul exhorts the people of the church at Corinth to examine themselves before coming to take of the Lord's Supper. Each of us must look "inward". We must look in at our own lives, starting from the point of our salvation till today, to see if their is any need to be reconciled to God. Then we must be ready to restore our fellowship with God,

Paul also tells us that at the Lord's Supper we must look "backward" to what Christ did on the cross for each of us. We must look back to His death, burial, and resurrection as the means for eternal life.

Then Paul tells us to "look upward". This is the part I really like. We are to look up everyday, awaiting the return of Christ.

We "look in" to see our relationship with Christ.

We "look back" to see what Christ has done for us.

We "look up" in anticipation of the Rapture of the Church.

The Rapture is when we get to be with Christ forever, which could happen at any moment. We are to anticipate His return each and every time we sit at the Lord's Table. Remember, prophecy is very practical.

As you look up continually, eagerly awaiting the Lord's Return, it will help you to be pure, productive, and prepared for the gathering of God's people to be with Him forevermore.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you, Jesus, for Your death, burial, and resurrection. Please allow our knowledge of this great event to motivate us to live for You, as we anticipate Your return.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.


Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian Church, lays out the guidelines for the use of the liberty that the Lord has given to us for our Christian life. The apostle writes to a very "carnal church", the church in Corinth, that everything is lawful for him, verse 23, but He gives them then four guidelines for living by the "law of love" in the liberty that God gives.

Paul says that though everything is lawful, everything is not expedient. In other words, everything is permissible but it is not always beneficial. Then Paul sets another standard for what he does. It must edify - it must build up those around him, verse 23.

Paul's lifestyle is not to promote himself or to do those things that bring attention, glory, or advancement for him, verse 24. Paul's goal is to promote the good of others. This type of lifestyle, serving others, is chosen by Paul so that he might bring many people to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, verse 33. Paul's standard sets the bar high for each of us to set as our goal for the life we lead daily in front of others.

These principles in our passage from Paul's writings are worth our reading for today. But before we leave, let me share another principle, a "prophetic principle" as well as a "personal principle". Paul says in verse 32, in light of his chosen lifestyle, that he will not be an offense to the Jews, the Gentiles, or the Christians. This verse goes along with the theme of our reading for today but it also is a key component as you start to study prophecy.

Paul divided humankind into three members of the "human family", Gentiles, Jews, and Christians. Every person on earth is one of these family members. For the first 2,000 years of human history, from Genesis 1-12, there were only Gentiles on the earth.

When God brought Abraham to the Promised Land, He made this Gentile, Abraham, the first Hebrew, Genesis 14:13, and started another people, the Jewish people.

Then, for the next 2,000 years from Genesis 12 to Acts 1, there were Gentiles and Jews on earth, but no Christians. A Jew or a Gentile that believed God for righteousness was a believing Jew or Gentile.

On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2, the Lord started the Church and there then was a third member of the human family, Christians. All these members of the human family are in play from Acts 2 to Revelation 22.

This information is key to understanding Bible prophecy. As we read the Word, the prophetic Word, we must keep this "prophetic principle" in mind. It will help us to know who the Lord is addressing in His prophetic plan and for what time in history.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, help me to approach my study of Your word with the principles that will give me understanding of Your prophetic plan.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.


The apostle Paul, who wrote our reading today, also wrote to the Thessalonians about the Rapture of the church, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and he told us of the sound of the trumpet, the shout of the archangel and at our Lord's shout, we will enter His presence. It is at that time in the future that the "Judgment Seat of Christ" takes place.

The Judgment Seat of Christ is when every Christian will be judged by Jesus Christ, John 5:22, for his or her labor for the Lord. It is at that time that we will receive either rewards or suffer loss of rewards.

The procedure for this awesome time before the Lord at the "Judgment Seat" is found in our reading for today. The reality that we will one day stand at the "Judgment Seat" is awesome as we consider the events that will unfold on that day.

Verse 12 tells us of the two categories of works that we will be judged for at the Judgment Seat. There are the "wood, hay and stubble" works and the "gold, silver, and precious stones" works. Those wood, hay and stubble works are works we did after becoming a Christian. These are works that we have done in our own strength and for our own glory. The gold, silver and precious stones works are those works we did in His power, for His glory.

Let me remind you that works are not for salvation, but a result of salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. Works are what follows because we are "created unto good works" after salvation, Ephesians 2:10.

All of our works from either category will be judged, actually by fire, and what remains will be that which indicates whether we gain rewards or suffer loss. Naturally, those wood, hay and stubble works will be burned up.

The gold, silver and precious stones works will be purified in the fire and bring us rewards for the works we have done for Him and for His glory and in His power.

These works are the "righteous acts" we do during our lifetime as a Christian. The righteous acts then become our "wedding garments" that we, as the bride of Christ, will wear when we are married to Jesus Christ.

This "marriage ceremony" will precede the "marriage supper of the Lamb", Revelation 19:7-9. It is exciting to consider the wedding garment we will wear at that ceremony for our groom, Jesus Christ.

However, it is a bit concerning to realize that one day, possibly very soon, at the Rapture we will stand face to face with Christ and have to respond at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This should motivate each us to get things in order so we will be ready to face Jesus. It could be today!

PRAYER THOT: Help me to do all works in His power and only for His honor and glory.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.


I love our key verse, verse 9, it is a promise of things that God will give me and you, if you know Him as Lord and Saviour, things that I can not even imagine. My eyes have not seen them, my ears have not heard them and my heart is void of what these things might be that will come to me in the future.

What we do know is that God has prepared these things. Because I love Him they will come to me. I feel like a little child who has the prospect of receiving "something special" from someone special. In order to receive from God this "something special" we must not only love the Lord, but we must be "born again", become a "new creation".

Verse 14 states that the "natural man", a lost person without Jesus Christ, will not be able to know about God's gift. Whatever God would count as special, the lost person would consider it all foolishness. The gifts coming from the Lord will be better in focus as we study through the Word of the Lord, the Bible.

Paul explains in this passage the ministry of the Holy Spirit in communicating to the believer what God wants him to know. The first method that God uses to communicate to man is "inspiration", verse 13.

Paul says it wasn't his words and his wisdom but the Holy Spirit breathing into him, as He did into some 40 men over 1,500 years, 66 books, the Bible; with God's message for humankind, II Timothy 3:16.

These "truths" or "revelation" were also God-breathed and given to men, men the Lord Himself chose. None of the prophets received these truths by his own will but were Holy men of God and were able to speak prophetic truth as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, II Peter 1:21.

Maybe the most exciting thought in this passage is that we as Christians have the Holy Spirit living in us to not only empower us but also to teach us through "illumination", a third ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told His disciples that He must go, but He promised that when He had gone, He would send the Holy Spirit to teach us. And notice, the Holy Spirit would not only teach us but teach us things to come, John 16:7-14.

I must admit that after 50 years of studying God's Word there is much more than I can imagine that the Lord has in store for me, in the future.


PRAYER THOT: Thank you, Lord, for breathing into Godly men, Your Word, and then sending the Holy Spirit, the one who gave men Your Word, to dwell within me and teach me Your Word.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.


In the passage for our devotional reading today we see how those today who exalt "human wisdom" will one day come to an understanding that man's wisdom is "foolishness in the things of God".

That's how Paul begins our devotional passage, which is an excerpt of his letter to the very "carnal church" in Corinth. What a powerful truth, that which seems to be "foolishness" to those of the world today who are not saved, not believers in Jesus Christ for eternal life, how they consider the "preaching of the cross" foolishness.

But Paul tells those of us who do believe that we came to that belief by the "preaching of the cross" which is to those of us who believe, the "power of God", verse 18.

If we take a closer look at the philosophy of this world today, and its people, they are bound up by "human wisdom", the knowledge and intellect of man. Even the "church", the institution ordained by God on Earth, has appropriated that "humanistic" philosophy, that "human wisdom," which they have made key to their "pattern of life".

Paul uses this letter to the Church in Corinth, who had bought into this philosophy and he revealed to them that man's wisdom was "foolishness". God's wisdom is what we should long for. It is very evident in what is termed "post-modern Christianity" in the Church today that they have allowed for "man's wisdom" to take control of leadership and ministry.

In fact, Paul even said that the foolishness of God, verse 25, is wiser than men. Verse 27 reveals God's plan for this matter. God has chosen the "foolishness of this world to confound the wise".

Paul realizes that many in this world must have "signs" to believe what is of the Lord, verse 22, especially the Jew. If one has to have a "sign" to believe, "faith" will not then spring forth.

Hebrews 11:1 says that "faith" is the substance of things "hoped for", the evidence of things "not seen". If we must have a "sign" before we believe then we don't have "real faith".

"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God", Romans 10:17. The Jew and some others require a "sign" and the Gentile craves for wisdom, the wisdom of man, verse 22. Both are the opposite of God's design for the Church and it's ministry and worship.

Paul sets the standard, verse 23, "we preach Christ crucified". Not only crucified, but resurrected, ascended into heaven and one day coming again. Now that is "real wisdom", God's wisdom.


PRAYER THOT: Help me to stay in the Bible for the Godly wisdom that will carry me through life and into eternity future.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.


Paul is writing to the church in Rome, in chapter 14, at least the first part of the chapter, about a problem among the people of the church.

There are those who are saying, "We can eat this or that but we must not eat the other." Then there are those who say, "We esteem this day more important than any other and you don't do that." Paul addresses these issues in several ways.

Paul says whatever we eat, if we are Christians, it's unto the Lord, verse 6 Also, what day we esteem, that will be done unto the Lord as well. In fact, Paul says, if we are alive we are living unto the Lord, or we should be doing so, verse 8.

Then Paul exhorts the Romans, as well as each of us today, to stop judging one another any more. Paul says what must be judged is that we must not put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in our brothers way, verse 13.

Paul then asks the question, "Why doest thou judge your brother, verse 10, especially in light of the fact that we are all going to stand before the "Judgment Seat of Christ" one day.

This is not a judgment to determine whether we are saved or lost. That will be determined before we ever get to the "Judgment Seat of Christ". There will be only "saved" people at the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

Verse 12 states that "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God". The "Judgment Seat of Christ" takes place right after the Rapture of the Church. When we leave this earth at the time that Jesus shouts to call us up to join Him in the "air", I Thessalonians 4:13-18, we stand before the Lord right at that moment, in the "twinkling of an eye", I Corinthians 15:52.

After departing earth we are "face to face with Jesus", in order that we can give an account of ourselves. It's at the "Judgment Seat" where we are judged to determine that our works are those which qualify as our "righteous acts", Revelation 19:8. These "righteous acts" make up our "wedding garment" for the "marriage ceremony" and the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb".

Also at the "Judgment Seat" we will be given "crowns" as rewards, crowns for bringing our bodies under subjection, I Corinthians 9:27; for being soul-winners, I Thessalonians 2:19; for not yielding to temptation, James 1:12; for helping young believers grow in the Lord, I Peter 5:1-14; and for eagerly looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, II Timothy 4:8.

We will then take these crowns to the throne, where Jesus is seated, and we cast them at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving for what He has, is, and will do for us, Revelation 4:10.

Paul has a great question for each of us as we close our time in the Word for this devotional, why do we judge our brothers and sisters?

PRAYER THOT: Help me to live today, Lord, knowing I will stand at the "Judgment Seat of Christ", to receive crowns to cast at Your feet in thanksgiving. Help me not to judge others, but to make sure I am not a stumbling block.