II Corinthians 11: 1-6
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;
Jealousy arises when someone thinks he'll be replaced. God is a jealous God, not wanting us to replace Him with any other god.
And Paul didn't want these believers to replace Christ with any other entity.
for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
All through Scripture, God considered idolatry to be the same as unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband, and called Israel His wife. Now the church is the bride of Christ, and Paul wants these Corinthians to be faithful to Him.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Eve was lied to by Satan, and never having heard a lie before, she didn't distinguish it from the truth she had always heard before. So she was deceived, and she believed him, and thought she was doing something good by eating that piece of fruit.
For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
Someone who presented Jesus as not having the same character or characteristics that Paul taught them.
or you receive a different spirit which you have not received,
No other spirit is the same as God's Holy Spirit.
or a different gospel which you have not accepted,
The Gospel is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead, all just as the Old Testament writers predicted He would. Any other story would not be the same, or have the same power to save.
you bear this beautifully.
They are just going along blissfully down this side-path that is leading them astray!
For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
Paul didn't think he had any less reputation or rank or had less authority than others who called themselves apostles.
But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.
As a matter of fact, they have showed these Corinthians that what they were teaching them was the true knowledge, even if Paul's oratory skills were not as highly developed as these other teachers.
These other men who came in after Paul had founded this church were teaching these people other doctrines that were not according to the pure, simple Gospel Paul had taught these believers.
He didn't want them to be vulnerable, as Eve was, to fall for the slick silver-tongued false teachers who snuck into their midst after Paul left, casting dispersions on him and his teachings, as the Serpent cast dispersions on God's character.
So he wrote this letter, and now we also have it to read and learn the lessons too.
We also need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) when it comes to discerning the Truth. We don't need to experience evil in order to recognize it. We need discernment to determine how to avoid the evil and do the good.
We also are Christ's bride, so we need to keep ourselves pure, as chaste virgins spiritually, staying away from any other spirits or religious teachings that would take us away from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel of Christ, and His character in us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Can We Boast?
II Corinthians 10: 1-17
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--
Paul is personally pleading with them gently and meekly, as Christ is.
I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
This is what he's being accused of.
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
He wants to not have to be hard on them when he is with them, but he does want to deal with those who are against him, noting that they are thinking that he thinks like them.
Don't we all tend to think other people are thinking the same way we are?
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
Even though we still are living in our physical bodies, our battles are not fought with physical weapons.
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons God gave us to gain victory over our spiritual enemies.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
These are lies, and deceptions, and self-promotion, and other prideful and selfish ideas that the enemy uses to take hold of vulnerable people to steer them away from the simplicity and purity of God's Word and His character.
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
This is the key: our thoughts are the beginning of everything in our lives. How we think about something determines what we believe about it to be true, so we will speak and act according to that concept, whether it really is true or not, or if we've been tricked into believing something that is not accurate.
That is why we need to learn what God is like, what Jesus' character is like, and why we need to conform our own thinking processes to align with Christ. That is how we renew our minds, as Paul wrote to the Romans:
and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
So when those in Corinth are secure in their position and path in obeying what aligns with Christ's character, then Paul will be confident in calling out those who refuse to humble themselves before the Lord.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly.
So far they have only looked at the surface of what is going on. They need to look deeper, at the spiritual root of what they are doing.
If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, so also are we.
We need to be confident in our faith in Christ to have taken our place in death on the Cross, so that He really has washed us as white as snow and given us His Spirit to live in our human spirit, to teach us His Truth and to show us what is really going on in the World around us.
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
If Paul is talking about the authority the Lord gave him to help lay the foundation of the church so it could grow and spread all over the World, he is only speaking the reality of why he does what he does, and there is no need to be ashamed of that. He is obeying the Lord in following His plan for him.
Building the church was the job God gave Paul. And Paul was busy obeying that commission. That's what the Apostles did, lay the foundation of the church, which is Christ.
for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
Paul's letters could seem to be scary if you don't want to follow the Lord faithfully, but he didn't intend them to scare the believers, just to encourage them to continue to follow what is right.
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible."
These troublemakers are criticizing Paul with slander.
Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
Paul says that he's the same person, whether he's writing a letter or talking with them face to face. He doesn't change.
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves;
Paul is not comparing himself with anyone else, only with Christ.
but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
These guys are just showing that they don't even understand God's ways at all. So we need to take note of this, and stop comparing ourselves with each other, because we'll always find someone who's doing better than us, as well as those who aren't doing as well. So we won't be either depressed or puffed up.
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
Paul is only looking at the area of his own ministry, which includes Corinth.
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach unto you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ;
When he claims Corinth as his own ministry, he's not reaching beyond what God has given him, because he was the one who introduced the people of this area to Christ, who had never heard of Him before Paul and company came that far.
not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
So he's not trying to claim anyone else's work, but when those he has won for Christ go out to tell others, they will also be included in Paul's sphere, as an extension of his own ministry.
so as to preach the Gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
When Paul's converts go into other regions beyond where Paul went personally, then they are enlarging Paul's area of influence, without impinging on anyone else's territory.
But,
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us Truth, and works Truth through us. So only those who God commends, is truly approved by God.
Whenever we boast about what we've accomplished, we may receive accolades from other people. But to be accepted and approved by God, we must do our things according to His ways, in His power. We have to let God work through us, not try to wrest control from Him to do it ourselves.
Whenever I do that, I fall flat on my face. God won't let me succeed in my own strength, He loves me too much to do that. He lets me fail, so that I will turn to Him, confess my failure to trust Him, and let Him have His way in me again.
Then I can go on, confident in His strength and wisdom, and then He gets all the credit, all the glory. Then I can boast in Him. Only then I can boast at all.
O my Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your gracious generosity to us. You know that we are just dust, with damaged DNA so that we are unable to do anything worth anything in our own power, or that can be accepted by You.
So You have taken pity on us, revealed who You are to us, and done everything we need to have done for us to be able to even know who You are. Then You went on to put Your Son in charge of us humans, to give us Your Law and told the prophets to write what He would accomplish when He came. Then You sent Him to Earth, to be one of us, so He could die!
I am amazed that You would love us so much, even knowing how damaged we are, to allow Your own Son to die! God can't die, but if we couldn't die, we wouldn't be able to have Someone die in our place, so we could live!
You are so wise, Father, and so magnanimous to have made us anyway, knowing how we would be, and then to do all You have done for us; everything possible and impossible!
So if we can boast at all, it will be boasting in all You have done, dear Father!
Because You have done it all! We have done nothing! It's all You!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, Lord God of the Universe, and sovereign King over all creation, to the glory and credit of Almighty God our Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--
Paul is personally pleading with them gently and meekly, as Christ is.
I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
This is what he's being accused of.
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
He wants to not have to be hard on them when he is with them, but he does want to deal with those who are against him, noting that they are thinking that he thinks like them.
Don't we all tend to think other people are thinking the same way we are?
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
Even though we still are living in our physical bodies, our battles are not fought with physical weapons.
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons God gave us to gain victory over our spiritual enemies.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
These are lies, and deceptions, and self-promotion, and other prideful and selfish ideas that the enemy uses to take hold of vulnerable people to steer them away from the simplicity and purity of God's Word and His character.
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
This is the key: our thoughts are the beginning of everything in our lives. How we think about something determines what we believe about it to be true, so we will speak and act according to that concept, whether it really is true or not, or if we've been tricked into believing something that is not accurate.
That is why we need to learn what God is like, what Jesus' character is like, and why we need to conform our own thinking processes to align with Christ. That is how we renew our minds, as Paul wrote to the Romans:
Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this World; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2).When we let God transform our thinking processes to realize His Truth about who He is, how He sees us, and our true worth; then we will see with "new eyes" what is happening around us, and see opportunities to minister and help others and to love God and one another as He has loved us. This will transform our very lives!
and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
So when those in Corinth are secure in their position and path in obeying what aligns with Christ's character, then Paul will be confident in calling out those who refuse to humble themselves before the Lord.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly.
So far they have only looked at the surface of what is going on. They need to look deeper, at the spiritual root of what they are doing.
If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, so also are we.
We need to be confident in our faith in Christ to have taken our place in death on the Cross, so that He really has washed us as white as snow and given us His Spirit to live in our human spirit, to teach us His Truth and to show us what is really going on in the World around us.
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
If Paul is talking about the authority the Lord gave him to help lay the foundation of the church so it could grow and spread all over the World, he is only speaking the reality of why he does what he does, and there is no need to be ashamed of that. He is obeying the Lord in following His plan for him.
Building the church was the job God gave Paul. And Paul was busy obeying that commission. That's what the Apostles did, lay the foundation of the church, which is Christ.
for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
Paul's letters could seem to be scary if you don't want to follow the Lord faithfully, but he didn't intend them to scare the believers, just to encourage them to continue to follow what is right.
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible."
These troublemakers are criticizing Paul with slander.
Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
Paul says that he's the same person, whether he's writing a letter or talking with them face to face. He doesn't change.
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves;
Paul is not comparing himself with anyone else, only with Christ.
but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
These guys are just showing that they don't even understand God's ways at all. So we need to take note of this, and stop comparing ourselves with each other, because we'll always find someone who's doing better than us, as well as those who aren't doing as well. So we won't be either depressed or puffed up.
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
Paul is only looking at the area of his own ministry, which includes Corinth.
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach unto you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ;
When he claims Corinth as his own ministry, he's not reaching beyond what God has given him, because he was the one who introduced the people of this area to Christ, who had never heard of Him before Paul and company came that far.
not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
So he's not trying to claim anyone else's work, but when those he has won for Christ go out to tell others, they will also be included in Paul's sphere, as an extension of his own ministry.
so as to preach the Gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
When Paul's converts go into other regions beyond where Paul went personally, then they are enlarging Paul's area of influence, without impinging on anyone else's territory.
But,
Whoever wants to boast, should only boast about what the Lord is doing through them, not what they've done through their own power and initiative.He who boasts is to boast in the Lord (Isaiah 65:16, see also Jeremiah 9:24).
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us Truth, and works Truth through us. So only those who God commends, is truly approved by God.
Whenever we boast about what we've accomplished, we may receive accolades from other people. But to be accepted and approved by God, we must do our things according to His ways, in His power. We have to let God work through us, not try to wrest control from Him to do it ourselves.
Whenever I do that, I fall flat on my face. God won't let me succeed in my own strength, He loves me too much to do that. He lets me fail, so that I will turn to Him, confess my failure to trust Him, and let Him have His way in me again.
Then I can go on, confident in His strength and wisdom, and then He gets all the credit, all the glory. Then I can boast in Him. Only then I can boast at all.
O my Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your gracious generosity to us. You know that we are just dust, with damaged DNA so that we are unable to do anything worth anything in our own power, or that can be accepted by You.
So You have taken pity on us, revealed who You are to us, and done everything we need to have done for us to be able to even know who You are. Then You went on to put Your Son in charge of us humans, to give us Your Law and told the prophets to write what He would accomplish when He came. Then You sent Him to Earth, to be one of us, so He could die!
I am amazed that You would love us so much, even knowing how damaged we are, to allow Your own Son to die! God can't die, but if we couldn't die, we wouldn't be able to have Someone die in our place, so we could live!
You are so wise, Father, and so magnanimous to have made us anyway, knowing how we would be, and then to do all You have done for us; everything possible and impossible!
So if we can boast at all, it will be boasting in all You have done, dear Father!
Because You have done it all! We have done nothing! It's all You!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, Lord God of the Universe, and sovereign King over all creation, to the glory and credit of Almighty God our Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Some Benefits of Generosity
II Corinthians 8: 1-24; 9: 1-15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I've broken it up into its components over several days.
Today we will conclude this section by discovering many of the rewards God will lavish upon us for our giving:
9:6-15
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
This is an agrarian illustration of a spiritual Truth. If you don't plant many seeds, you won't produce very much crop. But if you plant a lot of seeds, then it's much more likely that more of them will take root and grow.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God wants us to want to be generous. Just going through the motions will never produce any fruits or rewards.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
No matter how much we abound in our generosity, we can never out-give God. He always surpasses everything we can expect to receive. He is more generous than Mankind will ever be, and He wants us to abound in the good deeds that He planned ahead of Time for us to accomplish; He will supply more than we will need to do everything, and also abundantly reward us both now and in Eternity.
as it is written,
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
Our seed for sowing can be money, or it can be His Word, or it can even be actual seeds to plant in the soil. Whatever God has for you, in whatever activities you do, whether at work, at church, at home; with family, with neighbors, with co-workers, with brothers and sisters in Christ, or with people of the World; He will always give you whatever you need to share.
I've found that whatever I find myself short of, just give some away anyway, and God will stretch what I have left! He's done this for me with money, with time, with food on hand, with whatever I happen to need at the time. I just need to consciously be trusting God in the situation, and He's always come through for me. And He will for you, too. So don't ever be stingy.
you will be enriched in everything for all liberality,
Because God will always do what He said He will do, and He says right here that He will enrich us in whatever we need to be enriched in, in "everything," which doesn't leave anything out. So we can be generous, too.
which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
Paul is thanking God for the Corinthians.
For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints
This gift that Paul has been and will be gathering from Corinth and all the other churches for two years will cover everything that the poor Christians in Jerusalem will be needing when he gets there with the offerings for them.
but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
Paul is not the only one who was blessing them with thanksgivings to God for them, but the members of the other churches were, too, and also the saints in Jerusalem would be, also. Many thanks from many grateful children of God.
Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
The contribution they are adding to the gift is proof of their love for God and their faith in Christ, and also for their share of the offering.
while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
Because of their generosity, the Jerusalem believers will also be in prayer for their brothers and sisters in Corinth, and will be desirous of actually meeting them some day, and to want God to bless them even more abundantly.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
God's foundational gift to us is Himself! His Love, His mercy, His grace, His Son, His Salvation, His generous provisions for everything we need. God has thought of everything, and has already provided everything we will ever need, both in this World and in the next, and in all Eternity! He didn't leave anything out, and He has provided for us super-abundantly in every area!
Our God is God! He is Almighty God the Father, who has given us His Son who is our Lord God Almighty and our Savior and Redeemer, and our sovereign King of the Universe; and He has also given us His Holy Spirit to actually live in our human spirits, making them Alive, causing us to be born into His own family; and made us co-heirs with Christ to inherit everything He receives from the Father, who has put All Things into His hand to rule and govern.
O my Father, You truly are the Almighty God! You subsist in three divine Persons, as one Almighty God. And Christ has made us also one with You.
I don't understand this, in my puny little human brain, but I know it is True, because Jesus prayed this for us, and I know You always answer His prayers, and do what You have said You would do.
You are the Creator of everything that is: The Father and the Son and the Spirit all had their roles in creation, to fashion everything that exists. And everything You made is connected to everything else You made, all in the same system, the same Universe, both material and spiritual.
And everything we do affects everything else, too. So when we are generous and we give of what You have given to us, then we set good things in motion, and we also receive the benefits. Everything is like a boomerang, it accomplishes what You have determined it will do, and circles back to bless us, too.
So, Father, help us to remember Your generosity with us, and to demonstrate Your character that You are building in us. Keep us growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ is God's very Son, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I've broken it up into its components over several days.
Today we will conclude this section by discovering many of the rewards God will lavish upon us for our giving:
9:6-15
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
This is an agrarian illustration of a spiritual Truth. If you don't plant many seeds, you won't produce very much crop. But if you plant a lot of seeds, then it's much more likely that more of them will take root and grow.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God wants us to want to be generous. Just going through the motions will never produce any fruits or rewards.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
No matter how much we abound in our generosity, we can never out-give God. He always surpasses everything we can expect to receive. He is more generous than Mankind will ever be, and He wants us to abound in the good deeds that He planned ahead of Time for us to accomplish; He will supply more than we will need to do everything, and also abundantly reward us both now and in Eternity.
as it is written,
He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness lives forever (Psalm 112:9).He had the Psalmist write this, to show that He always has taken good care of us all throughout all the Time Mankind has lived in this World, whenever anyone lets Him in.
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
Our seed for sowing can be money, or it can be His Word, or it can even be actual seeds to plant in the soil. Whatever God has for you, in whatever activities you do, whether at work, at church, at home; with family, with neighbors, with co-workers, with brothers and sisters in Christ, or with people of the World; He will always give you whatever you need to share.
I've found that whatever I find myself short of, just give some away anyway, and God will stretch what I have left! He's done this for me with money, with time, with food on hand, with whatever I happen to need at the time. I just need to consciously be trusting God in the situation, and He's always come through for me. And He will for you, too. So don't ever be stingy.
you will be enriched in everything for all liberality,
Because God will always do what He said He will do, and He says right here that He will enrich us in whatever we need to be enriched in, in "everything," which doesn't leave anything out. So we can be generous, too.
which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
Paul is thanking God for the Corinthians.
For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints
This gift that Paul has been and will be gathering from Corinth and all the other churches for two years will cover everything that the poor Christians in Jerusalem will be needing when he gets there with the offerings for them.
but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
Paul is not the only one who was blessing them with thanksgivings to God for them, but the members of the other churches were, too, and also the saints in Jerusalem would be, also. Many thanks from many grateful children of God.
Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
The contribution they are adding to the gift is proof of their love for God and their faith in Christ, and also for their share of the offering.
while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
Because of their generosity, the Jerusalem believers will also be in prayer for their brothers and sisters in Corinth, and will be desirous of actually meeting them some day, and to want God to bless them even more abundantly.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
God's foundational gift to us is Himself! His Love, His mercy, His grace, His Son, His Salvation, His generous provisions for everything we need. God has thought of everything, and has already provided everything we will ever need, both in this World and in the next, and in all Eternity! He didn't leave anything out, and He has provided for us super-abundantly in every area!
Our God is God! He is Almighty God the Father, who has given us His Son who is our Lord God Almighty and our Savior and Redeemer, and our sovereign King of the Universe; and He has also given us His Holy Spirit to actually live in our human spirits, making them Alive, causing us to be born into His own family; and made us co-heirs with Christ to inherit everything He receives from the Father, who has put All Things into His hand to rule and govern.
O my Father, You truly are the Almighty God! You subsist in three divine Persons, as one Almighty God. And Christ has made us also one with You.
I don't understand this, in my puny little human brain, but I know it is True, because Jesus prayed this for us, and I know You always answer His prayers, and do what You have said You would do.
You are the Creator of everything that is: The Father and the Son and the Spirit all had their roles in creation, to fashion everything that exists. And everything You made is connected to everything else You made, all in the same system, the same Universe, both material and spiritual.
And everything we do affects everything else, too. So when we are generous and we give of what You have given to us, then we set good things in motion, and we also receive the benefits. Everything is like a boomerang, it accomplishes what You have determined it will do, and circles back to bless us, too.
So, Father, help us to remember Your generosity with us, and to demonstrate Your character that You are building in us. Keep us growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ is God's very Son, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Plan Ahead And Safeguard Our Giving
II Corinthians 8: 1- 9: 15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at some of the policies we are to follow:
8:16- 9:5
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
Titus himself loved the Corinthians, and had confidence in their determination to help the struggling Christians in Jerusalem, as he was the one who first mentioned this to them, a year ago; and wanted to go back to see them and help them get this gift together. Titus must have been known to have substantial financial acumen to have this responsibility.
We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
We're not given the name of this brother, so they may not have met him yet.
and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work,
He is one who will go with Paul to deliver the gift to the Jerusalem church.
which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself,
There were representatives from many of the churches who would be going with him to bring the present.
and to show our readiness,
Many of the Gentile churches Paul founded participated in this aggregate gift.
taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
Paul had representatives from churches in Macedonia and Galatia and Asia accompany him with this sizable bundle of money to take to Jerusalem for the saints, to provide security and accountability.
for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Paul is thinking of the admonition of Proverbs 3:4, to find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. He wanted to give glory to God, and also to maintain a good reputation.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
This is the third worker Paul is sending to Corinth ahead of his own visit. All three of these men have great confidence in the Corinthian saints to follow through on their pledge.
As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
So if anyone asks who these guys are: Titus is Paul's partner who works alongside him in the work, and the other two are delegates from the churches who have already contributed to the gift, all to bring glory to Christ.
Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
Paul is encouraging them to welcome these men openly, loving them as brothers in the Lord, and to live up to the confidences Paul has in them.
For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
Paul considers it excessive to keep mentioning this, since they had decided and agreed a year ago to gather this collection and have it ready to send, and this has been a big encouragement to all these other churches to follow suit.
But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;
So he's sending these three brothers to make sure they've made all the preparations, because they had said they would, and Paul has advertised their generosity among the other churches to encourage them to give also.
otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.
We don't want to be ashamed of you, and especially we don't want you to be embarrassed at not having done what you said you would do, so have it finished and ready when I show up with the Macedonian brothers who your example encouraged.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
That's why he sending Titus and the others ahead of him, so that this generous gift would be just that, a gift generously given, not out of necessity or hastily thrown together out of duty.
Paul was handling and transporting a sizable sum of money, so he wanted them to have it all together and ready on time, so that he wouldn't be ashamed of boasting about them to encourage others to also give, and so they also wouldn't be embarrassed, if they didn't have it ready.
So he was sending not just one or two, but three brothers ahead of his coming, to help them get it all together. It needed to be freely given, and bountifully contributed, according to the bounty God had given them, not feeling that they had to give out of duty or obligation.
And Paul will be traveling in a large group, for several reasons. There is safety and security in numbers. They were delegates from many of the churches who contributed to this large gift, so they were invited to see the results, the recipients of this support. They would also provide accountability that it would all be there, and preserve the reputations of all involved. And God would receive the glory for all this cooperative giving.
O my Father, help us to understand how You view our finances, and the discernment to handle our money wisely, whether in paying our bills or contributing to the offering at church, or whatever we use it for. Grant us Your bounty in our incomes, so that we will be able to give generously, not having to count the pennies, or give out of obligation.
Father, Jesus taught us that what we do with our "treasure" shows where our hearts stand. So I pray that You would grant me the finances to joyfully give generously, not having to be concerned for my obligations.
And send me out, Father, let me sow Your precious seed, to cast it broadly across Your fertile fields. Let me reap some of Your fields ready for harvest, and help to fill Your great House. To build up Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess in every language that Jesus our Christ is Lord God Almighty, the sovereign King of the the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at some of the policies we are to follow:
8:16- 9:5
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
Titus himself loved the Corinthians, and had confidence in their determination to help the struggling Christians in Jerusalem, as he was the one who first mentioned this to them, a year ago; and wanted to go back to see them and help them get this gift together. Titus must have been known to have substantial financial acumen to have this responsibility.
We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
We're not given the name of this brother, so they may not have met him yet.
and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work,
He is one who will go with Paul to deliver the gift to the Jerusalem church.
which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself,
There were representatives from many of the churches who would be going with him to bring the present.
and to show our readiness,
Many of the Gentile churches Paul founded participated in this aggregate gift.
taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
Paul had representatives from churches in Macedonia and Galatia and Asia accompany him with this sizable bundle of money to take to Jerusalem for the saints, to provide security and accountability.
for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Paul is thinking of the admonition of Proverbs 3:4, to find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. He wanted to give glory to God, and also to maintain a good reputation.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
This is the third worker Paul is sending to Corinth ahead of his own visit. All three of these men have great confidence in the Corinthian saints to follow through on their pledge.
As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
So if anyone asks who these guys are: Titus is Paul's partner who works alongside him in the work, and the other two are delegates from the churches who have already contributed to the gift, all to bring glory to Christ.
Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
Paul is encouraging them to welcome these men openly, loving them as brothers in the Lord, and to live up to the confidences Paul has in them.
For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
Paul considers it excessive to keep mentioning this, since they had decided and agreed a year ago to gather this collection and have it ready to send, and this has been a big encouragement to all these other churches to follow suit.
But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;
So he's sending these three brothers to make sure they've made all the preparations, because they had said they would, and Paul has advertised their generosity among the other churches to encourage them to give also.
otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.
We don't want to be ashamed of you, and especially we don't want you to be embarrassed at not having done what you said you would do, so have it finished and ready when I show up with the Macedonian brothers who your example encouraged.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
That's why he sending Titus and the others ahead of him, so that this generous gift would be just that, a gift generously given, not out of necessity or hastily thrown together out of duty.
Paul was handling and transporting a sizable sum of money, so he wanted them to have it all together and ready on time, so that he wouldn't be ashamed of boasting about them to encourage others to also give, and so they also wouldn't be embarrassed, if they didn't have it ready.
So he was sending not just one or two, but three brothers ahead of his coming, to help them get it all together. It needed to be freely given, and bountifully contributed, according to the bounty God had given them, not feeling that they had to give out of duty or obligation.
And Paul will be traveling in a large group, for several reasons. There is safety and security in numbers. They were delegates from many of the churches who contributed to this large gift, so they were invited to see the results, the recipients of this support. They would also provide accountability that it would all be there, and preserve the reputations of all involved. And God would receive the glory for all this cooperative giving.
O my Father, help us to understand how You view our finances, and the discernment to handle our money wisely, whether in paying our bills or contributing to the offering at church, or whatever we use it for. Grant us Your bounty in our incomes, so that we will be able to give generously, not having to count the pennies, or give out of obligation.
Father, Jesus taught us that what we do with our "treasure" shows where our hearts stand. So I pray that You would grant me the finances to joyfully give generously, not having to be concerned for my obligations.
And send me out, Father, let me sow Your precious seed, to cast it broadly across Your fertile fields. Let me reap some of Your fields ready for harvest, and help to fill Your great House. To build up Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess in every language that Jesus our Christ is Lord God Almighty, the sovereign King of the the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 7, 2019
Why Would We Want To Give?
II Corinthians 8: 1- 9: 15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the procedure for how we proceed to give, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Yesterday we talked about the Principle of giving in 8:1-6.
Today we will look at why we would want to give, the purposes for giving:
8: 7-15
But as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
Paul has just recounted to these Corinthians how the Macedonian believers had given generously out of their poverty, and now here these brothers and sisters have an abundance of everything; they are not being persecuted, and they enjoy much material prosperity, so he is expecting them to contribute abundantly.
I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
Paul isn't saying they have to do this, he is encouraging them to show their love for their suffering brothers and sisters.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
As our example, our Lord Jesus Christ also was generous in giving up His riches in Heaven to come as a poor man, so that He could bestow on us His riches. He didn't want to keep everything for Himself, but gave Himself freely. So He also wants us to freely share what He has given to us, and not be stingy.
I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.
A year earlier, the Corinthian church was the first church to freely volunteer to help the believers in Jerusalem. Now it's time to do what they said they would do, and follow through on that offer.
For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
If they still want to do this, they don't have to give more than they actually have. We give from what we have, we don't go into debt to appear to be more generous.
For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality--
at this present time your abundance bring a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality;
This is not to put you into financial straits just to help them to be comfortable, but if you help them in their need now, then later on you may have a need that they will be able to help you with, so that everyone will have what they need and no one will need to suffer privation.
as it is written,
So the reasons why we are to be generous in our giving as presented here are:
1) To abound in all the aspects of Christian living,
2) To show your love for one another,
3) To follow Christ's example to be like Him, and
4) To express compassion for others in helping to meet their needs.
O my Father, Your ways are so wise, and when we follow them things always seem to turn out well all around. Your ways always show us a win-win way of living; that when we have an abundance, then we can share to help meet the needs of others, and then when they have an abundance in some other area, they can help us where we have a need. And everyone benefits.
When we love one another as You have loved us, then we will notice when our brother or sister has a need that we can help with, and we won't hesitate to pitch in to help.
Father, You saw our need, and sent Your Son to help, to meet our stupendous need by the giving of Himself. We will never be able to that, and we will never need to, because Jesus already finished it for us.
Now we can not only help one another in temporal ways physically and mentally, but also eternally spiritually, in sharing Your Good News with them.
When they receive Your Good News and accept Jesus' death as their own, then You will meet their every need, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and materially.
Father, teach us how to reach out to every person You have enabled us to help. Each of us has individual characteristics that can reach people others can't. Show us who these people are, send us to them, bring them to us, so that we can be used of You to benefit them and bring You glory.
Let our love and care for one another show the World how much You love each of them, too, and that You sent Your Son for them, too. Send out Your workers, Father, to draw all Your lost sheep into Your One Fold with One Shepherd, and fill Your house with children.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the procedure for how we proceed to give, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Yesterday we talked about the Principle of giving in 8:1-6.
Today we will look at why we would want to give, the purposes for giving:
8: 7-15
But as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
Paul has just recounted to these Corinthians how the Macedonian believers had given generously out of their poverty, and now here these brothers and sisters have an abundance of everything; they are not being persecuted, and they enjoy much material prosperity, so he is expecting them to contribute abundantly.
I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
Paul isn't saying they have to do this, he is encouraging them to show their love for their suffering brothers and sisters.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
As our example, our Lord Jesus Christ also was generous in giving up His riches in Heaven to come as a poor man, so that He could bestow on us His riches. He didn't want to keep everything for Himself, but gave Himself freely. So He also wants us to freely share what He has given to us, and not be stingy.
I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.
A year earlier, the Corinthian church was the first church to freely volunteer to help the believers in Jerusalem. Now it's time to do what they said they would do, and follow through on that offer.
For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
If they still want to do this, they don't have to give more than they actually have. We give from what we have, we don't go into debt to appear to be more generous.
For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality--
at this present time your abundance bring a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality;
This is not to put you into financial straits just to help them to be comfortable, but if you help them in their need now, then later on you may have a need that they will be able to help you with, so that everyone will have what they need and no one will need to suffer privation.
as it is written,
He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack (Exodus 16:18).When God gave the children of Israel the manna in the wilderness, he had them gather it every morning, and everyone had just enough, whether they gathered a little or a lot. It all evened out so that no one had too much, and no one was caught short. They all had just what they needed.
So the reasons why we are to be generous in our giving as presented here are:
1) To abound in all the aspects of Christian living,
2) To show your love for one another,
3) To follow Christ's example to be like Him, and
4) To express compassion for others in helping to meet their needs.
O my Father, Your ways are so wise, and when we follow them things always seem to turn out well all around. Your ways always show us a win-win way of living; that when we have an abundance, then we can share to help meet the needs of others, and then when they have an abundance in some other area, they can help us where we have a need. And everyone benefits.
When we love one another as You have loved us, then we will notice when our brother or sister has a need that we can help with, and we won't hesitate to pitch in to help.
Father, You saw our need, and sent Your Son to help, to meet our stupendous need by the giving of Himself. We will never be able to that, and we will never need to, because Jesus already finished it for us.
Now we can not only help one another in temporal ways physically and mentally, but also eternally spiritually, in sharing Your Good News with them.
When they receive Your Good News and accept Jesus' death as their own, then You will meet their every need, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and materially.
Father, teach us how to reach out to every person You have enabled us to help. Each of us has individual characteristics that can reach people others can't. Show us who these people are, send us to them, bring them to us, so that we can be used of You to benefit them and bring You glory.
Let our love and care for one another show the World how much You love each of them, too, and that You sent Your Son for them, too. Send out Your workers, Father, to draw all Your lost sheep into Your One Fold with One Shepherd, and fill Your house with children.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, October 6, 2019
The Foundation Of Generosity
II Corinthians 8: 1-24; 9: 1-15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the procedure for how we proceed to give, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I will break it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at the Principle of giving: 8:1-6.
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
Giving is a gift of grace from God to us. He is gracious to us, and enables us to also be gracious with one another, by sharing our material possessions with each other.
The churches in Macedonia have realized this and he wants to tell them about it.
that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
These churches were experiencing persecution at this time, and consequently did not have a lot of material possessions. But their affliction did not impede their joy and their poverty did not diminish their generosity.
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
Out of their own volition, they wanted to give as much as they could, even beyond what would reasonably be expected. Even more than would be considered reasonable.
begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
They considered it a privilege to be included in the offering to be given to fellow believers that they had never even met personally.
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
When we first give ourselves to the Lord, we will also make ourselves available to God's people; and this went far beyond what Paul expected of them.
So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
Titus had previously begun to organize a collection from Corinth for the Christians at Jerusalem, and he wanted him to be able to finish it, to complete the whole amount they had already declared that they would contribute.
The principle of the foundation of our generosity is that God is generous with us. When we love God, we will also love who He loves, His people. So when we hear that some of God's people are in need, and we have the means to help them, then it is our responsibility to voluntarily contribute generously to meeting their needs.
This really should go without saying. If you are a parent of children, and your child needs a pair of shoes, do you need someone else to force you to buy them a pair of shoes? No, you love your own child, and will automatically make sure that they will get the shoes they need; or whatever else your children need. It's your responsibility, and you want your children to have everything they need. And even some of what they want, if you determine it will not harm them.
God is no different. We are His children, and He wants us to notice when our spiritual brothers and sisters have unmet needs. We are His hands and feet, and I have noticed that a lot of His blessings, especially the material ones, have human fingerprints on them.
It is our responsibility as family members to love one another enough to be generous in our support of one another, even when we have not personally met the recipients of our gifts.
The foundation under everything God does is Love. God is Love, and we who belong to Him, love Him back, and also love those He loves, our spiritual brothers and sisters. This is why we want to contribute to collections to meet the needs of missionaries, for instance. Why our churches organize special collections for specific missions or missionaries.
And why we also help communities with disaster relief. The most help these communities receive is from Christian churches and Christian organizations.
This is a good witness to the World, that when Christians first give themselves to the Lord, they also give themselves and their skills and abilities and their funding to people who have suffered some natural disaster, whether they are Christians or not. God loves all people, and is not willing that any would perish, and this a good witness on His behalf that almost always results in someone recognizing how much God loves them, too, and coming to Him for Salvation.
O my Father, thank You for the example of the Macedonian churches who loved You so much that, even under persecution and extreme poverty they still wanted to help their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.
How much more do we have, without the constraints of powerful forces trying to prevent us. Father, impress upon us the generosity that they displayed to also participate in growing Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the procedure for how we proceed to give, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I will break it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at the Principle of giving: 8:1-6.
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
Giving is a gift of grace from God to us. He is gracious to us, and enables us to also be gracious with one another, by sharing our material possessions with each other.
The churches in Macedonia have realized this and he wants to tell them about it.
that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
These churches were experiencing persecution at this time, and consequently did not have a lot of material possessions. But their affliction did not impede their joy and their poverty did not diminish their generosity.
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
Out of their own volition, they wanted to give as much as they could, even beyond what would reasonably be expected. Even more than would be considered reasonable.
begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
They considered it a privilege to be included in the offering to be given to fellow believers that they had never even met personally.
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
When we first give ourselves to the Lord, we will also make ourselves available to God's people; and this went far beyond what Paul expected of them.
So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
Titus had previously begun to organize a collection from Corinth for the Christians at Jerusalem, and he wanted him to be able to finish it, to complete the whole amount they had already declared that they would contribute.
The principle of the foundation of our generosity is that God is generous with us. When we love God, we will also love who He loves, His people. So when we hear that some of God's people are in need, and we have the means to help them, then it is our responsibility to voluntarily contribute generously to meeting their needs.
This really should go without saying. If you are a parent of children, and your child needs a pair of shoes, do you need someone else to force you to buy them a pair of shoes? No, you love your own child, and will automatically make sure that they will get the shoes they need; or whatever else your children need. It's your responsibility, and you want your children to have everything they need. And even some of what they want, if you determine it will not harm them.
God is no different. We are His children, and He wants us to notice when our spiritual brothers and sisters have unmet needs. We are His hands and feet, and I have noticed that a lot of His blessings, especially the material ones, have human fingerprints on them.
It is our responsibility as family members to love one another enough to be generous in our support of one another, even when we have not personally met the recipients of our gifts.
The foundation under everything God does is Love. God is Love, and we who belong to Him, love Him back, and also love those He loves, our spiritual brothers and sisters. This is why we want to contribute to collections to meet the needs of missionaries, for instance. Why our churches organize special collections for specific missions or missionaries.
And why we also help communities with disaster relief. The most help these communities receive is from Christian churches and Christian organizations.
This is a good witness to the World, that when Christians first give themselves to the Lord, they also give themselves and their skills and abilities and their funding to people who have suffered some natural disaster, whether they are Christians or not. God loves all people, and is not willing that any would perish, and this a good witness on His behalf that almost always results in someone recognizing how much God loves them, too, and coming to Him for Salvation.
O my Father, thank You for the example of the Macedonian churches who loved You so much that, even under persecution and extreme poverty they still wanted to help their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.
How much more do we have, without the constraints of powerful forces trying to prevent us. Father, impress upon us the generosity that they displayed to also participate in growing Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Confidence In One Another
II Corinthians 7: 5-16
For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest,
He's saying that physically he was exhausted.
but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.
Some of the conflicts he referred to here were being beaten and whipped and thrown into prison, and an earthquake shaking the prison; he was thrown out of the city of Philippi, and had to sneak out of Thessalonica by night, and then ran from Berea to the sea by ship. And even in Corinth itself he was hauled before Gallio. He didn't go over these here because these Corinthians knew about all these trials.
He also talks about fears within. These could be the possibility that these Corinthian brothers and sisters were holding hard feelings toward him because of the hard matter he had them deal with.
But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
That lost "sorrowful letter" was carried to Corinth by Titus, who returned to Paul in Ephesus, where He was writing this letter.
and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
So Titus was able to let Paul know that everything was settled with these believers, and how the thorny matter had been resolved, and they appreciated Paul for his help in handling this matter.
For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it;
Though it hurt him to have to write that letter, he sees that it did good for them.
though I did regret it--for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while--
He did have concerns and care that he would be hurting them by his words, but only until they took action in obeying what he instructed them to do.
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance;
Paul isn't happy that they were saddened or upset by his letter, but that their consciences were awakened to the moral situation, and they repented, they turned it around.
for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
God wants us to recognize the sinfulness of sin, the harmfulness it perpetrates on us, and the losses it imposes on us when we dwell in it. They did this, and took care of the situation with the incestuous man. Paul didn't want them to suffer any losses in what he wrote to them, and was glad that they took care of this.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to Salvation, but the sorrow of the World produces death.
Godly sorrow is more than just being sorry for it, it's a grieving for hurting the heart of God, who Loves us. This produces a complete turning around of our attitudes to never want to go there again, into that sinful state of mind. A complete release of the sin that had us captive. Salvation.
Contrasted with worldly sorrow, being sorry for the consequences, or for getting caught. With no change of mind as to the lack of wisdom of the original offense. Without that change in thinking processes, we just go back into the same erroneous patterns of living that lead to death.
For behold what earnestness this very thing, godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
So look at yourselves, at how much you have grown spiritually through this process: to sincerely, deeply, zealously display your vehement desire to right the wrong that had been done, which has shown you how you are cleared of any wrongdoing in yourselves. This is what heartfelt obedience produces.
So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.
So it wasn't really just for the sake of the man who did this, or for those injured by his behavior; but for you to know that you are steadfast in your love of God and obedience to Paul in teaching you God's ways.
To give you the confidence to know that you can continue to follow God in His ways in your everyday lives, and that you have the strength and fortitude to not turn back to the corrupt ways of the society around you that you came out of.
For this reason we have been comforted.
This is why my mind has been relieved, and I can relax in the peace of God on your behalf, as I knew that you would do what was right.
And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
Paul was really glad for Titus, after Paul sent him to deliver that "sorrowful letter," putting him right in the middle if they had not received it favorably.
For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in Truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.
Paul must have assured Titus that these Corinthians would of course understand the spirit in which the letter was written, and appreciate that he would bring it to them. Paul knew he had taught these believers sufficiently to understand why he had to write it, so what he encouraged Titus with did turn out to be true. (Whew!)
His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.
Now that they have treated Titus so well, taking what he brought and acting on it in a righteous manner, Titus loves them all the more, too.
I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.
And Paul is so glad that he can have all that confidence in them to do right and follow God's ways.
We never can be quite sure what someone else will do, what attitude they may have, when confronted with a hard and unpleasant responsibility. Paul wanted to trust these Corinthians, but he naturally had a few nagging doubts. When Titus returned with the good news of their acceptance of the letter and their resultant actions, I can imagine how relieved he must have been.
He sent Titus, and he boasted about these believers to him, assuring him of their faithfulness to the Lord, to get him to go. But then he had the fears within wondering if they would live up to his boasting.
Praise the Lord, this matter was resolved in a godly manner, according to God's will. God always wants us to do right, to get along, to confront what is wrong and harmful, and to make it right again.
Paul had enough confidence in the Corinthian church to trust them to not mistreat the messenger for delivering a troublesome letter. And his trust was rewarded.
O that we would be able to do this in all the thorny situations we all find ourselves in from time to time. We need a guide, like Paul was to the Corinthians, who loves us enough to call us on what we're doing wrong, and lead us to get it right.
This kind of hard love is not always received well. Families have split, marriages have broken, friendships have been dissolved. Neighbors have put up walls, and relationships all around have suffered, when people refuse to humble themselves to admit what it is they're doing wrong. And sometimes those people are us.
Do my friends and relatives have enough confidence in me to trust me to respond positively to constructive criticism? Or are they afraid I might react all over them, and keep quiet?
O my Father, I thank You for the few I have encountered in my life who have called me on something I was doing wrong. And for Your grace to accept their words as Your direction. I know I still have blind spots, so I pray that You would bring others onto my path to continue to guide me and lead me in Your paths of righteousness.
Father, I pray for all Your children, that we would love one another as You have loved us, noticing how we are harming ourselves, and leading one another back into Your righteous ways. And that we will be humble enough to receive Your gracious words spoken by a brother or sister we can trust.
Lead, guide, and direct us, Father. Use Your Word, Your gentle nudgings, and one another, to show us how to extricate ourselves and one another from the holes we dig for ourselves, and the brambles of the World we find ourselves entangled in.
Help us to walk confidently in the path You have placed our feet upon, striding with our heads up, even strutting in the pride of Your glory. Showing and displaying before the World how much You Love us, and have sent Your own Son to make us into Your princes and princesses.
Send out Your workers, Father, into Your fields, to reap the crop that is already white to harvest. To find every lost sheep and every wandering and caught lamb, to draw them into Your One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest,
He's saying that physically he was exhausted.
but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.
Some of the conflicts he referred to here were being beaten and whipped and thrown into prison, and an earthquake shaking the prison; he was thrown out of the city of Philippi, and had to sneak out of Thessalonica by night, and then ran from Berea to the sea by ship. And even in Corinth itself he was hauled before Gallio. He didn't go over these here because these Corinthians knew about all these trials.
He also talks about fears within. These could be the possibility that these Corinthian brothers and sisters were holding hard feelings toward him because of the hard matter he had them deal with.
But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
That lost "sorrowful letter" was carried to Corinth by Titus, who returned to Paul in Ephesus, where He was writing this letter.
and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
So Titus was able to let Paul know that everything was settled with these believers, and how the thorny matter had been resolved, and they appreciated Paul for his help in handling this matter.
For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it;
Though it hurt him to have to write that letter, he sees that it did good for them.
though I did regret it--for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while--
He did have concerns and care that he would be hurting them by his words, but only until they took action in obeying what he instructed them to do.
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance;
Paul isn't happy that they were saddened or upset by his letter, but that their consciences were awakened to the moral situation, and they repented, they turned it around.
for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
God wants us to recognize the sinfulness of sin, the harmfulness it perpetrates on us, and the losses it imposes on us when we dwell in it. They did this, and took care of the situation with the incestuous man. Paul didn't want them to suffer any losses in what he wrote to them, and was glad that they took care of this.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to Salvation, but the sorrow of the World produces death.
Godly sorrow is more than just being sorry for it, it's a grieving for hurting the heart of God, who Loves us. This produces a complete turning around of our attitudes to never want to go there again, into that sinful state of mind. A complete release of the sin that had us captive. Salvation.
Contrasted with worldly sorrow, being sorry for the consequences, or for getting caught. With no change of mind as to the lack of wisdom of the original offense. Without that change in thinking processes, we just go back into the same erroneous patterns of living that lead to death.
For behold what earnestness this very thing, godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
So look at yourselves, at how much you have grown spiritually through this process: to sincerely, deeply, zealously display your vehement desire to right the wrong that had been done, which has shown you how you are cleared of any wrongdoing in yourselves. This is what heartfelt obedience produces.
So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.
So it wasn't really just for the sake of the man who did this, or for those injured by his behavior; but for you to know that you are steadfast in your love of God and obedience to Paul in teaching you God's ways.
To give you the confidence to know that you can continue to follow God in His ways in your everyday lives, and that you have the strength and fortitude to not turn back to the corrupt ways of the society around you that you came out of.
For this reason we have been comforted.
This is why my mind has been relieved, and I can relax in the peace of God on your behalf, as I knew that you would do what was right.
And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
Paul was really glad for Titus, after Paul sent him to deliver that "sorrowful letter," putting him right in the middle if they had not received it favorably.
For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in Truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.
Paul must have assured Titus that these Corinthians would of course understand the spirit in which the letter was written, and appreciate that he would bring it to them. Paul knew he had taught these believers sufficiently to understand why he had to write it, so what he encouraged Titus with did turn out to be true. (Whew!)
His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.
Now that they have treated Titus so well, taking what he brought and acting on it in a righteous manner, Titus loves them all the more, too.
I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.
And Paul is so glad that he can have all that confidence in them to do right and follow God's ways.
We never can be quite sure what someone else will do, what attitude they may have, when confronted with a hard and unpleasant responsibility. Paul wanted to trust these Corinthians, but he naturally had a few nagging doubts. When Titus returned with the good news of their acceptance of the letter and their resultant actions, I can imagine how relieved he must have been.
He sent Titus, and he boasted about these believers to him, assuring him of their faithfulness to the Lord, to get him to go. But then he had the fears within wondering if they would live up to his boasting.
Praise the Lord, this matter was resolved in a godly manner, according to God's will. God always wants us to do right, to get along, to confront what is wrong and harmful, and to make it right again.
Paul had enough confidence in the Corinthian church to trust them to not mistreat the messenger for delivering a troublesome letter. And his trust was rewarded.
O that we would be able to do this in all the thorny situations we all find ourselves in from time to time. We need a guide, like Paul was to the Corinthians, who loves us enough to call us on what we're doing wrong, and lead us to get it right.
This kind of hard love is not always received well. Families have split, marriages have broken, friendships have been dissolved. Neighbors have put up walls, and relationships all around have suffered, when people refuse to humble themselves to admit what it is they're doing wrong. And sometimes those people are us.
Do my friends and relatives have enough confidence in me to trust me to respond positively to constructive criticism? Or are they afraid I might react all over them, and keep quiet?
O my Father, I thank You for the few I have encountered in my life who have called me on something I was doing wrong. And for Your grace to accept their words as Your direction. I know I still have blind spots, so I pray that You would bring others onto my path to continue to guide me and lead me in Your paths of righteousness.
Father, I pray for all Your children, that we would love one another as You have loved us, noticing how we are harming ourselves, and leading one another back into Your righteous ways. And that we will be humble enough to receive Your gracious words spoken by a brother or sister we can trust.
Lead, guide, and direct us, Father. Use Your Word, Your gentle nudgings, and one another, to show us how to extricate ourselves and one another from the holes we dig for ourselves, and the brambles of the World we find ourselves entangled in.
Help us to walk confidently in the path You have placed our feet upon, striding with our heads up, even strutting in the pride of Your glory. Showing and displaying before the World how much You Love us, and have sent Your own Son to make us into Your princes and princesses.
Send out Your workers, Father, into Your fields, to reap the crop that is already white to harvest. To find every lost sheep and every wandering and caught lamb, to draw them into Your One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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