II Corinthians 1: 1-7
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
Paul was not one of the original twelve Apostles of Christ, but he considered himself equal to the other eleven having been taught personally by Jesus in the desert after his dramatic meeting with Him on the road to Damascus. And it was Paul who was planting God's church all over the known World.
and Timothy our brother,
Timothy is with Paul at this time, in Macedonia, where this letter was written.
To the church of God which is at Corinth
Paul is referring to God's church universal, the portion of which is in Corinth.
with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
This letter was not to just the Corinthians, but also to all the believers in the whole area where Corinth was, including the cities of Cenchreae and Athens.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The traditional Greek and Hebrew greetings are elevated here: the "greetings," chairein, becomes charis, "grace," God's unmerited favor; and the Hebrew Shalom, "peace" is changed to eirene, the peace God gives us when we have peace with Him being justified by faith.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
"Blessed" is from eulogeo, "to speak well of (religiously)" rather than makarios, "fortunate, well-off, happy;" praising God for mercies (pity, not giving us the wrath we deserve) and comfort (solace, consolation).
who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
He comforts us so that we will know how to comfort one another. The comfort we receive, we are given so we can give it away to another who needs it. Our afflictions happen so we will learn these things.
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
When we have troubles and problems, we learn more of God's character, as He consoles us.
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation;
So when we are afflicted, it is for the benefit of others.
or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,
Whether we are afflicted or comforted, it is for our learning and giving away to others for their learning and benefit, also.
which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
Knowing how God will comfort and console us gives us perseverance through the trials of life, as an example to others so they also can persevere.
and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
We are secure in our trust in God to have given you the same strength and enduring He has given us in all the same hardships as well as the same solace.
O my Father, You are such a good Father to us all! You invite each of us into Your warm lap, to be enfolded in Your gentle embrace, in the midst of all the persecutions and trials and troubles and sorrows we face in life in this World. Your comfort and solace strengthens us to patiently endure through whatever we are going through at any time.
Help me, Father, to be a good example to others of how You encourage and uphold us in our hardships and trials and problems.
Father, You have already given us everything we need. Open my eyes to see, open my mind to understand, what You have already provided for me as Your child. Teach me how to show others how You comfort and console through hard times, as well as provide abundance and prosperity in the good times.
Father, strengthen all Your children to be good witnesses for You in sharing with those in our little worlds how wonderful You are and how much You Love each of us.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ and Lord, our sovereign King, to the credit and glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2019
To Love And Care For All
I Corinthians 16: 19-24
This is the end of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. The form he followed in this letter is to put the greeting at the end, whereas our method is to put it at the beginning.
The churches of Asia greet you.
He's in Asia, at Ephesus, where he's writing this letter, and he's "introduced" all the believers to all the other believers, so even if they haven't actually met each another, they still have concern for one another, and want to say, "Hello!"
Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord,
This couple knew the people in Corinth, as he had met them in Corinth, where they were living after Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome (Acts 18:2). He stayed with them, because they were tent-makers (Acts 18:3). Then they sailed from Corinth and went to Ephesus with Paul (Acts 18:18-19).
with the church that is in their house.
Aquila and Priscilla wasted no time making new friends in Ephesus, organizing a church congregation to meet in their own home. A house-church.
All the brethren greet you.
Everybody who were believers wanted to be friends with the other believers. This is how we should see one another, as brothers and sisters, even in different parts of the World.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
The custom was a kiss on each cheek, like the French do today.
The greeting is in my own hand--Paul.
Paul usually had a secretary who wrote his dictation, but he took the pen into his own hand to write this part of the letter, personally.
If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.
Actually, if anyone does not come to the Lord, he's already cursed, lost. And no one would be able to love the Lord if he doesn't know Him.
Maran atha means, "The Lord has come," an exclamation of the approaching Divine judgment. It can also be expressed as a desire for the Lord to come.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
This is a common blessing extended in approaching or departing. The graciousness of God and our Lord Jesus is His generous care for us every day.
My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
And Paul loved these believers in Corinth. He loved all the believers everywhere, and he cared for all the people wherever they lived, wanting them to know how much God loved them so they could be saved, too. He became a people-lover, and told all the people everywhere about how Jesus died for them and was raised.
Paul was just one person. But he was available to God, to use him however way He wanted. And God used him to plant this new thing called the church all over the World. Even where Paul didn't go personally, he sent others.
He loved God, so he also loved people, because God Loves people.
I am impressed with how all these Christians loved one another even when they had never even met each other. But that is the quality displayed by someone who has known how God has Loved him so extravagantly.
And we as Christians are also to love one another as family members, also.
O my Father, thank You so much for this letter that You had preserved so that we could also read it and learn about all the things You had Paul write. You are so considerate of us, Father, to make sure we could have Your written Word, and to be able to trust that it is still accurate; so we can learn and apply in our own lives today the principles of Love that have undergirded all Your Law and the Prophets, and the Gospels and Epistles, too.
Father, You are Love, and everything You do is from Your Divine Nature of Love. Teach us how to love one another as You have Loved us. Help us to express that love in considering others before we consider our own. Show us how to submit to and serve one another, in our service to You.
Father, all these people in these churches that Paul referenced wanted to say positive things to one another. They were displaying Your Love. And You have showed this to us, so that we also will use our words positively with those we communicate with today, in our relationships. Strengthen us to remember to build one another up with good words, and to refrain from using any negative or critical words, that would tear them down.
When we appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will have no negative words for us, but only what rewards He wants to shower upon us; Your having already poured out the wrath we deserve on Jesus on the Cross.
So we also are being made into the very image of Christ Jesus, and are learning His ways, to use His positive words, and do His positive works in this World, to demonstrate Your righteousness in shining Your Light into the darkness of this World.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is our Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King of the Universe; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This is the end of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. The form he followed in this letter is to put the greeting at the end, whereas our method is to put it at the beginning.
The churches of Asia greet you.
He's in Asia, at Ephesus, where he's writing this letter, and he's "introduced" all the believers to all the other believers, so even if they haven't actually met each another, they still have concern for one another, and want to say, "Hello!"
Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord,
This couple knew the people in Corinth, as he had met them in Corinth, where they were living after Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome (Acts 18:2). He stayed with them, because they were tent-makers (Acts 18:3). Then they sailed from Corinth and went to Ephesus with Paul (Acts 18:18-19).
with the church that is in their house.
Aquila and Priscilla wasted no time making new friends in Ephesus, organizing a church congregation to meet in their own home. A house-church.
All the brethren greet you.
Everybody who were believers wanted to be friends with the other believers. This is how we should see one another, as brothers and sisters, even in different parts of the World.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
The custom was a kiss on each cheek, like the French do today.
The greeting is in my own hand--Paul.
Paul usually had a secretary who wrote his dictation, but he took the pen into his own hand to write this part of the letter, personally.
If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.
Actually, if anyone does not come to the Lord, he's already cursed, lost. And no one would be able to love the Lord if he doesn't know Him.
Maran atha means, "The Lord has come," an exclamation of the approaching Divine judgment. It can also be expressed as a desire for the Lord to come.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
This is a common blessing extended in approaching or departing. The graciousness of God and our Lord Jesus is His generous care for us every day.
My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
And Paul loved these believers in Corinth. He loved all the believers everywhere, and he cared for all the people wherever they lived, wanting them to know how much God loved them so they could be saved, too. He became a people-lover, and told all the people everywhere about how Jesus died for them and was raised.
Paul was just one person. But he was available to God, to use him however way He wanted. And God used him to plant this new thing called the church all over the World. Even where Paul didn't go personally, he sent others.
He loved God, so he also loved people, because God Loves people.
I am impressed with how all these Christians loved one another even when they had never even met each other. But that is the quality displayed by someone who has known how God has Loved him so extravagantly.
And we as Christians are also to love one another as family members, also.
O my Father, thank You so much for this letter that You had preserved so that we could also read it and learn about all the things You had Paul write. You are so considerate of us, Father, to make sure we could have Your written Word, and to be able to trust that it is still accurate; so we can learn and apply in our own lives today the principles of Love that have undergirded all Your Law and the Prophets, and the Gospels and Epistles, too.
Father, You are Love, and everything You do is from Your Divine Nature of Love. Teach us how to love one another as You have Loved us. Help us to express that love in considering others before we consider our own. Show us how to submit to and serve one another, in our service to You.
Father, all these people in these churches that Paul referenced wanted to say positive things to one another. They were displaying Your Love. And You have showed this to us, so that we also will use our words positively with those we communicate with today, in our relationships. Strengthen us to remember to build one another up with good words, and to refrain from using any negative or critical words, that would tear them down.
When we appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will have no negative words for us, but only what rewards He wants to shower upon us; Your having already poured out the wrath we deserve on Jesus on the Cross.
So we also are being made into the very image of Christ Jesus, and are learning His ways, to use His positive words, and do His positive works in this World, to demonstrate Your righteousness in shining Your Light into the darkness of this World.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is our Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King of the Universe; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Helpful People
I Corinthians 16: 10-18
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord's work, as I also am.
So let no one despise him.
Timothy was a young man, and Paul didn't want them to think he wasn't qualified to teach. Paul himself had mentored him, and trusted him to be able to teach accurately (see I Timothy 4:12). He was still young, but he was not a new Christian, as his mother and grandmother had taught him the Scriptures since he was a small child, even though his father was a Greek non-believer (II Timothy 1:5). And he had accepted Christ as his Savior and Messiah through Paul's ministry (II Timothy 1:2).
But send him on his way in peace so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.
Paul wanted him to accompany the Corinthian brothers who would be coming to Paul.
But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.
Paul wanted Apollos to go, too, but the timing was not right for him then.
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
He's telling them to grow up in the faith, and to pay attention to what they need to know and do. Good advice for us all.
Let all that you do be done in love.
Do everything because you care, not because you feel that you have to.
Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanus, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),
They are a good example to follow.
that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.
Always be in subjection to one another, especially those who have proven themselves to be faithful workers.
I rejoice over the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaichus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.
This same Stephanus came along with Fortunatus and Achaichus, bringing the rest of what they were sending to meet Paul's needs.
For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
It is refreshing to experience the generosity of God's people, as it also is to be able to be the ones to provide the help. It's a total win-win situation.
And Paul wanted proper recognition for those who had gone above and beyond the daily expectations. We don't do extra stuff for recognition, but for the Lord; but to hear a a "good job" once in a while is very encouraging.
O my Father, help us all to love one another as You have loved us, helping one another in whatever way we are able, praying for one another and giving to one another according to their need and our ability. Always being mindful of how we can consider one another before we consider ourselves.
Father, teach us how to care so much for each another that we are aware of their needs, and how we can help one another, whenever we can, so that the World will see our love for one another and know that Jesus really did come to rescue them, too.
And use us to find and gather all Your lost sheep from every Nation and language and people group, so that Your house will be full.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord's work, as I also am.
So let no one despise him.
Timothy was a young man, and Paul didn't want them to think he wasn't qualified to teach. Paul himself had mentored him, and trusted him to be able to teach accurately (see I Timothy 4:12). He was still young, but he was not a new Christian, as his mother and grandmother had taught him the Scriptures since he was a small child, even though his father was a Greek non-believer (II Timothy 1:5). And he had accepted Christ as his Savior and Messiah through Paul's ministry (II Timothy 1:2).
But send him on his way in peace so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.
Paul wanted him to accompany the Corinthian brothers who would be coming to Paul.
But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.
Paul wanted Apollos to go, too, but the timing was not right for him then.
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
He's telling them to grow up in the faith, and to pay attention to what they need to know and do. Good advice for us all.
Let all that you do be done in love.
Do everything because you care, not because you feel that you have to.
Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanus, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),
They are a good example to follow.
that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.
Always be in subjection to one another, especially those who have proven themselves to be faithful workers.
I rejoice over the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaichus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.
This same Stephanus came along with Fortunatus and Achaichus, bringing the rest of what they were sending to meet Paul's needs.
For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
It is refreshing to experience the generosity of God's people, as it also is to be able to be the ones to provide the help. It's a total win-win situation.
And Paul wanted proper recognition for those who had gone above and beyond the daily expectations. We don't do extra stuff for recognition, but for the Lord; but to hear a a "good job" once in a while is very encouraging.
O my Father, help us all to love one another as You have loved us, helping one another in whatever way we are able, praying for one another and giving to one another according to their need and our ability. Always being mindful of how we can consider one another before we consider ourselves.
Father, teach us how to care so much for each another that we are aware of their needs, and how we can help one another, whenever we can, so that the World will see our love for one another and know that Jesus really did come to rescue them, too.
And use us to find and gather all Your lost sheep from every Nation and language and people group, so that Your house will be full.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 14, 2019
What Paul's Travel Schedule Tells Us
I Corinthians 16: 5-9
Now Paul lays out his travel plans:
But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia;
and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you can send me on my way wherever I may go.
Paul makes his plans, but not too far in advance.
For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits.
He wants to spend an extended time with them, not just a short visit. He really cares for these brothers and sisters, and wants to help them as much as he can, and a short visit will not be enough. But all according to the Lord's will.
But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost;
He is writing this letter from Ephesus, during his third missionary journey. Pentecost is in the spring, so he planned to travel from there during the summer to Macedonia, and come by Corinth in the fall, to spend the winter there.
for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
He's talking about the opportunity to minister in Macedonia, where he had planted churches on his second missionary journey. He knew this area, including all the dangers and enemies he would face there.
We see here that we are to make our plans, but to leave them in the hands of the Lord. Paul accomplished more than anyone else could in the early days of the infant church of Jesus Christ, actually planting the church all over, and sending trusted men to travel even farther to expand the range of believers all over the known World of the day.
Because of Paul, with his willingness to be available to God for His service, God's church spread out over the whole World. Today God is sending out His workers, both geographically and over the Internet and other technological ways to communicate.
Paul didn't just go, but also wrote letters, the technology of his day. Today we have so many more ways to travel and communicate, we have no excuse for not being active in promulgating the Gospel, and sharing with others all the good that God has done for each of us.
It's up to us, my brothers and sisters, to go, to write, to call, to text, to email--to broadcast the wonderful Good News that God has already met all our needs, both material and, most importantly, spiritual and eternal, in His Son, Christ Jesus.
We have no reason to hold back. Our Father has promised to go with us where ever He has called each of us, however He has planned for us to go, to lead and protect us, as He brought Paul through all the perils he went through.
When every person alive has heard and understood how much God Loves us, and has made their informed choice whether to accept or reject His gracious offer; then King Jesus will return to call us out and set up His Kingdom right here in this World.
So let's go! Let's obey the Great Commission in each of our little worlds, our families and our neighborhoods and our towns and cities and our states and regions, and out to all the rest of the World! Everyone needs to hear. God is not willing that any would perish, but for all to come to the repentance of letting Jesus be their personal Sacrifice to wash them pristine clean, and live with God where He Lives.
If He's planned for you to go, and you don't, then He will send someone else, but you will lose all the rewards He wanted to give you! His great Plan of the Ages will continue to unfold, until every event has happened and everything is done and finished. And each of us is a part of that Plan. So let's go!
O my Father, please show each of us where we are to go, what we are to do, who we are to talk to, how we are to speak and act and live our lives; to love You by loving one another, and promoting Your Family Business, Your Kingdom.
Father, strengthen us and motivate us to face the problems and obstacles and uncertainties and unpleasantness's and everything else that tries to discourage or demoralize us. Give us Your faithfulness and perseverance and moral fortitude to keep on keeping on, but to first take that first step, that seems to be the hardest.
Father, use me, use my words, use my lifestyle, use my home and my possessions and my resources, to help others and demonstrate Your goodness and graciousness and Love for each of us. Enlarge my boundaries, Father, to cast broadly the good Seed of Your Word, into the fertile ground that You have prepared, to produce thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold crop.
O Father, help us to do Your work, to be Your hands and Your feet and Your voice. Enable us to cover the Earth with the water of Your Word, to slake the thirst of all who thirsty for You, whether they realize it is You they need or not, because we all need You. Draw all Your lost sheep into the safety of Your fold, that there be One Fold and One Shepherd!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will testify that Jesus is Christ, the Lord God Almighty, our sovereign King of the Universe; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Now Paul lays out his travel plans:
But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia;
and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you can send me on my way wherever I may go.
Paul makes his plans, but not too far in advance.
For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits.
He wants to spend an extended time with them, not just a short visit. He really cares for these brothers and sisters, and wants to help them as much as he can, and a short visit will not be enough. But all according to the Lord's will.
But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost;
He is writing this letter from Ephesus, during his third missionary journey. Pentecost is in the spring, so he planned to travel from there during the summer to Macedonia, and come by Corinth in the fall, to spend the winter there.
for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
He's talking about the opportunity to minister in Macedonia, where he had planted churches on his second missionary journey. He knew this area, including all the dangers and enemies he would face there.
We see here that we are to make our plans, but to leave them in the hands of the Lord. Paul accomplished more than anyone else could in the early days of the infant church of Jesus Christ, actually planting the church all over, and sending trusted men to travel even farther to expand the range of believers all over the known World of the day.
Because of Paul, with his willingness to be available to God for His service, God's church spread out over the whole World. Today God is sending out His workers, both geographically and over the Internet and other technological ways to communicate.
Paul didn't just go, but also wrote letters, the technology of his day. Today we have so many more ways to travel and communicate, we have no excuse for not being active in promulgating the Gospel, and sharing with others all the good that God has done for each of us.
It's up to us, my brothers and sisters, to go, to write, to call, to text, to email--to broadcast the wonderful Good News that God has already met all our needs, both material and, most importantly, spiritual and eternal, in His Son, Christ Jesus.
We have no reason to hold back. Our Father has promised to go with us where ever He has called each of us, however He has planned for us to go, to lead and protect us, as He brought Paul through all the perils he went through.
When every person alive has heard and understood how much God Loves us, and has made their informed choice whether to accept or reject His gracious offer; then King Jesus will return to call us out and set up His Kingdom right here in this World.
So let's go! Let's obey the Great Commission in each of our little worlds, our families and our neighborhoods and our towns and cities and our states and regions, and out to all the rest of the World! Everyone needs to hear. God is not willing that any would perish, but for all to come to the repentance of letting Jesus be their personal Sacrifice to wash them pristine clean, and live with God where He Lives.
If He's planned for you to go, and you don't, then He will send someone else, but you will lose all the rewards He wanted to give you! His great Plan of the Ages will continue to unfold, until every event has happened and everything is done and finished. And each of us is a part of that Plan. So let's go!
O my Father, please show each of us where we are to go, what we are to do, who we are to talk to, how we are to speak and act and live our lives; to love You by loving one another, and promoting Your Family Business, Your Kingdom.
Father, strengthen us and motivate us to face the problems and obstacles and uncertainties and unpleasantness's and everything else that tries to discourage or demoralize us. Give us Your faithfulness and perseverance and moral fortitude to keep on keeping on, but to first take that first step, that seems to be the hardest.
Father, use me, use my words, use my lifestyle, use my home and my possessions and my resources, to help others and demonstrate Your goodness and graciousness and Love for each of us. Enlarge my boundaries, Father, to cast broadly the good Seed of Your Word, into the fertile ground that You have prepared, to produce thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold crop.
O Father, help us to do Your work, to be Your hands and Your feet and Your voice. Enable us to cover the Earth with the water of Your Word, to slake the thirst of all who thirsty for You, whether they realize it is You they need or not, because we all need You. Draw all Your lost sheep into the safety of Your fold, that there be One Fold and One Shepherd!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will testify that Jesus is Christ, the Lord God Almighty, our sovereign King of the Universe; to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 13, 2019
The Principal Of Giving
I Corinthians 16: 1-4
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.
Paul gave no directions to the Galatians in his letter to them about the collection for the saints, so he must have informed them verbally when he was with them, which he alludes to in Galatians 2:10, to remember the poor.
So he will write the instructions for the Corinthians, and for us.
On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
The first day of the week, Sunday, when the church regularly met for services, was the time to collect the donations the church was giving toward the gift they would be sending to the saints who were undergoing persecution. That way, all the donations would be gathered together to present to Paul when he came.
When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;
Paul planned to send their gift to the saints in Jerusalem, carried by whichever the Corinthian elders knew would be trustworthy to carry the money.
and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.
If Paul ended up going to Jerusalem, then they would go together.
After this Paul gets into his travel plans.
The principle of setting aside the tithe to the church each week is a practical method of supporting the church. The gift from each weekly paycheck works well, for consistency and for forming the habit of putting the envelope into the plate or bag each Sunday.
And special gifts for missionaries or other church or para-church ministries can also be scheduled to give or send regularly. According to how God has prospered us each week, or each period.
God never expects us to give what we don't have, but He's promised to provide our needs, and whatever exceeds that is meant to share. So He always provides extra, over our bare needs. Whether we spend it on ourselves or give it away will show how faithful we are with God's provisions, and if we are generous like He is.
When my children were still quite small, my husband and I didn't have very much income, so I had to "prioritize" the weekly bills to try to get them paid. Then my husband suggested that we should tithe!
I knew he was right, so I figured to do that, I'd have to pay God first, or I'd never have anything left for Him. So I calculated our dollars each Monday, subtracted God's 10%, then "prioritized" the 90% to pay the bills.
It wasn't very long before I noticed that I was able to just pay the bills that were due each Monday without having to "prioritize," even though the income wasn't any more, nor were the bills any less--God was stretching the 90% to cover more than the 100% had, because I was giving Him His due.
That's when I learned that I couldn't out-give God. Pretty soon we even had a little money left over, so we began supporting friends of ours who were missionaries. And we've never turned back.
After my husband died and my prosperity drastically decreased, I never did stop giving my local church the tithe on what income I had. And I have also been able to built up the additional giving I could make over time. And God has always been faithful to me to meet all my needs, so that I've never been in want of any necessities.
O my Father, I pray for all my brothers and sisters to realize how generous You are, that You will always honor obedience to the principles of Your Law. Father, show us how the first ten percent given back to you will strengthen our trust in You to provide the other ninety percent, and more.
Help us all to learn to be generous like You are, Father. Give us the courage to step out into the financial unknown, trusting You to show us the sources and resources that You have set up before us, both to meet our needs and to share with others bountifully. May each of us come to the practical realization that it all belongs to You, Father, and You let us have all we need of Your provision, to share the rest to finance Your Kingdom.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory for all You have done. As we live day by day depending on You, You will be faithful to each of us to lead us into the path You have designed for each of us, Your Light showing up the bumps and potholes to avoid, and all the branches of bounty lining the path on either side. Open our eyes to see, to reach out our hand to pick the luscious fruits growing within our reach, to satisfy our needs, and radiate Your joy in all You do for us!
And every living person will hear and understand, to make an informed decision to either accept Your wonderful Gift or to reject it.
And Your great Name will be glorified in us, Father, through all eternity, as we gain the victory through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.
Paul gave no directions to the Galatians in his letter to them about the collection for the saints, so he must have informed them verbally when he was with them, which he alludes to in Galatians 2:10, to remember the poor.
So he will write the instructions for the Corinthians, and for us.
On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
The first day of the week, Sunday, when the church regularly met for services, was the time to collect the donations the church was giving toward the gift they would be sending to the saints who were undergoing persecution. That way, all the donations would be gathered together to present to Paul when he came.
When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;
Paul planned to send their gift to the saints in Jerusalem, carried by whichever the Corinthian elders knew would be trustworthy to carry the money.
and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.
If Paul ended up going to Jerusalem, then they would go together.
After this Paul gets into his travel plans.
The principle of setting aside the tithe to the church each week is a practical method of supporting the church. The gift from each weekly paycheck works well, for consistency and for forming the habit of putting the envelope into the plate or bag each Sunday.
And special gifts for missionaries or other church or para-church ministries can also be scheduled to give or send regularly. According to how God has prospered us each week, or each period.
God never expects us to give what we don't have, but He's promised to provide our needs, and whatever exceeds that is meant to share. So He always provides extra, over our bare needs. Whether we spend it on ourselves or give it away will show how faithful we are with God's provisions, and if we are generous like He is.
When my children were still quite small, my husband and I didn't have very much income, so I had to "prioritize" the weekly bills to try to get them paid. Then my husband suggested that we should tithe!
I knew he was right, so I figured to do that, I'd have to pay God first, or I'd never have anything left for Him. So I calculated our dollars each Monday, subtracted God's 10%, then "prioritized" the 90% to pay the bills.
It wasn't very long before I noticed that I was able to just pay the bills that were due each Monday without having to "prioritize," even though the income wasn't any more, nor were the bills any less--God was stretching the 90% to cover more than the 100% had, because I was giving Him His due.
That's when I learned that I couldn't out-give God. Pretty soon we even had a little money left over, so we began supporting friends of ours who were missionaries. And we've never turned back.
After my husband died and my prosperity drastically decreased, I never did stop giving my local church the tithe on what income I had. And I have also been able to built up the additional giving I could make over time. And God has always been faithful to me to meet all my needs, so that I've never been in want of any necessities.
O my Father, I pray for all my brothers and sisters to realize how generous You are, that You will always honor obedience to the principles of Your Law. Father, show us how the first ten percent given back to you will strengthen our trust in You to provide the other ninety percent, and more.
Help us all to learn to be generous like You are, Father. Give us the courage to step out into the financial unknown, trusting You to show us the sources and resources that You have set up before us, both to meet our needs and to share with others bountifully. May each of us come to the practical realization that it all belongs to You, Father, and You let us have all we need of Your provision, to share the rest to finance Your Kingdom.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory for all You have done. As we live day by day depending on You, You will be faithful to each of us to lead us into the path You have designed for each of us, Your Light showing up the bumps and potholes to avoid, and all the branches of bounty lining the path on either side. Open our eyes to see, to reach out our hand to pick the luscious fruits growing within our reach, to satisfy our needs, and radiate Your joy in all You do for us!
And every living person will hear and understand, to make an informed decision to either accept Your wonderful Gift or to reject it.
And Your great Name will be glorified in us, Father, through all eternity, as we gain the victory through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 12, 2019
The "Rapture"
I Corinthians 15: 35-58
But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come?"
Now Paul talks about the Resurrection body, similar but different from the body we live in now.
You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
You're talking foolishly when you don't recognize that what you plant looks different from what grows. And the seed must decay for the plant to start growing.
and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or something else.
You don't plant a stalk of wheat, you plant the wheat seed.
But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
The seeds of different plants look different from one another. A cherry pit looks different from an apple seed.
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
All Mankind is of one flesh; people from different corners of the Earth can marry and produce children. But different flesh cannot reproduce. Each flesh reproduces within its own kind, but cannot between kinds. This is how God designed it to work. Everything is to reproduce "after their kind;" this phrase is repeated ten times over every kind of living creature God made (Genesis 1:11-26). We all on this Earth reproduce after our own kind. Children look like their parents. Dogs have puppies, and cats have kittens.
There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
God has made the Earth unique among all the other occupants of our Universe. Earthly bodies may refer to mountains and oceans and such features of our Planet, that have never been found on any other planet.
There is one glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
All the things in Space, all the suns, all the moons all the planets, all the quarks and muons and black holes and every other thing out there, is different from every other thing out there. There are no two things alike anywhere in the Universe.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
This is no different, no two are alike. And what is partial will be made complete. God never stops half-way with anything He starts, He always finishes.
It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
What God started in each of us will be finished, made perfect.
it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Obviously, there is a natural body--we each are living in one. So there also will be a spiritual body. Similar, but different from our bodies now.
So also it is written,
Genesis 2:7 says, The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul. So God put His own breath into the lungs of the first Man, and he came alive.
Then Jesus was born of a woman, and became a Man. Then He died and was buried, and rose from death with a new, different kind of Life, Resurrection Life. And He could walk through locked doors (Luke 24:36), and appear and disappear at will, (Luke 24:31). These are hints as to what our bodies will be like, and be able to do, when we are made perfect.
However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
Everything in order, God is orderly about everything. No chaos.
The first Man is from the Earth, earthy; the second Man is from Heaven.
As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
As Adam lived on the plane of this Earth, so we all live here, too; Jesus came from Heaven, a whole different plane of being, to raise us up to His Heavenly plane of Living.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Just as we are living here now, in bodies suited for this Earth, so we will put on new bodies that are suited to live in the heavenly realms. More than just putting on a space-suit.
Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God;
Our flesh-and-blood bodies are very frail and fragile and cannot withstand the rigors of spiritual powers directly. Like looking into the Sun will burn out our retinas making us blind, so being in the direct presence of God Himself would destroy these bodies.
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
What can be destroyed so easily cannot be transported to an indestructible realm.
Behold, I tell you a mystery;
Okay, listen up here: a mystery is something we never knew before.
we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
Not all of us will have to die, but every one of us will receive this body-upgrade, whether we died or live to see that Day.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trumpet;
Instantly, when the last Trumpet of a series of Trumpets sounds. The only series of trumpets in the whole Bible is in the Book of Revelation. The Seventh Trumpet is in Revelation 11:15-18, when, "The kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." And it's time for the dead to be judged, the servants be rewarded; and a great Earthquake and great hail on the Earth.
for the Trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
That's when we will be changed. We will hear His voice calling each of our names, and rise to meet Him in the clouds. This has never happened before, and it will never happen again, it's a once-in-all-Time event! See also I Thessalonians 4:13-18 for more details on this event.
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Everything we are that is faulty and incomplete must put on the "space-suit" of the new Resurrection body so we will be able to survive and live with God the Father and Jesus the Son comfortably, without being burned up.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written,
When this happens, then this prophesy will be fulfilled in us! The death, the downward spiral that pulls us down into chaos, will be overcome by the power of Resurrection, changing our flesh bodies into spirit bodies instantly! No more sin, because the Law is finished and not needed any more.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, thanks be to God, who sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to conquer Death, the curse that was put on us all when Adam sinned. We can also have this victory in our own lives right now, the power to overcome the temptations to do what we know is not right. And to be called off of this World into the clouds, to be with Jesus forever, ruling in His Kingdom with Him forever!
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
This should encourage us to keep on keeping on doing what is right, helping one another any way we can, knowing that even when it is hard, and people don't understand, and don't respond to us the way we think they should; it's okay, our conscience is clear, and we can leave them in God's hand, to draw them to Himself.
And we will be rewarded at that time, for all that we did to promote His Kingdom principles in this fallen World we live in.
And we will rejoice in His glory!
Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim in every language that Christ Jesus is Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come?"
Now Paul talks about the Resurrection body, similar but different from the body we live in now.
You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
You're talking foolishly when you don't recognize that what you plant looks different from what grows. And the seed must decay for the plant to start growing.
and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or something else.
You don't plant a stalk of wheat, you plant the wheat seed.
But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
The seeds of different plants look different from one another. A cherry pit looks different from an apple seed.
All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
All Mankind is of one flesh; people from different corners of the Earth can marry and produce children. But different flesh cannot reproduce. Each flesh reproduces within its own kind, but cannot between kinds. This is how God designed it to work. Everything is to reproduce "after their kind;" this phrase is repeated ten times over every kind of living creature God made (Genesis 1:11-26). We all on this Earth reproduce after our own kind. Children look like their parents. Dogs have puppies, and cats have kittens.
There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
God has made the Earth unique among all the other occupants of our Universe. Earthly bodies may refer to mountains and oceans and such features of our Planet, that have never been found on any other planet.
There is one glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
All the things in Space, all the suns, all the moons all the planets, all the quarks and muons and black holes and every other thing out there, is different from every other thing out there. There are no two things alike anywhere in the Universe.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
This is no different, no two are alike. And what is partial will be made complete. God never stops half-way with anything He starts, He always finishes.
It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
What God started in each of us will be finished, made perfect.
it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Obviously, there is a natural body--we each are living in one. So there also will be a spiritual body. Similar, but different from our bodies now.
So also it is written,
The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.The first Man Adam became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).
Genesis 2:7 says, The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul. So God put His own breath into the lungs of the first Man, and he came alive.
Then Jesus was born of a woman, and became a Man. Then He died and was buried, and rose from death with a new, different kind of Life, Resurrection Life. And He could walk through locked doors (Luke 24:36), and appear and disappear at will, (Luke 24:31). These are hints as to what our bodies will be like, and be able to do, when we are made perfect.
However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
Everything in order, God is orderly about everything. No chaos.
The first Man is from the Earth, earthy; the second Man is from Heaven.
As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
As Adam lived on the plane of this Earth, so we all live here, too; Jesus came from Heaven, a whole different plane of being, to raise us up to His Heavenly plane of Living.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Just as we are living here now, in bodies suited for this Earth, so we will put on new bodies that are suited to live in the heavenly realms. More than just putting on a space-suit.
Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God;
Our flesh-and-blood bodies are very frail and fragile and cannot withstand the rigors of spiritual powers directly. Like looking into the Sun will burn out our retinas making us blind, so being in the direct presence of God Himself would destroy these bodies.
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
What can be destroyed so easily cannot be transported to an indestructible realm.
Behold, I tell you a mystery;
Okay, listen up here: a mystery is something we never knew before.
we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
Not all of us will have to die, but every one of us will receive this body-upgrade, whether we died or live to see that Day.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trumpet;
Instantly, when the last Trumpet of a series of Trumpets sounds. The only series of trumpets in the whole Bible is in the Book of Revelation. The Seventh Trumpet is in Revelation 11:15-18, when, "The kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." And it's time for the dead to be judged, the servants be rewarded; and a great Earthquake and great hail on the Earth.
for the Trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
That's when we will be changed. We will hear His voice calling each of our names, and rise to meet Him in the clouds. This has never happened before, and it will never happen again, it's a once-in-all-Time event! See also I Thessalonians 4:13-18 for more details on this event.
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Everything we are that is faulty and incomplete must put on the "space-suit" of the new Resurrection body so we will be able to survive and live with God the Father and Jesus the Son comfortably, without being burned up.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting? (Hosea 13:14).The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law;
When this happens, then this prophesy will be fulfilled in us! The death, the downward spiral that pulls us down into chaos, will be overcome by the power of Resurrection, changing our flesh bodies into spirit bodies instantly! No more sin, because the Law is finished and not needed any more.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, thanks be to God, who sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to conquer Death, the curse that was put on us all when Adam sinned. We can also have this victory in our own lives right now, the power to overcome the temptations to do what we know is not right. And to be called off of this World into the clouds, to be with Jesus forever, ruling in His Kingdom with Him forever!
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
This should encourage us to keep on keeping on doing what is right, helping one another any way we can, knowing that even when it is hard, and people don't understand, and don't respond to us the way we think they should; it's okay, our conscience is clear, and we can leave them in God's hand, to draw them to Himself.
And we will be rewarded at that time, for all that we did to promote His Kingdom principles in this fallen World we live in.
And we will rejoice in His glory!
Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim in every language that Christ Jesus is Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
What If There's No Life After Death?
I Corinthians 15: 27-34
Still talking about resurrection, Paul takes a related path here before talking about it directly.
But He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
This means that when God the Father put all things under the rulership of the Son, the Father Himself was not under the Son, but the Son was still under the Father. That order never changed.
When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
When the Son gives back all creation to the Father, then the Son will still be subject to the Father, and God the Father will be directly over all and in all.
Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Evidently they must have had a custom in Corinth of someone being baptized for a loved one who had died, who had not yet been baptized. Paul says, why do this if there is no life after death? If we just cease to exist when we die?
Why are we also in danger every hour?
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Paul faces persecution everywhere he goes.
If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
If we just stay dead when we die, then there is no benefit to living a moral life, and we might as well just "grab the gusto" and live our lives for pleasure.
Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak to your shame.
Paul is admonishing them to think logically, and stop "missing the mark" in denying this logical fact flowing from Christ's Resurrection.
The immorality that results from purely materialistic thinking is damaging their witness among their neighbors. Knowing God is having an understanding of moral excellence, and it's a shame that these Christians have lost the good influence they should be having in their society.
O my Father, You are so good, and You are good to us every day. Help us to keep in mind that You have given us eternal Life, that starts right now and will last forever. And that You will change these frail bodies into bodies which will be suitable to live with You in Heaven, without being damaged by the Majesty of Your Radiance.
And we will live with You, in Your presence, serving and assisting You in governing and ruling all the creations that You may or will create throughout all future eternity!
Father, help all of us Your children to know what to expect, so we will be prepared to face all the changes and upheavals and persecution that will come upon us all as the End Times come to a close.
And Jesus is coming soon! And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Still talking about resurrection, Paul takes a related path here before talking about it directly.
But He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
This means that when God the Father put all things under the rulership of the Son, the Father Himself was not under the Son, but the Son was still under the Father. That order never changed.
When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
When the Son gives back all creation to the Father, then the Son will still be subject to the Father, and God the Father will be directly over all and in all.
Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Evidently they must have had a custom in Corinth of someone being baptized for a loved one who had died, who had not yet been baptized. Paul says, why do this if there is no life after death? If we just cease to exist when we die?
Why are we also in danger every hour?
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Paul faces persecution everywhere he goes.
If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
If we just stay dead when we die, then there is no benefit to living a moral life, and we might as well just "grab the gusto" and live our lives for pleasure.
Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak to your shame.
Paul is admonishing them to think logically, and stop "missing the mark" in denying this logical fact flowing from Christ's Resurrection.
The immorality that results from purely materialistic thinking is damaging their witness among their neighbors. Knowing God is having an understanding of moral excellence, and it's a shame that these Christians have lost the good influence they should be having in their society.
O my Father, You are so good, and You are good to us every day. Help us to keep in mind that You have given us eternal Life, that starts right now and will last forever. And that You will change these frail bodies into bodies which will be suitable to live with You in Heaven, without being damaged by the Majesty of Your Radiance.
And we will live with You, in Your presence, serving and assisting You in governing and ruling all the creations that You may or will create throughout all future eternity!
Father, help all of us Your children to know what to expect, so we will be prepared to face all the changes and upheavals and persecution that will come upon us all as the End Times come to a close.
And Jesus is coming soon! And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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