II Corinthians 5: 6-11
(6) Therefore, being always of good courage,
Having confidence in the promise of God in the earnest of His Spirit (yesterday).
and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--
(7) for we walk by faith, not by sight--
We are absent from the Lord in that we don't see Him with our eyes, only by faith.
(8) we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
We are confident that when we leave these bodies we will be at home with the Lord, which will be much better than our life here.
(9) Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
We all should have as our highest ambition that everything we do would be what He would have us to be doing, no matter how mundane or ordinary. So whether we are living here in our bodies, or are gone to be with the Lord, we want to be pleasing to Him.
(10) For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
This is the Judgment Seat of Christ, our Judge, the Bema Seat for rewards, where He will have rewards for each one of us; some more, some less (see The Judgement Seat Of Christ For Rewards and Our Great Prize).
(11) Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord ...
Knowing that Jesus will be our Judge should give us a healthy fear, a deep respect for His authority and righteousness, to encourage us to live our lives according to His ways.
O my Father, help us to always consider You in everything we do, whether we are doing mundane, everyday, ordinary things, or we're serving formally or informally, or shopping, or working, or whatever we're doing, that we would do it for Your glory, praising You for the ability to do it.
Show us how to love one another as You have Loved us, knowing each one of us, and meeting all of our personal needs, as well as our eternal needs. Help us to discern the best way to minister to the needs of those we encounter, to be Christ to them.
And not because we want to be rewarded, Father. Let us love You, and may Your Love for us be our motivation to serve those You Love, because You Love them.
And when Jesus returns, may we be surprised at the rewards He has for us. And thankful and grateful for all You have done for us. Because You are the one doing it all, just using us as Your hands and feet.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Why We Groan
II Corinthians 5: 1-5
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.
We know that our physical bodies are only temporary, and will not last very many years. Even if we live to be a hundred years old, it's just a drop in the bucket of Time. And when this body wears out, we already have a spiritual body that God made, waiting for us in Heaven.
For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from Heaven,
While we live here in our mortal bodies, we are vulnerable to sicknesses and injuries and malfunctions of our systems. We wear out and wear down. We're looking forward to having that spiritual body that is not subject to any of these weaknesses.
inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.
We don't want to be without our bodies, we need them to express our thoughts and emotions and to do actions, to live our lives. We need bodies to live in.
For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by Life.
We have to have some kind of body, in order to live a life; but we want for these frail, temporary bodies to be superseded by the strong, invulnerable, eternal, spiritual bodies we will be getting.
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God,
God is the One who planned for us to be His own children, before He made anything, with the perfect, spiritual bodies He's built for us already. That's why He created us. That's His purpose for each one of us. That's why He's working in us to grow us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, into His very image, His character and perfection, which is the same as God the Father.
who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
A pledge is a down payment of what is to come. God's Holy Spirit gives us God's Life, to make our dead human spirits alive while we live here now in this World.
This divine Life in us gives us the power and authority to do God's work here now, and to overcome temptation and the enemy in the authority of His Name.
We are already, right now, children in the divine family of God (I John 3:2). We are not to consider ourselves gods now, because we are still little children in school; but when we "graduate" and receive the spiritual bodies He has for us, then we will be His kings and queens, sitting with King Jesus on His throne, as He sits with His Father on His throne. That means we will have His authority to rule. But we will always be under His authority over us, as God the Father is over the Son.
Understanding this order of authority is the kernel of faith; the central, most important part of what our faith is. It's putting ourselves into submission to our Lord, and in extension, to one another. It's loving God and loving each other as He has loved us. It's the basis for all of the Law and the Prophets.
And it's why God created. He made this whole Universe to put the Earth here, and He made the Earth to be the ideal environment for Mankind, putting in it everything we could ever need in living here. And to use it as an institute of learning for us, with His Word as our central textbook. Every other book we would add to our curriculum must concur with this divine tome.
And when we've finished our schooling, learned every lesson, passed every test; then we will "graduate" into being His adult children, with His authority to run His family business. This is the Kingdom of God.
This was God's plan from the beginning. He wanted a large family (Romans 8:29), an enormous family, because His Kingdom will never stop growing! (Isaiah 9:7.)
So it's up to us, brothers and sisters, to share with as many others as we can what God has done for us, as His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And to pray the Lord of the Harvest that He send more workers into His fields (Luke 10:2), His missionary fields, that are full of ripe hearts (Luke 4:35), ready to receive and respond to the Good News.
Because when every living being has heard and understood the Gospel well enough to make an informed decision whether to accept or reject His gracious offer, then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). The last trumpet shall sound (Revelation 11:15-18), and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:52, see September 12, 2019.
O my Father, You are our good, good Father! You made us to be Your own children, and You have done everything possible and impossible to make us fit to live with You and reign over Your Kingdom! You have done it all, Father!
You have made us, You have saved us, You have sacrificed Your very best, most precious, for us; and you ask us to also give our best back to You. You made us to be like You, in Your image and likeness, and Your plan will be completed, without fail.
You, my Father, are the maker of promises and keeper of promises. You have told us the whole story, and how we are to respond to it, and to You. And You have given us the power and authority to do Your work, both now and forevermore.
Please continue to work in each one of us, Father; to wake us up, to enable us to accomplish Your will each day of our lives, submitting to You and to one another.
And You take pleasure in our progress, for You do all things according to Your will; and we receive the benefit. Father, smile down on us as we toil in Your service; help us to focus on what You have planned for each of us, not getting distracted by what draws us away from Your plan.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, our King of the Universe, to the credit and glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.
We know that our physical bodies are only temporary, and will not last very many years. Even if we live to be a hundred years old, it's just a drop in the bucket of Time. And when this body wears out, we already have a spiritual body that God made, waiting for us in Heaven.
For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from Heaven,
While we live here in our mortal bodies, we are vulnerable to sicknesses and injuries and malfunctions of our systems. We wear out and wear down. We're looking forward to having that spiritual body that is not subject to any of these weaknesses.
inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.
We don't want to be without our bodies, we need them to express our thoughts and emotions and to do actions, to live our lives. We need bodies to live in.
For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by Life.
We have to have some kind of body, in order to live a life; but we want for these frail, temporary bodies to be superseded by the strong, invulnerable, eternal, spiritual bodies we will be getting.
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God,
God is the One who planned for us to be His own children, before He made anything, with the perfect, spiritual bodies He's built for us already. That's why He created us. That's His purpose for each one of us. That's why He's working in us to grow us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, into His very image, His character and perfection, which is the same as God the Father.
who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
A pledge is a down payment of what is to come. God's Holy Spirit gives us God's Life, to make our dead human spirits alive while we live here now in this World.
This divine Life in us gives us the power and authority to do God's work here now, and to overcome temptation and the enemy in the authority of His Name.
We are already, right now, children in the divine family of God (I John 3:2). We are not to consider ourselves gods now, because we are still little children in school; but when we "graduate" and receive the spiritual bodies He has for us, then we will be His kings and queens, sitting with King Jesus on His throne, as He sits with His Father on His throne. That means we will have His authority to rule. But we will always be under His authority over us, as God the Father is over the Son.
Understanding this order of authority is the kernel of faith; the central, most important part of what our faith is. It's putting ourselves into submission to our Lord, and in extension, to one another. It's loving God and loving each other as He has loved us. It's the basis for all of the Law and the Prophets.
And it's why God created. He made this whole Universe to put the Earth here, and He made the Earth to be the ideal environment for Mankind, putting in it everything we could ever need in living here. And to use it as an institute of learning for us, with His Word as our central textbook. Every other book we would add to our curriculum must concur with this divine tome.
And when we've finished our schooling, learned every lesson, passed every test; then we will "graduate" into being His adult children, with His authority to run His family business. This is the Kingdom of God.
This was God's plan from the beginning. He wanted a large family (Romans 8:29), an enormous family, because His Kingdom will never stop growing! (Isaiah 9:7.)
So it's up to us, brothers and sisters, to share with as many others as we can what God has done for us, as His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And to pray the Lord of the Harvest that He send more workers into His fields (Luke 10:2), His missionary fields, that are full of ripe hearts (Luke 4:35), ready to receive and respond to the Good News.
Because when every living being has heard and understood the Gospel well enough to make an informed decision whether to accept or reject His gracious offer, then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). The last trumpet shall sound (Revelation 11:15-18), and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:52, see September 12, 2019.
O my Father, You are our good, good Father! You made us to be Your own children, and You have done everything possible and impossible to make us fit to live with You and reign over Your Kingdom! You have done it all, Father!
You have made us, You have saved us, You have sacrificed Your very best, most precious, for us; and you ask us to also give our best back to You. You made us to be like You, in Your image and likeness, and Your plan will be completed, without fail.
You, my Father, are the maker of promises and keeper of promises. You have told us the whole story, and how we are to respond to it, and to You. And You have given us the power and authority to do Your work, both now and forevermore.
Please continue to work in each one of us, Father; to wake us up, to enable us to accomplish Your will each day of our lives, submitting to You and to one another.
And You take pleasure in our progress, for You do all things according to Your will; and we receive the benefit. Father, smile down on us as we toil in Your service; help us to focus on what You have planned for each of us, not getting distracted by what draws us away from Your plan.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, our King of the Universe, to the credit and glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 27, 2019
The Long View
II Corinthians 4: 13-18
But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written,
When you really know what is true reality, you will be confident in expressing it.
knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
Paul told them all about this already in his first Epistle to them, which we discussed on September 10, 2019.
For all things are for your sakes,
Everything we do is to bring people to Christ, who you are in Corinth. And who we are today, who believe and trust Jesus.
so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
As we talk about these things, more and more people will hear and learn about God and Christ and come to faith also, which brings glory to God. The more people come to accept His gracious gift, the more glory God receives.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
That's why we keep on, even though we may be sustaining serious injuries, and illnesses, and growing older; we are more encouraged and renewed each day, every morning we have another opportunity to worship our Lord.
For momentary, light affliction
All Paul's beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and so on, he considers light afflictions, and momentary because they all come to pass so quickly.
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
What God has prepared for us so far surpasses everything we could possibly have to endure here, there's just no comparison!
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
What we can see with our physical eyes is all the physical things here. What God has for us is spiritual, which we won't be able to see until our physical bodies are changed into spiritual bodies, and we have spiritual eyes to see the spiritual things.
All physical things are tied to the Time-line of this Earth and the Universe. When Time runs out, and comes to the end of the line, then all these things will end, too.
So Paul was taking the long view, and considering all that Jesus was preparing for him to enjoy for all eternity, forever and ever; so whatever he had to go through here really didn't bother him. Sure, it still hurt, but it was only temporary, and would be over soon.
When we know it will be over soon, we can endure anything. So people can do to us whatever they can, but they can never deter us from our long view. We will thereby get the victory, we win.
I've read the last chapter, so I recognize that Jesus Christ is our Champion, our Victorious Warrior, and He has won for us the victory! Victory over all our enemies, and our supreme enemy who is behind all the others. And the last enemy He will destroy will be death itself (I Corinthians 15:26--See September 10, 2019).
We see Him doing this and what follows in Revelation 20-22. These are the final chapters in the Story of Mankind, and Jesus is the Star of the Show!
O my Father, You are great! You are Magnificent! You have planned out this entire Time-line, from beginning to end, and how You plotted out all the plot twists and dramatic moments totally outshines every effort every member of Mankind has endeavored.
You have made us in Your image, and even those who reject You, still bear enough of Your likeness to be creative and inventive and clever and wise in a Worldly way. But we all still fall short of Your glory, so far short!
But You have sent Your own Son, our Lord, to make up the shortfall, and to do all the work necessary for us to be able to live with You in Your presence.
Now we can look to You, and see what we don't see, by faith. And one Day our faith will be sight, as we witness and take part in the culmination and consummation of this creation of Yours. Everything is from You and will go back to You. Jesus will cleanse and renew this whole creation and then present it back to You to enjoy forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written,
I believed, therefore I spoke (Psalm 116:10),we also believe, therefore we also speak,
When you really know what is true reality, you will be confident in expressing it.
knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
Paul told them all about this already in his first Epistle to them, which we discussed on September 10, 2019.
For all things are for your sakes,
Everything we do is to bring people to Christ, who you are in Corinth. And who we are today, who believe and trust Jesus.
so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
As we talk about these things, more and more people will hear and learn about God and Christ and come to faith also, which brings glory to God. The more people come to accept His gracious gift, the more glory God receives.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
That's why we keep on, even though we may be sustaining serious injuries, and illnesses, and growing older; we are more encouraged and renewed each day, every morning we have another opportunity to worship our Lord.
For momentary, light affliction
All Paul's beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and so on, he considers light afflictions, and momentary because they all come to pass so quickly.
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
What God has prepared for us so far surpasses everything we could possibly have to endure here, there's just no comparison!
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
What we can see with our physical eyes is all the physical things here. What God has for us is spiritual, which we won't be able to see until our physical bodies are changed into spiritual bodies, and we have spiritual eyes to see the spiritual things.
All physical things are tied to the Time-line of this Earth and the Universe. When Time runs out, and comes to the end of the line, then all these things will end, too.
So Paul was taking the long view, and considering all that Jesus was preparing for him to enjoy for all eternity, forever and ever; so whatever he had to go through here really didn't bother him. Sure, it still hurt, but it was only temporary, and would be over soon.
When we know it will be over soon, we can endure anything. So people can do to us whatever they can, but they can never deter us from our long view. We will thereby get the victory, we win.
I've read the last chapter, so I recognize that Jesus Christ is our Champion, our Victorious Warrior, and He has won for us the victory! Victory over all our enemies, and our supreme enemy who is behind all the others. And the last enemy He will destroy will be death itself (I Corinthians 15:26--See September 10, 2019).
We see Him doing this and what follows in Revelation 20-22. These are the final chapters in the Story of Mankind, and Jesus is the Star of the Show!
O my Father, You are great! You are Magnificent! You have planned out this entire Time-line, from beginning to end, and how You plotted out all the plot twists and dramatic moments totally outshines every effort every member of Mankind has endeavored.
You have made us in Your image, and even those who reject You, still bear enough of Your likeness to be creative and inventive and clever and wise in a Worldly way. But we all still fall short of Your glory, so far short!
But You have sent Your own Son, our Lord, to make up the shortfall, and to do all the work necessary for us to be able to live with You in Your presence.
Now we can look to You, and see what we don't see, by faith. And one Day our faith will be sight, as we witness and take part in the culmination and consummation of this creation of Yours. Everything is from You and will go back to You. Jesus will cleanse and renew this whole creation and then present it back to You to enjoy forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Paradoxes
II Corinthians 4: 6-12
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness" (Genesis 1:3), is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Continuing from yesterday;
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power will be of God and not from ourselves;
Our "earthen vessels," or "clay pots" are our bodies that God made of the dust of the Earth. And this "treasure" is the glorious Light that God shines into our spirit in the person of His Holy Spirit; who teaches us and guides and leads us, and strengthens us, and works in us to mold and make us into the very image of God the Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.
I have discussed some of the implications and ramifications of having this treasure in earthen vessels in my blog entries of September 26, 2017 and June 8, 2018.
Because we have this treasure:
we are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
We are abused and slandered and beaten up and imprisoned for our faith, but with God the Spirit in us, He sustains us and keeps us from being destroyed.
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Our suffering physically and mentally and psychologically under the onslaughts of the enemy and his minions, is the dying of Jesus; but it all just causes the glory of the Lord to shine out, even brighter in the deepening darkness around us.
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So our constant persecution is bringing out how strong and powerful is the Life that lives in us in the Spirit of Jesus.
So death works in us, but Life in you.
Paul is saying that all his suffering is bringing the benefits to these, his congregants. That because he is willing to go through all these perils, these believers can enjoy the Life of Christ.
And God will receive the glory, the credit for accomplishing it all in him and them.
O my Father, thank You for this magnificent Plan that You have plotted out before You ever made anything. Thank You for considering us so valuable that, although we are frail and fragile, and despicable rebels, the criminals who deserve execution; You sent Your Son to take our death to pay our debt in full! That's how much You determine our worth to be!
So You take these opaque clay jars that are common vessels, and You are transforming them into diamond crystal vases, through which Your Light can shine out.
During this process, You are strengthening us to undergo all the rigors of the schooling we need to learn Your ways, to love You by loving one another, and to spread Your seed of the Gospel to every living person.
This is what You originally planned for us. To make us Your family, living with You in Your very presence, sitting with You in Your authority over all You make, enjoying You forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness" (Genesis 1:3), is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Continuing from yesterday;
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power will be of God and not from ourselves;
Our "earthen vessels," or "clay pots" are our bodies that God made of the dust of the Earth. And this "treasure" is the glorious Light that God shines into our spirit in the person of His Holy Spirit; who teaches us and guides and leads us, and strengthens us, and works in us to mold and make us into the very image of God the Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.
I have discussed some of the implications and ramifications of having this treasure in earthen vessels in my blog entries of September 26, 2017 and June 8, 2018.
Because we have this treasure:
we are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
We are abused and slandered and beaten up and imprisoned for our faith, but with God the Spirit in us, He sustains us and keeps us from being destroyed.
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Our suffering physically and mentally and psychologically under the onslaughts of the enemy and his minions, is the dying of Jesus; but it all just causes the glory of the Lord to shine out, even brighter in the deepening darkness around us.
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So our constant persecution is bringing out how strong and powerful is the Life that lives in us in the Spirit of Jesus.
So death works in us, but Life in you.
Paul is saying that all his suffering is bringing the benefits to these, his congregants. That because he is willing to go through all these perils, these believers can enjoy the Life of Christ.
And God will receive the glory, the credit for accomplishing it all in him and them.
O my Father, thank You for this magnificent Plan that You have plotted out before You ever made anything. Thank You for considering us so valuable that, although we are frail and fragile, and despicable rebels, the criminals who deserve execution; You sent Your Son to take our death to pay our debt in full! That's how much You determine our worth to be!
So You take these opaque clay jars that are common vessels, and You are transforming them into diamond crystal vases, through which Your Light can shine out.
During this process, You are strengthening us to undergo all the rigors of the schooling we need to learn Your ways, to love You by loving one another, and to spread Your seed of the Gospel to every living person.
This is what You originally planned for us. To make us Your family, living with You in Your very presence, sitting with You in Your authority over all You make, enjoying You forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Veiled Or Blinded Or Enlightened?
II Corinthians 4: 1-6
Therefore since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
Since God has given His mercy, we do not get discouraged in our work for the Lord.
but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame,
Anything in my life that I would be ashamed for others to know about, I've gotten rid of.
not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God,
Not trying to trick anyone or debase or add anything to dilute the Word of God.
but by the manifestation of Truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
By bringing out the pure Truth, we appeal to everyone's conscience, being accountable to God.
And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
If someone doesn't comprehend what we are teaching, it's because they are on their way away from Salvation.
in whose case the god of this World (that's Satan, the devil) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving (who have refused to believe) so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Our enemy will do all he can to keep people from coming to God, so if anyone chooses to not seek God, then he will prevent their understanding from being able to perceive what Jesus has accomplished for them. They just won't get it.
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.
We don't promote ourselves, we're just slaves to serve you, because Jesus is the Master.
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," (Genesis 1:3) is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
God has shined His Light into our hearts so we could know and recognize the Truth, the enlightenment of the glory of God that shines in Christ's face (Revelation 1:16).
The Creator of the Universe is the God of Light, pure, unadulterated Light, with no shadows at all. He has put a portion of His Light into our Sun (the Hebrew word means "a light-holder") to sustain the life He placed on the Earth, and we can't even look at that without going blind. These bodies are so frail.
But He has shone just enough of His Light into our hearts to see His Truth.
O my Father, You are so precise, to shine Your unapproachable Light into our minds and hearts to teach us, but protecting us from the searing and burning power of Your brightness.
Father, Your care for us is astounding. You are our gentle, tender, compassionate Abba Daddy, who takes Your children into Your arms.
And You are the mighty Avenger who will take vengeance on our enemies, pouring out Your wrath upon them that they have earned.
Your Light is Your Love and Life and Order, the perfection of being that only You possess. And You have chosen to give Your Light and Love and Life to the weak and frail people You have drawn to Yourself, causing us to become members of Your own Family, Your children and the Bride for Your Son.
So You are teaching and training us to be Your princes and princesses who will assist You in ruling Your Kingdom as Your kings and queens, sitting on Christ's Throne of power, as He sits on the Father's Throne.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Therefore since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
Since God has given His mercy, we do not get discouraged in our work for the Lord.
but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame,
Anything in my life that I would be ashamed for others to know about, I've gotten rid of.
not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God,
Not trying to trick anyone or debase or add anything to dilute the Word of God.
but by the manifestation of Truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
By bringing out the pure Truth, we appeal to everyone's conscience, being accountable to God.
And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
If someone doesn't comprehend what we are teaching, it's because they are on their way away from Salvation.
in whose case the god of this World (that's Satan, the devil) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving (who have refused to believe) so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Our enemy will do all he can to keep people from coming to God, so if anyone chooses to not seek God, then he will prevent their understanding from being able to perceive what Jesus has accomplished for them. They just won't get it.
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.
We don't promote ourselves, we're just slaves to serve you, because Jesus is the Master.
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," (Genesis 1:3) is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
God has shined His Light into our hearts so we could know and recognize the Truth, the enlightenment of the glory of God that shines in Christ's face (Revelation 1:16).
The Creator of the Universe is the God of Light, pure, unadulterated Light, with no shadows at all. He has put a portion of His Light into our Sun (the Hebrew word means "a light-holder") to sustain the life He placed on the Earth, and we can't even look at that without going blind. These bodies are so frail.
But He has shone just enough of His Light into our hearts to see His Truth.
O my Father, You are so precise, to shine Your unapproachable Light into our minds and hearts to teach us, but protecting us from the searing and burning power of Your brightness.
Father, Your care for us is astounding. You are our gentle, tender, compassionate Abba Daddy, who takes Your children into Your arms.
And You are the mighty Avenger who will take vengeance on our enemies, pouring out Your wrath upon them that they have earned.
Your Light is Your Love and Life and Order, the perfection of being that only You possess. And You have chosen to give Your Light and Love and Life to the weak and frail people You have drawn to Yourself, causing us to become members of Your own Family, Your children and the Bride for Your Son.
So You are teaching and training us to be Your princes and princesses who will assist You in ruling Your Kingdom as Your kings and queens, sitting on Christ's Throne of power, as He sits on the Father's Throne.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Our Glory In Christ
II Corinthians 3: 7-18
But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
When Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments on the two tables of stone, his face glowed from being in the presence of the Lord God.
This alarmed the people, and they made him put a veil over his face so that their eyes would not be temporarily blinded by the glare. (Read about it in Exodus 34:29-35.)
how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
If the Law was glorious, how much more glorious is Grace!
For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
If what brings death and condemnation is glorious, how much more glorious is life and righteousness.
For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
So what seemed glorious before is nothing compared with the overpowering glory of Grace and Salvation and Eternal Life!
For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
So if what was temporary was glorious, how much more glorious is what lasts forever!
Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
Since we have this wonderful Good News to share, we just come right out and say it, we tell it straight out boldly and confidently.
and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face
Moses had to hide the glow to not offend or injure the people.
so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
So the people couldn't look directly at him, like looking into the Sun, even though it faded through time.
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
Even today, in our time, not many Israelis or Jews come to the realization that Jesus is their Messiah. The veil is still over their minds.
But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
Even when they read and listen to the Old Testament, they don't recognize that Jesus fulfilled all those writings, they don't make the connection. The veil remains over their hearts.
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
The few Jews who do turn to the Lord today find that their understanding has been opened supernaturally to see how Jesus has saved them, and will return to be their King. It's glorious!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
With the Spirit having taken up residence in our spirits, we now are free to do what is right, and we are no longer under the old compulsions to fall into our addictions; but we now have the power and authority to say "No!" to sin, and turn away from the temptation, toward doing what is good and pure and beneficial. This is His supernatural presence inside us!
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
We still don't see Him directly, but as a reflection of who He is, as in a mirror, distorted with imperfections in the glass.
are being transformed into the same image
As we gaze into His Word, we see Him, and fixing our gaze on His character will build into our minds and attitudes His thoughts, changing our actions into righteous acts, and building His character into ours. God is making us into the very image of His Son. Each one of us, with all of our differences, are all becoming one in Him, as His body and He is the Head.
from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
From His glory into glory in us. As our Lord, in His Spirit in us, gives us and grows us.
God is glorious beyond anything we can conceive now in our puny brains. But He is growing us up as His children, and when He pronounces us Adult Children in His household, He will change our carnal, mortal bodies into glorious, spiritual bodies, capable of much more than we know now. This is God's end-game for us.
We have discussed what God gave Paul to tell us about these new bodies in I Corinthians 15, in my recent blogs of September 10, 2019 and September 12, 2019.
This declaration of our Adulthood in God's family, receiving the authority to help Him run His "Family Business," is a ceremony we have no word for in English, so we use "adoption." This is the Roman custom of declaring either a natural-born child or an adopted child to be mature and responsible and given responsibilities and benefits in that particular Roman family and in Roman society.
I discussed Adoption in my blog of May 22, 2019.
Knowing that all this future for us is certain, we also, like Paul, should have boldness in our witnessing to others of what God has done for us. Sharing with other people how much God loves them, too. And fearlessly facing the opposition our enemy brings against us. Always remembering to do it all in the Love God has for us, in compassion and gentleness and patience toward them.
To destroy an enemy, make him your friend! Let's love all the multitudes into the Kingdom of God, filling His House, and every seat at His great Banquet Table!
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and King over all, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
When Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments on the two tables of stone, his face glowed from being in the presence of the Lord God.
This alarmed the people, and they made him put a veil over his face so that their eyes would not be temporarily blinded by the glare. (Read about it in Exodus 34:29-35.)
how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
If the Law was glorious, how much more glorious is Grace!
For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
If what brings death and condemnation is glorious, how much more glorious is life and righteousness.
For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
So what seemed glorious before is nothing compared with the overpowering glory of Grace and Salvation and Eternal Life!
For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
So if what was temporary was glorious, how much more glorious is what lasts forever!
Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
Since we have this wonderful Good News to share, we just come right out and say it, we tell it straight out boldly and confidently.
and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face
Moses had to hide the glow to not offend or injure the people.
so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
So the people couldn't look directly at him, like looking into the Sun, even though it faded through time.
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
Even today, in our time, not many Israelis or Jews come to the realization that Jesus is their Messiah. The veil is still over their minds.
But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
Even when they read and listen to the Old Testament, they don't recognize that Jesus fulfilled all those writings, they don't make the connection. The veil remains over their hearts.
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
The few Jews who do turn to the Lord today find that their understanding has been opened supernaturally to see how Jesus has saved them, and will return to be their King. It's glorious!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
With the Spirit having taken up residence in our spirits, we now are free to do what is right, and we are no longer under the old compulsions to fall into our addictions; but we now have the power and authority to say "No!" to sin, and turn away from the temptation, toward doing what is good and pure and beneficial. This is His supernatural presence inside us!
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
We still don't see Him directly, but as a reflection of who He is, as in a mirror, distorted with imperfections in the glass.
are being transformed into the same image
As we gaze into His Word, we see Him, and fixing our gaze on His character will build into our minds and attitudes His thoughts, changing our actions into righteous acts, and building His character into ours. God is making us into the very image of His Son. Each one of us, with all of our differences, are all becoming one in Him, as His body and He is the Head.
from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
From His glory into glory in us. As our Lord, in His Spirit in us, gives us and grows us.
God is glorious beyond anything we can conceive now in our puny brains. But He is growing us up as His children, and when He pronounces us Adult Children in His household, He will change our carnal, mortal bodies into glorious, spiritual bodies, capable of much more than we know now. This is God's end-game for us.
We have discussed what God gave Paul to tell us about these new bodies in I Corinthians 15, in my recent blogs of September 10, 2019 and September 12, 2019.
This declaration of our Adulthood in God's family, receiving the authority to help Him run His "Family Business," is a ceremony we have no word for in English, so we use "adoption." This is the Roman custom of declaring either a natural-born child or an adopted child to be mature and responsible and given responsibilities and benefits in that particular Roman family and in Roman society.
I discussed Adoption in my blog of May 22, 2019.
Knowing that all this future for us is certain, we also, like Paul, should have boldness in our witnessing to others of what God has done for us. Sharing with other people how much God loves them, too. And fearlessly facing the opposition our enemy brings against us. Always remembering to do it all in the Love God has for us, in compassion and gentleness and patience toward them.
To destroy an enemy, make him your friend! Let's love all the multitudes into the Kingdom of God, filling His House, and every seat at His great Banquet Table!
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and King over all, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 23, 2019
The Letter Or The Spirit?
II Corinthians 3: 1-6
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?
Is Paul boasting to say that he preaches the Word of God sincerely, not corrupting it or dealing deceitfully with it? (2:17, the previous verse.)
Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Aquila and Priscilla had heard Apollos preaching in Ephesus and mentored him in the Faith, and when he went to Achaia the brethren wrote him a commendation so that he would be accepted there, and he had a powerful ministry there (Acts 19:24-28).
Paul is asking if he also needs this documentation.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
He's saying that his validation as a true teacher of God's Word is these believers who live in Corinth, who are living lives so different from how they used to live, that it's obvious they've been changed.
being manifested that you are a letter of Christ,
Everyone can see that it is the power of Jesus Christ in them that has done this.
cared for by us,
And Paul and company took care of them as a mother cares for her infant.
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
This letter of commendation is not written outwardly on paper or parchment, or carved into stone as the Ten Commandments were, but engraved inwardly on our hearts.
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
This is why we have confidence in you, in what Christ has done in you, that God has made known through you.
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves,
We don't teach anything that is only our human idea, or our own reasoning.
but our adequacy is from God,
God has given us His ideas, and enabled us to teach His Word accurately. To be divinely commissioned is to be divinely equipped.
who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant,
This equipping extends to establishing a New Covenant, that supersedes the Old Covenant given to Moses.
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.
The Old Covenant embodied in the Law was written in characters in stone and papyrus or parchment. This New Covenant is written in the characters of the people who are changed by being born again of God's Spirit.
The Law brought death to whoever couldn't live up to it, which is all of us. The Spirit of God gives Life, eternal life, to all who believe. This is the New Covenant, written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
Now we make every judgment according to love: if it is the best for the person regardless of the cost. All the Law is based on Love: Jesus said so, see Matthew 22:36-40; Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets.
Now God has fulfilled the Jeremiah prophesy, and has written His Law on our hearts, now to determine each action and thought according to if it is loving, rather than if it is according to some written code.
So this goes way beyond the bounds of the letter of the Law. And applies to every situation possible, without limit.
O my Father, You are so wise, and so generous, and so Loving! You want us to be like Yourself, so You have saved us, given us Your Spirit to live in our spirits, and now He is guiding us into every path of righteousness.
Now You are showing us the way of Love in every circumstance, whether it is responsive, proactive, or even interventional.
Father, open our eyes to see Your ways; open our ears to hear Your quiet voice behind us, telling us, "This is the way, walk in it." Lead and guide us straight, not turning to the left or to the right, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away. Keep the thorny bushes lining the path to keep us straight, and the occasional bough of fruit to give us joy.
Send us out, Father, into Your fields that are ripe and ready to harvest. Lead us to every lost lamb, to bring them into the safety of the One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and King over the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?
Is Paul boasting to say that he preaches the Word of God sincerely, not corrupting it or dealing deceitfully with it? (2:17, the previous verse.)
Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Aquila and Priscilla had heard Apollos preaching in Ephesus and mentored him in the Faith, and when he went to Achaia the brethren wrote him a commendation so that he would be accepted there, and he had a powerful ministry there (Acts 19:24-28).
Paul is asking if he also needs this documentation.
You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
He's saying that his validation as a true teacher of God's Word is these believers who live in Corinth, who are living lives so different from how they used to live, that it's obvious they've been changed.
being manifested that you are a letter of Christ,
Everyone can see that it is the power of Jesus Christ in them that has done this.
cared for by us,
And Paul and company took care of them as a mother cares for her infant.
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
This letter of commendation is not written outwardly on paper or parchment, or carved into stone as the Ten Commandments were, but engraved inwardly on our hearts.
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
This is why we have confidence in you, in what Christ has done in you, that God has made known through you.
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves,
We don't teach anything that is only our human idea, or our own reasoning.
but our adequacy is from God,
God has given us His ideas, and enabled us to teach His Word accurately. To be divinely commissioned is to be divinely equipped.
who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant,
This equipping extends to establishing a New Covenant, that supersedes the Old Covenant given to Moses.
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.
The Old Covenant embodied in the Law was written in characters in stone and papyrus or parchment. This New Covenant is written in the characters of the people who are changed by being born again of God's Spirit.
The Law brought death to whoever couldn't live up to it, which is all of us. The Spirit of God gives Life, eternal life, to all who believe. This is the New Covenant, written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
Now we make every judgment according to love: if it is the best for the person regardless of the cost. All the Law is based on Love: Jesus said so, see Matthew 22:36-40; Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets.
Now God has fulfilled the Jeremiah prophesy, and has written His Law on our hearts, now to determine each action and thought according to if it is loving, rather than if it is according to some written code.
So this goes way beyond the bounds of the letter of the Law. And applies to every situation possible, without limit.
O my Father, You are so wise, and so generous, and so Loving! You want us to be like Yourself, so You have saved us, given us Your Spirit to live in our spirits, and now He is guiding us into every path of righteousness.
Now You are showing us the way of Love in every circumstance, whether it is responsive, proactive, or even interventional.
Father, open our eyes to see Your ways; open our ears to hear Your quiet voice behind us, telling us, "This is the way, walk in it." Lead and guide us straight, not turning to the left or to the right, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away. Keep the thorny bushes lining the path to keep us straight, and the occasional bough of fruit to give us joy.
Send us out, Father, into Your fields that are ripe and ready to harvest. Lead us to every lost lamb, to bring them into the safety of the One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and King over the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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