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For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

  Good morning. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Too many times people act like just the opposite is true. They act like the war is according to the flesh. They tear down people, especially with their mouths, when the real war is in the spiritual realm. They feel like that if they get in the last “dig“, then they win. The exact opposite is true. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Your weapon is not your tongue, and the opposition is not the person you are “fighting” with. The weapons are divinely powerful, meaning God “magnified” powerful. And our weapons are not aimed at people but: we are destroying (same root word as the “destruction” of fortresses) speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we’re taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That means that those fortresses we are destroying are the speculations and loft...
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You’ll be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

  Good morning. We ended last time with the verse that said that God would increase the harvest of our righteousness. It didn’t say that if we give money, we will receive money from God. While we do receive monetary blessings from God, more importantly we receive an increase in our righteousness. You can immediately and clearly see when there is an increase in monetary blessing; you may not be able to see immediately and clearly when there is an increase in your righteousness. You’ll be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. He told the Corinthians that because of their monetary gift to the saints in Jerusalem, they would glorify God – not the Corinthians. Sometimes people give because they want the recognition. It is God who is to get the recognition. I, Paul, urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ – I who am meek when face-to-face with you, but bold toward you when absent! That is not the picture one has of Paul – ...
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And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

  Good morning. Sometimes people take the following verse out of context. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. This is not a statement in general that God is going to supply you with what you need. You should take it in light of what we have been talking about for the past few days – the Corinthians making a contribution to the saints in Jerusalem. They didn’t have to worry about, “if I give money to the people in Jerusalem, then I won’t have enough to take care of my needs”. This verse says that not only will God give you enough to take care of your needs, He will give you more than enough so that you can do whatever good deed you desire. This is corroborated by the next verse. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. TV evangelists are always telling people to s...
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I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

  Good morning. Paul continues about the collection for the saints. He continues to butter them up. He tells them that he sent people just to make sure that the collection was ready to go. He tells them that he did so in order that their bountiful gift would not be affected by covetousness. I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. In other words, if you are a tightwad to others, God will be a tightwad to you; and if you are generous to others, God will be generous to you. Again he is putting a positive spin on it, instead of invoking fear and condemnation for not doing it. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Again, do it with the right attitude. Many pastors would say, God loves a cheerful giver, but He’ll take it any way you give it. Next time we will see what happens when you do give. Father help us to always be sensitive to ...
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At this present time your abundance being a supply for their needs, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality.

  Good morning. Paul then gives the Corinthians a little nudge. He reminds them that they were the first (they liked to be first in everything) to desire to send an offering to Jerusalem. He wanted them to finish what they had started. Some people are very quick to start things, but then too many times they fail to complete them. They wanted it to be the “perfect“ offering. He tells them that it’s OK if they didn’t have a lot of money. It’s the desire to give that matters. But this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality - at this present time your abundance being a supply for their needs, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality. Show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. Instead of condemning them, Paul again puts a positive spin on his request for them to give. Father thank You for all that You have done for us this past year. Help us to seek for and to do Your...
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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich

  Good morning. Speaking of collecting money for the saints: I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. Paul does not scold them or try to shame them into giving. By telling how the Macedonians not only gave, but did so with joy and liberality, he hoped to invoke the same attitude in the Corinthians. Giving with the wrong attitude might benefit the ones who receive the gift, but it does not benefit the ones who give the gift. Speaking of the ultimate Giver: for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. He willingly gave up everything for us. He was God (rich) and became man (poor). He not only became poor by becoming a man, He also became one of the poorest of mankind. Luke talks about when Mary and Joseph went to the temple to offer a sacrifice for her cleansing after the birth of Jesus, they co...
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Just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also

  Good morning. Paul then talks about how the churches of Macedonia had “taken up an offering“ to send to Jerusalem. In a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. A lot of times we give special offerings because everything is going great, and we have a little extra money. For the Macedonians, it was just the opposite. According to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Sometimes today Christians give money to some special offering because they are “trying to buy indulgences” for the bad things they have done or that they want to do. Now Paul turns his attention to the Corinthians. Just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in thi...
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