Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Wow Paul. If you were not fit to be called an apostle, who was? It shows that no matter how low you go, God can still receive glory through you. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. It didn’t have to be the original apostles who preached to them. In fact, it did not have to be an apostle at all. Someone preached to them, and they believed. From Paul’s long logical argument that follows, apparently some were proclaiming that when Christians die that was it - there was no resurrection from the dead. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of...

  Good morning. Now back to Paul’s description of what is meant by the Gospel: for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the 12. After that He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. The gospel (good news) is: First, He died for our sins. We don’t have to do anything else other than to believe and receive it. That was especially good news for the Jews because they believed they had to do all the sacrifices and to “earn” their salvation. Second, He was buried for three days and nights. He didn’t just pass out and later revived. He was “most sincerely dead“. Third, He did not stay in the gr...

 Good morning. Paul then talks about women keeping silent in church 😇 . Of course that does not mean to not participate in a service verbally. In Acts it talks about Philip the evangelist having seven daughters who were prophetesses. Probably the key to this is when he says, if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home. He concludes the chapter by saying “therefore, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner”. Now I make known to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. So he is getting ready to tell us what the gospel (good news) is. Just because someone hears the gospel, does not mean that he or she receives it - remember the different types of soil upon which the seed was sown. He says that you are saved by it, ...

  Good morning. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted. It does not say that all can be prophets, but that all may prophesy. If he’s talking about in one service, and I’m not sure that he is, that would definitely disprove the belief about only two or three prophesies occurring in a service (personally I believe that there should not be more than that to the entire body in a service; however, there could be more than that to individuals that are in the service). And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Note again that he says prophets, and not ones who prophesy; however, it is also true of those who prophesy. In either case the individuals should be in total control - you are not compelled beyond your will  to speak. There have been many times that I have “eaten a prophesy“ because it would disrupt the service. Father help the reader to ...

  Good morning. Back to the “let two or three prophets speak“: but if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. Now if it were talking about them prophesying, we would have the following scenario: One of them would be standing up saying something like this, “Thus saith the Lord…“ Right in the middle of him/her prophesying, another prophet would stand up, interrupting the prophecy because he/she had been given a revelation. That would be total chaos like Paul has been speaking against in a church service. I can think of a couple of other possibilities. The prophet is giving a “three point sermon“, while the other prophets are passing judgment on his/her message. (We forget that everything was new to them. They did not have the New Testament. They were getting OJT). In the middle of the message (some of which may be just the person’s opinion), God reveals something about the topic to another prophet seated which needs to be shared with the people....

  Good morning. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. This has been used to say that like the “messages in tongues“ you should have at most two or three prophecies in the service. There are a couple of things to note. First of all, it says prophets. Just because you give a prophecy, does not mean that you are a prophet. You are just operating in that gift. If I remember correctly, Kenneth Hagan used to say that to be a prophet you had to operate in two or three other gifts of the Spirit also. I personally do not know what differentiates between someone who regularly operates in the gift of prophecy and one who is a prophet. What I do know is that like I’ve said before, too many people are going around proclaiming that they are a prophet. The second thing is that it says to let them speak; it does not say to let them prophesy. They are two different Greek words. In the book of Acts it talks about Judas and Silas, also being prophets encouraged and streng...

 Good morning. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Not long after I began participating in a Friday night Bible study, which later turned into that house church l spoke of before, I began giving the tongues part of “tongues with interpretation” (we call it a “message in tongues”, but that term does not occur in the Bible, merely tongues). I had no teaching or training on how to do it. My heart would begin racing for no apparent reason, and I would get the impression to speak out loud in tongues; so I just “let her fly“. For me the next step was not interpretation of tongues but prophecy. I did not give an interpretation of tongues until years later after I moved here. Notice that it says by two or at the most three, and not at the same time, which would produce confusion. One reason would be that the...

  Good morning. Last time it was about someone entering a church, and everyone speaking in tongues. But if all prophesy (it doesn’t say whether everyone was prophesying at the same time, or one by one. Because of what follows, I assume the latter), and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he’s convicted by all, he’s called to account to by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed (if it were all at the same time, it would be hard for him to hear what was directed at himself); and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. So what should a church service be like? When you assemble, each one has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. It sounds like Paul was expecting participation by everyone - maybe not all in one service, but over time they would. That is totally unlike today’s church services. Nowadays almost no one in the congregation participates l...

  Good morning. Do not be children in your thinking (remember last chapter: “when I was a child …”); yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers (seems to imply that speaking in tongues was a natural outcome of being a believer); but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and   ungifted men (not exactly sure what is meant here, whether it means those who are saved but have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or those do not operate in the gifts of the Spirit - specifically interpretation of tongues) or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? That would be a reasonable assumption and may be why Pentecostals get a bad reputation. Father make this a special weekend for the reader. Open his/her eyes to the future as to what he/she should do for his/her family.

  Good morning. Continuing with the thought of only praying with the spirit: “otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “amen“ at you giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified”. Remember the goal of a church service is the building up of the body, not just yourself. OK Paul, so do you refrain from speaking in tongues? I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all (Southern translation - y’all); however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than 10,000 words in a tongue. This does not mean that you do not ever speak in your “prayer language“ in a church service. It does mean that it should not draw attention to yourself like the example I gave when I visited my friend’s Pentecostal church. Father thank You that if we follow the leading of Your Holy Spirit in a chu...

  Good morning. So after yesterday, what should we do about praying in tongues? What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. We should do both, and not one to the exclusion of the other. What does he mean when he says sing with the spirit? What is that all about? Before I moved to this area 30 years ago, the churches I belonged to spent time in every service singing in the Spirit. It wasn’t this tiny bit that we occasionally do almost under our breath. It was the whole congregation joining in with full volume. (my roommate and I would even do that when we worshiped together at home) It wasn’t but a couple of minutes, but it seemed like longer. After we finished, everything was very still as we basked in the presence of the Holy Spirit. (None of the churches I have been in since I moved here do that. There is almost never a pause in the service.) After a few moments of silenc...

  Good morning. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Just praying in tongues without an interpretation can help flush out what is clogging up your spiritual pipeline; however it does not give you any direction as to what you should do. You need an interpretation. However, when you flush out your spiritual pipeline, many times the thought will come do your mind of exactly what you should do. There is this teaching out there that says go ahead and pray in tongues; pray that you may interpret; and then whatever comes to your mind is the interpretation of what you said in tongues. They are to then take that as coming straight from God. I’m not saying that it does not work for some people; but I am alarmed at the thought of most Christians doing that. They don’t have the spiritual maturity and/or are not well grounded in the word of God. You will hear something in your mind, but it’s p...

  Good morning. Paul mentions several items that if they make sounds only, what good will that be? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. If I then do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. He’s talking about using a learned language that the hearers do not understand. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. The whole purpose of a church service is to glorify God and to edify the body of believers. If you are speaking in your “prayer language”, out loud in a church service, you’ll be edified, but not the church. Father give the reader wisdom to help his/her family member. We know that You can make everything to work out for the good to those who believe and...

  Good morning. So is Paul saying that we should not speak in tongues? Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than one speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. (when one operates in the gift of tongues, he or she does not have to worry about “is it correct, or am I using good grammar?” They simply “rear back and let her fly“) So is Paul talking about our daily speaking in tongues using our “prayer language“ as some call it; or is he talking about in a church service supplying part of a message to the people? Since he mentions the “one who prophesies”, it is probably in a church service to bring a message. What he says next seems to amplify that idea. But now, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will it profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or knowledge or prophecy or of teaching? Father help this to be a great day for the reader and ...

  Good morning. Today we continue with why Paul said “but especially that you may prophesy”. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation (King James - comfort). Remember that the one who speaks in a tongue speaks to God, not to men. In other words, The one who prophesies builds up other people, not themselves. That is why the pastor says that if a prophecy or interpretation of tongues puts down someone, it is probably not from God. On the other hand, the word exhortation can have with it the idea of “quit messing around and get your life straight“. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. So that is the crux of the matter - why Paul said “but especially that you may prophesy“. One may speak in tongues at any time (though not the gift of tongues), but normally, prophesying occurs in a church situation; though there are times when someone made prophesy outside of a church situation to a single indi...

  Good morning. We ended last time with Paul saying to desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. Remember though, you must operate spiritual gifts in love or you are not benefited, even though the other person may have their need met. Why did he say “but especially that you may prophesy”? For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. He’s not talking about speaking in another “learned“ language, like French or German. True, if one spoke in a foreign language that no one there spoke, it would be a “mystery“. Only God would be able to understand what he or she said; but the mysteries that Paul is talking about are not mysteries just because people do not understand that language. They are mysteries because they are spiritual things that are unknown to the people in the church. Not long after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I visited a church of a friend who was P...

  Good morning. Finishing the “love“ chapter: Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. Once again, “then“ could not be when the New Testament had come in its complete form, because we do not know fully just as we have been fully known. So if “then“ refers to when the “perfect” comes, that would seem to suggest that the “perfect” coming was Jesus when He returns. Therefore you cannot use those verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit and tongues no longer exist. But now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. We need all three of these here on earth; but “when we all get to heaven” (“what a glorious day that will be”), we won’t need faith or hope. Faith and hope are for when you cannot see or touch that for which you are believing. When Jesus returns, we will experience everything that we are believing and hoping for. Faith and hope may fail (many people experience times when they cannot keep on ...

  Good morning. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. My Bible says that the imagery is of a polished metal (probably bronze) mirror in which one could receive only an imperfect reflection in contrast to seeing the Lord directly and clearly in heaven. That is so true. No matter how “mature“ we’ve become in the Lord, we still only see dimly. What about the word “then“? When is “then“? The closest reference is “when the perfect comes”. If that is what it is talking about, the “perfect“ could not be the New Testament in its complete form, because we don’t yet see “face to face”. Again, if the “perfect“ is Jesus, then tongues and the gifts of the Spirit have not yet ceased. Father help us to see You clearly and to be conformed to the image you see us being.

  Good morning. Love never fails. Everything else may fail, but love does not. Paul then lists some things that will “fail“; that is, disappear. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. These are things that are important in the “here and now”; but there will come a time when they won’t be necessary. Then they will no longer exist. There are some groups that try to use these verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit no longer exist, and that tongues for every day personal use no longer exists. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. These people say that the “perfect“ is the New Testament in its complete present form. Therefore we don’t need these things; and they have ceased. We will return to that idea later. Father You are love, and You never fail.

  Good morning. Love: does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Even when it does not fit our narrative, we should always abide in truth. Love - bears (covers) all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. When we are walking in love, we should want to believe the best in others, instead of the worst. We should not be quick to shun them. It does not mean that we put on blinders when it comes to the action of others. It means that we should not assume the worst in people, but rather desire that there is really good in them and in their intentions. Again we don’t turn a blind eye to peoples’ actions. We have seen too many cases where a parent believes that their child can do no wrong, when we have seen the wrong actions ourselves. That is not what we mean. We should believe for the best in others. Enduring of things does not mean putting up with bad behavior. No matter what happens to us or to the other person, we should continue our l...

  Good morning. Love: does not act unbecomingly (King James - unseemly); it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. When we act  unbecomingly, it is very likely that people around us will become uncomfortable. If we are walking in love, we will not act in a manner that makes other people feel that way. If we are walking in love, we will not seek our own well-being, but that of others. If we are confident in who we are, we will not provoke others. Provoking others usually happens when the provoker does not feel his or her self worth or is having a “bad hair day“. In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells fathers, “do not provoke your children to anger“. Sadly that also happens between spouses. Speaking of spouses - too many times one spouse takes into account a wrong previously suffered. Every discussion is tainted with the remembrance of what happened in the past. We should “bear no grudges”, whether it is a spouse, a child, or someone e...

  Good morning. Now Paul goes into some things that love is not. Love is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. We get jealous when we are insecure in our relationship with someone. We see others as a threat to take our place in the other person’s life. Human love is self-centered. God‘s love is others centered. You are familiar with the saying, “if you love something, set it free“. When we do “set someone free”, we usually hold on to them, and don’t really set them free. After all, we are humans. Does not brag: bragging also comes from insecurity. We are not confident in our own self-worth, so we have to proclaim our achievements to those around us, hoping that that will raise up our worth in their sight. Love does not have to proclaim its self-worth. Is not arrogant: remember that earlier Paul said that knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. This again comes from a lack of self-worth. You find some thing that you feel you are better at than others. You feel tha...

  Good morning. Continuing where we left off: and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Remember that Jesus did tell the rich young ruler to give all of his possessions to feed the poor. The young man had felt that he was lacking something, and his reliance on his possessions were keeping him from surrendering completely to God. Even if he had done so, it is highly unlikely that he would’ve done so in love for the people who were poor. Humans want to “do something“ to gain acceptance into the kingdom of God; but the reality is that God has done everything, and we simply have to believe it and accept it. Now Paul lists some of the characteristics of love. He alternates between what love is, and what love is not. Love is patient, love is kind. It says that love is patient, not that it has patience. What’s the difference? You can have patience, but do so without love. In other words, you mer...

  Good morning. And now for the “still more excellent way“: if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. The “tongues of men“ could be knowing how to speak various languages of the earth; or it could be the gift of tongues in which he/she spoke in a language of the earth, but not known to the one speaking. In either case, it could be a point of pride. Regardless, without doing so in love, it would just be a bunch of noise. The reason it might be the gift of tongues is what follows: if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Notice the word “all“ in several of those. That would be beyond the “word of wisdom”, the “word of knowledge”, and “faith” among the gifts. If you had any one of those, it would be something that some people would brag about; but if you operated in that without love, you...

  Good morning. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. Some think that the ordering is the importance of each to the church; I.e. apostles are the most important etc.; but I think there is another possibility - that it is the order in which they need to appear in the formation of a church. In other words, apostles are the first in order to lay a foundation, then the prophets are needed to build up the body and to point out those who are in leadership in the church, then teachers to instruct, etc. These too are gifts to the church; but they are people and not “things“. And just like “not everyone has the same gift of the Spirit“, not everyone has the same ministry. Just like the gifts, it would be useless to have a church full of apostles and nothing else. As I have said before, you see too many people saying “I am apostle so and so, or I am prophet...

  Good morning. One part of the body cannot say to another “I have no need of you“. On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no divisions in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers/is honored, all the members suffer/rejoice with it. What affects one of us, affects all of us, whether it’s something good or something bad. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. We are to work together for the best of each individual, so that the entire body may have what is necessary. Father go with the reader and his/her family and meet all...

  Good morning. And now we have the nine gifts of the Spirit. Some people group them in groups of three, saying that each threesome has a type of relationship. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit (notice they both say word; it doesn’t mean all knowledge and all wisdom for all time); and to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing(s) by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. They pretty much take care of any possible situation that might come up in a meeting, though it does not have to be in a meeting. They can take place anytime, anywhere. You hear various interpretations of exactly what each one means. The one I take issue with is the interpretation of what it means by “faith”. The interpretation that I...

  Good morning. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Remember that we are talking about spiritual gifts. These are not things that you go to school to learn how to do, though through the years you learn how to better make use of them. The individual does not get to choose which one(s) that he or she receives – it is decided by the Holy Spirit. Not everyone has the same gifts; that would be useless in many cases. However in a particular meeting, there may be several that normally operate in the same gifts. Also in a meeting there may not be anyone who normally operates in a certain gift, but that is the gift that is most needed at that time. Then the Holy Spirit may choose a person or persons to operate in that gift for that particular situation. ...

  Good morning. Finishing Paul’s commentary about communion: but if we judge ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. Now concerning spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be unaware. (FYI the word “gifts“ is in italics, which means it’s not really in the Greek text; it was placed there by the translators to help us understand what it meant. It literally says “spirituals”, which would not make any sense to us.) Paul starting this section with “now concerning…“ Suggests that they had written to him asking about these. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb (as in mute) idols, however you were led. Corinth was a place full of idols. Many of the people there who became Christians had been worshipers of idols. While we do not have people in America today led astray by physical idols, many Americans are led astray by other types of idols. Therefore ...

  Good morning. Continuing: in the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “this cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me“. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. It is through His death that we have our salvation. It is through communion we remember it. If we did not have communion on a regular basis, we would tend to only think about ourselves and our lives. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Remember that Paul had just been talking about them eating and even getting drunk when they came together as a church. It was very possible they then would not take communion seriously. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge ...