Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. Paul then tells them that he went to the regions where he grew up. The people kept saying, “he who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy“. Then after an interval of 14 years he went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas. It was because of a revelation (this was definitely the revelation mentioned in Corinthians) that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running or had run in vain. At that point in time, it was unheard of that Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised nor follow the law. Paul did what believers should do. If they think that they see something in the Scriptures that might be “new”, they should submit it to established pastoral individuals. Of course everyone has the fear that the “establishment“ will not accept anything that is contrary to what they already believe. Father show the rea...

  Good morning. Continuing where we left off… called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia and returned once more to Damascus. If you read Luke’s account in Acts, this seems to contradict his account of Paul in Damascus. Paul’s account goes into greater detail and mentions things that Luke did not. It is possible that Luke wrote his account before he met Paul. Also Acts is a synopsis of events and not a detailed one. In these verses, Paul is reiterating the fact that he got his gospel straight from heaven, and not from men. Paul then mentions his trip to Jerusalem, which in Acts seems like it was pretty quickly, but here it says it was three years later. Paul became acquainted with Cephas, and did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother (to distin...

  Good morning. Paul now digresses for a chapter and a half. Concerning this gospel that he has been talking about: I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. There are a couple of places he could be talking about. The first is when he was knocked off his donkey on the way to Damascus. The second is the one mentioned in second Corinthians about being caught up into Paradise and hearing a revelation from God. Part of that revelation was that the Gentiles were also allowed to become Christians – not just Jews - and that they did not have to be circumcised nor follow the Law. He then tells them about his life in Judaism. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace - this reminds me of what Jeremiah said that God had done for him (“before I formed you in the womb I knew you. And be...

  Good morning. I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. It sounds like the Galatians were having the same kind of problem as the Corinthians. Apparently some traveling evangelists were coming in and saying things that were not according to the word of God. They were wanting to make it more palatable to human nature. We will get more of the details of what they were saying when we get to chapter 3. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! He repeats that sentence with the word man instead of angel. For am I now seeking the favor of man, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. The men coming in were saying things that were attr...

  Good morning. Now we start the book of Galatians. As he does in a lot of his letters, Paul begins by letting them know that not only is he an apostle, but that it was God who made him an apostle. Then: Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins (that is how great a sacrifice it took) so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to Him be the glory forevermore. Paul could never be accused of using a sparsity of words. Usually when a person comes to the Lord, they are not thinking about being rescued from this evil age, but rather being rescued from their horrible situation. At that point in time, they don’t realize that their horrible situation is brought about because of this present evil age. If Paul called the age evil at that point in time, what would he say about it now? As we will see next time, too many times Christians get “comfortable“ in their situation; and don’t rea...

  Good morning. OK, Paul, we are back in school: test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless you fail the test? That is one test you do not want to fail. You cannot be a Christian by simply having a head full of knowledge about what’s in the Bible. You have to have that personal relationship. But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. We pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. Paul was not wanting them to do right so that he might receive a stamp of approval; it was for their own sakes. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. We also pray for this, that you may be made complete. For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority w...

  Good morning. For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish (in light of what the “eminent” apostles were saying about him); that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, etc. In his first letter, he had already talked about the disagreement there with some saying, “I am of Paul“, etc. He then says that when he comes, he is not going to spare anyone who has sinned. Since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. Remember that previously Paul had written that the Corinthians were saying that he was impressive in his writing but unimpressive when present. For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. But we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. Father help us to keep our eyes on what is most important. It is all too easy to keep our eye...

  Good morning. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses etc. for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most “eminent” apostles, even though I am a nobody. More sarcasm from Paul. How could the Corinthians tell the difference between those “eminent” apostles and the apostle Paul? The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance by signs and wonders and miracles. Back when I was part of a church where these “apostles“ came in and spoke, but behind the scenes they were trying to take over the church, I never saw any signs or miracles happening while they were there. For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you (unlike the eminent apostles)? Forgive me this wrong! More sarcasm. Here for the third time I’m ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek wha...

  Good morning. About that thorn in the flesh - A lot of people say that it was some physical ailment of Paul, and from things in other verses that it was his eyes. I think it was the slave girl having a spirit of divination that followed after Paul and Silas, saying “these men are bond servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation“. It says that she did this for many days, and that Paul was greatly annoyed. Back to Corinthians: concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me (because he was annoyed). He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for (My) power is perfected in weakness“. Back to Acts: Paul turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! “ and it came out at that very moment. In other words, I think Paul was saying, “God You do it“, and God was saying “no, Paul you do it”. But again that is just my opinion. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weakness...

  Good morning. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a man was called up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, but I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. Because of these statements, a lot of people think that Paul was talking about some person other than himself. However to me, the next verse seems to refute that. Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to  torment me to keep me from exalting myself! My que...

  Good morning. Paul then goes through a long list of things that he has endured against himself. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all of the churches. The “eminent“ apostles had no concern whatsoever for the churches, except to give them money. Who is weak without my being week? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? Sometimes we think of a pastor or other church leader as simply being concerned about the growth of the church or raising money, etc. We don’t think about them actually being concerned about us personally, especially when we are part of a large church. If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. When we are weak in an area, we have to rely even more heavily upon the Lord. It is not we in our own strength that overcomes. Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord (this sets the stage next time for what he was saying - that it ...

  Good morning.. But even if I am unskilled in speech (referring back to the traveling evangelists), yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things. He then reminds them that he took care of himself, unlike the traveling evangelists who encouraged the Corinthians to give them money. What I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. He then “lets them have it“: such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. He is talking about those “eminent” apostles. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness whose end will be according to their deeds. He’s not just saying that they are bad preachers. He is saying that they are agents of Satan. Fa...

  Good morning. I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your mind will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For the “intellectual“, the message of the gospel is too simple. They want something with “more meat“. I have actually heard of people who left a church because the pastor was not preaching the meat, but just milk. They already knew the things that were being preached. They were looking for something “deeper”. The danger is that if they are not careful, they will be looking into the “deep things of Satan“ that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. While someone may have an insight that you have not heard before, there is only one Jesus and one gospel. For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most...

  Good morning. Paul then puts down those “traveling evangelists“ who were bragging on themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. It’s easy to excel when you measure yourself by yourself. We will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. He who boasts is to boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. He is again referring to those evangelists who were boasting about their achievements. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. We see too much of the human jealousy in our every day lives. Paul was not afraid of someone else taking “his church“ away from him, as someone might be afraid of someone else taking away their spouse. For I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. Father continue to show the...

  Good morning. You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s (remember at the beginning of first Corinthians, people were saying “I am of Paul”, “I am of Apollos”, “I am of Christ”), let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. For even if I did boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying (same root word as in “destroying fortresses“) you, I will not be put to shame, for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. For they say, “his letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive (I guess he didn’t wear Armani and he didn’t strut around like somebody important) and his speech contemptible (he didn’t have a polished speech; he simply spoke by the Spirit from his heart).“ What we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present. He “put his mone...

  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...

  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 – ...

  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...

  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 ...

  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...

  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...

  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...

  Good morning. Paul tells the Corinthians to make room for him in their hearts. He talks about when he came into Macedonia that he was afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus. We don’t ever think about Paul being depressed or needing reassurances about the people in some church, but apparently he was. Titus reassured Paul about the Corinthians’ love for him. Though I caused you sorrow by my letter (possibly talking about the one who had his father’s wife), I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. Apparently he meant that by his letter they saw that it was wrong to allow this man to continue, and repented. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salva...

  Good morning. Continuing where we left off about not being unequally yoked with unbelievers: or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God has said, “ I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate… And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me.” Of course it went over most peoples’ heads when God said “I will dwell in them”. That was absurd; God actually dwelling in humans? And so they dismissed or tried to explain away what was said. What should our response be? Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is what our response should be. Remember that God‘s holiness can have no place with unrig...

 Good morning. And working together with Him , we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain - for He says, “at the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you”. Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Christmas is the “acceptable time” and the “day” that salvation came to earth. Paul mentions a bunch of hardships that he went through. Do not be bound/unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Of course the most common application of this by preachers is that a believer should not marry an unbeliever; but it could also be in other areas. When you have a team of animals pulling a wagon/carriage/sled, they are yoked together in pairs. If one is stronger/faster/wants to go in a different direction than their partner, it can create an imbalance, and it makes it hard for smooth travel. The same is true with humans. If a ...

  Good morning.  So God has committed to us the word of reconciliation; therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Ambassadors represent a country/kingdom. They speak on behalf of the leader/monarch. When they speak, it is as if the leader/monarch is speaking. There is an interesting observation about Paul saying “we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God“. Since Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, one would assume that he is writing to believers. Why would he be begging believers to be reconciled to God? We now come to another interesting verse. The word “sin“ can be either a noun or a verb. In this verse both times that it is translated “sin“ it is a noun. He made Him who knew no sin “to be” (these words were inserted by the translators so that we would not think that the next use of “sin“ was a verb; that is, that God made Jesus to commit sin) sin, so that w...

  Good morning. Another favorite verse: therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature/creation. It’s not that he/she is new like a baby of some species that already exists; it is like they are a brand new species that has never existed before. When God came to earth as baby Jesus, He was a brand new “species” too. As such we should not be acting like our old selves. The old things passed away; behold new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. When two people have disagreements/arguments with one another, even refusing to speak to the other person, they need to be reconciled. They could both be at fault. Even when there is “peace“ restored between them, the one offended may still hold a grudge - but not so with G...

  Good morning. For the love of Christ controls us (we can’t help ourselves – His love is suppose to be in control of our actions), having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Jesus did not die for us so that we could live any old way that we wanted. He loved us so much that He was willing to die for us; we should love Him so much that we are willing to live for Him. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh (what one is in the natural, means nothing in the spiritual world); even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer (we know Christ in the Spirit). The margin of my Bible says that the phrase “known according to the flesh“ means “by what he is in the flesh”. Father help this weekend to be a time of reflection about all that You have done for us in sendin...

  Good morning. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. Why did he say “knowing the fear of the Lord“? Was it because of the last verse we covered yesterday which said that “each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad“? Is that why he persuaded men? We are not again commending ourselves to you (I am not telling you that I do this because I want you to think I am such a good guy) but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance (false prophets and teachers were ostentatious, trying to make people think they were the real deal) and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. Father go with the reader and help him/her get everything ready for what’s coming.

  Good morning. Continuing with “while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord“: we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Paul is definitely saying that this life is not the end. When the real “we“ leaves this earth suit, we will be at home with the Lord. There is debate about exactly what will happen between death and resurrection. Even Revelation talks about during the Great Tribulation the souls of those martyred being under the altar and asking the Lord “how long will You refrain from avenging our blood?” Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 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. He has a “naughty or nice“ list. So be good for goodness sake

  Good morning. Happy New Year's! Continuing: 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. The groaning and being burdened could be just physical; but most likely it is spiritual in nature. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. We talked about the word pledge in chapter 1. It would be easy to get discouraged with this groaning and burdening, but Paul says: therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight. Some have taken this out of context and applied it to the Christian life in general. While we do live our lives as Christians trusting in God to take care of things, even though we can’t see it happening, in context this is talking about trusting in God that we will one day be with Him. Father t...