Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. That is so not going to happen in the natural. This, of course, is the same thing that Jesus said. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Too many times people want to gloat over those who are sad, and become jealous when someone else gets a blessing. If we truly love them, we will “feel their pain“. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. We should not look down on others. When churches start to grow and the members start to get blessed, it’s too easy to start thinking that you are better than those that are not blessed. When you start to think too highly of yourself, as one of my friends in high school and college used to say, “you are cruisin’ for a bruisin’”. God has a way of using our “wisdom“ to cause us to get ourselves into deep trouble. Father thank You that we all have the same worth i...

  Good morning. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. Are you kidding? Do you realize what he/she is like? If you truly love without hypocrisy, you will be devoted to one another and give preference to the other person. (I didn’t say it would be easy). Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the Saints, practicing hospitality. It’s hard to be diligent, fervent in spirit, to keep serving the Lord, rejoicing, and persevering in the midst of good things. It definitely takes the actions of the Holy Spirit to do all of those things when things are really, really bad. On the other hand, people devote themselves to prayer when things are going bad; but sometimes have trouble doing that when things are going good. When things are bad, people are desperate. But even the pastor has mentioned several times about people fal...

  Good morning. Let love be without hypocrisy. Of course we know from I Corinthians 13 that God’s love could not possibly be with hypocrisy. Too many Christians say, “I love you brother/sister.”, but don’t really mean it. And too many times it can be a “I’ll love you as long as you love me (better). Abhor what is evil. Today’s Christians don’t. They not only tolerate it, many even accept/embrace it. Whatever you tolerate, eventually becomes the norm, and even becomes expected. Cling to what is good. If you cling to what is good, you won’t want what is evil. You won’t know what is good unless you immerse yourself in God’s Word. Remember that they train bank tellers to recognize counterfeit money not by handling counterfeit money, but rather by constantly handling real currency. Father help us to have Your love which is without hypocrisy; to look out for the well-being of others. Help this to be a great day for the reader and his/her family.

  Good morning. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. When we say something bad about a member of the body of Christ, it’s like saying something bad about a part of our own body - “Johnny, my foot has been a bad boy  lately”. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: If prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching... Each should do his/her best in exercising his/her gifts, not for his/her own benefit or glory, but for the benefit of the body of Christ. One should not be envious of the gifts of others and strive to obtain them. Father thank You that we have (and need) other members of the body of Christ. Help us to find and exercise our gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ.

  Good morning. So why are we to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? So that we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. This transformation of us is God’s will, and it is good; it is acceptable; and it is perfect. That is the meaning of this verse in context. I have said before that I do not like the term “permissive” will of God. I understand what is meant by it, but I disagree with the use of the term. There needs to be a different way of designating this concept (perhaps: permissive boundaries of God). God has only one will (desire); and it is perfect. Again, in context it is not necessarily talking about God’s will in general; but only in our transformation. Got any uppity friends? For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself then he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. When God is using you and it seems th...

  Good morning. So we present our bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable to God. Anything else? Well a sacrifice doesn’t do anything; it just lies there. And do not be conformed to this world. This is something very important that too many Christians aren’t very careful to avoid. If you see and hear things over and over again, it’s hard to avoid incorporating them into your own life. They seem the normal thing to do. All right - that’s something we don’t do. What is something we do? But be transformed. The word transformed is the Greek word  metamorphosis. Our change should be like the change from a caterpillar 🐛 into a butterfly 🦋  (Hello wormy). They are like two completely different creatures, and so should we be. Butterflies don’t crave the same things that caterpillars do. How are we transformed? By the renewing of our minds. In other words; get rid of our stinking thinking. How can we do that? By immersing our minds in the Word of God. Physically you are what you ...

  Good morning. So since God did what He did for us, what should we do? Therefore I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Instead of feeling like we can do anything we please, we should respond to God’s gracious gift by giving ourselves totally to Him. Sacrifices aren’t alive when they’re placed on the altar. They don’t choose to be a sacrifice. It says that Abraham bound Isaac and placed him on the altar. It doesn’t even say that Isaac tried to get away. I don’t know how old Isaac was, but his dad was over 100. Surely he could have gotten away, but he trusted his father that no harm would come to him if he lay still and not try to get off the altar. Shouldn’t we? Father thank You that we have the opportunity to be a willing, living sacrifice for You. Help us to embrace that opportunity instead of resisting.

  Good morning. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. Remember that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Instead of everyone starting off righteous (like Adam) and then losing their righteousness some time later, everybody starts off a sinner and then (some of them) some time later obtain righteousness. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! It is not the way we would have done it, if we had been God. Thankfully, He knew what was the best way. Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? Of course the answer is no one. Thank goodness it was not up to us to tell Him how He should do it. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Can I get a big amen to that? Father thank You that You knew the best way to do everything...

  Good morning. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God‘s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. Of course that would not sit well with today’s culture. “how could God be so cruel?“ And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. This could make some Gentile believers jealous. After all the Jews rejected Jesus; why should they get another chance? For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild Olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery – that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved. If this hardening had not happened, where would we be? It sounds ...

  Good morning. OK so we gentiles have been grafted in – so what? Do not become arrogant towards the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. We dare not point fingers at the Jews who did not believe and were rejected. The same thing could happen to us if we no longer believe. Why the Jews? Remember that Jesus told the woman at the well that salvation is from the Jews. If it weren’t for them, there would be no salvation. They were put in charge of taking care of the word of God to make sure that it was correctly handed down from generation to generation. At times they failed to fully follow God; but there was always a remnant that kept His word. Father...

  Good morning. For if their (the Jews) rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Sounds like we should be constantly praying for the acceptance of the Jews. If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. My Bible says that part of the dough made from the first of the harvested grain (that is, the first fruits) was offered to the Lord. This consecrated the whole batch. It also says that the first piece of dough referred to the Jewish patriarchs, like Abraham. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild Olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the Olive tree... my Bible says that the usual procedure was to insert a shoot or slip of a cultivated tree into a common or wild one (that’s like they do with citrus plants). The “contrary to nature” part would be to graft a wild Olive branch (the Gentiles) into the ...

  Good morning. Paul then quotes some scriptures talking about those who were hardened. God gave them eyes to see not and ears to hear not… I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Because they rejected God’s grace, we have the opportunity to become Christians. It is the same today. People throughout the world have the opportunity to receive Christ, but they choose to not do so. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! If the Jews had all accepted Christ, the early church would never have turned to the Gentiles and preached the word. I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. The Jews could not stand the thought of the Gentiles re...

  Good morning. We left off with Paul saying that God had not rejected His people. In fact, Paul said, I am a descendent of Abraham. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. It looked like it when they were in Egypt and were enslaved. During Elijah’s time, he said, everybody has turned away from You but me. God told him that He had kept 7000 people who had not bowed the knee to Baal. And so God had kept for Himself a remnant. In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God‘s gracious choice. Sometimes it looks like there is not anyone who follows God. This has been true throughout history. But even through the dark ages, God had people who followed Him. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Father thank You that we were chosen and obtained Your grace. Help u...

  Good morning. Just because the gospel is preached does not mean that everyone who hears will be saved. However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? However, one does need to hear: so faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Hearing the gospel generates the faith necessary to be saved. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have. Here Paul is talking about the nation of Israel. “their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Speaking of the Gentiles: I was found by those who did not seek Me; I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me. The Jews were trying to find God, but refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah – the Son of God. The Gentiles did not even care about God; and they found Him. God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! God did not reject them; they rejected Him. Even though we did not seek You, You allowed us t...

  Good morning. Paul says of the Jews who pursued righteousness by works: they stumbled over the stumbling stone. Behold I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed. Now Paul could’ve said about those Jews, too bad so sad. Instead he said, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God‘s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end (or fulfillment) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. How does this happen? The righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. In these ...

  Good morning. Remember that we are in the middle of “what if God“, endured with patience those (Gentiles) prepared for destruction. Why did He do it? And He did it to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy (he’s talking about us) which He prepared beforehand for glory, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. That is actually a very big deal. The Jews were God’s people. He promised them, not us. Quoting Scripture: I will call those who were not My people, My people. And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, you are not My people, there they shall be called sons of the living God. Also Isaiah talks about: it is the remnant that will be saved, not all those of Israel. Remember that all of this is “what if God…“ What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at ...

  Good morning. All right, so God chose one person over another, and chose pharaoh for destruction – what does that mean? So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, why does He still find fault? For who resists His will? In other words how can He condemn us to the bad place, since He is the one who chose us to not believe? On the contrary, who are you, O man who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this, will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? Again it sounds like we don’t have a choice – it is predestination. This is what others would say, not what is reality. Then a hypothetical: what if God (Paul is not saying that God did, but rather what if He did the following), although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels ...

  Good morning. So Abraham had two sons; but God chose Isaac. Paul then gives other instances where God chose one over the other. Remember that Rebekah had twins – Jacob and Esau. For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God‘s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of  Him who calls, it was said to her, “the older will serve the younger.“ Isaac did not earn God‘s choice, and neither did Jacob. And of course we also didn’t. In today’s world, people would say that God was not fair. He should’ve been all inclusive. We would’ve heard all about it over the news media. God is evil; He is not fair! What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Never! But that is not how the news media would portray it. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.“ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God w...

  Good morning. Paul is getting ready to tell the Roman Christians something, and he wants them to know that what he saying is the truth, and that he’s not just being politically correct. I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. That’s pretty strong. It sounds like he would be willing to take their place; that he would be willing to give up his salvation, if all of them could receive theirs. Would we be willing to do that, even if they were our relatives? He then talks about the benefits of being Israelites. Remember that they are God‘s chosen people; and yet without Christ, they are doomed. Remember also the promise that God made to Abraham. But is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended...

   Good morning. Another one of our favorite verses: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Of course we already know the answer – nothing! What about all of these things that he talked about – that he actually experienced; did they get him down? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Wait for it – for I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Whee doggies! As the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz said: “Ain’t nuttin’, no how!” Notice that it does not say that we barely make it through – it says that we overwhelmingly conquer! We don’t just win by a field goal in the last second of the game – we win by seven touchdowns! Fat...

  Good morning. What shall we say to these things (Foreknew, predestined, conformed, called, justified, glorified)? If God is for us, who is against us? A statement of the form If…, then is called a conditional. The “then” part is guaranteed to occur, provided that the “If” part occurs. There is always a possibility that the “If” part does not happen. My Bible says that the form of the condition (in Greek) makes it clear that there is no doubt about it – the “If” part will happen - God is definitely for us. Therefore, who can be against us - no one! He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? If God did the “most-ist” “best-ist” thing for us, how could He not give us “lesser “ things? Everything else is of no consequence compared to Him giving us His Son. Who will bring a charge against God‘s elect? God is the one who justifies; Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who...

  Good morning. OK so we are called according to His purpose. Paul then gives the process by which we came to know God. They are all in the past tense. For those whom He foreknew, He also pre-destined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. There are some questions concerning these verses but no definitive answer. Is he talking about us as individuals, or the selective group of all Christians? Did God personally know each of us in the ancient past, or simply know about us; again as an individual or as a group? Is this predestination in the traditional sense? The predestination here says to become conformed to the image of His Son, not pre-destined to salvation – meaning no free will. In other words, those who do exercise their free will and make Jesus Christ Lord of their lives will be...

  Good morning. Remember that the Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; also having the first fruits of the Spirit we groan within ourselves. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God. Most of the time we don’t realize that all of this is going on within us. We don’t have to be concerned about whether or not the Spirit is praying the right prayer like we do when we pray. My Bible comments: whether Paul means words that are unspoken or words that cannot be expressed in human language is not clear. And then one of everyone’s favorite verses: and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. There is at least one ...

  Good morning. Last time it said that we were waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. We sing the Big Daddy Weave song, “I am Redeemed“, but we think of that as our spirit or soul being redeemed. We don’t think about our body being redeemed, but it is – it just won’t be manifested until the resurrection. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? Remember from the book of Hebrews, now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. If you have $100 bill in your hand, you don’t have to hope that you will get one some day. Faith is seeing that hundred dollar bill in your hand, even when it’s not physically visible. But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. We don’t “see“ our bodies already resurrected, but we do eagerly wait for it. In second Corinthians, Paul will go into this in more detail. Father thank You that one da...

  Good morning. How do you know that you truly are a Christian? All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. That’s pretty clear; but sometimes it is hard to do.  Speaking as a mathematician 🙃 : logically that does not mean that just because you’re not being led by the Spirit of God that you are not a child of God. It just guarantees that if you are being led by the Spirit of God, that you are a child of God. It could be true in reality – but that is not the logical way to interpret this passage. I know, I know… Unfortunately I have heard various speakers interpret other scriptures that way. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” My Bible says that adoption was common among the Greeks and Romans, who granted the adoptive son all the privileges of a natural son, including inheritance rights (can anyone say Ben Hur?). Some people who were a...

  Good morning. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Death came because Adam sinned. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that our body will not die. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. This life is guaranteed to us. Of course the life that He gives our mortal bodies will be different when we are raised from the dead. Notice from yesterday and today the different ways that Paul speaks about the Spirit. Sometimes he uses the phrase Spirit of God, and sometimes he talks about the Spirit of Christ, almost alternating them. Is he doing that just for variety; saying that they are two different Spirits; or is he emphasizing that They are the same? Good question. So then we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if y...

  Good morning. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. The mind set on the flesh not only is not able to subject itself to the law of God, it does not even want to. We should be seeking how we can better set our minds on the law of God, and not just on Sunday. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. True, but some who profess to be Christians do not act that way. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. That is the big difference between true Christianity and religion. It is the defining factor that mak...

  Good morning. After chapter 7, it makes us feel like - woe is me! But after chapter 7 comes – chapter 8! Therefore: remember the saying, if you see the word therefore, find out what it is there for. After the doom and gloom: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Are you in Christ Jesus? Then there is no condemnation. Yes you have messed up; but if you are striving to serve the law of God, there is no condemnation. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. We are free! For what the law could not do; weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The law was not meant to save people. It was a guideline as to how they were to act without having the Holy Spir...

  Good morning. So Paul, how do you feel about yourself? Wretched man that I am! Don’t water it down; how do you really feel? Who will set me free from the body of this death? It looks like you are between a rock and a hard place. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. In Galatians, Paul writes, for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for they are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. I’m sure you’ve heard this before: there are two wolves inside of you fighting against each other. Which one wins – the one that you feed. The more you give in and feed the flesh, the harder it is to resist. The more you feed the spirit, The easier it is to resist the flesh. I didn’t say it was easy, just easier. How do we feed our spirit - with the word. Father help us to constantly fee...

  Good morning. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Thankfully he clarified that – in my flesh. In and of ourselves, we can and will do no good thing. Thankfully we do not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. For the good that I want, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not want. That is true apart from God. Before we became Christians, we possibly wanted to do good; but were utterly helpless to do so on a regular basis. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. This totally does not sound like a Christian. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man. So is he talking about the Mosaic law before he became a Christian? However, even as Christians we agree with God‘s laws, but sometimes it seems we are unable...