Free To Serve

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. What was revealed to me in Philippians 3:20-21? I love traveling to other countries to see how others live and learn about their culture and history. Every country has a story, and it can give us perspective into their way of life. It can be a little awkward at times because I am in a place that is not my home. I am going to stand out in the crowd because I am not from there. And even though it is fun and exciting to learn about unfamiliar places, it is comforting to know that I will be going back home at some point where I am a born citizen. This is Paul's point with the Philippians. He even takes it one step further. We are citizens in heaven. This is not our home. Even what you think is your home is not. We need to act in such a way that others know where are home is. We need to be excited about finally being home with Jesus. It is like the week before a vacation. Your excited because you are going to be going somewhere different. Your live with anticipation of what is going to happen. The vacation never lives up to the hype and there is always the dreaded trip back home. Brothers and sisters, we will not have to worry about that. We can live with anticipation every day because we know that this is not our home, and we will be with Jesus one day. Except this time, it will live up to the hype and more. This time, we will not have the dreaded trip back. Jesus will bring all things back into order and we will have heavenly bodies free from sin. We will be with God forever! Amen, Amen, Amen! What a great letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians! There are so many "friends" and "daggers". A had a pastor who taught scripture memorization, who put verses into these two categories so he could access them depending on what was needed for the situation he was in. He had also struggled with depression and anxiety and the "friend" verses comforted him. He also felt spiritually attacked at times and needed a "dagger" to fend off the evil one. Here is my "friend" and "dagger" from Chapter 4: Friend: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Dagger: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. What was revealed to me in Philippians 4:4-7 and 4:12-13? Paul’s joy was not based in a sunny optimism or positive mental attitude as much as it was the confidence that God was in control. It really was a joy in the Lord. When we live with the awareness of Jesus’ soon return, it makes it all the easier to rejoice in the Lord and to show gentleness to all men. Paul commands us to not be anxious. Worry is in fact a type of sin. God wants us to bring everything to Him. He already knows our requests before we say them, but He will wait for us to engage to work through our requests. I have a brother in Christ who has helped me with my prayer life. He lives by the adage "stop, drop, and pray". The peace of God does not just surpass the understanding of the worldly man; it surpasses all understanding. Even the godly man cannot comprehend this peace. When people seem to “lose” their heart or mind, it often is connected to an absence of the peace of God in their life. “There are a great many men that know a little how to be abased, that do not know at all how to abound. When they are put down into the pit with Joseph, they look up and see the starry promise, and they hope for an escape. But when they are put on the top of a pinnacle, their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall.” (Spurgeon) Paul had to learn that contentment, is not natural to mankind. He lived it out. He was financially well off and he had been financially in need. According to Spurgeon, it is much harder to have a lot and be content. We start to think it is all about us and pride starts to seep in. This verse brings out the "dagger" to slay our pride. Paul had the ability to be content in all things because of the strength of Jesus. We must always also put this precious statement of faith in connection with John 15:5: for without Me you can do nothing. With Jesus we can do all things, without Him we cannot do anything.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. What was revealed to me in Philippians 1:4-6? This portion of Philippians is very special to me. I will often send it as a prayerful thank you for those that have partnered with me in the ministry of FCA. Whether it is the faithful prayers, the sharing of time and talents, and even financial resources, these are greatly needed and appreciated. There would be no ministry of FCA without this. Those in Philippi got behind Paul because of who he was and his heart for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His "work" was spreading this "good news" throughout the world. They would not be compelled to do this unless they believed in him and his work. He wants them to be encouraged even though they face opposition. He wants to show them that even though he is in prison, the mission doesn't change. In fact, it becomes more important. Our mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. This past year has been challenging for all of us. The opposition that we are up against here is nothing like what Paul went through, but we all have our own individual challenges that we are currently have or have had. The mission was clear back then and it is today. Our methods and strategies may have to change because of the circumstances we are in. God will complete His work! Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. What was revealed to me in Philippians 2:14-16? This chapter is all about humility. No one modeled this better than Jesus. The Philippians struggled with this. There is definite conflict among themselves or with God. One aspect of humility is how treat others in their presence. Do we act as if they have value? Or do we just want them to see our point of view as right and theirs as wrong. It's easy to treat someone well that believes like you and is a part of your circle. Do we see others as problems to be fixed? We can have the same attitude with God. It is easy to ask God the "why" questions when trials happen, or things don't go according to plan. We can become bitter and grumble instead of grateful and humble. Brothers, if we want to stand out and "shine like stars" we need to be different. We need to live in such a way that others will be curious as to why. We don't control how others will respond. We only have the ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to control our response. I had this quote that I would use with my players as I wanted them to be grateful for what they had and not bitter for want they didn't have: “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do!”

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 4:11-13? Not all followers are called into ministry, but all play a role in the body of Christ. I once heard someone say that God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the call. He can use anyone who feels called. I just took a spiritual gifts assessment to find out what my spiritual gifts were. It was very affirming. My top spiritual gift was teaching. Tied for second was faith and leadership. The assessment had this charge: Be bold in your faith walk and take it to another level in teaching others. There is power in your teaching. Do not hold on to anything but use everything in His name and use to build the body of Christ. Keep your eye on the vision God has given you! This statement applies to every believer! Jesus has gifted you for the work and vision He has given you! We all need to use our gifts to build up the body. As we continue to battle every day, stumbling forward in the grace of God, we will become mature in Him. We will equip others. We will help bring unity and not division. This is our charge. I am proud to be in the battle on God’s team as we lock arms spiritually each day. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 5:33? If verse 33 in this great passage could be boiled down to two principles which must govern our thinking and our actions as married people, those two are: Husbands: Understand that you and your wife are one, are a unity. Wives: Understand that your unity has a head – your husband. These principles are easier said than done. Men and woman are made differently, therefore we communicate differently. A woman hears and sees things much differently than a man does. The key is that both in the marriage are accepting of God's plan for marriage and what His Word says about it. If I value my vertical relationship with God, then I will work under His authority and obey His Word. Therefore, I need to love my wife like Christ loved the church. I need to love my wife like my own body. I need to honor her as my helper. The better I love her with the love of Christ, the more motivated she will be to respect and honor me. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 6:12-13? After Paul has given us instruction on why we should love and how we should love, he is clear in where the real battle can be found. There are so many facets to the character of Jesus that we can identify with depending on where we are in our faith and what trial we are going through. I have spent so much time identifying what an authentic man of God looks like and acts like. Every day I try to identify with my warrior Jesus. There is no doubt, if you are striving to follow Christ and be an authentic man of God, YOU WILL BE ATTACKED! What is helping me is that we have a Lord that knows this. In fact, He created these spiritual forces. He only allows them so much influence. He has given us the "armor" to stand and fight them off. He Himself experienced all the temptation that we go through. As an athlete and coach, I loved the battle because it was an opportunity for two things to happen. I could beat my opponent and teach them something and make them better or I could be the one that is taught the lesson. It is all about perspective. We need to prepare. We need to know our opponent and how He is going to attack us. The Holy Spirit can give us wisdom in this area. The full armor of God can protect our weak areas. The full armor of God can give us the weapon to fight back. There may be times when it feels like the enemy is winning. There may be times when the enemy is getting into our heads and creating doubt. But remember this, Jesus has already won the war over sin, death, and the devil. It was finished on the cross and through His resurrection. He is right there with us every day like a great General leading us into our daily battle. He has equipped us and will never leave our side. In Him we can stand.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 1:7-10? We have no redemption outside of Jesus and His blood. His good deeds did not save us. His wonderful teachings did not save us. Only His blood. It was part of the plan from the very beginning. God's grace is so immense that we struggle to comprehend it. Therefore, it is called a mystery. To those that do not know Him it is foolishness. To those that do not know Him they are destined to try to figure it out under their own wisdom and knowledge. Will power only takes you so far. I am learning that if I strive to work under the authority of Christ, God will reveal His great plan for me. Part of that plan will be the bringing of all things into unity. Right now, we see anything but unity in our country if you watch the news or spend time on social media. Satan is loving it when we get caught up in trying to be right and proving someone else wrong. He loves it when we spend all our time and energy trying to fix others to meet our agenda. Even the church itself is very divided. To call yourself a Christian today must come with some clarification. There are countless things that can divide. But God, is still working in the hearts of those who love Him. But Christ, is still changing the hearts of those that humble themselves and what to work under His authority and power. All things in Christ will be brought together in the fullness of the time. On that day there will be two things going on. There will be destruction and celebration. The challenge is to not fix others or condemn them. Only through the power of the Spirit can we love others and live our lives according to His principles. The whole book of Ephesians will help us with this! Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 2:19-22? Paul ended the last chapter by considering that the ultimate example of God’s power was the resurrection of Jesus. Now Paul considers what the implications of Jesus’ resurrection power are for our life. We have been reconciled to God through the work and life of Jesus. He loved us when we were dead. He extends His amazing grace to save us and create faith. He has an amazing plan for us to work through in the time He has gifted us. This is for all people, not just for the Jew. Unity in one Spirit. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it is! There is only one thing that unifies and brings everyone together into God's family. The chief cornerstone, Jesus. I found this in my research on the cornerstone: Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects. A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment. Each of us are a brick in the building of the holy temple of the Lord. God dwells with us by His Spirit. Brothers, this is so foundational to our faith! May we see ourselves as builders of the holy temple and Kingdom of the Lord. Each decision for Christ is another faithful brick to add around our chief cornerstone! I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 3:7-9? This could only happen through the gospel, where all men have an equal standing in Jesus. This is the same gospel Paul is a servant of, because of the gift of grace given to him by the working of God’s power. Paul marveled at the grace given to him, by which he was called to preach the gospel that makes the mystery a reality. When we consider Paul’s personal history, we see that his calling really was all of grace. Paul’s passion was to make this gospel known to all people. He wants everybody to see and share in the fellowship of this mystery – which is a mystery precisely because it was unknown and unknowable until God revealed it. It demonstrates that these are not only facts to know but also a life to live, united in Jesus with other believers, without any separation such as existed between Jew and Gentile. There is so much richness in this chapter. The prayer at the end of the chapter is a wonderful encouragement to other believers who are trying to live out the gospel in their lives. The verses prior is Paul's way to explain what the mystery of the gospel is and the why we should be sharing it with others. The true gospel unifies and divides. The true gospel is a mystery. It was revealed with the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Paul was always marveled on the gift of God's grace because he remembered who he was. I have a bible study teacher at church who was saved when he was 35 years old driving down I-75. The mystery of the gospel finally became clear to him and he surrendered. His life is now dedicated to sharing in the fellowship of this mystery. It is revealed through His Word. It is revealed in the changed lives of others that we see. It is revealed by the Holy Spirit when a heart and mind are receptive. He has this quote that he uses that I think is so true of all believers who have surrendered. "I'm not who I want to be. I'm not who I ought to be, but I'm not who I used to be."

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. What was revealed to me in Galatians 4:4-7? For those who were under bondage to the law, it may seem that Jesus’ coming was late. Paul assures us that it was at just the right time. Because Jesus is God, He has the power and the resources to redeem us. Because Jesus is man, He has the right and the ability to redeem us. But God’s work for us doesn’t end there; we are then elevated to the place of sons and daughters of God by adoption. It is fitting that those who are in fact sons have the Spirit of the Son in their hearts. This gives us both the right and the ability to cry out “Daddy!” to God our Father, even as Jesus did to His Father. There is a beautiful progression. First, we are set free from slavery. Then we are declared sons and adopted into God’s family. Then, as sons, we are made heirs. Wow! This is certainly something to celebrate today. This beautiful exchange we were talking about yesterday is again related by Paul. We are no longer a slave to the law. We have been redeemed through the power of Jesus. We are adopted into the family of God. We can not only stand righteous before Him, but we are also now part of His family. We have the full rights of any son or daughter. Because of this we are His heirs. What do we inherit? Eternal life. This should give us incredible hope and motivation today! What else do we inherit? Unending grace. When we fall short, and we will, we can get back up again and press on. Let us live eternally today and cherish the moment through the grace of God. May we act and speak in such a way that others are curious as to why. I pray for a divine connection so we can share the hope that we have. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. What was revealed to me in Galatians 5:13? The great fear of the legalist is that liberty will be used as an opportunity for the flesh. The idea is that people will just go out and sin as they please, then say to a spineless God, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” and then go on doing whatever they want again. Paul recognized the danger of this attitude, so he warned against it here. The flesh expects others to conform to us and doesn’t care much about others. But when we through love serve one another, we conquer the flesh. It isn’t through an obsessive, contemplative attitude of navel-gazing that we overcome the flesh, but by getting out and serving others. This whole conversation is coming to a crescendo with the church in Galatia. It comes down to decision that all believers must come to. Are you going to use your freedom to walk in the flesh or the Spirit? If Christ is "in us" then we have access to His Spirit. The Spirit teaches and guides us and gives us the courage and strength to win the daily battle. How do we know if were winning? You will act on the behalf of others more than yourself. You will see the fruit of Spirit manifesting in your life. Brothers, we can't take credit for this. It may not happen when we want it to. It may not happen in the way we want it to. If we are striving to be led by the Spirit of God, it will happen! Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. What was revealed to me in Galatians 6:7-10? For those who are hesitant to share in all good things with those who teach them, Paul reminded them of God’s principle of sowing and reaping. Their giving isn’t like throwing away money; it is like planting seeds, and whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. This principle has application beyond giving and supporting teachers and ministers. It has a general application in life; what we get out of life is often what we put in. Yet, Paul is not promoting some law of spiritual karma that ensures we will get good when we do good, or always get bad when we do bad. If there were such an absolute spiritual law, it would surely damn us all. Instead, Paul simply relates the principle of sowing and reaping to the way we manage our resources before the Lord. He used the same picture in 1 Corinthians 9:11 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. As we wisely manage our resources before God under the principle of sowing and reaping, we need patience. This is a fruit of the Spirit. This is because the harvest does not come immediately after the seeds are sown. Not losing heart, we seek to do good with our resources, and to do good to all – but especially to those who are of God’s family. The concept of sowing and reaping can sometimes create some confusion among believers. It is because of the mercy and compassion of God that we can have a home in heaven, despite our sin. We have sowed sin and corruption, and Jesus reaped our punishment on the cross. Thank you, Jesus! Sometimes, what looks like a harvest is not one. Look at the story of Job. His friends thought that what happened to him was a direct result of his actions. The story of the man born blind in John was similar. They thought that his parents were sinners and had done something wrong. Experiencing negative circumstances does not necessarily mean we have sown negative things. The principle of reaping and sowing is generally true, but not always at work in every situation in the way we might expect. “You reap what you sow” holds true both positively and negatively. When we are selfish, proud, unjust, sinful, and trusting in our own ability or worth to save us, we are “sowing to the flesh,” and destruction awaits. But when we are selfless, generous, kind, and depending on God’s provision and salvation, we are “sowing to the Spirit” and will reap eternal life. Faith in Jesus and the pursuit of godliness is “sowing to the Spirit.” His love is fertile ground.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. What was revealed to me in Galatians 1:10? Paul is distraught over what is happening to the churches in Galatia. They are being deceived. The true Gospel is being perverted by some in Galatia. This is done today as well. Some want to take the purity of the true Gospel and twist it to fit an agenda or sound better to a listening ear. Paul is clear about the true Gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. The true Gospel is offensive. We are broken and in need of a Savior. We must come to the Lord with a humble and contrite heart and put away our selfish pride. We need to believe in a supernatural power that raised a man from the dead. So, some take the liberty to add, deduct and manipulate it make it more attractive and less convicting. This is what Paul is up against. Paul curses the message and those that are sharing it. He wanted those in Galatia to know that his first and only obligation is to God and not men. He is a servant of Christ. We all want to be held in high esteem by others. Rejection is hard. Trust me, I am a people pleaser by nature. Words of affirmation is my love language. But when it comes to the true message of the Gospel, some will be turned off by it because it will convict them. Satan is winning the battle with many. The true Gospel will divide families at times. We are in a battle for souls. I was reading today about a method of deciding if something is of God or not of God. We need to be constantly praying for discernment on this. But this helped me, so I want to share: A former colleague of mine, Kevin Bywater, offered the following formula to identify cults. I always found the formula, which might be called “Do the Math,” helpful. First, addition: does the theory add to the word of God? Second, subtraction: does it subtract from the deity or sovereignty of Christ? Third, multiplication: Does it multiply the requirements for salvation or acceptance by God? And finally, division: Does it wrongly divide the Body of Christ? Those questions can also be helpful to discern conspiracy theories, along with two clarifying worldview questions: Does it truly and accurately identify what is wrong with the world as the Bible describes it, and does it truly and accurately identify the solution? Finally, these conspiracy theories often inspire unhealthy fear. The fear of God, Scripture says, cast out all other fears. To be paralyzed by fear, or to be so outraged by fear that we no longer can love our neighbor, is not of Christ. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” What was revealed to me in Galatians 2:20-21? This statement by Paul is often recited when referring to living by faith and not by works. It all comes from a confrontation by Paul with brothers he dearly loves. Men who were with Jesus himself. Men who saw it all firsthand yet could not let go of the law that was so entrenched into who they were. Even they were distorting the true Gospel of Christ. He does this in front of them all. He does not do this in private. There is a teaching opportunity, and the Spirit gives Paul the boldness and courage to follow through. As a result, we have another beautiful example of what our faith is built upon and the importance of grace. When Paul died to the law, then he could live to God. If he still tried to justify himself before God by all his law-keeping, he was dead. But when he died to the law then he could live to God. Paul realized that on the cross, a great exchange occurred. He gave Jesus his old, try-to-be-right-before-God-by-the-law life, and it was crucified on the cross. Then Jesus gave Paul His life – Christ came to live in him. So, Paul’s life was not his own anymore, it belonged to Jesus Christ! Paul did not own his own life (that life died); he simply managed the new life Jesus gave him. Paul can only manage the new life Jesus gave him by faith. You cannot live the new life Jesus gives on the foundation of law-keeping. You can only live it by faith. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. What was revealed to me in Galatians 3:28? The Galatians were deceived into thinking that spiritual growth or maturity could be achieved through the works of the flesh, instead of a continued simple faith and abiding in Jesus. Among the Galatian Christians, the push towards a works-based relationship with God came from certain other Christians who were born as Jews and who claimed Abraham as their spiritual ancestor. Therefore, Paul used Abraham as an example of being right before God by faith and not by faith plus works. “Faith in God constitutes the highest worship, the prime duty, the first obedience, and the foremost sacrifice. Without faith God forfeits His glory, wisdom, truth, and mercy in us. The first duty of man is to believe in God and to honor Him with his faith. Faith is truly the height of wisdom, the right kind of righteousness, the only real religion… Faith says to God: ‘I believe what you say.’” (Luther) As I receive this teaching from Paul this morning, I am learning a critical point when it comes to the law of God. The law is good. It can bring a blessing to my life. I must understand the context in which it is being used. God never intended the law to be the way to find approval from Him. However, I can be blessed by the law when I live by God's principles. Paul is rebuking the church in Galatia because of how they see the law as a way of gaining approval. He calls this a curse rather than a blessing. But Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law! I have been bought out of this curse. A curse that I deserved becomes a blessing to me through the work of Christ. This is the great exchange!

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 11:13-16? Here Paul becomes even more direct. Without sarcasm, he plainly calls his detractors in Corinth (or at least the leaders among them) false apostles and deceitful workers. Few Christians want to deal with the fact that there are still false apostles and deceitful workers among us today. They were clearly there in Paul’s day, and they remain to this day. We need to be constantly praying for wisdom and discernment so we can have our "spiritual radar" on high alert. In my research, I discovered that Satan deceives in three specific ways. He is the subtle serpent that uses his cunning voice to deceive, like with Eve in the garden. He is the roaring lion that creates opposition and persecution against the truth of the Gospel. This can come in various forms and intensity and can discourage us. Paul certainly experienced a lot of this. He is the angel of light that persuades in the name of religion and can make look and sound very attractive. This is what the Corinthian Christians were up against. We must leave room for wrath of God for these people. They will be judged according to their deceitful works. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10? The opposite of humility is pride. Paul understood pride clearly. Like in the story of Job, Paul is afflicted with a "thorn in the flesh", a messenger of Satan. This thorn was a gift of God and Satan was allowed to participate. I have always wondered exactly what this could have been. In my research, I found that some thought it was a physical or mental ailment. Some thought it may have been spiritual harassment, or persecution. The list goes on. One of my favorites Spurgeon had this to say: Each of these suggestions is possible, but God had a definite purpose in not revealing the exact nature of Paul’s thorn. If we knew exactly what Paul’s thorn was, then everybody who was afflicted – but not in exactly the same way – might doubt that Paul’s experience was relevant for them. God wanted everyone with any kind of thorn in the flesh to be able to put themselves in Paul’s shoes. “I generally find that each expositor has selected that particular thorn which had pierced his own bosom.” In other words, we don't know because God wanted us to be able to identify with Paul through this suffering. I don't know about you, but I know what my weaknesses are. It is very clear to me. Although they may not torment me to the point I can't function, I do wish that I didn't have them. But I have concluded that I really wouldn't understand the power of God's grace without them. The grace that Paul received was enough and it is enough for me. It's enough for what I have done in my past. It's enough for what I'm going to do. It's enough for me in this moment in time. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 13:5? I love this statement. It is very convicting. Am I really examining myself as a follower of Christ? How do I do this? How do I know if I have passed the test. It sound very legalistic at first. The Corinthian Christians clearly had a problem with being Christian in name only. They were quick to criticize Paul but never looked hard at what they were doing themselves. I love this statement from Redpath: “To examine yourself, in fact, is to submit to the examination and scrutiny of Jesus Christ the Lord – and this never to fix attention on sin but on Christ – and to ask Him to reveal that in you which grieves His Spirit; to ask Him to give you grace that it might be put away and cleansed in His precious blood.” Self examination “takes the chill away from your soul, it takes the hardness away from your heart, it takes the shadows away from your life, it sets the prisoner free.” Daily examination is necessary for me. It's not so we beat ourselves up and begin to think that about unworthy I am. That is a lie straight from Satan. It's so areas can be revealed and we can invite the Spirit to help us "put away" the sin. The grace of our Lord is such an important part of the process. I need to receive this abundant grace daily in order be set free of this burden that is revealed. Brokenness breeds humility, humility softens the heart. I will begin to see Jesus in me.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 6:14? Paul gets to the heart of the matter. The Corinthian Christians love the world and association with it more than they love being a follower of Jesus. This prevents them from meeting Paul in the middle in order to have reconciliation. It's hard to know exactly how they were yoked with unbelievers. This verse is often used when a follower of Christ wants to marry an unbeliever. Many Pastors will not marry a couple if one is an unbeliever. In my research I learned that Paul is talking about much more than this. It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we join with unbelievers in an ungodly way. And this unequal yoke, or ungodly influence, may come through a book, a movie, a television show, a magazine, or even through worldly Christian friends. Most Christians are far too indiscriminate about the things they allow to influence their minds and lives. Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 7:1? Paul wrote about in Chapter 6 the need to separate from worldly influences so that we can live a close life with God. If we separate ourselves from worldly thinking and acting, we are promised a closer relationship with God. There is a cleansing that God alone does in our lives, but there is also a cleansing that God wants to do in cooperation with us. I have read this passage in the past and related it to living a life of purity out of respect for God. But there is much more here. It is "easier" to purify ourselves from things that contaminate the body than it is to purity our spirit. Jesus would associate Himself with those who had impurities of the flesh. They would be receptive to Him. They were drawn to Him. Their sins were often visible. Jesus also spent time with those that were not impure from a fleshly standpoint, but spiritually were very impure. The Pharisees were self-righteous and had impure hearts. This is so important to understand! The sins of the heart take much more time and are much harder to remove. Our trials become part of the sanctification process to make us more holy. Being refined by fire is not fun. It hurts. But it is necessary for us to be set apart and to become more holy. I can speak to this from personal experience. As I am motivated to remove certain impurities from my life, I see how much I held on to them and how much I relied on them for comfort. They became a crutch for me and did not lead to spiritual fruit. The closer I get to God, the more of them I see. It's a little scary, but I'm so glad that it is being revealed to me. I must remember that it is the power of God that provides the strength and courage to remove it. This power is stronger than will power. Also, when we are open and are honest about them, we know bring the body of Christ into it. True brothers and sister will not condemn and judge but will edify and pray for and with you. The Holy Spirit can work through them in your behalf. It also gives us earthly accountability. This is the key to true change and becoming more spiritually pure. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 8:3-5? There is a large amount of scripture that relates to subject of money. In this case, it's about giving. Paul is raising money for the churches in Jerusalem that were very poor. The churches in Macedonia were also poor. But they gave what they could and with the right heart. This made an impression on Paul and he hoped that it would motivate the Corinthian Christians to do the same. There are some key words that stood out to me in this passage. The first is that they gave "beyond their ability". This meant that because of their situation, they decided to sacrifice for the benefit of another church. The question that popped into my mind was "Do I give sacrificially?" I would consider myself a generous person. The Lord has blessed my wife and me. It has seemed that as we have become more generous with giving, the Lord has provided all we have needed. Yet, I am still challenged. I am learning that true Christian generosity is not measured in terms of quantity, but in sacrifice. The next set of words that struck me was "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing". They were begging Paul to receive the gift. They were excited about giving. They considered it a privilege to help advance the Gospel. What a wonderful mindset to have toward the giving of our resources and time. It is so interesting that those that often have less are more liberal in how they give. Why were the Macedonian such good examples of giving? Because they gave themselves to the Lord first. What does is look like to give yourself to the Lord? It means that we surrender our will to His will for us. We put our total trust in Him to provide and meet all our needs. I must admit, I have a long way to go in this matter. Being in full time ministry had given me perspective on this. I am a missionary that must rely on the graciousness of others so I can do the work of the ministry. It is very humbling, yet very powerful at the same time. I get to see the provision of the Lord firsthand. I have some amazing stories of how I have seen him provide resources. These generous partners in the work of the Kingdom consider it a privilege to be a part of the team and I am blessed to have them with me. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8? In the first five verses of this chapter Paul is writing to the Corinthian Christians as if they are the glowing example of giving and not those in Macedonia. Paul, like a good coach, believes in the best version of those he is serving. If he talks to them like they are who he is inspiring to be, then he hopes they will start to act like it. I can remember being at the end of a game and one of my players would get fouled and put to the foul line in a crucial situation with the game on the line. More than not, the opposing coach will call a timeout to try to "ice" the shooter. During the timeout, I wouldn't even look at the player who was going to shoot the foul shots. I would start my instruction to them with "after Dre makes these two foul shots, here is what we need to do". I wanted Dre to know that I had complete confidence in him for what he was about to do, not what he has done. Paul was instilling this confidence in the Corinthian Christians when it came to giving. What do we reap when we give? We reap blessings that are both material and spiritual. We can trust the God will provide for our own material needs. Again, this may not be what we want, but it will be what we need according to what God thinks. Spiritually, we can be confident that God will reward it in His time and in His way. There will be an accounting for our actions and what we have done with what He has provided. I really feel that the key here is believing that everything we have is a gift from God. Yes, we do play a role in terms of our actions. If we are working under the authority of God with an attitude of gratitude, then our actions and words will reflect that. We will want what God wants. We will have compassion as He has compassion, we will see opportunities to give as a blessing not an obligation. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5? To me, this is all about spiritual warfare. I am a person of the flesh. I am in the world. Culture presses in on me from all sides. But the battle is not of the flesh. It's against the spiritual strongholds that influence us. Paul addresses this very well in Ephesians 6. The divine power he mentions here is the armor of God: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet grounded in peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, God's Word. Brothers we are warriors for Christ! We are fully equipped for the battles we are facing. Through this power, we can fight off Satan and stand firm. Sin is conceived in the mind. Our mind is corrupt by nature. We don't have to even try. The battlefield, therefore, is our mind. I am learning that it comes down to what we feed our mind. Are they things of the flesh or are they things of the Spirit?

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5? Based on his life experiences as an apostle of Christ, Paul knew what it was like to rely on the mercy and comfort of God. He believed that comfort that we received from God in our sufferings should be used to comfort others in their sufferings. I am learning that Paul is talking about suffering for Christ. Jesus stated to his disciples that they would have trouble in this world. There will be suffering. Is it suffering we need to endure so that God can teach us something or create a change in us? I have seen this happen in myself. The consequences of my actions led to suffering consequences that created discontent in me to seek a change through the power of Christ. Is it suffering because we are professed followers that we need to endure so that only Christ can provide what we need to be comforted? I can see this too, but I will be honest, I don't think that I have fully participated in the sufferings of Christ. It's not that I am actively seeking to suffer, but I am realizing that because of my faith there may come a time that my only consolation and comfort will be through Christ. This is another way that our faith muscle is exercised. There will be trials that we will experience that only Christ can get us through. This will make us more effective in how we can care for and comfort other believers. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15? More than anything, Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know he is following Jesus Christ. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. If He is our King and General of His army, we give allegiance to Him and Him alone. Paul saw himself as a officer of this army. Because of this, he felt an obligation to fulfill his duties by spreading the knowledge of who He is. In my research I learned that incense was often used in the procession of a victorious Roman general. This would fill the air during the event. Smell is one of our strongest senses when it comes to our memory. Pleasant smells are just as memorable as unpleasant smells. I can remember very vividly the aroma of burning garbage in the villages of Haiti. As soon as you leave the airport, it is in the air and burns into your memory. Whenever I smell anything close to that here, it reminds me of my time there. Paul wanted the lives of the Corinthian Christians to "smell" of Jesus Christ. This is very challenging! Does my life produce an aroma of Jesus that is pleasing and memorable to those around me? It's not so much about what I do as it is how I do it. May our lives smell like the sweet aroma of Jesus to those around us! 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18? Paul is speaking of the covenant that Moses had with God. He had the freedom to take off the veil and be in the presence of God. Because of the work of Jesus, we now have the access to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work in our lives if we are repentant and believe in the work and life of Jesus. We have the freedom to be in the presence of God through the Spirit. The Spirit also brings freedom or liberty into our life. Some reject being a true follower of Christ because they think that it is just following a bunch of rules and is too restrictive. What separates true Christianity from other religions is that it's not based on works but on a relationship. God came down to earth and became flesh and did what we could never do, make us righteous before God. We can now drop to our knees and be freed from the burden of sin and trying to be good enough. We can now have access to the power of the Holy Spirit. He is always with us. We need to daily repent because His mercies are new every day and His grace is never ending. We can be a sinner and a saint at the same time. This is indeed a mystery that is hard to wrap my head around but all I know is that my redeemer lives and alive and active in the hearts of those who love Him and choose to follow! 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10? The treasure here is the greatness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are considered the jars of clay. We are imperfect and fragile on our own. Who is worthy to be a “container” for God’s light and glory? The smartest person isn’t smart enough, the purest person isn’t pure enough, the most spiritual person isn’t spiritual enough, and the most talented person isn’t talented enough. We are all just clay pots holding an unspeakably great treasure. Why does God put such a great treasure in such weak vessels? So everyone will know the power of God working in us. Paul's life of ministry was very hard. He was continually in situations where the power of Jesus would show up and meet his need. I must admit, I don't feel like I have suffered much for the Gospel. Because of his letters, I have the witness of Paul's life to look at. What do a I do with this? Paul wanted the life of Jesus to be known through him. Therefore, he boasted in his suffering because it made him more reliant on Jesus. If I look back at my own life, there were moments of "suffering". Of course, it is nothing like what Paul went through. It would be wrong to compare my faith to Paul's based on my own suffering. There is no comparison and I don't think it's relevant. Paul brings the death of Jesus into his life. He makes a deeper connection with Jesus when he feels he is suffering for Him. This is where He can do His greatest work. I am learning that striving to be a true follower of Christ requires perseverance. My "sufferings" are not as challenging as Paul's, but they will be present. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can I persevere and stay standing in the storms that come. But I can be encouraged that this is also when God can do some of His greatest work in me and through me. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. What was revealed to me in 2 Corinthians 5:7? Because right now we are not with the Lord, we must live out our lives without seeing Him. I find it amazing that the Lord knows that we are incapable of creating faith on our own because we will mess it up every time. Thank you, Jesus, for coming down and becoming a man. Thank you for experiencing what it is like to be human. We have your example to aspire to, but we must realize that it is unattainable on this side of heaven. We also have the gift of the Holy Spirit that we have access to. All we must do is repent and believe. All we must do is trust that You are who You say you are. This is easier said than done because we are up against the spiritual forces that still have influence on us. This creates tension. A feeling of uneasiness. Brothers, we need to embrace this tension! This is what Paul did. The tension drew Paul closer to Jesus. The tension revealed his need for the Holy Spirit to work through him. The tension caused him to seek out community. He was not strong enough on his own. How else could you explain the story of Paul? As we see the power of God work in the lives of others, our faith muscle gets stronger. As we see the power of God work in our own lives, our faith muscle gets stronger. Therefore, it is so important to fellowship and share what God is doing in our lives. We can "see" God through his work in the lives of others and ourselves. This is how we strengthen the body of Christ. Keep stumbling forward in the grace of God brothers and sisters!