Devotionary

Latest Episodes:

Ep 312 – 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Oct 27, 2017

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In this episode, you are going to hear me refer to some events from an earlier period of my life, when this particular blog was originally written. They offer a historical record of a time when the circumstances of life seemed to be giving me a run for my money. But it just so happened that my time in the Word at the time when all these things were going on had me in the book of 2 Corinthians, and in this particular passage. It was timely, to say the least. Here, in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, I was given an opportunity to compare my sufferings with those of Paul. And it was not a fair fight. He won hands-down. But the amazing thing is that Paul was prone to brag about his sufferings, not whine about them. Instead of complaining about all that had happened to him in his ministry for Christ, he found reason to rejoice in the weaknesses his circumstances had revealed. Weakness is not something we tend to appreciate or even want to admit. Weakness is to be avoided at all costs, just like suffering. But for Paul, it was his sufferings that revealed his weakness, and it was his weakness that reminded him of his need for God. It was his lack of power that reminded him to rely on the power provided to him through the indwelling Spirit of God. And that was something worthy bragging about.

Ep 311 – 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Oct 26, 2017

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Is the truth really relative? Well, the truth is, many today believe that it is. They have listened to the enlightened ones of our day and bought into the notion that truth is subjective and the versions of the truth are as many as there are people on the planet. But that version of the truth is nothing more than a lie of the enemy. It stands against what God has claimed about Himself, that He is the God of all truth. It also stands against what Jesus claims about the Word of God, "Your word is truth." But truth has always been under attack and it was no different in Paul's day. So, in 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, we will take a look at Paul's defense of the truth. He will expose the gullible, tolerant and undiscerning nature of the Corinthians believers, reprimanding them for their too-easy-acceptance of falsehood disguised as truth. It didn't seem to matter if someone was teaching a different Jesus, a different gospel or a different Holy Spirit, they were more than willing to accept it as truth. And all to their own detriment. But Paul stood in the gap. He refused to give in. He refused to put up with falsehood. Because the truth of God matters.

Ep 310 – 2 Corinthians 10 Oct 25, 2017

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Whether we want to admit it or not, we're almost all pacifists. I'm not talking about your opinion as to whether a country should go to war or whether a Christian should take up arms. No, I am talking about our unwillingness to speak out against false teaching in the church and to stand up for the truth of the gospel. We've become increasingly more politically correct, unwilling and afraid to say what needs to be said. We're inherently non-confrontational, even when it comes to defending the truth of God's Word. Here in chapter ten of 2 Corinthians, Paul is going to go on the offensive and deal with what he sees as a real threat to his ministry and the overall health of the church. He wasn't some kind of fading wall-flower, too scared to speak up or risk rejection. The gospel was everything and he was unwilling to tolerate anyone who threatened its integrity and clouded its message. In the very next chapter he will accuse the believers in Corinth: "You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed." But not Paul.

Ep 309 – 2 Corinthians 9 Oct 24, 2017

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In chapter 9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul continues to deal with the sometimes unpopular topic of giving. For Paul, giving was not a dirty word, it was simply an expression of gratitude for all that God has done for us. God has been gracious, so why shouldn't we be? God has given to us freely and richly, so why would we not be willing to share with others? Selfishness has no place in the body of Christ. A me-centered attitude is antithetical to all that Christ taught and the life that He modeled. So, for Paul, giving was to be a normal and natural part of the believer's life. And what was amazing about the kind of generosity Paul describes is that God is the one who gets the glory, not the giver. Just as misuse of financial assets within the church can damage the reputation of God, our generous giving brings glory and honor to Him. The lost world is given a first-hand glimpse into the goodness of God through the goodness expressed by His children through their overflow of generosity to those in need. Jesus had told His followers that the world would recognize them as His disciples by their love for one another. And loving generosity is a tangible expression of that love.

Ep 308 – 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Oct 23, 2017

Show notes

Integrity. It's a long-lost art. And sadly to say, even within the church, in some instances. And nowhere does a lack of integrity show up more regularly or egregiously than when it comes to the handling of money. And the same was true in Paul's day. That's why he takes time to assure the believers in Corinth that he is a man of integrity, who can be trusted to care for their financial gifts for the needy believers in Jerusalem. He had gone out of his way to ensure that their donations to the cause were going to get where they belonged. No skimming of funds for personal gain. No mishandling or cooking of the books. For Paul, this was about the integrity of the gospel more than anything else. Any mismanagement of the funds given to aid the church in Jerusalem would end up harming the cause of Christ and bring shame to the name of God. So, in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, we will see Paul assuring the Corinthians that he can be trusted. But, in a way, he is teaching them a valuable lesson on personal integrity. All that we do reflects either positively or negatively on the Kingdom of God. How we handle ourselves when it comes to the affairs of the church is vitally important to the reputation of the church.

Ep 307 – 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Oct 22, 2017

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Giving. It's become a dirty word within the church today. We hate sermons that talk about giving. We can't stand it when the church begins yet another giving campaign. It can almost seem like all the church is interested in is money. But in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, we are going to see the apostle Paul unapologetically broach the subject of giving. He isn't embarrassed by it and feels no remorse for asking the Corinthians to generously and sacrificially give to meet the needs of others within the body of Christ – even those living in another part of the world. For Paul, the ultimate model for giving was Jesus Christ Himself, who gave His own life in order that sinful, condemned men and women might be made right with God. Paul describes it this way: "he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." So, why wouldn't believers who have been richly blessed by Christ, be willing to sacrificially give of what they have in order to bless the lives of those in need? For Paul, giving was a privilege, not a burden. It was a right, not a requirement. Giving was another form or worship, passing on the love and grace of God to those who were in need. The degree to which we are generous to others is directly tied to our understanding of God's generosity to us.

Ep 306 – 2 Corinthians 7 Oct 21, 2017

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There is a kind of sorrow that is nothing more than feeling sorry for yourself. You regret what has happened because of something you have done. It has thrown a wrench into your life and made things difficult for you. It has resulted in alienation from others or even open hostility. You regret what you have done because you don't like the ramifications. But then there is the feeling of sorrow over what you have done. That is something different altogether. That kind of sorrow is not tied to the ramifications of your actions, but to the action itself. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul is going to deal with just how vastly different these two kinds of sorrow really are. He will refer to one as worldly sorrow and the other as godly sorrow. And for the believer, there is only one option, because worldly sorrow lacks repentance. It comes with only regret. And regret never results in life change. At least not for long. So, Paul is going to give the Corinthians a brief, but important lesson on what godly sorrow looks like and why it is so important in the life of the believer. At the end of the day, God is looking for true life change. He wants to produce in us a sorrow that will not only regret our sinful actions, but desire to repent of them once and for all. Because that kind of sorrow produces life, joy and peace with God.

Ep 305 – 2 Corinthians 6 Oct 20, 2017

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What does spiritual transformation look like? Is it measurable or even identifiable? For Paul, the answer would be a simple, but resounding, "Yes." His life was proof of the inner transformation that Christ was bringing about within him. Talking about spiritual change proves nothing. Claiming to have a vibrant walk with God is great, but it doesn't amount to a hill of beans if that change doesn't show up in real life. True spiritual transformation has physical and tangible manifestations. They're visible and highly objective, not subjective. They will stand out among the crowd of posers and fakers. And Paul's life was living proof. Even in the midst of trials and tribulation of all kinds, Paul was still sharing the gospel and giving his life to the cause of Christ. He faced rejection and ridicule with a stubborn resolve that was based on the belief that God's power shows up best in the middle of our weakness. That's why he could say, "I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." As we unpack 2 Corinthians 6, Paul is going to give us a much-needed reminder on living out our inner transformation so that all can see it and be blessed by it.

Ep 304 – 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Oct 19, 2017

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What's your purpose in life? Why are you here and what is it you feel compelled to accomplish in the time God gives you on this planet? For Paul, the answers to those two questions were one and the same: To call people back to God. He was single-minded when it came to his life's purpose, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had been commissioned by God to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that a lost and dying world might be reconciled to God. This wasn't just Paul's profession, it was his obsession. It drove his agenda. It motivated his every waking moment. He knew there was no more important task to perform in this life than presenting the message of new life in Christ to those who were dead in their trespasses and sins. It was job number one and he did it well. And as we look at 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, we will hear Paul express his deep-seated belief that this ministry of reconciliation was not his alone. It is the responsibility of each and every individual who calls themselves a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are certainly good deeds to be done and acts of mercy and compassion to be accomplished in the world. But if we fail to share the gospel, we may end up feeding their stomach, but fail to meet the needs of their soul.

Ep 303 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Oct 18, 2017

Show notes

Goals. Some people love them, while others hate them. Some avoid them like the plague. But for the apostle Paul, he had one simple goal: To please God. Gone were the days of ladder-climbing and resume-building. He had no one to impress. He had no earthly achievements to pursue or temporal objectives to reach. For him, it was all about living his life in order to please the one who had called him. That's why he could say that, whether he was dead or alive, his sole ambition was to please God. Today, as we look at 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, we want to get a glimpse into this single-minded outlook of Paul. It isn't that he was against achieving anything in this life. It was that he had a long-term perspective that focused on the hereafter far more than the here-and-now. Yes, he was busy sharing the gospel and traveling near and far to make it happen, but he wasn't out to be the best evangelist on the planet. He could care less whether he made a name for himself or got a lot of credit for all he had done. He knew there was only one person's opinion that mattered when it came to whether he had done a good job. And that was God. Paul saw life on this planet as temporary. He was headed somewhere much better. But he was going make the most of his days here on earth. All so he could one day stand before His maker and hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

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