Title: The Test / Topic: Self-Examination

Today’s Reading: Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 11; 2 Corinthians 12; 2 Corinthians 13

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5 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?

Observation: Paul instructs the Corinthian Christians to "examine" themselves. They are to look at their lives and examine and test themselves to see whether they are in the faith.

Application: These days there is not much encouragement to do this. In fact, there is a general assumption that those who attend church are truly Christians. But are they? Are you? I think it is a good thing for every person to ask, "What is my standing before God?" "Am I living my life with Jesus as Lord or am I self-directing?" If every Christian would be conscientious to ask these questions and repent if the answers cause concern, there would be a purifying effect on the church. Let's examine ourselves, be earnest, and repent.

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep a watchful eye on our lives and not live on autopilot. May we perform regular checkups to insure that we are indeed following You and not simply walking our own way with a "Christian" label on it. Show me areas and ways in which I am out of sync with You and help me line up with Your will and ways.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Rich In Every Way / Topic: True Riches

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 7; 2 Corinthians 8; 2 Corinthians 9; 2 Corinthians 10

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:10-11
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Observation: Fantastic! God want to bless us -- in every way. Look at what Paul says: "You will be made rich in every way!" Rich is the word he uses. This is a powerful word. Our culture is schizophrenic about "rich" -- on one hand, everybody wants to be rich; on the other hand, we resent the rich. But Paul says "rich in every way." That means spiritually, physically, relationally, and financially, etc. -- in every way. But notice the purpose: "so that you can be generous." God wants to bless us so that we can bless others.

Application: So I think that God will not entrust His riches to those who are selfish. (Indeed, selfish people do get rich, but it is not God who enriches them, they do it on their own, through hard work, persistence, and even sometimes nefarious means.) But for the believer, we should seek to grow in a heart of giving and in the practice of giving -- at whatever our level of want or surplus. When God sees that heart and the practice of giving, He will "increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your character of giving and your heart of sharing. I want to reflect Your character with a life of selflessness empowered by You. I pray that You will find me worthy of the entrustment of Your riches so that I may be a conduit of blessing to Your world.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Divine Purpose Of Destiny / Topic: The Struggle

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 3; 2 Corinthians 4; 2 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 6

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Observation: I love this passage. Paul highlights the distinction between what is visible, the outward struggles and difficulties, and what is invisible, the inward growth and blessings. And he makes the point that while we may struggle with "light and momentary afflictions" (as the King James Version puts it), they cannot compare to the true and lasting value of the "eternal glory" that God is instilling in us through the process. And best of all, the outer stuff, the stuff we see and struggle with, is temporary -- while the inner stuff, the unseen stuff, is eternal. It is who we are forever.

Application: Be encouraged! We will not always struggle. And even the struggles we face each day are accomplishing an eternal goal that makes it all worthwhile. Don't give up! Don't give in! Keep working for the payoff in eternity. It is absolutely worth it!

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, that You are doing a work in my life, even through the trials and testings and difficult things I face. Help me to always remember that there is a divine purpose of destiny that is being accomplished in my life. And help me to stay faithful and focused through it all. May I please You with the way I live in diligence and perseverance for my strengthening and for Your glory.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Keep Your Wits / Topic: Spiritual Warfare

Today’s Reading: Job 41; Job 42; 2 Corinthians 1; 2 Corinthians 2

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Observation: Interesting! Satan has schemes. Paul says "we are not unaware of his schemes." That may have been true for Paul but is that true for us? I'm not so sure.

Application: Too often I see Christians not only unaware of Satan's schemes but even cooperating with them! Naive Christians are easy prey for Satan. We have to keep our wits -- to be savvy and alert. We must pray. We have an enemy who is clever and powerful. But we have an Advocate who is even more powerful. So we have to be more tuned in to Him and in sync with His will and ways.

Prayer: Lord, enlighten my mind to understand and walk in Your ways. Alert me to the schemes of the enemy and assist me in neutralizing his efforts. May I advance Your Kingdom and keep the enemy on defense as we push forward against the very gates of hell.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Musical, Singing, Dancing Army / Topic: Spiritual Warfare

Today’s Reading: Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Corinthians 16

Scripture: Psalm 149
1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song...
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp...
5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them.
This is the glory of all his saints.
Praise the LORD.

Observation: What an amazing psalm! It starts out so sweet and nice: singing, praising, dancing, musical instruments, and so forth. It sounds like a nice worship service. Then it shifts a little: "sing for joy on their beds" -- what's that all about? But wait, there's more! It gets really weird in verse 6: "May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands!" This is not so sweet and nice. And it continues to the end of the psalm. What does it mean?

Application: It sounds like a musical, singing, dancing army. And that is exactly what it is. But the music and singing and dancing isn't a distraction from the fighting, it is the fighting! This psalm describes a warfare but it is not the military kind -- it is spiritual warfare. I want to share four main points from this psalm:

1. Spiritual warfare is fought in both the spiritual and physical realm. "May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands" The spiritual warrior does one thing in the physical realm and there is a corresponding yet different thing that occurs in the spiritual realm.
2. There is a level of bondage and oppression that is ongoing and that we cannot detect with the five senses but that is real nonetheless. If we ignore it, we and others suffer. But if we will act in obedience, we can actually bind the enemy, preventing them from carrying out their evil designs. "...bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron."
3. Our enemies have already been judged and condemned and there has been a "sentence written against them." It is in spiritual warfare that this sentence is carried out.
4. This spiritual warfare is not something limited to an exclusive group. The last phrase makes that clear: "This is the glory of all his saints." For all of us who are believers and belong to God, this is for all of us!

Prayer: Lord, help me to understand and participate in the fullest in this worship/warfare. May I be effective in doing my part to defeat the enemy in the spiritual realm. Help me not to hold back and worry about what other people think. May I be joyous in worshiping You and faithful in warring against our enemies in every way I can.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: My Call / Topic: Ministry

Today’s Reading: Job 39; Job 40; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Corinthians 14

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:3-4, 26
3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 ...he who prophesies edifies the church.

Observation: Paul is addressing the Corinthian Christians on spiritual gifts as they have been having some problems in the church with a confusing misuse of the gifts. In these verses, he is contrasting the person who prophesies, speaking in the language of the hearers, and the one who speaks in tongues, speaking in an unknown language.

Application: As I read these words, they speak to me. My call is that of the one who prophesies. I want to speak to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort, edifying (that is beautifully building up) the church. But it's not just the pastor that has this call. Every person who speaks as a Christian in ministry, whether as a teacher, counselor, or mentor, has this call. We must take responsibility to watch our words and make the most of the opportunities that God gives us to gift our words to our hearers.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom and courage to fully answer the call that You have placed on my life. Make my message effective for building up people. Lord, I want to be the blessing that You want me to be.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: A Gaping Hole / Topic: The Church

Today’s Reading: Job 37; Job 38; 1 Corinthians 12

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Observation: This is how it is supposed to be in the church. But I do not think this is how it is. If we really understood and accepted this as true, we would be much more involved with and dedicated to others in our church family.

Application: As it is, I think most Christians are just fine to let the other people suffer. I don't mean to say that we get any sort of perverse pleasure out of it -- we feel sorry when people in the church family have some sort of suffering. But we don't really want to discomfort ourselves when addressing the suffering of others. "I'll pray for you," we may say. But if what is necessary to help them might really cost me, I'll just stop with the prayer thing.

Bottom line: I think the church in general has a weakness in the area of understanding the depths of unity. The implications of Paul's statement are truly staggering. But I think we are a long way from getting it.

Prayer: Lord, help us to get it -- to truly be willing to lay our lives down for our friends. Give Your church the kind of love that Jesus prayed for in the Garden.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.