DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- EQUALITY

 EQUALITY
II Corinthians 8:13-15
 
"For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance may also supply your lack – that there may be equality. As it is written, 'He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.' "
 
Economic prosperity ebbs and flows in our lives. Sometimes we have abundance, and sometimes we need help. This is the body of Christ at work, meeting one another's needs. I do not believe that this is a socialist mandate to "redistribute the wealth." Rather it is opportunity to show the love of Christ by supplying what someone else needs. As John said, "Whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (I John 3:17). This requires two things on my part: an open heart to share and sensitivity to see another person's need. I need to freely share with others because there may come a time when I need someone to share with me.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God blesses us with economic abundance, not just for heaping blessing on ourselves, but for blessing others who are in need.
 
[end]
 
Have an "equality" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A WILLING HEART

 A WILLING HEART
II Corinthians 8:12
 
"For if there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."
 
Giving to God's kingdom should never be out of a sense of "I have to," but from a heart that says, "I want to." When the Tabernacle was being built during the journey from Egypt to Canaan, God said, "Speak to the children of Israel that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering" (Exodus 25:2). God is more interested in a love-gift from a willing heart than a duty-gift from obligation. Late in this letter, Paul makes it clear: "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity [margin: by compulsion]; for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7). The attitude of the heart is what God cares about – not the amount. If my heart is right, I will give joyfully and liberally.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God accepts the gifts that are given from a willing, joyful heart.
 
[end]
 
Have a "willing heart" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PROCRASTINATION

 PROCRASTINATION
II Corinthians 8:10-11
 
"And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, but now you must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there must be a completion out of what you have."
 
Manana! One of my favorite words. Why do today what you can do tomorrow? The problem is that the days slip by, then the weeks, and months, and years, and I still haven't done it. How many times have I said, "I want to .....", but never get around to doing it. Paul is referring to giving offerings, but it could apply to most anything – prayer, Bible study, dieting, visiting a friend, or any other good thing. I start the project but don't complete it. I've decided it is better to do it expeditiously than to have it niggling on my brain. It is better to get it done than to say a year  -- or a life -- later, "shoulda, woulda, coulda."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When it comes to doing something good, just do it without procrastinating.
 
[end]
 
Have a "today" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OH, WHAT LOVE!

OH, WHAT LOVE
II Corinthians 8:9
 
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
 
Oh, what love! This is one of the most precious descriptions of the incarnation. He left the glories and majesty of heaven and gave up His position as ruler of heaven in order to come to this earth to save me. He not only sacrificed His body in death, but He sacrificed all of heaven so that He could give me His righteousness and allow me to go to His heaven. This makes any sacrifice I might make for Him to seem paltry and insignificant.   Again I say, Oh what love.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The Lord Jesus sacrificed all of the glories of heaven in order to share His riches with me.
 
[end]
 
Have a thankful day. Love you.

]COMPETE CHRISTIAN

THE COMPLETE CHRISTIAN
II Corinthians 8:6-8

"So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, that he would also complete this grace [of giving] in you as well. But as you abound in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us – see that you abound in this grace also."
 
The Corinthians had it all. God had blessed them abundantly. But they still had one area of growth to make them complete. Often the last thing to get saved is the wallet. Paul is making a pun here because the word in Greek for grace  [charis]  is related to the Greek word  for gift [charismata] ." It is the grace of giving. It makes no difference how gifted I am in faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love. I am not complete until I have not learned the joy of giving.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Without the grace of giving, the Christian life is incomplete.
 
[end]
 
Have a "complete" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GIVING 101

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GIVING 101: THE FIRST STEP TOWARD FINANCIAL FREEDOM
II Corinthians 8:5
 
"And not only as we had hoped, but they [the Macedonians] first gave themselves ot the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
 
GIVING 101. This is lesson number one in the School of Financial Freedom. The first step to having a liberal spirit is to give myself to the Lord. If I understand that I belong to Him and that everything I have comes from Him and belongs to Him, then I will be free to give back to Him. I am not my own. Whatever He has blessed me with materially is so that I can bless Him and others. I am only a steward – not an owner – of His resources.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Giving oneself to Jesus is the first step to financial freedom.
 
[end]
 
Have a "giving" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MACEDONIAN PRINCIPLE OF GIVING

THE MACEDONIAN PRINCIPLE
II Corinthians 8:1-4
 
"Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."
 
When our assembly, which is small and poor, began a program to support a missionary, there were some who said, "Why should we sent money to a missionary when we have so many needs in our own church?" But others understood the Macedonian Principle: that God will bless people who give to support Kingdom work, even though they themselves are poor. Jesus said, "Give and it will be given unto you." God's word is true. Giving is not based on how much I have, but on a liberal spirit. The grace of God will be bestowed on those who give to His work with joy and liberality, even out of their poverty and great trials of affliction.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  God will bestow His blessing on those who -- even in great poverty and affliction --  give to support kingdom work.
 
[end]
 
Have a giving day. Love you.
 
P.S. Yesterday's scripture should have read II Corinthians 7:13-14, not 8:13-14.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ANTIDOTE TO ENVY

ANTIDOTE TO ENVY
II Corinthians 8:13-14a
 
"Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceeding more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted about you, I am not ashamed."
 
Paul was blessed because the Corinthians were blessed and because Titus was blessed. The ability to be happy when other people are blessed is an antidote to envy, jealousy, and self-pity. A spirit that is free from these bondages can truly "rejoice exceeding" when God blesses other people.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Being able to rejoice when other people are blessed is an antidote to envy.
 
[end]
 
Have a rejoicing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CARE FOR THE FLOCK

CARE FOR THE FLOCK
II Corinthians 7:12
 
"Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you."
 
Paul was writing as a shepherd of the flock in Corinth. His concern for the church as a whole was more important than for the individuals involved in the sin. In his first letter, Paul had told the church to "put away from yourselves the evil person" because "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (see I Corinthians 5:1-12). Recently, the pastor of a local assembly had to ban a child-molester from attending the church that he pastored. This seems harsh, but he had the responsibility of protecting the flock – especially children. The safety of the flock was more important than the individual sheep. God loves and cares about everyone – even sinners – but the pastor's care for the majority takes precedence over the few.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A pastor must sometimes discipline individual members of the church because he is responsible for the safety and
well-being of the entire flock.
 
[end]
 
Have an understanding day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GODLY SORROW

GODLY SORROW
II Corinthians 7:8-10
 
"For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it....Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
 
When sin is identified, there are two possible responses. I can either be sorry that I was caught and try to and cover my sin with excuses and rationalizations; or I can be sorry that I violated God's standard of holiness, confess it and repent. One produces death and the other life. One produces bondage, and the other freedom. One produces regret, the other cleansing. The Corinthians responded in a godly way with diligence, indignation, fear, zeal, and strong desire that cleared their conscience (vs. 11). That is what godly sorrow produces.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Godly sorrow for sin leads to repentance and cleansing.
 
[end]
 
Have a godly day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- INSIDE WERE FEARS

INSIDE WERE FEARS
II Corinthians 7:5-6
 
"For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. "
 
Paul was not a super-human. Sometimes it almost seems that Paul was larger than life and never experienced any of the struggles normal people encounter. Here is a glimpse of Paul that is not often seen. He struggled with fear and discouragement because of the external troubles he faced.. He had his times of being downcast. But in the midst of his inner turmoil, God sent another human to comfort and encourage him. We all need the encouragement and comfort of others from time to time. It is like the old story of a little girl who was afraid to go to bed. Her daddy tried to encourage her by saying, "But Jesus is here with you." She answered, "But I need to feel a body." We also get to be a Titus to others who are going through inner fear to encourage and strengthen them. Lord, let me be a Titus today.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God uses humans to comfort and encourage humans.
 
[end]
 
Have a day of encouraging and being encouraged. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRICKY BUSINESS

TRICKY BUSINESS
II Corinthians 7:4
 
"Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation."
 
Speaking boldly is a two-sided coin. On the one side is criticism; on the other side is praise. It is easier to praise someone than to identify his or her blind spot. This takes a special relationship (which Paul had with the Corinthians). Criticism requires open hearts of both the giver and receiver (vss. 2-3). Plus, I need to have a clear conscience myself that has removed the speck in my own eye before I try to remove a log in someone else's eye (Matthew 7:3-5). But when it is done properly, it bring great joy and comfort. In any event, correcting some else is a tricky business.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Great care must be taken in both criticizing and praising someone else.
 
[end]
 
Have a careful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NO GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET

NO GHOSTS IN THE CLOSET
II Corinthians 7:2-3
 
"Open Your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn, for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together."
 
To have a clear conscience that can say, as far as I know, I have not wronged or cheated anyone, or caused them evil, is a priceless treasure. This is living with integrity. There are no ghosts in the closet that I have to hide or protect. So I can live and even die without fear that something will be exposed. This is a necessary ingredient for open relationships.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Living with a clear conscience allows an open heart to other people.
 
[end]
 
Have a clear day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KEEPING CLEAN

KEEPING CLEAN
II Corinthians 7:1
 
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
 
When I received Christ as Savior and was born again, I received a new life. I was cleansed from sin, sanctified, and justified before Him. And because of my faith in Jesus, He continues to cleanse me and make me righteous before Him. That is my positional standing before God. But as I live out my salvation in this world, it is my practical responsibility to keep my flesh and my spirit clean. It is like clothes. When I buy a new shirt, it is clean. But as I wear it, it picks up dirt from the world around me, and needs to be put in the washing machine. I do not expect the manufacturer to keep it clean. When I received my new life in Christ, I was cleansed, but as I live in this world, I pick up its filth in my flesh and spirit and need to be washed. This is a continual process. There are two motivations for keeping clean: God's promises, and the fear of God. John put it this way: "Everyone who has this hope [the promise of seeing Jesus in heaven] purifies himself" (I John 3:3). I want to keep my flesh and my spirit free from the filth of the world.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God cleanses us from sin, but gives us the responsibility of keeping our flesh and spirit clean from the filthiness of the world.

[end]
 
Have a clean day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE TEMPLE

THE TEMPLE
II Corinthians 6:16
 
"And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God."
 
This reminds me of the issue Nehemiah faced. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem from Babylon to rebuild the walls, there was an Ammonite official – Tobiah – who opposed him. He laughed at Nehemiah and despised him (Nehemiah 2:10, 19). After rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah returned to Babylon. Later, he came back to Jerusalem, and to his astonishment, Tobiah had been given a room in the temple by Elishabib, the priest. This caused Nehemiah much grief and he "threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room" and commanded the room to be cleansed (Nehemiah 13:4-9). What a picture of believers who want it both ways – God and the world. They make room in their temple for ungodly alliances. God says, "Come out and be separate...do not touch what is unclean" (II Corinthians 6:17). We are the temple of the living God. It should cause us grief when the temple is defiled. God is holy and we are responsible for keeping the temple clean. Lord Jesus, keep me sensitive to sin. 
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The believer is responsible for keeping the temple clean by not making room for the unholy in speech, thought, and action.
 
[end]
 
Have a clean day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A COMMON DENOMINATOR

A COMMON DENOMINATOR
II Corinthians 6:14-15
 
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness and lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has believer with an unbeliever?"
 
Ah, how well I remember the stress of grade school math. I had a hard time understanding the basic principles of arithmetic, especially adding and subtracting fractions. In order to mesh the fractions, there must be a common denominator. I struggled to solve these problems. When trying to mesh believers and unbelievers, Paul is saying there is no core common denominator for real sharing and communion (koinoia) . There may be things they can agree on, but the basic philosophies are in opposition. If the believer is walking in the light of the Gospel, then Jesus is Lord, and that is alien to the unbeliever. The only way to mesh a believer and an unbeliever is compromising core beliefs, and that degrades one's faith.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When it comes to core beliefs, there is no common denominator between believers and unbelievers.
 
[end]
 
Have an uncompromising day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN OPEN HEART

AN OPEN HEART
II Corinthians 6:11, 13
 
"O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open....Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open."
 
Communication is speaking the truth from an open heart to an open heart. This is uncommon and requires a special relationship. It is hard because the person giving the advice is afraid that the other person will have a closed heart and reject, misunderstand, or be offended. I admit that it is difficult for me to take advice. But personal growth comes when I can receive with an open heart what another person says from an open heart. Assuming that the advice is spoken in love and is not from a heart of malice or bitterness, I need to have an open heart to hear what other people have to say to me so I can grow up in all things (Ephesians 4:15). O God, help me to have an open heart to speak and to hear.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Communication requires an open heart to speak and an open heart to hear.
 
[end]
 
Have an open-hearted day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECEIVING GOD'S GRACE IN VAIN

RECEIVING GOD'S GRACE IN VAIN
II Corinthians 6:1-2
 
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation."
 
What does it mean to "receive the grace of God in vain"? I think it might mean to believe in Christ for salvation, but then go my own way, living my own life like I want, pleasing myself, and leaving God out of the picture. After Paul lists all his sufferings for Christ and the sake of the Gospel (vss. 3-10) – a life he probably would not have chosen for himself – he told the Corinthians, "You are restricted by your own affections" (vs. 12). They were not maturing in their Christian walk because they were living for themselves. They had received the Gospel in vain and then left God behind. They had received salvation in the past, but were not living it "today." They were stunted in their spiritual growth because they were living according to their own desires. There are many who have received God's gift of salvation but are spiritual dwarfs because they leave God out of their daily lives. Trusting God is a day by day, minute by minute existence. I do not want to be a spiritual pygmy.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Accepting Christ's salvation is not a one-time experience but a day by day living for Him.
 
[end]
 
Have a God-centered day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE GREAT EXCHANGE

THE GREAT EXCHANGE
II Corinthians 5:21
 
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
 
What an amazing thing! I stand in awe that the holy and righteous God, through no sin of His own, became sin when He died on the cross, so that I, through no righteousness of my own, might become the righteousness of God. The has been called "The Great Exchange." The believer exchanges his sin for God's righteousness. Even though I still sin, God does not see me as a sinner but sinless in Christ because the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7). What a wonderful thing!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The Believer lives an exchanged life – his sin exchanged for Christ's righteousness.
 
[end]
 
Have an "exchanged" day. Love you.
 
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GOD'S PLEA FOR RECONCILIATION

GOD'S PLEA FOR RECONCILIATION
II Corinthians 5:19-20
 
"That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, we implore you, be reconciled to God."
 
Tommy is a gentleman here in the park who is into "new age" ideology. When I try to share the Gospel with him, he says, "I am a follower of Jesus, but he is not my savior. He was only a good man who said good things and showed us how to live." Jesus said that his mission was to seek and to save the lost – those who are separated from God (Luke 19:10). He came, not just so we could live a good life in this world, but so that our sin could be forgiven and we could go to heaven to be with God. That can only happen through the reconciliation of Christ. There is no other way because Jesus is the Way, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). God wants fellowship with us  so very much that He sent Jesus to suffer and die for it. God wants us to be with Him, and is pleading to a lost world, "Be reconciled to God."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God is pleading with sinners to be reconciled to Himself through the sacrifice of Jesus.
 
[end]
 
Have a "fellowship with God" day. Love you.
 
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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECONCILIATION

RECONCILIATION
II Corinthians 5:18
 
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation."
 
Reconciliation. When my checkbook does not balance with the bank statement, there is turmoil in my mind. I cannot change the bank statement so I have to find the error I made in my checkbook. But what a relief when I find and correct the problem and bring them into agreement – that is reconciliation. When two married people who are estranged by their differences are able to admit their faults, and come back into relationship – that's reconciliation. When I recognize that my life is estranged from God, admit that I have sinned and repent, and through Christ come back into relationship – that's reconciliation. God does the reconciling but He does not change Himself to agree with me. I have to admit the problem in my own life and then come into agreement with God that I have sinned. Then He reconciles me to Himself. What a wonderful word – reconciliation.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When we recognize that we are estranged from God by sin and repent, then God reconciles us and brings us back into fellowship with Himself.
 
[end]
 
Have a reconciled day. Love you.
 
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