Correct and Restore!
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Occasionally in an earthly family, a family member can lose his or her way. That person’s behavior can become bizarre, erratic, hurtful, rebellious, sinful, or dangerous. The same is true in My spiritual family. Occasionally one of My disciples will rebel and run after another lifestyle and become enmeshed in sin. Others can stumble or wander away from the truth ensnaring themselves in a life of sin and depravity. And some simply let their hearts grow cold to My way of life and lose passion for Me and the life of faith. In the church as in any family, discipline sometimes must be exercised for the good of the person who has a problem and also to protect other family members who might be easily led astray by a rebellious brother or sister. Discipline can also be useful in preventing shame from being brought on the family of believers because a rebellious person is identified as one of My followers but is living in hypocrisy with blatant disregard for My way. This discipline is also important as a loving strategy to bring the sinful person back into the family fellowship. Today’s verses speak to these kinds of issues in My family of believers. In the first two passages, Paul addresses specific situations in the Corinthian church. The third passage is My teaching during My earthly ministry. Spiritual discipline is for someone who has become entrenched in a lifestyle of sin. This loving discipline is practiced when that person has refused to change his or her lifestyle even after being privately, lovingly, and carefully approached about the sin (Matthew 18:15-17). This kind of discipline must not be done carelessly or selfishly, but lovingly and carefully in an effort to bring that person back into full fellowship with Me and My spiritual family. The approach to this person should never be done arrogantly, but in humility and with deep compassion. One must recognize that any of my disciples could succumb to numerous sins and be dragged away into a lifestyle of destruction (Galatians 6:1-2; James 1:13-15). Discipline in My spiritual family has two goals for the sinful person: correction and restoration. I want My rebellious followers to change their behaviors and return to Me. I want each person who has wandered away, for whatever reason, to be brought back into full fellowship with Me. Spiritual discipline is a recognition that someone is far away from Me and needs to return to Me and My way of life. Spend time in prayer for the one who has wandered from My way and who has been captured by the allure of sin. Ask the Father to be at work in this person’s life to provide an opportunity to come to his or her senses and return to Me (Luke 15:11-24). Work to restore this lost person to your fellowship. After exercising discipline, seek to bring him or her home to My family (Luke 15:1-10). I don’t want you to push people farther away from Me, but to call each person back to grace and to restore each person to active and faithful fellowship. Restoration is the ultimate purpose of all spiritual discipline! Verses to Live The first passage today is from 2 Corinthians and is about a person the Corinthian Christians had spiritually disciplined. The second passage is from 1 Corinthians and is about a problem that the church needed to address and about the needed discipline. As you read these passages, remember the principles I have shared with you today. Read both of Paul’s messages to the Corinthians, and then read My words from My ministry in the third passage. Feel the deep emotions of Paul’s words and also his deep concern for the person who has been disciplined. Your group has great power to lead someone to repentance and forgiveness, so please use this power by demonstrating your love for all those who have wandered away from Me and restore these precious children of the Father. Be certain to notice the goal of spiritual discipline as shown in bold in this first passage; this is a theme that runs through each of these passages. Please bring My lost sheep home to Me! I [Paul] finally determined that I would not come to you again for yet another agonizing visit. If my visits create such pain and sorrow for you, who can cheer me up except for those I’ve caused such grief? This is exactly what I was writing to you about earlier so that when we are face-to-face I will not have to wallow in sadness in the presence of friends who should bring me the utmost joy. For I felt sure that my delight would also become your delight. My last letter to you was covered with tears, composed with great difficulty, and frankly, a broken heart. It wasn’t my intention to depress you or cause you pain; rather, I had hoped you would see it for what it was — a demonstration of the overwhelming love I have for all of you. But if anyone has caused harm, he has not so much harmed me as he has — and I don’t think I’m exaggerating here — harmed all of you. In my view, the majority of you have punished him well enough. So instead of continuing to ostracize him, I encourage you to offer him the grace of forgiveness and the comfort of your acceptance. Otherwise, if he finds no welcome back to the community, I’m afraid he will be overwhelmed with extreme sorrow and lose all hope. So I urge you to demonstrate your love for him once again. I wrote these things to you with a clear purpose in mind: to test whether you are willing to live and abide by all my counsel. If you forgive anyone, I forgive that one as well. Have no doubt, anything that I have forgiven — when I do forgive — is done ultimately
20 Aug 2024
How will we be eulogised? How will we be remembered when we have rested? As we are led by the Lord, may our lives bring hope to those the Lord wants to encourage and may our deeds touch those the Lord wants to touch through us. May we be celebrated for our good deeds and may people smile every time they remember us. Mark 10:45.
Daily Prayer for August 20
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1, NIV Lord our God, grant that we may be your children who receive the Spirit and all they need from you. You strengthen us not only physically but also inwardly, in our hearts, enabling us to face the uncertainties of earthly life and whatever still needs changing in human society. Keep us from giving in to weakness. May your power be always with us. May we have patience and hope, because you are working for the good and we may wait for it in expectation. Amen. Recent articles on Plough In Praise of Physical Work Aston Fearon There’s joy to be found in work that requires muscle, sweat, and skill. Read now Book Tour: Redeeming Abolitionists and Huck Finn Phil Christman Reviewing The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic, The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots, and Percival Everett’s James. Read now In Defense of Democratic Capitalism Larry A. Smith A reader critiques Plough’s Summer 2023 issue on money. Read now On Inner Detachment Meister Eckhart We deafen God day and night with our words, “Lord, thy will be done.” But then when God’s will does happen, we are furious and don’t like it a bit. Read now Poem “Fingered Forgiveness” Laura R. Eckman The poet tells a story of forgiveness. Read now
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? —Isaiah 8:19 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We live in an age when people want to mix the contents of many mystical faiths and spirituality into the boiling pot of a self-made pseudo-Christian religion because they added a little Jesus to their mix. Most do not know that the primary claim of Scripture is simple and straightforward: Only God, the Almighty Yahweh, is truly God, and we must worship only the one true and living God (2 Kings 19:19; Nehemiah 9:6; Matthew 4:10). Only he can be trusted. There are other spiritual powers, but these powers lead to despair, death, and destruction. Jesus, as God who came in human flesh (John 1:14-18; Hebrews 1:1-3), triumphed over all these evil powers for us on the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). So we seek God, YAHWEH, the great “I AM” of Israel, the Almighty because we find life in him. All others are false. We should inquire only of our God! My Prayer… Almighty God, you are holy and majestic. You alone are worthy of our worship. Please rekindle our passion to seek you passionately and truthfully. Reawaken us to your glory so the world may know your grace. We long for the people in our time to honor you appropriately as God. We pray that those around us see Your character and grace reflected in who we are, what we do, and how we live for you. May they be drawn to You because of what they see in us. We long for the nations come to know Your peace and honor You alone as LORD. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Depending on God
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Child of the Father, My people have had to face hostile trials for their faith all throughout history. I’m not talking about the challenges, agonies, and suffering that sometimes go with being mortal or about loving broken people who can disappoint you. These difficulties are part of being human. These burdens of mortality are part of the reason I came to earth and lived among you as one of you (Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 4:14-16). The trials I am addressing today are ostracism, the seizure of property, the loss of jobs, imprisonment, beatings, persecutions, and martyrdom because you entrust your life to Me. I want you to read and be changed by what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians. I want you to notice what is in today’s verses as well as in the parts of 2 Corinthians you will be reading over the next several days. Paul faced many difficult challenges in his life of ministry (2 Corinthians 11:16-30). Some of these difficult challenges nearly cost him his life (Acts 9:22-31; Acts 14:19-20; Acts 23:12-35) years before his actual death (2 Timothy 4:6-8). There are things in 2 Corinthians that Paul wrote after having faced severe challenges in Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus (2 Corinthians 1:8-11; 1 Corinthians 15:32). He was close to losing his life and endured many hardships that are not reported to you in the book of Acts. But if you carefully read Acts and 1 and 2 Corinthians, you get a glimpse of his living through very difficult ordeals while faithfully serving Me and My people. Paul came to realize that he had no power to protect his own life or to deliver himself from death. He had no choice but to rely on Us — Father, Son, and Spirit — to deliver him from death and deliver him back to ministry. In the middle of his horrible ordeals and in spite of the long time he had spent in Corinth, Paul felt the need to explain and defend himself to the Corinthians. He explained how the money for the church in Jerusalem was being handled (2 Corinthians 8:10-24) “so that no one can claim that we [Paul and those with him] are mishandling the funds we’ve collected” (2 Corinthians 8:20). He explained the change in his plans to visit Corinth and that he was sincere in wanting to be with the Christians there again (2 Corinthians 1:12-24). He defended himself as being really as good of an apostle as those who were claiming to be “super apostles” — also called “great emissaries” (2 Corinthians 11:5 The Voice). In particular, he explained that his message and God’s power were the important things. It was not important that he was not an imposing physical presence, not as accomplished an orator, or not as successful by human standards as these “super apostles” who demanded support from the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 10:1-12; 2 Corinthians 11:4-20). Paul demonstrated in 2 Corinthians the character of a true Christian leader. This person finds his or her sufficiency in Me by serving like Me, depending upon Me, and living for Me. A leader’s outward appearance, charisma, and worldly success are not indicative of being My chosen instrument. Too often, because of the representations of Me in your movies and paintings, people forget the great prophet Isaiah’s statements about Me as the Suffering Servant of the Lord: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isaiah 53:2-3 NIV) When Paul spoke of his qualifications as an apostle, he pointed to Me as the Suffering Servant of the Lord. The Corinthians were being lured away by those who appeared to be very talented and charismatic leaders. These false leaders called themselves “super apostles.” Paul challenged the Corinthians to see that their “super apostles” did not measure up to My life and ministry as the Suffering Servant of the Lord. My strength is made perfect in those recognizing their weaknesses, those who know that their strength is found in trusting in My power and relying on Me as their all-sufficient Lord! Verses to Live As you enter into the world of 2 Corinthians in the third passage below, I want you to understand the path that Paul had endured. He had walked a very difficult path as he journeyed through Ephesus, other parts of Asia Minor, and Macedonia, as noted in the first two passages. In the end, Paul realized that there was only One on Whom he could truly depend. He discovered that he could trust “solely in God, Who possesses the power to raise the dead”! As soon as the uproar ended [in Ephesus], Paul gathered the disciples together, encouraged them once more, said farewell, and left on foot. He decided to pass through Macedonia, encouraging believers wherever he found them, and came to Greece. He spent three months there, and then he planned to set sail once again for Syria. But he learned that a group of Jewish opponents was plotting to kill him, so he decided to travel through Macedonia. (Acts 20:1-3) And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I [Paul] face death every day — yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:30-32 NIV) Paul, an emissary of Jesus the Anointed pressed into service by the will of God, and our brother Timothy to God’s church that gathers in Corinth and all the saints in the region of Achaia. May grace and peace from God
19 Aug 2024
May we be able to look beyond our circumstances, because God’s focus on us is still there. He hasn’t forgotten us. May we be able to see what He wants us to do. May we not be so preoccupied with ourselves, that we fail to do His will. There are other people He wants us to assist or situations He would like us to impact for His glory. His eye is on us. It is well. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Daily Prayer for August 19
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25–26, NIV Dear God and our Father, if only we have you, we desire nothing more in heaven or on earth. Body and soul may fail, but you, O God, are the strength and comfort of our hearts and you are ours forever. May we live in your Spirit and may your light shine over us. Touch our hearts and help us understand the greatness of what you call us to. Help us and free us again and again so that we are not bound by fear, even when we must pass through intense suffering. For your hand shall be with us and shall rescue us. Your hand shall bring about good for us and for all the people around us. Our hearts go out to them and we plead for them too, “Lord, send your Savior to all.” Amen. Recent articles on Plough Book Tour: Redeeming Abolitionists and Huck Finn Phil Christman Reviewing The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic, The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots, and Percival Everett’s James. Read now In Defense of Democratic Capitalism Larry A. Smith A reader critiques Plough’s Summer 2023 issue on money. Read now On Inner Detachment Meister Eckhart We deafen God day and night with our words, “Lord, thy will be done.” But then when God’s will does happen, we are furious and don’t like it a bit. Read now Poem “Fingered Forgiveness” Laura R. Eckman The poet tells a story of forgiveness. Read now When Older Is Better Jonathan Coppage There’s a reason vinyl records and photographic film are making a comeback. Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Life is pain… Anyone who says differently is selling you something.” This line from the movie “Princess Bride” is poignantly accurate. However, it is not eternally accurate! Better days are ahead for those of us who follow Jesus, and these better days are far better than anything we can begin to imagine. As the old song says, “O that will be, glory for me… when by Thy grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory, for me.” My Prayer… Please, Almighty God, give me the courage and vision to anticipate from afar the ultimate realization of grace that you have waiting for me. I want to fully believe that you are working to bring me home to you and to that glory — a glory that makes all present sufferings insignificant compared to what you will reveal to me and in me. In Jesus’ name, I anticipate this day as I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Spiritual Power
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, To understand your verses today from the book of Acts, you need to be aware of two challenges facing My early followers in Ephesus. The first issue involved disciples of John the Baptist and My apostle Paul. John was both My cousin and My predecessor in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. John had gained a huge following before I started the primary part of My earthly ministry. Many people were baptized by John as they turned their lives from sin (as they repented) and got ready for My coming. Many who never heard the full story of My coming and the full good news about Me were baptized (Mark 1:4-8). In Ephesus, Paul met a group of these disciples who had been baptized by John. They had a fundamental gap in their understanding: they knew nothing about the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s connection to spiritual rebirth, to the gospel, and to baptism (John 3:3-7; Acts 2:36-39; Titus 3:3-7). Paul taught the importance of the Spirit: But you do not live in the flesh. You live in the Spirit, assuming, of course, that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. The truth is that anyone who does not have the Spirit of the Anointed living within does not belong to God. (Romans 8:9) So Paul taught these disciples of John in Ephesus the truth about Me and the Spirit and then baptized them. Paul then laid his hands on them, and they received the Spirit in a demonstrable way just as Jews did at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21; Acts 2:32-39), Samaritans did after Philip’s ministry (Acts 8:14-17), and Gentiles did with the conversion of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:34-48). In this same way, the Holy Spirit also made clear that the people in Ephesus who had been baptized by John had become My disciples. A second issue was the challenge that demonic power represented for faithful disciples in Ephesus. Not only was Ephesus one of the Mediterranean world’s four largest cities and an important port, but this city was also the most important banking center in the Mediterranean world. When you think of banking centers in your world today, you think of financial institutions. However, Ephesus was an important banking center for Asia Minor because of the many temples, the places where money was exchanged, held, and connected to religions. Ephesus was a huge place where eastern cultures, western cultures, and ancient magical spiritual practices collided. Pilgrims came from all over the world to receive healing, to have demons cast out of people they loved, and to connect to spiritual powers of all kinds. In addition to preaching and teaching, Paul did all sorts of miracles showing My power at work through him. The people of Ephesus needed to know I was more powerful than the false gods and demons they worshiped. If Paul’s great miracles were not enough to convince them, the confrontation of demons with the sons of Sceva demonstrated that My power was stronger than the demons and could not be manipulated! This story, both humorous and sad, should serve as a reminder to you of what Paul said to the Ephesians when he wrote to them later: Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12) I want you to realize today that when I sent the Holy Spirit to you at your conversion, I sent you Our — Father, Son, and Spirit’s — presence and power. My victory over sin, death, and demons was won in the cross and the resurrection and gives you spiritual power. While you live in a world where sin, death, and demons influence many things, these forces no longer have power over you and can no longer control you if you follow Me (Colossians 1:9-13). Verses to Live The challenge for believers in Ephesus revolved around Our spiritual power — My disciples had it and there were impostors aligned with demons who didn’t have that ultimate power. My disciples demonstrated through their lives and their actions that I have the power over all demonic forces and that the Holy Spirit gives My disciples confidence not to live in superstition and fear. While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul’s overland journey brought him back to Ephesus. He encountered a group of about a dozen disciples there. Paul: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers? John’s Disciples: We’ve never heard about the Holy Spirit. Paul: Well then, what kind of ceremonial washing through baptism did you receive? John’s Disciples: We received the ritual cleansing of baptism that John taught. Paul: John taught the truth — that people should be baptized with renewed thinking and turn toward God. But he also taught that the people should believe in the One Whose way he was preparing, that is, Jesus the Anointed. As soon as they heard this, they were baptized, this time in the name of our Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them in the same way the original disciples experienced at Pentecost: they spoke in tongues and prophesied. For three months, Paul continued his standard practice: he went week by week to the synagogue, speaking with great confidence, arguing with great persuasiveness, proclaiming the kingdom of God. Once again, some members of the synagogue refused to believe and insulted the Way publicly before the whole synagogue community. Paul withdrew and took those with him who had become disciples. For the next two years, he used the public lecture hall of Tyrannus, presenting the Word of the Lord
Daily Prayer for August 18
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23–24, NIV Thank you, great God and Father, for filling our hearts with trust so that we are of good hope, also for those who have not yet found trust. Thank you for giving us courage to face all the questions that arise in human life and for accepting us again and again when we come to you. You know what lies before us. You know the mountains that have to be moved. You know all the things that frustrate us and try to wear us out, and you will take them away. At last your light will shine into all the darkness. This certainty fills us with gladness and thanksgiving. In this faith we are determined to remain steadfast and to press on to victory. Amen. Recent articles on Plough In Defense of Democratic Capitalism A reader critiques Plough’s Summer 2023 issue on money. Read now On Inner Detachment Meister Eckhart We deafen God day and night with our words, “Lord, thy will be done.” But then when God’s will does happen, we are furious and don’t like it a bit. Read now Poem “Fingered Forgiveness” Laura R. Eckman The poet tells a story of forgiveness. Read now When Older Is Better Jonathan Coppage There’s a reason vinyl records and photographic film are making a comeback. Read now Better than Success Johann Christoph Arnold Success in parenting is helping your child find a purpose in life. Read now