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  Churches of God today must mimic Jesus’ apostles teaching by not giving occasion for anyone to take personal offence. Any offence given should be from Jesus’ messaging through His apostles and prophets. Paul taught it.

  (2Cor 6:3-10; We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. But as God’s servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed; as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.)

    If anyone could boast about keeping the faith Paul could, giving no credit to the flesh. To the Galatians and all believers Paul confessed, as all should be able, ‘he lived by grace, as fleshly dead, and Christ in him.

    (Galatians 2:20-21; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ LIVES in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing.)

    Our gifted righteousness is only through Jesus Christ living within. No amount of doing, pledging, or making membership with an assembly can change people’s inherited nature. A necessary change to inherit eternal life and His kingdom.  

    (2Cor 6:11-13; We have spoken freely to you Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. Our affection for you is not restricted, but you are restricted in your affections for us. Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my children – open wide your hearts to us also.)

    Paul shared his sinful past, particularly his persecuting God’s Way people. Sharing his conversion experience, and is a good witness for us. (Detailing past sins isn’t necessary for opening wide one’s mistakes, in order to display genuine love.)

    (2Cor 6:14-18; Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar, or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the All-Powerful Lord.) See Lev 26:12, Jer 32:38, Isa 52:11, Ezek 20:41, 2 Sam 7:14, & Isaiah 43:6

    Believers IN Jesus are called to be His ambassadors. Christians can’t communicate within religious assemblies of deceived people, because there’s nothing in common. (Witnessing against is by not associating in their worship.) Doing what seems right to the fleshly mind is idolatry. Only God has the authority to say, what’s spiritually right, wrong, good and evil.

     Almighty God: Thank You for the knowledge, ‘we can only worship You in spirit and truth when You’re revealed to our minds.’ Make us mindful, ‘when we love You, it’s because You first loved us.’ Thanks for creating a Jesus likeness in each believer, revealing Your saving plan, which is gifting the desire and effort to be at one with You. AMEN.

    In Paul’s letters to the Corinthians he pulled no punches about the fact that God is all in all, and knew us from the beginning. Consider too; Jesus’ Words to Israel through Isaiah, regarding His control, future plans, and revealing that Christians are spiritual Israelites.

    (Isaiah 43:1-6; Now this is what the Lord says, the One who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. I am the Lord your God the Holy One of Israel your Deliverer. I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price, Ethiopia and Seba, in place of you. Since you are precious, special in My sight, and I love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your life. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. From the east I will bring your descendants; from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’ Bring My sons from distant lands, and My daughters from the remote regions of the earth, everyone who belongs to Me, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed – yes, whom I made!)

    Read the above twice and ask ‘am I included?’

    Our Creator has always known His people! His promises to Abraham include all who are led to Believe IN Jesus. (Gal 3:29; If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s descendants, and heirs according to the promise.) Now Paul gets personal with God’s church at Corinth.

     (2Cor 7:1-10; Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God. Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering. For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way – struggles from the outside, fears from within. But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time). Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.)

     WORLDLY sadness is of the flesh, mostly emotional over personal cares and losses. Sadness comes for many things that amount to nothing. To be sad over sin, and repent is of great value. The congregation at Corinth, becomes our example. They removed the pagan conduct surrounding them.

    (2Cor 7:11-16; For see, this very thing, this sadness is as God intended, has produced IN YOU; what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God. Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well. And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.)

     Corinthian’s fear was not a fear of Titus or Paul; but a respect for the messages Jesus gave through His servants. (Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7) Moral knowledge, and godly traditional values taught by parents are good, but to live them out of respect for God’s Way is better.

    (2Cor 8:1-7; Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their generosity. For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily, begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping the Saints. And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Thus we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, so also he should complete this act of kindness for you. But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you – make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.)

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     (The focus of Jesus’ good news is, (1) a new covenant after the death of THE Testator, for the called, selected, believers. (Heb 9:14-17; How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth.) KJ translation. (2) Promises to those made are perpetual.  See Isaiah 22:, 35:, 51:-53:, & 65. Jeremiah 31: & Amos 9:11-15, for starters. (3) God is family and through God the Son is eternal life. (4) Jesus is going to return and be the King of Kings on planet earth. (5) Demise of Satan, and all evil is certain.) Jesus, His prophets and each apostle revealed these things in principle.

    (2Cor 5:6-10; Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.)

      About this faith let’s read Heb 11;1-2; Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. For by it, the people of old received God’s commendation.) By it we desire to please God. It’s gifted to those called to Love Jesus as He manifest Himself in Holy Scripture.

    Jesus’ Word, ‘in the world but not of the world’ is alive in true Believers. When exposed to paganism during the equinox celebratory season, few take time to discover the origin of the customs they practice. Initially the shortest day of the year was celebrated by sun worshipers, who thought their prayers caused days to be lengthen again. When organized religion began using Jesus’ name to consolidate and recruit various pagan factions, they ingeniously fictionalize Jesus’ birth date to coincide with the winter equinox. Few realize the divisionary degree of their practices on the cause of wars. Both major Catholic groups and their protesting counter parts, chose differing dates to celebrate a fictitious birth date for Jesus. In the USA and Eastern nations, Orthodox Catholics use the Judean Calendar and celebrate Christmas on about January 7; while Roman Catholics in western nations using the Roman calendar, celebrate December 25. (Followers of Jesus, are in the world but not of this world’s practices, and are vexed in spirit by this world’s celebratory practices.

    As Lord of the Sabbaths, (See Matt 12:8) Jesus celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in His 7^th month, 15^th through 22^nd, and on that eighth day, ‘the the seventh of seven annual Sabbaths (Last Great Day.) He stood up and shouted out, (If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and let the one who believes IN Me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’ Now Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed IN Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) See John 7:37-39, Isaiah 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zechariah 14:8.

The apostles’ letters were to God’s Church.

    People called to follow Jesus, ‘assemblies known as The Churches of God.’ People Paul served were in large parts non-Israelites who came out of pagan cultures as they heard and believed the good news about Jesus. Before believing IN, these were much like folks all around us. Denominationalist were demonically led to worship carved images, statutes, tradition, make gods of the heavenly bodies, look to signs, and constantly changing times and customs. Seemingly Abraham’s God and our Savior Jesus Christ had not been proclaimed in the city of Corinth before Paul.

    Understand, ‘until Jesus is revealed, people worship what seems right. Paul’s and our mission is to, make our Creator God known.

    (2Cor 5:11-16; Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart. For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, ‘that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised.’ So then, from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know Him in that way any longer.)

    From within our inherited fleshly nature, we naturally look to personalities as Paul admits they did, rather than the message when Jesus was in the flesh. No real problem until Jesus’ message is revealed to the mind. WHEN His message is revealed, ‘the called obey based on Jesus’ love.’

    (2Cor 5:17; So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!)

    HOW can a person be a new creation, unless, ‘born again?’ Then old desires pass away and new desires are yielded to. See John 3:3 & 7.

    (2Cor 5:18-19; And all these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and He has given us the message of reconciliation.)

     God the Father made the first move, when He reconciled us to Himself through, and by revealing Jesus. Note the past tense. WHAT does that make us; who are reconciled?

    (2Cor 5:20-21; Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God!’ God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God.)

    What’s an ambassador’s duty? To know the Ways and characteristics of the one being represented. God is making His plea to us as we study His Word. We pass the plea on as His ambassadors. Living Jesus’ Way, putting on His righteousness, becomes our way. As ambassadors for Christ, we need to understand the depth of His love. We need to know that Jesus was with His Father, recreating this earth and created Adam. (Review Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:1-5 and Heb 1:1-4.)

    Jesus’ loved us back then, knew the sacrifice He’d make in reconciling us, and the world to His Father, through that love, we know He loved us first. His Love for us is beyond our natural understanding.

    (2Cor 6:1-2; Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!) (Quote Isa 49:8)

    It’s time to ask of ourselves; ‘do I truly understand who Jesus is?’ When we know we understand, it’s time to acknowledge, it’s because He revealed Himself. We can’t understand or know Jesus spiritually from within intellect, our goodness, nor another’s understanding. Some may understand, ‘it’s by grace, and put off genuine repentance.’ PAUL explained to the Ephesians Church of God people.

    (Eph 2:4-10; But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! – and He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is NOT from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is NOT from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His workmanship, having been CREATED in Christ Jesus for good works that God PREPARED BEFOREHAND so we may do them.) Note the past tense.

     When people believe, ‘it’s God’s workmanship.’ Calling and mercy belongs to God! We cannot praise ourselves for our understanding, boast or give credit to another individual, because all truth, regardless of where it comes emits from God. Paul shared the same through Timothy.

    (2Tim 1:9-10; He is the One who saved us and CALLED us with a holy calling, not based on OUR works but on His own PURPOSE and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN, but now made visible through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death and brought LIFE and immortality to light through the gospel!)

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     How much like Paul’s conversion was ours? Was beyond his peers, attuned to the law, and called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees. Paul was a denominationalist, not believing what he’d heard about Jesus. Didn’t think it possible that a man could walk on water, create aged wine from water, recreate food, feeding thousands, and thought it ludicrous that a man who’d been dead four days could be resurrected to live a physical life again. But, the Son of God ‘Jesus’ saw Paul as a vessel, to point people to Him and His truth Way.

     Study Acts 9: Within a few hours after Paul was blinded, Jesus revealed Himself, transformed Paul from unbelief to, ‘a belief in Jesus & apostle.’ Prophecies about the Messiah’s coming were understood, the deity Paul was attempting to persecute spoke to him. Paul was then compelled to teach Jesus as the Son of God, reveal His attributes, characteristics, and deeds.

     Taught that Jesus was all in all; the One who recreated this earth, from without shape, empty, and in darkness to the perfection he saw. The One who created Adam in His image, likeness, came to do the deeds of, and reveal God the Father. The One revealing what’s, right, wrong, good and evil. One commanding Adam and Eve not to partake of certain fruit from a certain tree less they die. One identifying Satan as god of this age, Himself sent from above, to become our Mediator before the Father and return as king of kings. Paul was to be a witness to all these things, and much more.

     Jesus inspired His apostle John to describe His deity at John 1:1-5, inspired His apostle Paul to describe His deity at Colossians 1:15-20, and the Hebrews writer at Heb 1: and beyond. Jesus taught that He is Lord of the Sabbath, which foreshadows His millennial kingdom’s rest from demonic bondage, giving repentance, and His spirit to make His people at one with Himself. Telling of future resurrections, New Jerusalem’s coming down with God the Father, and all then being subject to the Father. (We aren’t setting dates, predicting times; but it’s likely that the six days for work represents this time before Jesus’ return, the seventh day Sabbath, Jesus’ rule on earth, bringing peace, prosperity, and relief from Satan’s temptations. It appears, that we’re near the end of the sixth day, and the beginning of Jesus’ millennial Sabbath. Rest from our own selfish works and Satan‘s interference.    

       At close of our last study in Paul’s 2^nd letter to God’s church at Corinth, he is pointing out that we aren’t adequate from within ourselves, our adequacy is from God. God makes us adequate to serve through His life giving spirit. Attempting to live by the letter of the law, and from within our inherited fleshly nature kills. Spiritually living in Christ Jesus is to love His Way that gives life.) Review 2Cor 3:4-6.

    (2Corinthians 3:7-9; But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective,) how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory!) Believers are gifted with an outlook change, resulting in repentance, in being ‘born from above.’ Jesus’ spirit produces His righteousness, not our own, and not like Moses’ glory.

    (2Cor 3:10-14; For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the result of the glory that was made ineffective. But their minds were closed, for to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read.)

     Who closed their minds for His purpose? Review verse 14. The veil has not been removed because, only in Christ is understanding given, so the veil it taken away.)

    (2Cor 3:15-18; But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.) And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.)

     God does the UNVEILING! Gives the Believing, so Jesus’ words are sown in our hearts. He gives a love for His Way. Paul explained to the Romans and we called.

      (Romans 11:25-27; For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.) See Isaiah 59:20-21. & Jeremiah 31:33-34. Israel’s deliverance is future and miraculous.

       By God’s grace, repentance is given, minds are opened and sinners saved in this age. By His prophesied grace He will yet save Israel! Non-Israelites will also be chosen and have ungodliness removed.

     (2Cor 4:1-2; Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged. But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.)

     There is some glory in attempting to be a good person in the flesh, but only through God’s gifted spirit, are we able to worship in spirit and truth. Only then can we begin to see ourselves in His light, and yield to His transformation of our putting on the image of Jesus.

    (2Cor 4:3-6; But even if our gospel is VEILED, it is veiled ONLY to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would NOT see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. For, we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.) OUR CREATOR IS THE ALL KNOWING!

      Even as God is allowing the god of this age ‘Satan’ to partially blind, it’s ultimately for His purpose and our good. From the foundation of the world God chose Abraham, Moses, David, His apostles, and each Believer. God’s good news ‘the gospel’ includes the fact that He is righteous, all His Ways are holy and good. His kingdom will be established in spite of, ‘the god of this age, and mankind’s resistance.

    (2Cor 4:7-18; But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body. For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak. We do so because we know that the One who raised up Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into His presence. For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.) Our need is Jesus’ faith in us!)

The Feast of tabernacles is a foreshadowing of what Paul is about to explain.

    (2 Corinthians 5:1-4; For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.)

       Our physical body is the earthly house, made physical, and mortal. Our eternal house is spirit - eternal life. The Israelites were commanded to live in temporary booths during God’s seventh month, for eight days, reminding that their lives were temporary.   

    (2Cor 5:5; Now the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.)

    God’s fathering, ‘our being begotten by His spirit’ is defined as ‘being “born from above’, and is a down payment on what is to be. God is preparing His people on His Potter’s wheel, ‘at least occasionally.’

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    (1John 4:1; Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.) John is saying there are many false spirits, and prophets in the world. In view of last study: can people manage this earth’s sea levels, volcanoes, temperatures, carbon gases etc? Are people who think it possible, influenced by the spirit of God or demons? God questioned Job about these things after questioning him about His powers.

   (Job 38:32-41; Can you lead out the constellations in their seasons, or guide the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens, or can you set up their rule over the earth? Can you raise your voice to the clouds so that a flood of water covers you? Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go? Will they say to you, ‘Here we are’?) (God controls all these.)

    Who has put wisdom in the heart, or has imparted understanding to the mind? Who by wisdom can count the clouds, and who can tip over the water jars of heaven, when the dust hardens into a mass, and the clumps of earth stick together? “Do you hunt prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of lions, when they crouch in their dens, when they wait in ambush in the thicket? Who prepares prey for the raven, when it’s young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?) (Paul knew the answer to these things, as do all believers. To a ruler in Athens, Paul questioned their worship and proclaimed.)

    (Acts 17:22-34; So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.

    The God who made and sustains the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

    From one man He made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are His offspring.’

    So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination. Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, He now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.  Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul left the Areopagus. But some people joined him and believed. Among them, Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.)

    People thinking climate change is within man’s realm of control are influenced by falsehoods, inspired by demons, or their own imagination, and some are actually demon possessed. Our Creator God through His preserved Holy Scriptures teaches, ‘there’s One God, one Holy Spirit of truth, one way, few find it,’ and there’s evil spirits whose objective is to distort God’s truth. (1Pter 5:8-10; Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.)

NOW back to 2Cor and more of Paul’s teaching.

    (2Cor 2:12-13; Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me, I had no relief in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and set out for Macedonia.) (Paul is revealing humanity, also a good lesson for us.)

    (2Cor 3:1; Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?) (As in our day it was a tradition, to obtain letters of recommendation to introduce when unknown to people, but these in God’s church were letters.)

    (2Cor 3:2-3; You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone, revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.) (Consider a partial to the Romans.)

    (Rom 2:28-29; For, a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.)

      In Jesus’ revelations to John, He used the word ‘Jew’, to mean ‘Christ Like.’ Circumcision of the mind and law written on stone tablets foreshadow a newness of spirit; ‘God’s Word written in people’s hearts makes them a new creation,’ with changed outlooks, change of heart, by His indwelling spirit. It’s His fathering.

    Likewise to the Galatians Paul wrote; (For neither circumcision nor un-circumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! And all who will behave in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God. Gal 6:15-16)

     THE word ISRAEL, means ‘God fights.’ The Israel of God, are people who follower Jesus, and who He makes heirs with Abraham. (If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s heirs. Galatians 3:29)

    (2Cor 3:4-6; Now, we have such confidence in God through Christ. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.)

     When people thinking themselves spiritually adequate, trusting their own intellect, is idolatry. Immortality is only gifted through the life of Jesus! Paul recognized his inherited fleshly inadequacy in all things, and that he had nothing to do with his calling, his conversion nor his being an apostle. May we each apply this truth.

    Heavenly Father: please bless us with the mind that desires to know You as You’re manifest to be in the holy scriptures. Reveal Yourself to each truth seeker, as to Abraham is our hope and prayer in Jesus’ holy name. AMEN.

     Followers of Jesus are spiritually compelled to come out from among groups, that aren’t true to His ways. Groups evolving with society aren’t followers of Jesus, and scripture classifies them as unbelievers. Jesus made it clear; (‘the whole world would be deceived before His return’, and ‘if possible, even the Elect would be deceived.’ See Matthew 24:24.)

    Religious groups evolving with the world demonstrate the reality of Jesus’ Words.

     God’s spirit of truth lives in true Christians, not because of their doing right but, by predestined grace He calls, reveals Himself and grants His gift of repentance.

     Paul wrote it at Romans, (6:21-23; So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end result of those things is death. But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end eternal life. For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

    NOTE the words, ‘what benefit did you reap.’ What were we gaining from our previous fleshly life style? The answer is, ‘eternal death.’ NOW freed from sin’s bondage? Followers of Jesus are enslaved to God and that benefit is, ‘being set apart’, ‘sanctification’ for eternal life.’

    Teaching from the Holy Scriptures many times over is; (1) All are born to die once, ‘as in Adam, all die.’ The only exception is; ‘Believers alive at Christ’s return will be changed instantaneously, meet Jesus and His resurrected Saints in the air.’ Study 1Corinthians 15) (2) Eternal life is gifted from God the Father, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     Jesus had Isaiah write about the coming millennial age. (Isaiah 55:8-9; (Indeed, My plans are not like your plans, and My deeds are not like your deeds, for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so My deeds are superior to your deeds and My plans superior to your plans.)

     God plans a resurrection and judgment for all people. Believers first, with the payoff ‘eternal life.’ Re-study 1Corinthians 15) (Then Israel’s physical deliverance, resurrection, their promised deliverance, and judgment. Not only Israel, but many will repent, and others will die a second death.)

      Jesus revealed to His apostle John and he recorded. (Revelations 20:6; Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.)

    (Revelations 20:11-15; Then I saw a large white throne and the One who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. If, anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.) Who will that include? Jesus revealed to Paul and John and they recorded.

    (1Cor 6:9-11; Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.)

    (Revelation 21:8; But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.)

     Many questions, and few can answer these things. May we each be gifted with Jesus’ faith, and wait on revelations. His Ways are higher than ours.

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      Our English dictionary defines demonism as the worship of, or belief in demons, but it’s much more. A practice of people whose characteristics are hostile toward God’s Way, generally they lack genuine love, hateful, think of His Way as being burdensome, and likely harsh toward believers in God. Such think of themselves as culturally elite, educated, and hostile toward others who don’t believe as they. There are many divisionary demon spirits inspiring falsehood in the world, only one Holy Spirit of truth. Jesus inspired His apostle John to define demonic spirits.

   (1John 4:1-3; Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.)

   (Some falsehoods say they believe in God, but not an all knowing One, such as the God of Israel; the all knowing Creator and Sustainer of all. Demonically led people are susceptible to falsehood teaching, ‘such as nothing is absolute’, ‘global warming is caused by man’, ‘evolution is ongoing’, ‘gender can be choice’, ‘generally don’t believe there’s, a right way’, ‘think conservatism’s moral ideas are all wrong, and susceptible communist like authority.)

    Speaking of believer in Jesus, John continues; (1John 4:4; You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.)

    Speaking of people yielded to demonic falsehoods, John continues. (1John 4:5; They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them.)

    Speaking of believers in Jesus John writes; (1John 4:6; We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.)

    Deceivers generally don’t teach that demons are created spirit beings: they were once, ‘angelic beings who rebelled,’ now banned from the heavens, but their continuance is allowed for God’s ultimate purpose, which is; ‘they’re devilish spirits to overcome through Jesus’ faith.’ In the flesh Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations as we’re commanded to do. ‘Jesus is the first born of many.’ Demons are powerful spirits tempting people as the devil tempted Jesus.

             People either follow God’s or another spirit. Jesus’ apostles John, And brother Jude spoke against people who don’t love as, nor knowing God.

    (1John 4:7-21; Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God.  The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent His One and only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.

    In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

    Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another.  No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we reside in God and He in us: in that He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.

    And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because He loved us first. If anyone says ‘I love God’, and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And the commandment we have from Him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.)……..

    Jesus said the whole world would be deceived.   It’s truly a sad thing when Christians are surrounded by pagan cultures, where the words of Abraham and Moses are hijacked by falsehoods rejecting the Savior of the world’s teaching. He came as these said He would.

   Now Pharisee and Sadducee wings of Judaism wanted to believe the messiah was coming, but never wanted to relinquish denominational power. Blinded to the fact, ‘the Son of God came to reveal the Father by doing miraculous deeds, healing, recreated, but not delivering as Moses.’ He’s yet going to return with power and deliver Israel.

    To day millions are blinded by Satan’s falsehoods, thinking their mortality hinges on an afterlife in another form, and Christendom calling Jesus their Lord, while refusing to practice Jesus’ way through Godly love. Accepting paganism the Lord God said were abominations to Him. When people know they’re created beings in God’s image, it all amounts to spiritual adultery. The Lord God Jesus gave His apostle Paul insight to write.

     (Romans 1:18-23; For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, or give Him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.) (May we add, worship of heavenly bodies. Now the result of demon spirits.)

    (Rom 1:24-25; Therefore, God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.)

    (Rom 1:26-27; For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.)

    (Rom 1:28-32; And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.)

Paul’s assignment included building Churches

 of God and teaching pagan cultures.

    People of Corinth, ‘the Corinthians’ worshiped the goddess Dianna, built elaborate temples, worshiped creation, looked to the winter equinox, and the god of fertility. When Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, he was still thinking about the sinful conditions mentioned in his first letter. He had intended to return and address them. Paul continues.

    (2 Cor 2:5-11; But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent, (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well. This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him, so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For this reason also I wrote you: to TEST you to see if you are obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven, (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ, so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes.)

     What about Satan schemes? We’re seeing them worldwide. He and demons are demonic spirits, working in the world and among professing Christian churches! The fellow Paul wrote about this second time was cohabitating outside marriage, Paul wrote about removing him from the church in obedience to God’s Way. Paul is asking the assembly to help this person repent, by showing love as in Jesus’ nature.

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      We should be mindful of Holy Scripture subjects, and include in one study when possible. We closed first Corinthian study with Jesus praying to His Father for His followers, particularly His apostles. Jesus’ apostles, and all spiritually called out people are recipients of The Holy Spirit of truth revelations. As were His prophets long before, giving understanding and discernment. To learn God’s characteristics and practice His revealed Way. So, Jesus’ apostles could write in their letters; ‘grace & peace from God the Father and God the Son.’

Note that 2Corinthians is from Paul and Timothy.

      (2 Corinthians 1:1-2; From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the Saints who are in all Achaia. Grace and peace to you; from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.)

    We must teach God’s truth from revealed understanding; without personal agendas, so we too may say with Paul, ‘peace from God the Father and God the Son.’ Paul is saying, ‘each Christian is comforted by the Holy Spirit from trouble.

     (2Cor 1:3-4; Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.) (WHY? So we may share gifted comfort with others who are experiencing trouble.)

      (2Cor 1:5-11; For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

    He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and He will deliver us. We have set our hope on Him that He will deliver us yet again, as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.)

     In this way people are ONE with God. Christians are gifted to understand; ‘we can not trust our fleshly inherited natural minds to spiritually comprehend, and overcome the pulls of our fleshly nature. Christians are spirit led to ask God to keep them on His Potter’s wheel and grow us according to His will. THE BURDENSOM afflictions Paul and others suffered in Asia taught them not to trust in their fleshly minds, but to depend on God’s will in His work through them. Isn’t it likely that many believers experience similar? God teaches us to trust Him. Sometimes we, ‘like the Psalmist, realize we have a rebellious nature.’  

     (The Psalmist wrote: ‘Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.’ Psalm 51:5) Christians are spiritually taught that only God can cleanse us. AGAIN the Psalmist shares; (Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin. Against You, ‘You above all I have sinned;’ I have done what is evil in Your sight. So You are just when You confront me; You are right when you condemn me. Psalm 51:1-4)

    God’s condemnation may come about in various ways.

      (2 Cor 1:12; For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God – not by human wisdom but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.) (Paul and all followers of Jesus are gifted to understand; people can’t rely on human wisdom inherited through Adam.)

      (2Cor 1:13-14; For we do not write you anything other than what you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.)

     Pure motives without agenda’s are from God. There is always an agenda within the fleshly mind’s motives. Pure motives are gifted and cannot be conjured up, but spiritually gifted! Paul also explained to the Romans: (all who are in the flesh think fleshly.) To the spiritually begotten, ‘people born from above’ Paul wrote.

     (Romans 8:9-11; You however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness.  Moreover if the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead LIVES in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through His Spirit who lives in you.)

     The Holy Spirit is the Christian’s life, because of WHOSE righteousness? It’s all about our being gifted to Believe IN Him. The spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead will make Jesus’ followers’ MORTAL BODIES, immortal, through His spirit that lives within! Did anyone think, halleluiah, praise be to God!

    (2Cor 1:15-22; And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you. Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both, ‘Yes, yes and No, no” at the same time?  But as God is faithful, our message to you is not. ‘Yes” and No.’ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the One who was proclaimed among you by us – ‘by me and Silvanus and Timothy,’ was not ‘Yes and No,” but it has always been ‘Yes’ in Him.

     For every one of God’s promises are ‘Yes’ in Him; therefore also through Him the ‘Amen is spoken,’ to the glory we give to God. But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.)

     God’s spirit is a down payment to what? IMMORTALITY. ‘Always YES in Him?’ All His promises and planning are sure! Paul is saying that his planning were always flexible to and yielded to God’s will. Giving of self in love is what Jesus did and expects in Christians.

    All these things revolve around Jesus’ new command. (I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are My disciples – if you have love for one another. John 13:24-35)

Paul wrote the same principle to the Philippians.

    (Philippians 1:27-30; Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of their destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which is from God. For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him, since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.)

       Think back, consider the problems in God‘s church at Corinth we learned about in Paul’s first letter, and Paul‘s promise to go and deal with them.

     (2Cor 1:23-2:4; Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.

   (2Cor 2:1-4;  So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit. For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad? And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came, I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours. For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.)

    REMEMBER the sinful conditions Paul wrote about in his first letter? He thought to come with boldness, and see that the sins were purged from the congregation would be painful to them. He was spirit led to postpone.