Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). At the heart of our life, there is to be Christ's love. His love is to shape the way we live our lives. We should no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us and was raised again (verse 15). The love of Christ for each …
Continue reading Christ’s love for us: growing, showing, glowing and flowing
2 Corinthians 2:12-3:18 - How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well? We all need the encouragement of God’s Word: ‘Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph’ (2:14). When everything seems to be going wrong, we need to be reminded of God’s Word: ‘In all …
Continue reading How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well?
"Nimrod, was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Genesis 10:9). We live our life "before the Lord" (in the presence of the Lord, in the eyes of the Lord). This is something we should never forget. We do not live for ourselves, for our own glory. We live for God, to give glory to him. …
Isaiah 24:1-26:21; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 106:32-29 “Lord, ... all that we have accomplished You have done for us” (Isaiah 26:12). “I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised for ever ... “ (2 Corinthians 11:30-31). The way of pleasing …
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7). The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God …
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3). In our lives, there are plenty of things that happen to us which make us wonder if we can ever enjoy "perfect peace." Here, God's Word speaks to us of "perfect peace." What does the prophet Isaiah say to …
2 Corinthians 1-5 Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing - ‘God… comforts us in all our affliction’ (1:3-4). How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well? We all need the encouragement of God’s Word: ‘Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in …
Continue reading Journey through the New Testament: 2 Corinthians
The kingdom of God is a power. Paul tells us, "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). It is the power of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, breaking into our lives and transforming them. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God …
We speak about growing in faith, becoming a stronger believer. We speak about growing in grace, becoming a more gracious person. Is this what we learn about in the school of discipleship? Should we not place the emphasis on the faithfulness of God and the grace of God? What are we to say about our …
Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen …
We preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). What we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Corinthians 4:5). As I was reading these verses about Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, I found this song of praise, arising in my heart. May God help each of us to think, often, of Jesus, …
Continue reading Responding to God’s Word (43): One day when heaven was filled with his praises…
God speaks, and it is done (Genesis 1:3,6-7,11). He is pleased with what He has done (Genesis 1:4,10,12). This is the pattern of both God’s original creation and our life as a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God speaks to us and we say, ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10).
"I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). "It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). In John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the light of …
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you …
Continue reading What a wonderful thing the Lord has done for us!
Willl we reach the other side? When we're going through troubled times, we wonder if they're ever going to come to an end. We feel like we're losing hope. Can we rediscover hope? When we're feeling like this, we need to hear words of encouragement. Here are some words which will encourage us to look …
Continue reading Our suffering will not last forever. Our salvation will last forever.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). From these words of Paul about "the new creation", we learn that a real conversion is the work of God. Drawn by the love of God and empowered by the power of God, we become …
What an encouragement it is to know that God is working in our hearts and lives to make us more like Jesus. When we read about Jesus, we are always being reminded of how challenging this is. Again and again, we fall short of becoming more like Jesus. Does God give upon us? No! He …
Continue reading “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We were made by God, and we were made for God. Many people say that they believe in God. They believe that he created the world, but this doesn't really change the way they live their lives. We were made for God: we need to hear this as well as "we were made by God." …
Continue reading Living as “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). What is the preaching of God's Word without the power of God's Spirit? We hear the words, and we wonder, "Where is the power?" We need more than the words of the preacher. We need the power of God. It's the power of God …
Continue reading What is the preaching of God’s Word without the power of God’s Spirit?
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought …
Continue reading Less leaning on our own understanding and more trusting in the Lord
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (Psalm 119:105). Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens (Psalm 119:89). We live in a world of "this is what I think." What about God? What about what he says to us? What about Christ? What about what he says …
Continue reading What about God? What about what he says to us?
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him (Acts 2:24). This turns the world's way of thinking on its head. It's the exact opposite of what the world says to us. The world tells us that people don't …
There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17). There's a difference between life "under the sun" and life in the Son. It's important that we understand this difference. Life under the sun: this is life, …
Continue reading There’s a difference between life under the sun and life in the Son.
God's promises are not a combination of 'Yes' and 'No.' His promises are always 'Yes; (chapter 1). In Christ, God makes us partakers of His triunoh (chapter 2). He does this, as we look upon the glory of the Lord and are changed into His likeness (3:17). God hasn't saved us for our own benefit …
God wants His grace to be multiplied. He has called us to be "ambassadors for Christ." We are to call men and women to "be reconciled to God" (chapter 5). If we are to be effective "ambassadors for Christ", we nust be godly in characterr. We are to stand out as those who belong to …
"If anyone wants to boast, let him boast of the Lord" (end of chapter 10). There is no room for human pride, but we are to be proud of the Lord. It is in the Lord that we have the resources that we need to battle against and triumph over Satan, the enemy of our …
2 Corinthians 1:1-2:11Lord, You “comfort us in all our affliction” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). You turn our times of trouble into times of great blessing. When bad things are happening to us, You keep on loving us. You don’t leave us on our own when the going gets tough. You’re with us in the good times …
Patrick Smith - preaching for Sandyford-Henderson Memorial Church Glasgow Scotland https://youtu.be/XqAxGs4E93U
"Cast your cares (or your burden) on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22). This is a real word from the Lord. It's a word that we need to hear, over and over again. Things get on top of us. We fall down, and we feel …
Continue reading The strength that comes to us from the Lord
2 Chronicles 29:1-31:1; 2 Corinthians 1:12-22; Psalm 103:13-22 A revival of worship does not come from the worshippers. It comes from the God whom they worship – “what God had brought about for His people” (2 Chronicles 29:35b-36). “It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:22). If …
Here are some great words from Jim Elliot, an American missionary who died at the hands of Auca Indians in Ecuador in the 1950s – “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” * "To gain what he cannot lose" - Eternal life has lasting value. * "what …
Continue reading “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing" (Psalm 23:1). I lack nothing - God has given us a full salvation. It's a salvation that covers our past, our present and our future. -- We begin by emphasizing that God's salvation covers our past. "He makes me lie …
2 Chronicles 31:2-33:20; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11; Proverbs 21:5-16 “With us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:8). The battle will not be easy. “Satan” is seeking to “outwit us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Nevertheless, “we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). In our spiritual …
Continue reading The Lord our God is with us – to help us and to fight our battles.
Isaiah 20:1-23:18; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15; Proverbs 22:7-16 The people of God live in a situation of conflict. We are at war with the enemy. Nevertheless, we need not be afraid. The enemies of the Lord will be brought to nothing: “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the …
Continue reading The enemies of the Lord will be brought to nothing.
Isaiah 20:1-23:18; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15; Proverbs 22:7-16 The people of God live in a situation of conflict. We are at war with the enemy. Nevertheless, we need not be afraid. The enemies of the Lord will be brought to nothing: “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the …
Continue reading The enemies of the Lord will be brought to nothing.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). We have often heard these words spoken. Here, we are reading them in the Word of God. How often do we think about these words? What do they mean? …
Continue reading More than words to be said and heard at the end of a church service
"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:9). When the going gets tough, what is it that keeps the …
Micah 1:1-4:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1-18; Psalm 104:31-35 “All the nations may walk in the names of their gods; we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5). This is the kind of commitment the Lord is looking for. We commit ourselves to Him not for our benefit …
Continue reading The grace that is reaching more and more people
Isaiah 14:1-16:14; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Psalm 106:1-15 Christ came to destroy the evil one, Satan – to bring him “down to the grave, to the depths of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Satan seeks to impoverish our lives. God, however, is very different. He gives us His “surpassing grace.” This is given to us in His …
Micah 1:1-4:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1-18; Psalm 104:31-35 “All the nations may walk in the names of their gods; we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5). This is the kind of commitment the Lord is looking for. We commit ourselves to Him not for our benefit but for …
"The glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai" (Exodus 24:26). "The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35). From the revelation of God's glory in the Old Testament, we move on to the revelation of God's glory in Jesus Christ: "God, who said, let there be light in the darkness, has …
2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 103:1-12 “In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:22). Times of trouble can lead people towards bitterness and further rebellion against the Lord. On the other hand, times of trouble can be precisely the times when God’s purpose is …
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then John consented" (Matthew 3:13-15). "Therefore, …
"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day" (Deuterinomy 8:10). When the Lord has blessed us, let us not forget to give …
Continue reading May we keep on praising the Lord and giving thanks to him.
"No one pours new wine into old wineskins... They pour new wine into new wineskins” (Mark 2:22). In John's Gospel, we read about Jesus turning water into wine (chapter 2), and, then, we read about Jesus, telling Nicodemus that he needed to be "born again" (John 3:3). Here, he speaks about new wine. He's telling …
Continue reading God has given us new life. Let us live the new life.
Jesus said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old" (Matthew 13:52). When teachers of the law become disciples of Jesus, there is a definite change …
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-2:11 - Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing - ‘God… comforts us in all our affliction’ (1:3-4). Whether good things or bad things are happening to you, don’t forget this: God loves you. His Word is ‘not Yes and No’ - ‘Yes, I love you. No, I don’t love …
Continue reading Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing.
"Genesis 1" has become a battlefield. People argue about creation and evolution. A battllefield: Is this all that we have in Genesis 1? When we read our Bibles, do we leave Genesis 1 to "the experts" - the people who know what they're talking about? This raises some questions. Who, exactly are the "experts"? What …
Micah 5:1-7:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Proverbs 21:17-26 God wipes out the shadow of our past - He “pardons sin” (Micah 7:18). He shines in the light of His future - “We will be “clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:4). From this standpoint of privilege, we are called to fulfil our responsibility: to be soldiers …
Continue reading Out of the shadows of our past, into the light of His future
"Jacob was left alone" (Genesis 32:24). Was he really alone? No! God was with him. He was in the presence of the Lord. Humanly speaking, he was alone - but he wasn't really alone: he was alone with God. The Lord drew near to Jacob - and he draws near to us. God blessed Jacob …
"In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). It's not about how important we are. It's about how wonderful Jesus is. We are to …
Genesis 17:1-27 God's covenant is so different from human promises. We don't always keep our word. God never breaks his word. He is faithful. He never fails us. Behind his covenant - there's his love. His covenant is "an everlasting covenant" (7). His love is "an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). here are times when we …
Continue reading “Yes” – This is what God says to us. Will we say “Yes” to him?
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Why has God allowed this to happen? Why do we suffer? Where is our salvation to be found? Make sure that you begin with the third …
Continue reading We ask about suffering. God gives us his answer – salvation.
2 Corinthians 1:1-2:11 - Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing - ‘God… comforts us in all our affliction’ (1:3-4). Whether good things or bad things are happening to you, don’t forget this: God loves you. His Word is ‘not Yes and No’ - ‘Yes, I love you. No, I …
Continue reading Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing.
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Does it feel like we're partly in the light, and we're partly in the darkness? Is this what God's word says about us? No. It's not. What does God's Word say? "You were once darkness, but now …
"The word is very near you" (Deuteronomy 30:14). Some people are always searching - but never finding. They look here, there and everywhere ... and, then, they start again ... and so, the search continues ... always searching, never finding. They tell us, "It's all about the search." Jesus tells us something very different. He …
"It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is …
Continue reading Believing in the Lord and speaking for him.
"Now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). In our thinking about the Lord’s Return, it is very important that we do not forget that the decision between salvation and judgment is one which must be made here and now. The Bible speaks of the Day of the Lord’s Return as a Day of …
When the love of God reaches us, we step out of our darkness and into His light. It's Jesus - the light of the world - who shows us how much God loves us (John 8:12). When the light is switched off, it doesn't do us any good. When it's switched on, the love of …
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to …
Wisdom Seeker
Following Jesus while Seeking Joy and Contentment in the Christian Life
In The Beginning Man Tried Ascending To Heaven via The Tower Of Babel. Now He Tries To Elevate His Existence To A Heavenly State of Consciousness Thru The Use Of Hallucinogenic Drugs. And, Since The 20th Century, He Continually Voyages Into Outer Space Using Spacecrafts. Prayer Thru Christ Is The Only Way To Reach Heaven.
On writing, books, tech, and faith
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "...truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity--it is simply true and that is the end of it" - Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” - Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Debra Pedrow: Christian Author and Blogger
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Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." John 4:10
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