"For He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ)" (2 Corinthians 5:21). These words are too much for the mind to take in - but they bring joy to the heart. What joy comes to us when we think …
Continue reading “It is finished!” “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”
"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Anything good that comes from us has come to us from the Lord. The power comes from Him - and the praise goes to Him.
In the work of ministry, we are often discouraged by the lack of response. May God help us to remember that “we have received this ministry by the mercy of God” (2 Corinthians 4:1). May He give us the wonderful privilege of seeing more people responding to the Word of God which, by the power …
Continue reading The Mercy Of God And The Ministry Of His Word
1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). "A pure heart" - this is what we don't have. This is what we need - a change of heart. This is something we can't do for ourselves. It needs to be done for us - by God, …
"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13). You were dead. Now, you are alive. This is the miracle of the new birth. It's not something we can do for ourselves. It's the work of God. What we could never do for …
What may seem, to us, to be "a dark night of the soul" may turn out to be a time when God is drawing near in love, drawing near to us so that our strength may be renewed, drawing near to us so that we might enter, more fully, into a greater enjoyment of his …
Isaiah 17:1-19:25; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 106:16-31 Much of the “oracle concerning Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1) speaks of the negative aspects which are associated with the nation of Egypt. Nevertheless, there is a Word of hope at the end of this oracle (Isaiah 19:18-25). In 2 Corinthians 10:15-16, Paul expresses the hope that “our area of activity …
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.
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 …
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?
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
Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2; Psalm 105:1-11 The ministry of Isaiah calls for reality, for transformed lives. This renewal of our lives can only be achieved through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t have the power to change ourselves. It is in Christ that we become “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This …
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!
“Therefore we do not lose heart. 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. For …
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 …
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
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Knowledge There are different types of knowledge. We can know with our minds, and we can know with our hearts. …
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). "Let light shine out of darkness": this takes us all the way back to Genesis 1:3-5. And God said, “Let …
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). In our world, there are many people who set themselves against the Lord. Here, the Word of God assures us that they will not triumph over the Lord, and they will not triumph …
Continue reading Looking beyond our many defeats to God’s final victory
2 Chronicles 35:20-36:23; 2 Corinthians 3:7-18; Psalm 104:19-30 The glory of Israel was a fading glory. We should read the closing chapters of 2 Chronicles in the light of 2 Corinthians 3:7 – The glory was fading. God, however, has revealed His glory in greater fullness – “what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing …
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?
My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word; what more can He say than to you He hath said, you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled? God's love for us is so much greater than …
Continue reading God’s love for us is so much greater than our faith in him.
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles …
Continue reading The revelation of the mystery: a time to speak and a time to keep silence
Isaiah 5:8-8:10; 2 Corinthians 7:2-16; Psalm 105:23-36 “The holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:13). God preserves the faithful remnant, the remnant of faith. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all”(Isaiah 7:9). What or who can keep us firm in the faith? – …
When we "walk through the darkest valley" (Psalm 23:4), fear threatens to overwhelm us. How do we get from being filled with fear to being filled with faith? Can we pick ourselves up? Can we bring ourselves out of fear and into faith? No! We cannot do this for ourselves. As we wrestle with our …
Isaiah 10:20-13:22; 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5; Psalm 105:37-45 Jesus Christ was filled with “the Spirit of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are to live for Christ. As we give ourselves to the Lord in service, our first priority is “to honour the Lord Himself.” We do this …
"God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). "He's seen the light." With a note of sarcasm in their voices, critics of Christ and his gospel use these words …
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).
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also …
Continue reading Not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, not destroyed
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more …
2 Corinthians 10:1-6 "the gentleness and graciousness of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:1); "the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). What's the connection between the two? - We learn to obey Christ, as we learn to love Him. We learn to love Him, as we learn how much He loves us. "What a Friend we have …
When we look back over the events of our life, we say, "This was a high point" and "That was a low point." How do we decide that this was a high point, and that was a low point? It depends very much on how we look at life. Is it a high point when …
What does it mean to become “a new creation in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:17)? Does it mean that we become perfect? Does it mean that we will ever become perfect? No! It doesn’t mean either of these things. Throughout our life on earth, each one of us has to live with the fact that we …
Isaiah 27:1-28:29; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 106:40-48 Isaiah 28:29 contains a great description of God - “The Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.” Paul speaks, in 2 Corinthians 12:7, of “surpassingly great revelations.” Whenever God reveals an increased measure of His wonderful counsel and magnificent wisdom, He wants us to remain humble, resting only in …
Continue reading The Lord Almighty – wonderful and magnificent
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Here, Paul contrasts the old life and the new life. The old life has come to an end, The new life has begun. Does this mean that we become perfect? No! It doesn't mean that. It …
"The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We are weak. The Lord is strong. Our real strength comes from the Lord, not from ourselves. It comes to us when we are reminded that the Lord's love for us is, always, stronger than our …
We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Each of us must choose how we are going to live our life. Will we llive by faith, or will we live by sight? Paul made it clear which way of life he had chosen: the way of faith. Choosing to live by faith: this …
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 We do not preach ourselves, We preach Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:21-32), If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). "I'm free to do what I like. Nobody can tell me …
Continue reading Christ has set us free. Let us live the new life: “Christ lives in me.”
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ... I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:14,16). There are many times, in our life, when we become deeply aware of our own weakness. In such times, there's something we must never forget: "when I …
Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory (1 Timotjy 3:16). How are sinners led into the pathway of "true godliness"? …
Continue reading The story of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, still has life-changing power.
We are engaged in warfare. Is it ‘worldly war’? Do we use ‘worldly weapons’? No! It is spiritual warfare. God has given us His weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Our enemy is ‘Satan’ - ‘the god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Corinthians 4:4). We face him with ‘the whole armour of God’, with ‘the …
2 Corinthians 4:1-18 Note 2 Corinthians 4:6 - The light of God shows us that we are in darkness, and it calls us out of the darkness, and into the light. Where do we see the light of God? - In Christ. His light is the light of love and the light of life. Love …
Continue reading God’s light is the light of love and the light of life.
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.
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 …
"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. …
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?
Isaiah 29:1-30:18; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21; Psalm 107:1-9 “In repentance and rest is your salvation” (Isaiah 30:15). Repentance is an ongoing part of our Christian experience - 2 Corinthians 12:21 emphasizes the need for continuing repentance. We have been saved. We continue to sin. We must seek, by God’s grace, to maintain our repentance. Rest is …
"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ - that's where we find new life. It's given to us by Christ. It's Christ, living in us. We must never think that being a Christian is about changing ourselves. It's about being changed by …
"‘The time has come,’ Jesus said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’" (Mark 1:15). Jesus draws near to us. He brings to us the power of a new life. It's not a new life that's created by our faith. It's a new life that comes to us from Jesus, our …
Let us pray for God's blessing - not only for ourselves but for others. Let us pray, "Lord, bless me and make me a blessing to the people who I meet." May we bring to others "the pleasing aroma of Christ ... the aroma that brings life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
"May 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). All of this comes from God. It doesn't begin with us. It begins with God and comes to us from Him. Before we ever thought of loving God, …
Isaiah 30:19-32:20; 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-27 What a transformation there is when “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” (Isaiah 32:14-15). The blessings which God pours upon us are well summed up in 2 Corinthians 13:14 - “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship …
Continue reading When the Spirit is poured upon us from on high
Christ loves us. He has given Himself for us. He calls us His ‘Bride’ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2, 9).
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
2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10 ‘My grace is sufficient for you’(9). These are tremendous words! Believe them. Apply them to yourself. Let the strength of the Lord come to you as you reflect on these great words. God is speaking His Word to you. Whatever is going on in your life, whatever difficulties you are facing, God’s …
2 Corinthians 4:1-5:10 God has called us to salvation- ‘God has shone in our hearts…’(4:6). He has called us to service - ‘having this ministry by the mercy of God’(4:1). We receive salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’(Acts 16:31). We are not to …
Continue reading The Holy Spirit Is Our ‘Guarantee Of Heavenly And Eternal Glory.’
"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Behind Paul's words - there is own personal testimony: 'This is what the Lord has done for me." This is not about Saul of Tarsus - changing the direction of his own life. A …
Continue reading More than just a New Year… more than just ‘turning over a new leaf’
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The first time I came across this great verse from God's Word, I wrote, in the margin of my Bible, "What a gospel!" As I look, again, at these …
In The Beginning Man Tried Ascending To Heaven via The Tower Of Babel. Now He Tries To Elevate His Existence Using 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.
Jewels For The Soul Blog is the Holy Bible Scriptures for your life as God has commanded all people to live accordingly by faith. On Jewels For The Soul Blog I will seek in God's Word Jewels Of Nuggets from the Word of God, SO by faith you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And by believing you may be saved by confession of your faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Son of the true and living God.
Love. Honor. Respect.
Pastor at St. Luke's Church. Preacher of sermons. Prays well with others.
From God's Word to Daily Life
Jesus-Yeshua Saves!!
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Sermons, articles, and other musings.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Preaching, unto salvation.
A Daily Study of the Psalms
Living with God in the 21st century
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
Isaiah 12:2 KJV "Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song"
WEEKLY THOUGHTS FROM NEAL, GARY, DALE, CARL, AND BRENT
Praise 2 Worship exists to encourage us to enter deeply into worship and experience what it means to give Jesus all our praise.
Encouraging Grandfathers & Future Grandfathers
On Christ the solid Rock I stand...All other ground is sinking sand
Worship Him! Praise Him! & sing a new song to the merciful & compassionate God Who paid the price for our sins!
Trusting the Love of Jesus Christ, One Day at a Time - Psalm 13:5 NIV, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
I am hoping this blog can help people understand God’s love and not focus on judgment, hatred or animosity.
This is a Ministry of Oasis Bible Ministry, a Fundamental Full-Gospel Bible Teaching Ministry
With this news, strengthen those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong & do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4
With God, change is possible!
Hope in the storms of life
"She can be silent because she has much to say and has learned through it all that deep silence speaks." ~ Richard Wurmbrand
Rest in the finished work of Christ (Heb. 4.3-11), righteousness (Rom. 3.22 & 5.19), forgiveness (Col.2.13 & Rev.1.5), & sanctification (Heb.10.10 & 10.14)
Bread from Heaven, Fresh from God's oven!
...daily devotions to inspire intimacy with God
www.instructionstoayounglife.com on How to Live Life to the Fullest.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. ~ Psalms 119:105
A daily dose of encouragement from God's Word
Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Keeping myself in CHRIST
Phyllis Rogers
Connections Through Kindness
Ordinary people who serve an extraordinary God
Discussing books - theological, historical, and biblical - from a Reformed Christian perspective...
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Flowers, Faith, Scripture, and Praise.
Proclaiming Christ from all the Scriptures, in order to Make Disciples from all the Nations
Learning From God's Word 