“A dark night of the soul”?

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 …

The Holy Spirit Is Our ‘Guarantee Of Heavenly And Eternal Glory.’

2 Corinthians 4:1-5:10God 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 keep …

High points and low points …

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 …

When I am weak, then I am strong …

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ... 16 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 …

The glory of the Lord …

"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 …

Being changed by Christ …

"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 power of a new life …

"‘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 …

You Raise Me Up …

"Your eyes are too pure to look on evil" (Habakkuk 1:13). The contrast between our sinfulness and God's holiness is an absolute contrast - never the two shall meet. Can we raise ourselves up from our sinfulness to God's holiness? - No! We cannot. We need to be raised up from above, by the Lord. …

How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well?

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 …

Real power …

"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. …

When trouble comes our way …

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 …

The Kingdom Of God: 1 and 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 …

Links to Rev James Philip’s notes on 1 and 2 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians

Journey through the New Testament: 2 Corinthians

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 …

Jesus Is Our Best Friend.

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 …

Saul replaced, Saul transformed

Two men with the same name - Saul, the first king of Israel, and Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christ and His servants. In both stories, we read of a new man. * In the case of Saul, the first king of Israel, David was the new man. Saul was rejected. He was replaced. …

You get nothing for nothing … ?

"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …

The Light of God, the Power of God and the Glory of God

The Light comes from God  - "God ... has shone in our hearts ... "(2 Corinthians 4:6). The Power comes from God - "the excellence of the power is of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). The Glory goes to God  - "grace ... may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of …

He's seen the light …

"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 …

“My Grace Is Sufficient For You.’

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 …

The Holy Spirit Is Our ‘Guarantee Of Heavenly And Eternal Glory.’

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 …

‘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? These are life-changing words. Through ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ’, we become ‘rich’ - ‘blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing’ (2 Corinthians 8:9, …

Reaching out with the Good News of Jesus Christ

‘Reconciled’ to God through Christ, we have received ‘the ministry of reconciliation.’ Saved by Him, we are to ‘work with Him.’ We are ‘not to accept the grace of God in vain’ by living for ourselves. We are to be ‘ambassadors for Christ.’ We must proclaim the urgent message of salvation - ‘now is the …

By the power of the Holy Spirit …

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’s light is the light of love and the light of life.

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 …

The battle is the Lord’s. He is our Strength. Without Him, we fail. With Him, there is victory.

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 …

Full salvation

Gen 3:10–15, Isa 64:6, Rom 10:11, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 1:9 Through Christ's Death On The Cross, God Has Provided For Us A Full Salvation! Having chosen the way of sin, we are ‘naked’ and ashamed (Genesis 3:10). The Gospel teaches us that ‘there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of …

The Attitude of Gratitude

At the heart of our life, there is to be thanksgiving - “Thanks be to God” (2 Corinthians 9:15; 1 Corinthians 15:57). We thank God for all all his good gifts. We give thanks to him for his greatest gift: the gift of his Son - our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A new creation in Christ Jesus

"The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down ... The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all …

Always seeking, never finding …

"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 …

We will be changed …

"We will be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).We look forward to the great change - when death will be no more. We look forward to eternal life. Paul describes this great change as "a mystery" (1 Corinthians 15:51). Can we say more than this? We must emphasize the continuity between the change that begins here on …

We are weak. The Lord is strong.

"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. Here's a link to a song which reminds us that our real strength comes from the Lord, not from ourselves. It comes to us when we are reminded that …

Words from far away and long ago … or more than that?

"The Lord is my light and my salvation ... The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). We read these words from a faraway place and a long time ago, and we wonder, "Are these words for us? Are they for today's world? or Should they be left in the past?" Does God's Word give …

The Lord bless you and keep you …

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven" (Psalm 32:1). The forgiveness of sins - this is such a great blessing. The forgiveness of sins - it's just the beginning of so much great blessing which will continue throughout our life on earth and for all eternity. "Create in me a clean heart, O God,    and renew a right spirit …

A great Saviour, a great salvation

"Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). What wonderful words - words of love, mercy and grace! "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves …

God speaks, and it is done …

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).

“The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Genesis 39:5).

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 …

"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, …

When the Spirit is poured upon us from on high …

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 …

Repentance and rest …

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 …

The Lord Almighty – wonderful and magnificent

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 …

God-centred living

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 …

I will sing to the Lord all my life.

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 …

Getting our priorities right …

Trinity Sunday (First Sunday after Pentecost): Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20 Getting our priorities right: God, His Word, His Spirit - at the centre of our life The Bible’s opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) The priority of God (Genesis 1:1). God comes first. Before anyone else …

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

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 he cannot …

The Holy Spirit – living in our hearts

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy …

Power from the Lord, Praise to the Lord

"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.

The eternal dimension

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the …

“It is finished!” … “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

"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 …

The Mercy Of God And The Ministry Of His Word

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 …

You were dead. Now, you are alive.

"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 …

A pure heart and a steadfast spirit

"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, …

Happy Times And Hard Times

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Sometimes, we have  happy times - and sometimes we have hard times. What are we to do when the going gets tough? We've heard the saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." It sounds good, doesn't it - but what if we …

Is there any hope? …

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 …

The glory of God

 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 power of the Spirit – poured into our hearts

2 Chronicles 33:21-35:19; 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:16; Psalm 104:1-18 Covenant - This is vitally important in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (2 Chronicles 34:29-32; 2 Corinthians 3:6). There is the Word of God (2 Chronicles 34:30) and the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:6). There is the human response (2 Chronicles 34:31-32) and renewal by …

The Lord our God is with us – to help us and to fight our battles.

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 …

The revival of our worship

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 …

In times of trouble …

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 …

A new creation in Christ Jesus

We look back, in our mind's eye, to the sins of our past. Where does it get us? - Nowhere! "My sins are gone,gone, gone, far away. The blood has washed them away." May there be less thinking about what we were before we came to Christ, and more rejoicing in this: "a new creation …