Category: II Corinthians

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Suit Up

There’s a reason why I was so emphatic in my comments yesterday about never, ever compromising on the Word of God.

A recent sermon reminded me of a teaching I have done many times from Ephesians, chapter 6.

We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand in the face of our spiritual enemies and emerge victoriously. Each piece of the armor is tied to God’s word and His promises.

“ To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.

19 Also pray for me—that when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret truth about the Good News without fear.” Ephesians 6:10-19 ERV

Let’s break down the armor: Belt of truth – “ Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours.” John 17:17 CEV

Breastplate of righteousness – “Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” II Corinthians 5:21

Footwear – The Gospel which means good news – “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15 NKJV

Shield of Faith – “ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

Helmet of Salvation – “ For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 NKJV

Sword of Spirit – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

If we are without God’s word, we are without armor. Suit up – the victory is ours in Christ Jesus!

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More Than Enough

This morning I got up in a cooking mood. You know the kind that tells you to leave everything else behind and get into the kitchen. Cooking/Baking is my love language!

Our son sent me his recipe for “Sunday Gravy” earlier this week. It just a big pot of red marinara sauce filled with pork and beef. It makes me happy just to think about it.

Anyway, I bought all the ingredients, did the math and figured I could mix the whole thing in my red, enamelware, 7 qt Dutch oven. When I got to the step to add the browned meat and ribs I realized there was no way all that would fit in the pot.

More than enough – my cup runneth over!

Dave brought in my cast iron dutch oven – and between the two Sunday Gravy is simmering and the house smells wonderful.

I love how the Lord speaks to me through everyday life. Running over with goodness! And now as I’m writing this Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”, is playing on Pandora.

“If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or savin’
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker”

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/zach_williams/chain_breaker

The Father’s love is a “cup running over”, “more than enough” kind of love!

“You prepared a meal for me in front of my enemies. You welcomed me as an honored guest. My cup is full and spilling over.
6 Your goodness and mercy will be with me all my life, and I will live in the Lord’s house a long, long time.” Psalm 23:5-6 ERV

“And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work.” II Corinthians 9:8 ERV

“I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them. Lend to people without expecting to get anything back. If you do this, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God. Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful. 36 Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy…38 Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Luke 6:35-38 ERV

My physical pot was running over but more than that my heart is running over with the love and comfort that the Father has poured out on me and so I share that with you this morning.

Share with others all the Lord has blessed you with – He doesn’t cause it to run over to waste it – it’s to be shared!

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The Power of Light

When we were at our son’s we slept in the V-Berth. It’s that area at the front of the boat where the hull is v-shaped. It was arranged with two nice, comfy single beds. There was one concern though, it was about 3′ from the mattress to the floor. Knowing that Dave and I both have to get up at least once during the night, our son provided a light that would help us see but not be so bright that it kept us from sleeping.

Thank you Son!

This morning, I would like to talk to you about lights.

There are all sorts of lights bulbs. Dim ones, bright ones, incandescent, florescent, LED, solar, motion sensor. Lights for heating, for reading, for driving, for rescue. There’s no point in arguing over which is the best, because it’s the one we need at the moment. But none of them are effective without a power source.

“The Scriptures say, ‘God commanded light to shine in the dark.’ Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. 7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.” II Corinthians 4:6-9 CEV

Jesus told His followers that we are the light of the world.

“ You are the light of the world. You cannot hide a city that is on a mountain. 15 Men do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. They put it on a table so it gives light to all in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 NLV

He also said:

“ While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John 9:5 NLV

While Jesus was in the world, He was the light. But when He went to heaven, we who are His followers are now the carriers of that light to those who are in darkness.

It’s not a competition as to who is the bigger and brighter light. Not every situation requires a flood light, sometimes the best bulb for the job is a night light. The important thing is that we are ready to shine whenever needed.

So our job is a simple one – stayed connected to our source of power, Jesus Christ. Don’t give up, don’t give in. There is no power shortage when we are in Christ Jesus!

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How Great Is God

I woke up this morning singing “How great is our God, sing with me, How great is our God. All will see. How great, how great is our God!”

Daily we need to remind ourselves that our God, our Father, is the great God!

There are no other gods, that are greater than He. No power in the universe can overshadow God, our defender, deliverer, and our provider.

“ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep. 4 Listen, He Who watches over Israel will not close his eyes or sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your safe cover at your right hand. 6 The sun will not hurt you during the day and the moon will not hurt you during the night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all that is sinful. He will watch over your soul. 8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.” Psalm 121 NLV

Some of the obstacles and adversaries we face are physical but we can trust the Lord to watch over us and be our “safe cover” and our help.

Some obstacles are dogmas, philosophies, doctrines and train of thought that try to capture our thinking, rob our peace and deceive our minds.

“My children, you are a part of God’s family. You have stood against these false preachers and had power over them. You had power over them because the One Who lives in you is stronger than the one who is in the world.” I John 4:4 NLV

“ It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world. 4 We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. 5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 NLV

And sometimes the enemy we face is our own self-doubt. We feel we don’t measure up or we’re not good enough.

“ My children, let us not love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth. 19 This is how we know we are Christians. It will give our heart comfort for sure when we stand before Him. 20 Our heart may say that we have done wrong. But remember, God is greater than our heart. He knows everything.” I John 3:18-20 NLV

Our Father’s love for us is greater than our own self-doubt and condemning guilt.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give peace to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard Me say that I am going away. But I am coming back to you. If you love Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father. The Father is greater than I.” John 14:27-28 NLV

The Father, Jesus said, “is greater than I”. So, that definitely makes the Father greater than us. His love never fails, He never leaves us or abandons us in our time of need. He gives us peace to replace our fears!

How great is our God – Sing with me – How great is our God. All will see How great, how great is our God!

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More Than Good

As I was going about my normal routine yesterday morning, I realized that some of you may be thinking that I have a “Pollyanna” approach to the Gospel. And you’re right, I do.

Not that I ever discount the hard times, the struggles, the anxious moments in life but in each of those moments and in each moment of every day I can see and choose to focus on the goodness of God.

Here’s why.

“ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Romas 2:4 NLT

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 NKJV

It is the kindness and goodness of God that draw us to Him. It’s His love and compassion that give us the hope and comfort we need so badly.

His goodness and love are His core and direct all He does. He wants us to share that with the world.

God, our heavenly Father, is just and righteous. He abhors sin but loves everyone who does sin. In fact, He had Jesus take all our sin on Himself so that we could be clothed in His righteousness.

“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:17, 21 NKJV

When we realize the length that God, the Father, went to in providing the forgiveness for our sins we are/will be overwhelmed by His goodness and love. We lose the desire to sin in light of His goodness.

“So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? 2 Of course not! Our old sinful life ended. It’s dead. So how can we continue living in sin? 3 Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized? In our baptism we shared in his death.4 So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in his death. And just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father, so we can now live a new life.” Romans 6:1-4 ERV

Our Father wants us to live the best life, a life set free from the power of sin. He has provided us with a new life; it is a gift of His goodness!

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He Is Good

That might not sound very profound to you because of course, doesn’t everyone know that God is good?

No, some don’t.

God’s goodness is called into question every day; fires, floods, earthquakes, family crisis, world events, loss of work, mental distress. You’ve heard the questions – if God is so good why does He allow things like this to happen? I’ll answer that the way I think Jesus did.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.” John 10:10 CEV

There is one who rules the earth and he delights in stealing, killing and destroying all that is good and making sure God gets blamed for it. We battle a real enemy but we win. In fact, we have already won.

“ I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

“But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!” I Corinthians 15:57 CEV

“ What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34 Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?…37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.” Romans 8:31-37 CEV

We have won more than a victory. How can there be more “than victory”?

I asked the Lord that once and He gave me this reply. It’s more than a victory because I fought the battle for you. I stripped Satan of his powers when I went to hell and came out victorious, that’s what is means when it says “in Christ” you triumph and have victory.

” God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.” Colossians 2:14-15 CEV

God is good! He is just, righteous, love. He is our peace and our strength. He is all we need in this life and for life eternal.

There is a segment of the song “Gratitude” that I love. It was going through my mind and heart this morning as I was writing.

“Oh, come on, my soul
Oh, don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord”

Our praise is a weapon that strikes the heart of our enemy. Our praise is also a sweet aroma to those around us that draws them to the goodness of God.

Get up and praise God for He is good!

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Giving with Joy

What is it that gives you joy? I mean, what do you really like to do?

I love to cook, bake, be in the kitchen and I love to share what I make with others. It’s what I do. So as a byproduct, I love to have people in our home – not really entertaining, but just making people feel welcome and comfortable.

I also love sharing the Word with you. There are a few mornings I would like to sleep in a bit but those are very few and far between.

This morning Paul is talking to the Christians in Corinth about what they love to do. Give.

” Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“He gives generously to the poor; his goodness will continue forever.”

10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. 11 God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God…They will praise God because you freely share with them and with all people. 14 And when they pray, they will wish they could be with you. They will feel this way because of the great grace that God gave you. 15 Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful to describe.” II Corinthians 9:7-15 ERV

Giving should be done because we love to do it not because someone has made we feel guilty or coerced us into it. When we give from what we have we bless others and bring glory to God.

Our gift is a seed that brings a harvest and provides more for future giving. Don’t begrudge the size of the gift. To someone who has nothing, a gift of a $1 is great; to someone with little, an extra $10 seems like a fortune.

I remember a time when we had $2.38 in our checking account and the bank we used charged a $2 monthly service fee. After church another couple asked us to go to lunch. We started to hesitate and they quickly said “our treat”. What a blessing! It meant we ate that day.

I remember another time we were given a freezer full of ground beef by a local dairyman. We had more than our freezer could hold so I called a few people to see if they would like some beef. I wanted to share our blessing.

I called one friend and she was nearly in tears. I put some meat in the car and headed to her place. She had been praying for meat for dinner, so we were both blessed by a gift and blessed by giving.

Let the Lord show you what you have to give and then if He prompts you, give it from a cheerful heart.

God has given us SO much it’s a joy to give to others on His behalf!!

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Always and Forever

Yesterday I shared with you a few verses on the Father’s character that NEVER change. Today I want us to look at a few that are ALWAYS the same.

Realizing that God has chosen to hold Himself accountable to His word gives me such tremendous confidence in the Lord. He will ALWAYS keep His word.

Just this morning I was reading in the Psalms and saw this verse:

“The Lord is always kind to those who worship him, and he keeps his promises to their descendants 18 who faithfully obey him.” Psalm 103:17-18 CEV

This ties in with the verses we read yesterday from I Corinthians 13. Love, God, is never jealous or rude. There is also an always verse in I Corinthians 13.

“Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. 8 Love never fails!” I Corinthians 13:7-8 CEV

One of the last things Jesus told his disciples before He ascended back into heaven was this:

” Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20 CEV

I will be with you always is a promise without an end date. Always means exactly that – always.

Just a couple more before I end my thoughts on the Father’s unchangeable character.

“ I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

Now, that’s a lot to process. ALWAYS kind, always supportive, always with us and always leading us to victory!

“Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.” Psalm 23:6 CEV

Forever and always our heavenly Father’s love will not fail.

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Prayers of Comfort

Let’s take a moment to pray for those in Texas who were devastated by the flooding river yesterday. The devil seeks to destroy wherever he can.

“Father, we pray for those who lost loved ones in the flood yesterday. We pray for those who are still uncounted for and the those looking for them. Give them strength, give them comfort and give them hope. In the name of Jesus.”

I started with this blog by asking if everyone had a good 4th and then the Lord reminded me that not everyone did. Our hearts join their hearts. Mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who are in need of comfort.

“I know what you are like! But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort, until those who are mourning 19  start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” Isaiah 57:18-19 CEV

“The Spirit of the Lord God has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me
to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom
for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn, 3  especially in Jerusalem. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts.” Isaiah 61:1-3 CEV

“ Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble. 5 We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives. ” II Corinthians 2:3-5 CEV

Be aware of those who need comfort today. Share a hug, a word, a prayer. Share the love of God.

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Kindness & Peace

Today many of us will be with family and friends, celebrating the birth of our nation, the day of Independence.

Independence from what the founding fathers felt was a tyrannical king who inflicted laws and taxation that seemed unfair. Independence to worship as they pleased. Independence to govern their own new country.

I declare to be a personal day of independence. To be free from anger and malice, from bitterness and self-doubt. To be free to show kindness and experience peace. The right to know the love of God and to share it with those who feel downtrodden.

“Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.” Galatians 5:1 CEV

“I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:13 CEV

Kindness and peace – just the mention of these two words brings comfort! It’s not hard to imagine peace on a quiet morning when the birds are singing.

Kindness. A gentle smile, a helping hand, someone washing the dishes, an encouraging hug or just the simple act of holding a door or help in carrying a package.

Our heavenly Father brings peace and kindness into our lives. That’s who He is and what He does. I started reading in II Corinthians this morning and Paul makes it plain from the start that this is what God brings to our lives.

“I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.” II Corinthains 1:2-3 CEV

Today, I desire to see through the Father’s eyes and bring comfort, spread peace and show kindness. I desire to see others declare their independence and freedom in Christ.

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