Blog Archives

2 Corinthians 5

12/30/2012

2 Corinthians 5:11 “Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.”

Paul has figured out what he has to do no matter what happens to him in this world and he is willing to “work hard” to share that message with everyone possible. As we can see by reading 2 Corinthians Paul does this by explaining who Christ is and what He did for all of us. When we believe this and accept it we can start with our transformation and our new lives.

Verses 14-15 say, “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” When we believe that Christ has died for us we can really live for Him. Warren Wiersbe wrote this in one of his commentaries. “Because we have died with Christ, we can overcome sin; and because we live with Christ, we can bear fruit for God’s glory.” (It is a reference from Romans chapter 7 verse 4.)

Look at this reminder Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God trough Christ.” Through Christ is important for us to understand. It is not in our own strength it is us dying to self and God transforming our lives to live like Christ. The gift is free; God gives it to all mankind so we have a way home. When we open our hearts and realize this, our lives change and we desire to work hard to show we appreciate His gift.

We shouldn’t accept this gift and say, oh well I tried or as long as I believe I’m good. We should be so excited that we know the Lord that we do all we can to live like He did. Look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 1, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.” We must continue to grow and learn opening our hearts to change and let the Spirit lead us in our new life.

Maybe we have heard people say; God doesn’t want us to be perfect, He wants us to keep trying. I say when we surrender our hearts we are focused and when we are focused we can mature and when we mature we do less and less for ourselves and more and more for God. We won’t be perfect but we will be clawing and fighting to do our best in all situations and our testimony will really make an impact in this world for the kingdom of God. Paul shares in chapter 6 verses 8-10, “We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us imposters. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not yet been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.” To me this is living for Christ. It is not about what we have because of Christ, it is who we are because of Christ, and that is a new creation.

I want to learn and grow so I don’t sin and I share for others to see and when I do mess up I ask for forgiveness and keep working to continue to change so people see the truth in me and they see someone different. We must live differently with the power of the Spirit so when we accept the marvelous gift we don’t ignore it. Amen

0 Comments

2 Corinthians 4

12/27/2012

1 Comment

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

This is very difficult to do because we can’t help but fix our thoughts on this world. And this world happens to keep us blinded to the amazing gift of Jesus Christ in our lives. Because of Jesus we have the opportunity to live forever with the Father and with that there are no more tears or pain, just joy and love in God’s presence.

It says our spirits are being renewed and that is why it is so important to open God’s word and pray seeking wisdom from God. Our studying will help transform our hearts and keep our focus off this world and all the temptations and troubles that it brings. When we desire being Christ-like we don’t care about what the world offers, but when we have to have everything the world offers we look past what the Spirit is showing us. I like to think how short this world is and how eternity will never end. When we are in Christ that eternity is with the Father and when we are in the world that eternity could be separated from Him and it will be unbearable.

Paul said never give up and this is so important as we live like Christ and shine the light of heaven here on earth. Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.” We need to remember this as we live our lives and people see our actions and behavior. The more we grow to understand that we are created in God’s image and apart from Him we will never feel complete but we will always be missing something.

I like what James MacDonald wrote in his book “Vertical Church.” “God made you the way you are, and He made me the same. God designed us so we can’t find fulfillment or lasting enjoyment apart from this eternity. The busier we are trying to satisfy our deepest longing by good and bad horizontal means, the more likely we are to miss God’s vertical invitation to experience Him.” We need to truly surrender and realize nothing means anything without God in it. He is the source of true love and all comfort, so let’s tap into it and open our hearts to be filled by the Spirit. Amen

1 Comment

2 Corinthians 2

12/25/2012

1 Comment

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as that?”

As I read this it made me think of the check list Christians that do things to earn something or because they feel they have too. We all need to hear, or in this case smell, the Christ-like fragrance but we must remember that when we open our hearts that fragrance is incredible in the good times and the bad. It’s not something we earn but something we love to work for. When tragedies happen it doesn’t smell bad it should smell better. One of my favorite Pastors to read is Warren Wiersbe and he said this once and it made me think. “God’s gracious encouragement helps us if we learn to endure. “Patient endurance” is an evidence of faith. If we become bitter or critical of God, if we rebel instead of submit, then our trials will work against us instead of for us. The ability to endure difficulties patiently, without giving up, is a mark of spiritual maturity.”

I say we need to open our hearts and surrender so we can say as Paul did, “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.” We are the ones that make a difference and we need to understand that we don’t love someone because we have to we love them because we want to. It is the same with what God did for us. Jesus came because God wants us, His love is unconditional and He has given us everything to guide us home. We don’t have to do anything except go through Jesus and believe in our heart who He is and confess it with our mouth that He is Lord. When we truly surrender and smell that fragrance we change and we are obedient because we want to be and we do it with joy because the Spirit is in us. We should thank God for His true love and remember it is for everyone and we should be passionate about sharing His love with everyone. Amen

1 Comment

2 Corinthians 1

12/21/2012

0 Comments

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ.”

This seems tough and impossible as we live on this earth. Can there really be comfort in this crazy world? I say, yes, because God has told us in His word and His word is true. We know by reading that God is love so nothing can separate us from His love. He will love us even when we choose our own path. It is the same with our comfort on earth. It says, “…God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.” We do not really know comfort apart from Him and He has shown us this so we can use our life story and experiences to help comfort others.

When we seek Christ and who He is and what He did we can feel the peace in our hearts. Try it when you are really struggling, just let go and open God’s word and pray. To me there is nothing like it. Our walk is living in Christ and receiving peace, joy and comfort through Christ. When we are being fully devoted followers of Christ there is more Christ in the world that can comfort hurting people. Are we being the hands and feet of Christ? Are we making a difference so people don’t just hear about Jesus but they see Him in us?

Verse 4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others…” We are to replicate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are all qualities that Jesus had and that the Spirit in us produces so we are able to live out our free gift and make sure we are learning and shining daily so people can see Christ in this crazy world.

My mentor Trent Renner made a couple statements in his sermon last weekend and I wanted to share them. First, he said, “Allow God to take hold of you.” We need to quit fighting what we know and feel in us. And secondly, “Has God grabbed you by the heart?” When He does and our focus is growing in Him we are comforted in all situations and we have peace even when we have these senseless tragedies like in Connecticut and in the mall in Oregon, in China when all the kids were stabbed and even when King Herod had all the babies 2 years and under killed to hopefully get rid of the Messiah.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9 Paul says, “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on God, who raises the dead.” Troubles won’t change but God has shown us what will and that is our hearts. Amen

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 16

12/19/2012

1 Comment

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.”

That is a big list for us to do and remember as we live our lives trying to be like Christ. Be on guard: We need to know God’s word and understand that it is there for us to learn and grow. Satan will even use it to trip us up and keep us from doing God’s will. He feeds off of our physical desires, so we must stay focused and ready.

Stand firm in the faith: We must know in all things good or bad God is God and we are not. He knows everything and we need to develop our faith so it is strong like Daniels and Abrahams then nothing will keep us from doing what is right.

Be courageous: We are to be bold and live out our faith because we are the people that plant seeds and water so everyone can know the Lord.

Be strong: It will be hard work and constant study to know all that God wants. Jesus used God’s word to stop the devil and we must be strong in the hard times and know the word.

And do everything with love: We must remember people will be hurting and wondering and until they are seeking the Lord they will only see and understand our love we show to them. We can’t live in judgment of all people, but we can live in love because love can move mountains and penetrate people’s hearts.

This list is very important as we continue to grow and win people for Christ. I say never be satisfied with what you know and how you live. We must continue to ask, seek and knock so we can be the best we can be and that we make sure we are living by the list Paul gave to the church in Corinth. In my words; be ready, don’t waiver, be bold, work out, and love God and people. Amen

1 Comment

1 Corinthians 15

12/16/2012

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

We have the power not to sin because of what Jesus did for us. Look what Jesus tells us in John chapter 14 verse 26, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” It is so important to remember, because of Jesus, sin is not what controls us. We can say “no” to our desires because the Holy Spirit reminds us everything Jesus has shown us in the word. This is why it is so important that we become, “strong and immovable,” the more we learn and do the more natural it is for us to die to self.

The Spirit will guide us but no guide ever makes you do things, we have to say “yes” to Jesus and mature daily by turning to God for help. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 34 it says, “Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.” We must make our walk real and concentrate on what God has shown us and what Jesus has done and what the Spirit is doing in us so we can truly know Him. Knowing Him will change our hearts and when our hearts change our minds think of things pleasing to God. Then we constantly learn and the Spirit reminds us in the hard times about what is right and we choose to live the way Jesus modeled for us.

Let’s work hard and “think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning…” I think we read this next verse the wrong way so we have a safety net or an excuse to sin. Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, “For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standards.” I look at it as motivation to work on not sinning, and listening to the Spirit before I choose to react.

In Romans chapter 6 verses 1-2 Paul says, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” We were sinners but Jesus made us righteous when we accept Him and live our lives in Him. We really need to study verses 3 and 4 of Romans chapter 6 and believe it with all of our heart. “Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” My ending question to myself and everyone is; are we living new lives or are we the same as before but just added a check list for ourselves to look religious? Amen

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 13

12/13/2012

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

Today as I read this I noticed more things that are on the list that hit me square in the face. As we mature and we grow, which should never stop, we must understand love and showing the love of God in our lives. These qualities are hard when we try in our own strength to say we love someone, but these take asking God for help and learning as we have a relationship with Him.

There are many things that love is not, but I say let’s really focus on the things that love is. Love is patient and kind, love never gives up, never loses faith, it is always hopeful and endures through all circumstances. Are we showing this kind of love? I know I am struggling in certain areas and need to improve and remember it is in Christ where I get my strength. When we can understand that we are not, all that, we can surrender our will and let the Spirit lead us, and that helps keep us focused on glorifying God not ourselves.

This really makes me appreciate what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 20 verse 16, “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” We so easily get caught up in others and what they are doing when God wants us to just shine and be there for others in love. We must challenge fellow believers with truth but we must show them love first. When we understand that God is love and He sent Jesus down to show us true love we can open our heart to grow.

Jesus says in John chapter 17 verse 23, “I am in them and you are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent Me and that you love them as much as you love Me.” Love is so important as we learn to be like Christ, it helps us see everyone as a creation of God and it should motivate us all to be the best we can for Christ. Amen

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 10

12/10/2012

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

This warning should inspire us to open God’s word and pray because it doesn’t say He will take you out of the situation, it says, “He will show you a way out…” We have to be aware of the ways out that God will show us and that comes with our learning and growth from having a relationship with the Lord. I love this chapter because we are shown how important it is for us to be outwardly focused and living our lives so people have no doubt that there is something different and we do live for a purpose.

In chapter 10 verse 31 and chapter 11 verse 1 it says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

With all that Paul was doing it was to glorify God, it doesn’t mean you do whatever people are doing so you fit in. Not everything is beneficial but we can show people by our lives that Christ is our first love and we are trying to please Him. Let’s look back at verses 23-24 which say, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything – but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything – but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.”

We need to open God’s word and open our hearts so we can actually learn and change so when we plant seeds and water people want to seek Christ. As soon as they are interested in seeking, God can make it grow because He will always be there to guide the ones that believe in Jesus. He will not make you believe but He will always put things in our lives so we will choose Him. Amen

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 9

12/8/2012

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

We must have the same passion Paul does and realize that the more mature the better we are for the Kingdom. We will love more, help more, give more, serve more, and we will be at the top of our game. In Philippians chapter 1 verse 27 it says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” Can you imagine conducting ourselves like citizens of Heaven? I can, we see a lot of people throughout the bible doing this and Paul explains how in his letter to the church in Corinth.

We have the purpose; it is Christ and what He did for us. When we learn it opens our hearts and we change our way of thinking and we see what is meant by being “new creations” when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior then are baptized. Learning and maturing are the keys to growth and I really like this quote from Warren Wiersbe, “No one will master God’s word in a lifetime of study but we should learn all we can. We must make time, not find time to read and study the word of God.” When we make time we wouldn’t miss it for anything because we know that our relationship with God fuels us to live as Jesus did.

It becomes real and part of our lives and the more we practice the more we grow. Development takes time and when we devote to something we are more likely to continue it for a long period of time without burn-out. Check your tank and see how your training is. If it is like “shadow boxing” or going through the motions let’s make the changes that are needed to be seriously training for Christ. Paul was disciplined and we can be also, we need to meditate and do because if we just know it we won’t reach anyone for the Kingdom. Amen

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 5

12/6/2012

0 Comments

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scripture say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.”

This is important and tough as we grow to understand what God desires. The church in Corinth was allowing things in the church that were sinful and that would have always left that door open if nothing was done. People see the trends and think that certain things are ok because some people are doing them and it can be very confusing to people at different points of their maturity in their walk with Christ. After we accept Jesus Christ and know it in our hearts we are new creations what drove us before should be gone and we should now be driven by the Spirit in us.

We can keep saying (we’re all sinners saved by grace) or we can say, Jesus help me live as the new creation that I am and help me forget the old me that lived for myself. These next statements by Paul are serious and are very true. In chapter 6 verses 9-10 they say, “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

This is a long list of things and what most people struggle with, but we are done with our old lives when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. These are all things that are selfish and there to glorify our own flesh, but we are called to use the Holy Spirit and go to Christ when we are weak. When Jesus was tempted He went to scripture and we are supposed to resemble Christ in all we do.

Look at verse 11 which says, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” We need to remember that we are holy because of Jesus and we can say, “no” to any worldly desires because the Spirit in us will warn us and give us a way out. The next key thing in that list of sins is the word “indulge” which means: “To allow oneself to follow one’s will. Or to yield to, satisfy, or gratify our desires, feelings etc.” This is the opposite of what Jesus showed us when He lived on earth.

When we mature and learn who Christ is and what He did we should also be dying to ourselves and seeking more and more wisdom from God. In chapter 6 at the end of verse 19 and all of 20 it says, “…You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” We need to ask ourselves why we want to do some things and then remember if our answer is just about us we shouldn’t do it. We have received eternal life because of Jesus and we are blessed to be called His brothers and sisters. Amen

0 Comments

<<Previous

2 Corinthians 5

2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 16

1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 5

Archives

Categories

Books to Read: