Tag: God
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How Do You Receive Instruction?
13Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.–Proverbs 4 Every job I have ever had has come with instruction. This is why we remove the rogue corn. This is the way to work the cash register. This is how to take a driver’s license picture. This is how…
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A Simple Spiritual Test
5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!–2 Corinthians 13 Paul was giving one last warning to the Corinthians. The chapter kind of had the vibe of a tired parent…
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A Sufficient Answer
…a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”–2 Corinthians 12 The situation:…
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Boast God’s Strength
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.–2 Corinthians 11 During this time, various men were traveling around claiming to be somebody better than Paul. They considered themselves not merely apostles, but super-apostles. They accompanied their work with great boastings. In this chapter, Paul spoke about boasting. These other…
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Your Greatest Weapon
5…take every thought captive to obey Christ…–2 Corinthians 10 Paul was describing the inner war that Christians wage against the enemy. His context seems to indicate spiritual warfare, not physical people. He mentioned destroying arguments on the one hand and one’s own behavior on the other. This implies that the enemy was tempting the Corinthians…
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How Do You Give?
7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.–2 Corinthians 9 Paul was still making the collection pitch to the Corinthians in order to raise funds to help another church in dire need. Our verse today is a famous one. Most Christians…
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Poverty and Riches
9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.–2 Corinthians 8 Paul had been making a collection amongst the churches to be able to provide relief for another church facing a dire situation.…
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Two Kinds of Grief
10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.–2 Corinthians 7 Paul had written the Corinthian Christians a previous letter that included pastoral admonishment and much correction. And he had just received word from Titus that the letter was received as intended. The church was grieving and…
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Now
2…Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.—2 Corinthians 6 Paul had led his people to a key ministry moment. Where has God led you? What has he been expecting you to learn during this season of your life? Here are seven things he has taught me at times. This…
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Cosmically Unfair
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.—2 Corinthians 5 How does a sinner become reconciled to the holy God? Adam and Eve sinned and were kicked out of…
Joel M Bradshaw 