Posts

Who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

  Good morning. In addition to God establishing us in Christ and anointing us: who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. The word sealed means to stamp (as with a signet ring) for security or preservation, and the form of the verb denotes a special interest of the sealer in His act. My Bible says that a pledge is a part given as a guarantee that the whole will be forthcoming. The part is of the same kind as the whole. According to Vine’s, it is the same word in modern Greek that is used for an engagement ring. The Holy Spirit in our hearts is our engagement ring from God. What could our wedding band be but our resurrected body? Father thank You that You sealed us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is ours to come. Help us to be conscious of that every day.

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us was not yes and no, but is yes in Him

  Good morning. Paul had told them that he wanted to come; but he had been prevented. But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. He was saying “I am not wishy-washy and neither is Christ”. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. You can believe what God has promised us. He is not going to take it back. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God. God is the one who establishes us, not we ourselves. We cooperate with Him; but we are not the ones who do the establishing. Some preachers try to “stir up” an anointing; but if there is none there, they can not create one on their own. Father thank You that Your promises are yes and Amen. We can stake our lives and our souls on them. Give the reader energy for the tasks ahead.

Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

  Good morning. Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. Sometimes we have to get to the point where there is no hope for us to trust in God. Even if we don’t make it, God will “raise us from the dead” in the end. Who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us. He in whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us. We can be confident in Him. For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. No matter what bad things people may say about him, Paul knew that he had done nothing wrong. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end. Paul said what he meant, and meant what he said. Father go with the reader. Help him/her to remember the goo...

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer

  Good morning. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. That’s easy for you to say Paul. We always think of Paul as being above the fray and not afraid of anything. But the following says something a little different. For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burden excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Bummer! Paul, don’t you know that you are more than a conqueror? Of course he did. It just shows how even the best of the best can let things get them down. And if that happens to them, it can happen to us. Remember, if you get knocked down, get back up. It is only when you don’t get back up that you lose...

God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

  Good morning. Today we begin second Corinthians. Paul begins with his usual greetings to churches. And then some verses that are appropriate to your situation. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. While Paul was talking about being afflicted because of their faith, it also applies to our every day life. God comforts us in our time of need, not just for our sakes, but also that we may give comfort to those around us when they are in horrible situations. Jesus went through much more than we ever will, with His Father even turning His back on Him, so He knows what we have need of in any situation. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. Farther help the reader to have words of comfort.

Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not vain in the Lord

  Good morning. Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not vain in the Lord. We shouldn’t be wishy-washy. We have a firm foundation, and hope for life after death. We should not keep that to ourselves, but rather share it with those around us. He then talks about collecting for the saints. This money was to be sent to those in Jerusalem. He tells them that if Timothy comes, “see that he is with you without cause to be afraid”. Remember that Paul told Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear/timidity. Perhaps this was an issue with Timothy. Remember we began this book with this statement, “I am of Paul“, “I am of Apollos“. Was there conflict between the two? But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren. That does not sound like they had problems with each other. And then some good advice for now just as then: be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like me...

For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

  Good morning. Regardless of when the last trumpet sounds: for this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. This physical body of ours cannot put on immortality; there has to be some kind of change. What will happen when it does? But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?“ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Adam’s sin, death came into the world. Physically it did not happen until hundreds of years later. Relating it to the Middle East: it was like being stung by a scorpion, but death not coming till some time later. Spiritually, it happened instantaneously. Father thank You that fear of death no longer reigns over us. Help ...