From: September 13, 2024
“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV).
Paul’s final instructions in his second letter to the Corinthians sought to correct the disharmony he had heard about. They were not submissive to his authority, they were spiritually immature, they struggled with grumbling and gossip. In this condition, the God of love and peace would refuse to be manifest in their midst.
When a church is marked by such things as the one in Corinth, the word, “Ichabod” (Hebrew: “No glory”), may as well be written over it. For the glory of God will not reside in such a gathering. It “grieves” (Eph. 4:30) the Spirit of God when His people are not acting in unity and love.
Church, do you want the God of love and peace to shine His glorious light down upon you? Do you seek the presence of God in your fellowship? Then heed Paul’s final words to the believers in Corinth.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for grumbling when we should be rejoicing. Forgive our tendency to gossip and complain. Lead us to be reconciled in all things to You and to one another, so that Your love and peace are manifest in us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 13, 2023
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT).
With this beautiful benediction, Paul closed his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul’s great trinitarian doxology bestowed three powerful blessings of the Godhead upon the believers at Corinth.
These three blessings belong to all those who would believe and receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior:
1) The “grace” (Greek: χάρις, charis) of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Christ’s free and unmerited favor towards all who would place their faith in Him. This grace is the finished work of Christ dying for our sins, but also the sustaining grace of being kept by Him. Since the Father has given all authority in heaven and earth to Him, receiving and living under this divine favor is to be supremely blessed.
2) The “love” (Greek: ἀγάπη, agape) of God. This is God’s unconditional love and chief attribute. God’s agage love is that which motivated Him to send His Son to die for our sins and redeem us. Receiving and believing in Jesus, we are the recipients of this divine love. And not only that, this love is poured out into our hearts, so that we are able to love others with God’s great unconditional love.
3) The “fellowship” (Greek: κοινωνία, koinonia) of the Spirit. This is the abiding communion of the Spirit living in those who have believed in Christ Jesus. Sharing this fellowship of the Spirit, we are able to bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness, and self-control. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are sealed, supported, comforted, empowered, assured, and invigorated to live for God.
May this beautiful blessing be yours today!
PRAYER: Dear Lord, when we consider Your grace and love towards us, we are overcome with wonder and joy. For You are all wonderful to us. That You have invited us into the eternal communion and fellowship with You is beyond our understanding. Help us to focus our hearts and minds on You today and upon the spiritual blessings You have given us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 13, 2022
DOES YOUR HEART SAY “I WILL” OR “THY WILL?”
Lucifer, whose name meant “Morning Star,” was cast down from heaven because of his rebellious heart that said, “I will be like the Most High.” Being cast down, he sought to corrupt and kill those whom God had made in His own image by tempting them with the same rebellious attitude. He tempted Eve saying that if she would eat of the forbidden fruit, she would be “like God” (Gen. 3:5).
The heart of sin is an attitude that says, “I will” rather than saying “Thy will be done.” It desires to take God’s place, rather than submitting to Him.
The rebellious heart declares, “I will.” Yet the obedient heart of Jesus prayed, “Thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42). What does your heart say?
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us where our hearts are saying “I will.” We surrender our wants and desires to You. We ask You for what we want, but we obediently surrender to what You want, knowing that Your will is better. For You love us and know what is best for us. Teach us to love what You love and hate what You hate. May Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 13, 2017
Isaiah prophesied that while Babylon would soon take Israel captive, the day would soon follow when Babylon would be overthrown by God. The judgment of God against Babylon would be like it was against “Sodom and Gomorrah,” for He would make it uninhabitable. This prophecy must have been hard to believe as Babylon was considered to be one of the greatest cities on earth. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Yet, Isaiah’s prophecy came true. Today, the ruins of Babylon lie in the desert South of Baghdad in Iraq. They have been uninhabited for generations just as the Bible predicted.
From: September 13, 2016
This beautiful benediction closed Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. Paul’s trinitarian blessing bestowed three powerful attributes of the Godhead upon the believers at Corinth. 1) The “grace” (χάρις – charis) of Jesus. Which is Christ’s free and unmerited favor. 2) The “love” (ἀγάπη – agape) of God. Which is God’s unconditional love and chief attribute. 3) The “fellowship” (κοινωνία – koinonia) of the Spirit. Which is the abiding communion of the Spirit living in those of us who believe. May this threefold blessing be yours today!
From: September 13, 2015
The rebellious heart of Lucifer declared: “I will.” The obedient heart of Jesus prayed: “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Satan was cast down from heaven because of his rebellious heart. He tempted Eve with the same attitude, saying that if she would eat of the forbidden fruit, she would be “like God” (Gen. 3:5). The heart of sin is an attitude that says, “I will” rather than saying “Thy will be done.” It desires to take God’s place, rather than submitting to Him.