Pause for thought

When we tell others about Jesus we must always be truthful in what we say never distorting the message to please people. The message we preach must always be about the Lord Jesus and never about ourselves 2:2.

If called upon to give a personal testimony we must never exaggerate to draw attention to ourselves.. The treasure we carry within us is Gods glory in these frail human bodies we have nothing to boast about but this Christ lives in me 2:5.

In the parable of the sower, the seed that fell on the hard path represents those who heard the Good News about the kingdom and don’t understand it. These are the ones who have hard hearts or “veiled hearts”. These are those through ignorance of the message fall prey to Satan’s lies, and whose minds are so blinded that they refuse to believe and have unknowingly made Satan their god. This is of great concern because this seems to suggest that people don’t have to put their trust in Satan to make him their god it is the default position of anyone who rejects the Good News of Jesus Christ 4::4.

Have you met the perfect Christian or heard of the Christian family that has never experienced any troubles? Paul’s experienced more pressure from trouble than most, he said he was pressed on every side but he would not give in! He talks about having the same faith as the psalmist when he said I believe in God and so I speak. We have this very same faith because we believe in Jesus, and we completely trust Him. So we will continue to speak for Him because we understand that our troubles that often loom so large now won’t last much longer. The best is yet to come! 4:18.

Memory Verse

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

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Pause for thought

At the very beginning when Moses gave the Law etched on stone tablets, his face shone because he had been in God’s presence. Moses wore a veil over his face to shield the people from its glow, and its fading glory. The old covenant of works is made void by the death and resurrection of Jesus, see Hebrews chapters 8-10 The veil illustrates the fading away of the old system, and represents the closed minds of those who hold to it, ending in their spiritual death 3:7 and 3:14.

The first covenant as glorious as it was could never give life, Jesus was the only one who fulfilled the law perfectly keeping it entirely. He was tempted in every way like us yet He never sinned. Under the new covenant the Holy Spirit gives new life to everyone who believes in Jesus. Paul says that compared to the overwhelming glory of the New covenant the old was not glorious at all 3:10.

when a person believes in Jesus Christ, the veil is stripped off by the Holy Spirit giving new life and freedom from sin and it’s bondage. When this happens we become like mirrors that reflect God’s glory, but this is just the start for as the Holy Spirit continues His work in us we become more and more like the Lord reflecting His likeness to a greater degree 3:16-18.

memory verse

When anyone turns to the Lord then the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

William Barclay quote “every Christian whether we like it or not is an advertisement for Christ and Christianity” Evangelist Dick Shepard quote “the greatest handicap the Church has is the unsatisfactory lives of professing Christians”

Like Paul we don’t trust in ourselves but must trust in the sufficiency of the Holy Spirit, for without Him we could never be living letters 3:5.

The Law shows us our need but has no power to meet it, only the Spirit gives us life 3:6

We should not read more into these verses than is intended, Paul was not against Letters of introduction see Romans 16:1-2, 1 Corinthians 16:10, The main point he was making is that the letter of the Law written upon stone tablets had no power to change lives, we don’t get saved by following rules, but through faith in Jesus Christ and I believe that we become genuine living letters as we show the Spirits transforming power at work in our hearts to our own generation 3:6

Memory verse

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Like Paul we should care enough for our friends and fellow Christian to confront them if they do wrong Proverbs 27:6.

Church discipline must never drive anyone to despair, its motive is correction not vengeance. Someone once said “God’s strokes always upward” done in the wrong way it can drive a person away from fellowship and into the arms of Satan. Godly corrections aim should not knock a person down but lift them up 2:5

The devil will always take advantage especially where there is discord amongst Christian’s so we must always be quick to forgive each other, not forgetting to forgive yourself 2:11.

Apparently when the Romans held a victory parade the conquered in chains followed the Roman Legions, who were followed by musicians. Then came the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense which meant something different to the victors and the vanquished. Paul probably had this in mind when he writes that as we Christian’s share the gospel its fragrance is a fearful smell death leading to death to those who are perishing but an aroma of life leading to life towards all who are being saved 2:15-16

God has given every Christian authority to share the gospel what a responsibility! we may feel inadequate, but we speak sincerely the words of God who is watching over us 2:17

Memory verse

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Pause for thought

Paul’s plan to visit the Corinthians was not according to his own mind nor was he uncertain or frivolously changing his plans to suit himself. The plan to visit Corinth at that time was postponed because of Paul’s commitment to the Gospel and his loving concern for their welfare ( Paul did not want another painful visit) so Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to postpone his visit and to write explaining his reasons for the delay 1:17.

Paul was accused of being double minded because of his change of plan and some of his detractors questioned if the gospel he preached was also subject to change. But Paul assures them and us that every promise of God in Jesus are always Yes to the Glory of God this is the Gospel Paul preached and we believe.
Every promise to us are yes in Jesus Christ. Never yes and no, our response is Amen to Every promise of God through Christ 1:19-20

The fact that from the moment we believed in Jesus Christ we were established, anointed, and sealed with the Holy Spirit is the evidence and guarantee that we are saved and belong to God, when God says yes that is exactly what He means 1:22

Memory verse

He has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment of everything He will give us. 2 Corinthians 1:22 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

God promises His people comfort, but we misunderstand if we think that this means our troubles will simply disappear when we pray. If this were so then we would only turn to God when we need His help, what sort of relationship is that? Of course we should go to God and He will often take away our physical pain but sometimes when the Lord comes alongside it’s not to take the unbearable weight of troubles away but to comfort us in our troubles. The Holy Spirit was described by the Lord Jesus as the Comforter, One who will come alongside us. To comfort can mean to receive strength and encouragement, so like Paul rather than removing us from the difficult situation, the more help and the more comfort the Lord supplies 1:5, 12:8-10.

We comfort others with the comfort we have been given, although it means we are able to offer words and practical help where applicable, more importantly we remind them that our Lord Jesus Christ is the source of every mercy and He is God who will come along side to comforts us. Every promise of God is for everyone of Gods children 1:4

Suffering for Christ as we serve Him always results in Christ suffering with us because we and the Lord Jesus are United together Acts 9:4-5

When we are going through troubles we don’t rely upon our own strength no matter how well we feel prepared but we do rely upon God who is able to raise the dead 1:9

We keep praying for each other that in trying times that they will never give in but keep trusting in the Lord, because answered prayers always brings praise to God 1:11

Memory verse

You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:5 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

This is a very practical chapter it reminds us that God does not intend that His Church should be full of members living in isolation to their fellow believers, or that the administration of church business should be seen as a less spiritual, or that chaotic scenes are evidence of ( a move of the Spirit). God is Love and He is a God of order, just think of the universe or observe nature, the same is true of the church and the way it is meant to function, even down to our meetings which when led by the Spirit should be decently and in order 14:40 16:1

Every Christian is a member of a local congregation and also part of the Universal Church, however not every Christian is aware of this and some live in isolation from fellowship, this has very negative results Heb 10:25. We became members when we first believed and put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. At that very moment we were baptised into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit 1Cor 12:13. The Bible speaks of the local Church and the Universal Church never the national Church. The collection for the poor at Jerusalem was a way of demonstrating unity, and reminding the scattered congregations that they are members of Christs body they had obligations for other Christian’s worldwide, collections for the saints help us to obey the teachings of Christ 16:1

Our giving should be in relation to what we have received not from our lack, ( never borrow to give) reminding ourselves that everything we have is from God, please read 2 Corinthians 9:9-15. It is always according to what God has given us, we must never forget that we love God because God loved us first this is the principle of all giving and receiving 16:2.

memory verse

Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Every seed brings forth after its own kind Genesis 1:25 this is a fundamental truth in nature. Adam gave us a naturally sinful body. But the New Adam that is Jesus who rose from the dead is a life giving Spirit, He is the source of spiritual life and is called the “first born” of God’s New creation. Jesus is the grain of wheat that was sown and in dying brought forth much fruit John 12:24. We can be certain that our new resurrection bodies will be like Christs own glorified body because we have the promise of God that every seed sown produces after it’s own kind 15:38.

We don’t bury Christian’s when they die we just plant them! Dave Duell Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies 15:43-44

On that day we will think and feel differently. Nothing we do for the Lord is worthless, we should never get disappointed because we don’t see results from our labour in Christ, Why? Because of the resurrection nothing we do for the Lord is ever wasted 15:58

memory verse

For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die 15:53 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Our faith hinges on the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it’s impossible to claim to be a Christian and deny that Jesus was physically raised from death to Life Romans 10:9.

If Jesus was not raised then our faith would be in vain and we would still be under God’s judgment for our sins 15:17.

Jesus was the first to rise from the dead never to die again He is the first fruit, the guarantee of our resurrection to everlasting life 15:20.

Because Jesus was raised to life it means that God has accepted the sacrificial death of His son as sufficient for our sins 15:17, He was raised for our justification Romans 4:24.

Christs resurrection is the reason we can look to the future with great hope not only will we be with Him forever He has promised us new bodies just like his own resurrected body 15:23,53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

When the resurrected Jesus comes at the end of the age, death that has plagued Gods creation will finally be 0destroyed 15:26

Memory verse

But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. 1 Corinthians 14:20 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

When we first believed the gospel of the grace of God and received Jesus Christ who saved us and forgave us our sins, we probably thought that such wonderful truth was the extent of the gospel. In this chapter Paul reminds us that the gospel is far more than about our forgiveness, the good news of the Gospel is about Jesus death and resurrection, His victory over evil, His victorious return and the renewal of all created things.
We are reminded that the gospel is according to the scriptures, these were the Old Testament scriptures that foretold the coming of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. What the scriptures foretold was witnessed by more than five hundred who saw the risen Christ not including all the apostles, the Lords half brother James and finally Paul himself.

The good news has to be received it comes to us through someone who already possesses it, Mark 16:14-15. it is something on which we are to stand, if we find our feet are slipping, focussing on the gospel will hold us safely in an increasingly wicked world. We have been saved, and we are also being saved as we hold fast to the gospel we first believed in the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ.

Memory verse

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 N.K.J.

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