“But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.” (II Corinthians 10:12)
Many people feel that they can come off well by comparing their behavior or achievements to someone else’s, but the Apostle Paul tells us here that this is foolish and inadequate. Other flawed people are not our standard. Continue reading
“He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'” (II Corinthians 12:9)
History is replete with examples of God healing and rescuing His people from illnesses and difficult situations — but it is also filled with people whose prayers for a miracle or deliverance were NOT answered positively. For those in such situations, you are in good company, as this was the testimony of the Apostle Paul. Continue reading
In 1994, North Korea precipitated an international crisis, when they took the rods out of their nuclear reactors, which would allow them to create nuclear weapons. Many thought we might be on the brink of war. But Jimmy Carter, years after his own presidency, as a private citizen, flew to North Korea, met with the Korean leaders and helped broker a “peace” – in fact, one magazine article, published in 1997 called him: “The Peacemaker”! And in 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
But if you’ve seen the news recently, you might wonder if what Jimmy Carter did was really peacemaking! Here we are, over 20 years later, and North Korea and the nuclear crisis are STILL on the front burner in 2016! Now, surely it is a laudable thing to try to keep peace between people and nations, but this kind of thing is not what the Bible is talking about here in Matthew 5:9 – indeed, very few of us will ever have the opportunity to be that kind of peacemaker. The Bible is referring to an entirely different thing, which Jesus demonstrates for us, and which God wants to build into the character each of us. We find this quality in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Continue reading
“You are looking at things as they are outwardly.” (II Corinthians 10:7)
Many of the Corinthians evidently didn’t think much of the Apostle Paul. He wasn’t very “impressive” outwardly: verse 10 says that many of them were saying, “His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” But Paul was more than met the eye. Although he “walked in the flesh” in an unimpressive way, he did not “war according to the flesh”, but had a “divine power” in his life in through the Holy Spirit of God (:3-4). The Apostle Paul was one of the most influential people who ever walked this earth — he wrote almost half of the books of the New Testament — and yet many of the Corinthians couldn’t see past the fact that he didn’t “look” impressive to them.
This is just the problem that many people have today: Continue reading
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (II Corinthians 9:8)
The last phrase in this verse should cause many of us to consider why God gives us the material blessings that He does: Continue reading
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” (II Corinthians 9:15)
Many of us have heard the expression “the gift of giving”, and the Bible does teaches that giving is a gift. But it may also be a gift in a sense that one might not expect! Continue reading
“We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things …”. (II Corinthians 8:22)
We don’t know who this unnamed “brother” is (:18 similarly mentions a “brother” whose fame has spread in the churches; perhaps the same one?) but we do know a couple of important things about him from what Paul writes here: Continue reading
I enjoy going to a number of high school sporting events, like football and basketball games, and track meets. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one track meet I watched several years ago in Louisiana. As I sat in the bleachers, I noticed this one particular runner warming up, who looked very impressive. He had a spiffy uniform, as well as some custom socks and some golden shoes, and all the most fashionable accessories. He went through his warm-ups in a professional manner, with all the right moves, the right preparation. I thought, I can’t wait to see this guy run — he must really be good. But when the starting pistol went off, I almost burst out laughing. This “impressive looking runner” was the slowest guy on the track! He looked SO good — but he performed so badly.
I was still laughing to myself as I thought about this race afterwards. I thought, you know, this is pretty typical America, where “appearance” means everything. Doesn’t matter as much how good you are, as how good you LOOK. Too often in our country, appearance is more important than substance: in athletics, in politics — and too often, in the church.
But we need to understand something very important this morning: appearance may mean everything in the United States of America — but it is not so in the Kingdom of God. It is the substance that matters in the Kingdom; the heart — and that is the point of this 6th Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Continue reading
“… this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself …” (II Corinthians 8:19)
Here Paul, writing about the offering that he and his associates were taking up for the impoverished saints at Jerusalem, talked about their motivation for this work. WHY were they taking up this offering for those saints? Continue reading
“For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (II Corinthians 8:12)
This scripture should be a great encouragement to every Christian who wanted to do something for the Lord, but who was unable. Continue reading
I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
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