Tag: Jesus is the truth

2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4 – Be Comforted

Read 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4

Paul’s second letter was sent about a year after his first, according to notes in my study Bible. Those may have actually been his 2nd and 4th letters. Apparently, there were two other letters written to this congregation that did not make it into our Holy Scriptures. The second letter recorded in the Bible is believed to be the 4th and final letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. Having that background is helpful to understand the timing and references made. Paul had quite a relationship with this Greek congregation.

Paul is quick to offer words of comfort, pointing to our great comforter. In Paul’s words, “God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.” When we go through challenging times in our lives, it is always helpful to imagine we are not alone, with all the comfort God showers on us. For people who don’t have a relationship with God, they don’t understand the peace and hope that accompany that comfort. Sometimes when we’re in the thick of our messiness, we can lose sight of the great comforter holding us together. Continue reading “2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4 – Be Comforted”

Galatians 4:8-31 – Correction or Consolation?

Read Galatians 4:8-31

Paul illustrates in this letter how easy it is to fall back into old habits and ways, despite having once chosen to follow Jesus. While temptations will come, Paul wants to stress the importance of not falling away. It seems like he’s taking responsibility because it is happening to someone he introduced to Jesus in the first place.

Paul didn’t want all his hard work to be for nothing, but beyond that, he didn’t want those people to become “slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world.” Weak and useless is a great way to describe what many people rely on for their “spirituality,” or belief system. We see all kinds of those temptations around us even today when people rely on the moon, the universe, or other “new age” trappings. Continue reading “Galatians 4:8-31 – Correction or Consolation?”

John 17:1-26 – What a Prayer!

Read John 17:1-26

What a prayer indeed! Jesus has been our Redeemer from the day of creation. Jesus, our friend and confidant, has been by our side from the very first day. That same Jesus was praying for us, not the world! Can you believe it?

We may be in the world, but Jesus called out the world and made it clear He was praying for us. Jesus himself had been tempted by the evil one controlling the world. As if the world were a lost cause, Jesus was praying for those who knew him. It’s sometimes hard and unpopular to live in the world when you think like Jesus. Continue reading “John 17:1-26 – What a Prayer!”

Mark 6:1-13 – What’s Next?

Read Mark 6:1-13

Whether you’ve lived in the same town your whole life or have moved around like a pastor’s family, the way this passage opens can strike a chord. Returning to your hometown or whatever town you currently call home can bring a sense of relief and joy, with a little hopeful expectation tossed in. I experience that each time we return to our Mexico home on the lake. When you come over the mountains and see the lakeside area spreading out below, it takes your breath away. You have your own special arrival moments, too.

But Jesus’ homecoming wasn’t all sunshine and roses, was it? We see a lot of the same negative, condescending types of behavior right there in Nazareth that we see today. Finding fault with others is a lot easier than looking at the faults within ourselves. Continue reading “Mark 6:1-13 – What’s Next?”

John 6:63 – Hard Truth

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)

This verse isn’t giving us the okay to be lazy. Far from it! Jesus is really challenging us here to accept the hard truths he spoke about while he walked this earth. Jesus knew we humans would try to impress him, doing great things, thinking we could earn our way into heaven. That’s not how it works.

Context (John 6): A lot happens in Chapter 6 of John’s gospel. We find the accounts of the feeding of the 5,000, of Jesus walking on water, and of Jesus explaining he is the bread of life. This is significant because Jesus explains some really hard concepts difficult for most to accept. If he is the bread of life coming down from heaven, how can he also be from Nazareth? Jesus began to lose followers whose faith was not ready to believe all that he had to say. That’s where our verse comes in as Jesus further clarifies in verse 66 that “people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” Continue reading “John 6:63 – Hard Truth”

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