2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Niv

THESE ARE THE TIMES that try men's souls. The Spirit has spoken expressly that in the latter times some should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Those days are upon us and we cannot escape them; we must triumph in the midst of them, for such is the will of God concerning us.

Strange as it may seem, the danger today is greater for the fervent Christian than...

For Reading and Meditation:     1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Is it any wonder that throughout the history of the Christian Church men and women have found the thought of grace so overwhelmingly wonderful they seemed unable to get over it? Grace was the constant theme of their prayers, their preaching, their writing - and their hymns. Take this for example: Great God of...

What an unspeakable mercy to live at such a period! We are poor, lost, ruined sinners; but this is the day when salvation is freely bestowed, without money and without price.

The Lord saves from the love, power, and consequences of sin: gives His Holy Spirit, writes His law in the heart, and directs our feet into the way of peace. He gives us Jesus, who is the Saviour; gives us grace, which conquers sin; and give us heaven, to enjoy when the journey of life is ended. This is the day in...

BY the "grace of God" in this passage, we are to understand the everlasting gospel; which is a glorious proclamation of favour manifested to the vile and unworthy. It proclaims that God has come down unto us in the person of Christ; that he has accepted the labours, sufferings, and death of Jesus, as the ground of our deliverance from death, and as our title to eternal life; and He now sends His ambassadors to assure us that he is our Friendthat He will not impute our trespasses unto usthat...

Contraction is a great evil, enlargement is a great blessing. We need to be enlarged in our knowledge, love, hope, liberality, faith, and every grace. Our God disapproves of contraction. The Apostles set a different example.

Provision is made in the covenant to gratify enlarged desires. The promises warrant enlarged expectations. Jesus bids us ask largely. The gospel calls for enlargement in prayer, benevolence, pity, and compassion, and in our efforts for God's glory.

Let us...

The Lord's family are generally poor; men may look at them as having nothing valuable, important, or calculated to make them happy; but in reality they possess all things, because God is theirs. Our God has said, "I am their inheritance," and we say, "Thou art my portion, O Lord."

His eternity is the date of our happiness; His unchangeableness, the rock of our rest; His omnipotence, our constant guard; His faithfulness, our daily security; His mercies, our overflowing store; His...

The Bible is full of paradoxes, that is, truths that seem contrary to what we would normally suppose or truths that seem to contradict one another. G. K. Chesterton maintained that paradox is truth standing on its head to attract attention. Here are a few of the paradoxes trying to attract our attention.

We save our lives by losing them; we lose our lives by loving them (Mark 8:35).

We are strong when we are weak (

Mark 2:13-22

The first year of Christ's public ministry - was a year of obscurity. He was not yet well-known. Then, as He spoke and served - His fame grew. We are now in His year of popular favor - His second year. One scene of enthusiasm follows another. After the healing of the paralytic the people were amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"...

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all… things shall be added to you. § He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? § All things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. § As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.The Lord is my shepherd; I shall...