Tag Archives: Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2. Forgiveness

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May God help me! (Photo credit: radiant guy)

2 Corinthians 2. Forgiveness

1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the LORD lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Glorious Generation 2 (Sermon Note)

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Glorious Generation 2 (Sermon Note)

 

 

 

 

Text: 1 Peter 2:9

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Our God is glorious, excellent, beautiful, superb, majestic Exodus 15:11. We are His offspring; His Chosen generation. We must be glorious like Him, in excellence, beauty, radiance, achievements. To achieve this, we must be a generation with vision. We must set goals and achieve them. Proverbs 29:18.

 

 

  1. 1.      What is your goal in life?

To answer this, we need to answer some other questions: – Who am I, what is my deepest dream in life. To fulfil my dream, what do I need to do? Why is it important to me? Does God approve of it? How and when should I embark on it? What is the ultimate picture I see in the future? When I attain that ultimate dream, what next? Judges 11:1-10, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Proverbs 14:12; Ecclesiastes 11:4.

Biblical example of goal setters are Nehemiah, Paul, Daniel, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to mention but a few. Nehemiah 2:3-5, Daniel 6;3; Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Corinthians 11:23-33; Acts 20:24, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Matthew 18:11; John 4:34; John 17:4

 

  1. 2.      Pitfalls in achieving our goals

Sin, laziness, wrong association and friendship, procrastination, slothfulness and mediocrity. Psalms 1:1-6; Proverbs 21:25; Proverbs 13:20; Romans 6:1; Hebrews 12:1-2.

 

  1. 3.      To achieve your goals you need valuable people

You need mentors, connectors, grounders, Godly counsellors. Above all you need God’s grace and mercies. Acts 9:26-27; Proverbs 11:14; Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 1:17-18.

 

  1. 4.      Success is not cheap

Success is not cheap neither is it easy. Don’t give up. If you fail, try again. Winners never quit. 2 Corinthians 11:23-33; Phil 4:13; Luke 1:37

Conclusion

We must shine in our generation. In our places of work, in school, in ministry, business, we must shine because we are chosen, we are royalty, we are peculiar, if we shine, then we bring glory to God Who has called us into His marvellous light.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God operates according to the principle of seed, time, and harvest

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English: 4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God operates according to the principle of seed, time, and harvest


But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully
2 Corinthians 9:6

Paul had been talking about giving to the saints, and in this verse he
said, “he that soweth…” God looks at your giving as seed, and
He looks at you as if you are a farmer. That’s why we say, a seed will
meet any need.
God operates according to the principle of seed, time, and harvest. If
you want to have a harvest, you must first plant a seed.

Paul was telling this church that he who sows (gives) bountifully, will
reap bountifully. He who gives a little, will reap a little. The amount
you invest directly relates to the amount you receive.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Are You a pillar of encouragement?

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Are You a pillar of encouragement

Encourage the Struggling

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4”

Encourage those who’re struggling? Don’t know what to say? Then, open your Bible.

To the grief-stricken: God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

To the jobless: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Are you a cancer survivor? Someone in the cancer ward needs to hear from you.

Have you buried a spouse and lived to smile again? Then find the recently widowed and walk with them.

Your experiences have deputized you! Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that God is the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us!

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Experience a breakthrough in your life

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The hope of surrender

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The hope of   surrender

Luke writes, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in   favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) We know very little about the years   that Jesus spent growing into manhood. However, we can surmise that He grew   emotionally, mentally, and physically. Like us, God’s Son had to develop, and   we can imagine that while He was sinless, He learned how to live through the   circumstances of life.

There are many people today who are suffering – not because they have   sinned or resisted God, but because the Lord has chosen to develop their   lives through difficulty and hardship. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians,   Paul does not gloss over the fact that he suffered. At one point, he believed   there was a strong possibility that he would die. However, God spared his life,   and Paul was able to write about the hardships he faced with such hope that   many who read his letters also declared faith in Jesus Christ.

God cannot mold and shape our lives unless we are willing to surrender   and to be transparent before Him. These are prerequisites to experiencing a   breakthrough in our trials and sufferings. We have no idea of the   difficulties that Christ faced as a young man – the Gospels do not record   them. Yet, we know that as an adult, He suffered and died on the cross for   our sins so that we might have eternal life. He was not ashamed of the   calling that God had given Him. Now, all glory is His, and He is seated at   the right hand of the Father interceding in prayer for us each day.

Stop looking at the trials of your life with thoughts of regret and   horror. Learn to rest in God’s care, and allow Him to work in your life to   the fullest. When you do, you will discover that He has a tremendous blessing   waiting for you. Not only will you grow to be like Him, you will be a   testimony of His grace and hope to a troubled world.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend them from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Give, and It Shall Be Given Unto You; Good Measure, Pressed Down, And Shaken togther, and Running Over Shall Men Give Into Your Bosom (Luke 6:38)

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GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU; GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED
DOWN, AND SHAKEN TOGETHER, AND RUNNING OVER, SHALL MEN GIVE INTO YOUR
BOSOM.(Luke 6:38).

And God is able to
make all grace abound towards; you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

There’re different levels of prosperity at which God’s
people function. Some are in the first level, where they have just enough to
get by. Some, however, are on the next level where they have more than enough
to take care of themselves, their family and a few others. Then, there’re those
who are in the arena of abundance, where they can do so much for themselves and
for many others.

However, God’s desire for you is that you move from the
realm of abundance into the realm of super-abundance, where you’re financially
strong enough to do whatever you want to do that’s good for God and for people,
whenever you want to do it, however you want to do it! This is the level of
prosperity you should strive to function in, where you’re able to help other. Nigeria,
African and the world as a whole need more of such men and women today, who are
willing and able to bring succour and relief to the less privileged amongst us.

There’re many orphans, widows, and other needy people that
could benefit from your prosperity. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17 “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth
unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again”. Also,
the Bible says the generous man is blessed for giving to the poor (Proverbs
22:9). Our opening scripture describes God’s commitment to you, when you
dedicate yourself to a lifestyle of giving; He (God)”…..is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly blessings) come
to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and
whatever the need, be self-sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or
support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable
donation)” (2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP).

God’s resources are limitless; His wealth is infinite. As
His kids, we’re His heirs; all that He has belongs to us. Therefore, choose to
function at the level of super-abundance. The way to press into this realm of
prosperity is through giving: “Give, and
it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom…” (Luke 6:38). Through giving,
you multiply riches and wealth. Keep looking out for opportunities to be a
blessing to others, and the Spirit of God, apart from helping you increase your
capacity to give more, will cause you to dwell in the realm of super-abundance,
where others will benefit from your prosperity.

CONFESSION:

Through my giving,
mighty harvests of financial blessings are coming to me, and my capacity to
give is increase today by the power of God’s Spirit. I’m a big-time sponsor of
the gospel!  The kingdom of God is moving
forward because of God’s grace upon my life in Jesus Christ. Amen!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

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Holy Spirit is With You Forever

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And I will pray the Father, and He
shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever (John
14:16).

Some Christians
think the Holy Spirit sometimes goes on a break, or takes a recess just because
at such times they didn’t “feel” His presence. You don’t have to “feel” God to
know that He’s with you. Rather, you ought to know that He’s with you always,
because the Word says so. Jesus said, “…….and,
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew
28:20). He didn’t say, “I’m with you only
when you can “feel” that I am.” Many have reduced their experience of Christianity
to the carnal realm of feeling, and that’s so wrong, for we walk by faith and
not by sensory perceptions (2 Corinthians 5:7).

But you
might want to ask, “What if someone, having received the Holy Spirit at the New
Birth, backslides and feels that the Holy Spirit has left him or her, is this
just a feeling or was the Holy Spirit actually frustrated with all the sin in
such a person?” Well, God is not a man (Numbers 23:19), and He doesn’t act like
some earthly parents who wouldn’t relate with their kids for doing something
wrong. Sadly, this is the poor perception of God that some folks have.

That you did
something wrong won’t make the Holy Spirit leave you. Remember, you weren’t
made right with God because of your own righteousness; it came because God gave
you His righteousness. Thus, His presence with you isn’t dependent on what you
did right or wrong, or the way you feel. His presence is dependent on His
infallible Word; because of His love! That’s the reason He’ll never leave you
nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Read again
the words of Jesus in our opening verse, He said”And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). God the Father, through
the Holy Spirit abides with you forever, not sometimes. Don’t consider what
your feelings tell you. As long as you haven’t wilfully rejected Christ and His
sacrifice of salvation for you on the Cross, the Holy Spirit cannot and will
not leave you!

Even when
you err and start feeling as though the Holy Spirit has left you, it’s still
the Holy Spirit who guides you unto repentance, proving His presence with you
even at such times. If He left you, you could never return to Him! But He
wouldn’t, for He’s with you to fulfil His ministry in your life, till Jesus
comes. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

PRECIOUS LORD, I THANK
YOU FOR THE RICH FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH I ENJOY LAVISHLY TODAY,
AND FOREVER. WHAT JOY TO KNOW THAT I’M ORDAINED INTO THIS WONDERFUL UNION AND
FELLOWSHIP WITH YOU FOR ETERNITY! AMEN!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

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Teach Your Children To Give.

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Believe in prosperity

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You first
step to living in prosperity is to believe in prosperity. I’m greatly concerned
and feel really sorry for Christians who don’t believe in prosperity. Most
times they’re the same that condemn and criticize preachers who teach God’s
Word on prosperity, and that’s sad. Not to believe in prosperity or in the
message of prosperity is not believe in God, because when you study the Bible
carefully, you will discover that the prosperity of the Christian is God
ordained, God’s idea, and God’s greatest desire.

As a matter
of fact, if anyone must question, doubt or get sceptical about the message of
prosperity, it shouldn’t be the Christians. God’s idea is not even that the
Christian should try and become rich; for the Christian has already been made
rich. Moreover, the Christian should make the non-Christians rich by teaching
them how to prosper God’s way.

This is what
the Apostle Paul meant when he said, we make many rich (2 Corinthians 6:10). I
love the way Weymouth New Testament Translation puts it; it says “we bestow
wealth on many”. That’s our calling as Christians. There’s an anointing on us
to make people rich; to make their lives beautiful and prosperous. You’re
called to “bestow wealth on many!”

If you’re a
child of God, believe in prosperity and don’t be apologetic about it. Don’t
accept to be poor or average. You’ve been made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9);
therefore believe in prosperity and prove your faith by refusing to talk lack
and poverty. Instead, keep talking your way to financial abundance!

PRAYER

Thank You Heavenly Father for
ordaining me to be rich! I believe and acknowledge the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ who though was rich, made Himself poor that I might be made rich. I
accept my prosperity as Your Will and idea for my life in Jesus Christ Name,
Amen!

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