datethewordtest

Tag: 2 Corinthians

  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 20 (5/20) is 2 Corinthians 5:20

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 20 (5/20) is 2 Corinthians 5:20

    “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:
    we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
    From an ALIEN from God to an AMBASSADOR for God

    When a person becomes a believer their lives are changed. As one reads the concluding verses of 2 Corinthians 5 one will read of wonderful, almost unbelievable changes that happen to the new Christian.  These changes include being reconciled to God and made a new person.  It included receiving the righteousness of Christ.  And we read of one of the most marvelous changes in which God now views us as AMBASSADORS for CHRIST.  

    Being an ambassador means one is a representative.  If you are a Christian, you now REPRESENT Christ in this world and are to bring His message of reconciliation to them!

    Please take a moment and consider what a change this is!  Recall what you were before becoming a believer.  In Ephesians 2:19 we are called “strangers and aliens.” In Romans 5:10 we are called “enemies.” In Colossians, we are “ALIENATED” from God.

    Yet here in 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are called AMBASSADORS for CHRIST.  We went from being in rebellion against God to being a representative of God. That friends, is a change!!!  I was an alien from God and now I am an Ambassador of God.  I am Ambassador Carson.  You are Ambassador (your first and last name)!!  

    Ambassador, you are called to represent Christ to a lost world.  You represent Christ to the lost working next to you and to those living next to you. You are to represent Christ to friends, family members, and even enemies!  Plead with them to be reconciled to God by sharing the glorious gospel!  

    Verse to DATE on May 20 (5/20) is 2 Corinthians 5:20. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

    Continue Strong representing Christ to the nations,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 17 (5/17) is 2 Corinthians 5:17

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 17 (5/17) is 2 Corinthians 5:17

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
    behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
    KNOW CHRIST means KNOW CHANGE!  NO CHANGE means NO CHRIST.  

    I suspect many of you find 2 Corinthians 5:17 to be a very familiar verse as it is usually one of the first verses we learn as a NEW believer. With Christ IN our lives and us now being IN CHRIST, we are a NEW CREATION!! It is as if we have a FRESH START. Our old behaviors and beliefs, especially regarding Christ, are passed away.  

    With Christ in us and us in Christ, we have BECOME NEW!!

    Let us make no mistakes as we understand our new life.  With Christ living IN us, we are CHANGED!! I think it is correct to say that to KNOW CHRIST means we will KNOW CHANGE!  And I think it is correct to say if there is NO CHANGE in one’s life then there is NO CHRIST in one’s life.

    As a Christian, you have a testimony – a story.  Within the story is how Christ changed your life! And BTW – the CHANGED life of 2 Corinthians 5:17 then becomes the TRANSFORMED life of Romans 12:1-2 where one changes to become more like Christ!  

    Take a moment and recall how you were CHANGED by Christ when you were saved. 
    As I recall the day I was saved, I find myself thinking about John Newton’s song Amazing Grace.  He wrote I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see.

    How are you continuing to be CHANGED with Christ being in your life?

    Verse to DATE the Word on 5/17 is 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 

    Knowing Christ means knowing transformational change!

    Continue Strong CHANGING INTO HIS IMAGE!
    And remember to DATE The Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 9 (5/9) is 2 Corinthians 5:9

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 9 (5/9) is 2 Corinthians 5:9

    “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, 
    to be well pleasing to Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:9
    A Holy AMBITION is to have attitudes and actions that are acceptable to the Lord! 

    What is your ambition? The word “ambition” means a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring, demanding of oneself determination and hard work to achieve success.  It is very possible that seeing the word “ambition” you might think of it as a negative. Being AMBITIOUS can truly be used to describe a person who will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get ahead, caring not who or what is harmed.  Ambition handled incorrectly, can be very dangerous.  

    Here in 2 Corinthians 5:9, we have a positive ambition.  The Greek word translated here as AIM speaks of a love for bringing honor.  It could be translated as aspire, conveying what one is reaching for.  It could be translated as zealous to convey the passion one has for achieving the desired goal.  

    Paul says our AIM, or AMBITION, that which we ASPIRE after, that which we are ZEALOUS for, PASSIONATE about is being WELL PLEASING to Jesus.  Well pleasing has the idea of BEING ACCEPTABLE!  

    Our ambition is to have attitudes and actions that are acceptable to the Lord! 

     How do you apply a verse like 2 Corinthians 5:9 to your everyday living?  I see 2 Corinthians 5:9 as one of my filters for making decisions. By desiring every attitude and all actions to be WELL PLEASING, acceptable to the Lord I am going to ask, “Is it pleasing to the Lord?” 

    I have found two prayers that are very helpful in helping me strive to live a well-pleasing, acceptable life to the Lord. One is from Colossians 1:10 where I pray Paul’s prayer as he prayed that a person “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.”  The other is from Psalm 19:14 in which David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”  I encourage you to pray these two prayers as part of your daily prayer time.

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 9 (5/9) is 2 Corinthians 5:9. It says, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”

    Do you have a holy AMBITION to have attitudes and actions that are acceptable to the Lord?

    Continue Strong pursuing PLEASING Jesus,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 7 (5/7) is 2 Corinthians 5:7

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 7 (5/7) is 2 Corinthians 5:7

    “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  – 2 Corinthians 5:7
    The PLEASING Walk (life) is WALKING BY FAITH

    As we think about what would be called the ESSENTIALS of the Christian life, we must put at the top of the list FAITH.  There is FAITH to be saved (Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8) and then there is faith to SERVE.  Regarding serving, Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Pleasing God means that we step out in faith to do what He has called us.  Faith will believe that God will do through us what otherwise seems utterly impossible.   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

    Is God asking you to take any steps of faith recently?   Is it a ministry that God wants you to start or to be involved more?  Is it making a financial pledge to help support one of God’s ministries?  Is it sharing Christ with a neighbor or an associate?   

    May I remind you that if your present situation is demanding more faith you can ask God to increase your faith.   Did you know that the disciples asked the Lord to INCREASE their faith? (Luke 17:5) ASK HIM!!  Just as you would ask for WISDOM (James 1:5) ASK Him to INCREASE YOUR FAITH.  

    Now a thought on how God will answer your prayer.  If you are serious about your faith being increased, I believe God will direct you to study more in the Bible about WHO HE IS.   Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.”   The more you know about WHO GOD IS the more you will take the steps of FAITH He wants you to take.  

    I also believe for those of you who truly want to please God and walk by faith you will find yourself drawn to reading over and over Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith chapter.   As you read the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary, supernatural things for God you will be inspired to trust God to do what He is asking of you.   It will fuel your faith and you need to fuel and refuel your faith!

    Something to ponder is what does it mean to be full of faith?  The Bible says Stephen was full of faith.  (Act 6:5,8)   The Bible says Barnabas was full of faith.  (Acts 11:24)  

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 7 (5/7) is 2 Corinthians 5:7. It says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

    When was the last time you took a step of FAITH? 

    Continue Strong walking by FAITH, not sight!
    And remember to DATE the Word
     
  • Verse to DATE the Word on April 16 (4/16) is 2 Corinthians 4:16

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 16 (4/16) is 2 Corinthians 4:16

    “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, 
    yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16
    Giving An Uncommon Answer to the Common Question “How Are You Doing.”

    Not long ago I attended a Bible Study where we were studying 2 Corinthians.  As one works through 2 Corinthians one finds the Apostle Paul is very authentic about his life and ministry. As he defends his apostleship, he tells about the incredible difficulties he was facing as he shared the gospel.  However, over and over he tells of how he just would never give up,   You might recall in 2 Corinthians 4:8 -10 that he wrote, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — 10  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”  There just was no quit in Paul.

    As we come to our verse to DATE he reaffirms that he is not quitting.  He started out chapter 4 “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”  Now he states again, “Therefore we do not lose heart.”  Regardless of the suffering, the persecution, or the disappointment he was UPBEAT and determined about getting the gospel to the lost and equipping saints to live for Jesus. 

    One might wonder how the Apostle Paul could keep this mindset.  Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he reveals one of the great principles for staying in the ministry even though it is VERY TOUGH!  

    He starts by defining a reality that our outward man is PERISHING.  And boy did he get that right. While we do start as babies growing and getting bigger and stronger the truth of the matter is the moment we are born we start perishing and the longer we do live the more evident it is.  The outward man, our bodies, the flesh wears down.  If you don’t want to know your future do not read Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.  Just saying.  Don’t read it because it tells that “difficult days” are coming regarding the decline (the perishing) of the outward man.  

    YET.  Don’t miss YET.  Paul says that while the outward man is perishing YET he needs to tell you something that is opposite. Paul writes, “Yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” In comparison to the outward, physical part declining, the inward, spiritual man is getting stronger day by day.  For Paul, the work of God in transforming him and enabling him with grace and mercy was bringing about an inward growth that was REFRESHING.  To be renewed has the idea of being rejuvenated, to be re-energized.  No wonder he was not losing heart!

    Paul’s relationship with the Lord was one of abiding in the Lord.  The grace and the mercy were flowing in renewing his spirit.  Outwardly he was perishing but inwardly he was renewed!  Our relationship with the Lord has Him WORKING in, on, and for us and renewing our spirit.  As we ABIDE in Christ the inward man will get stronger even though the outward man declines.  

    So in thinking about this consider that the common question you are usually asked by another person is HOW ARE YOU DOING?  And how do you answer that question?  The teacher of the Bible study gave us a great challenge by saying, “Why don’t we tell people what Paul said.”  When asked, “How are you doing” answer by saying, “Well my outward man is perishing, but my inward man is getting stronger!”  

    Now that would be an uncommon answer to a common question, and it just might open a door for a spiritual conversation! 

    So, how are you doing?  If you ask me I will tell you that my outward man is perishing but my inward man is growing and getting stronger every day! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on April 16 (4/16) is 2 Corinthians 4:16. It says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

    Continue Strong being renewed day by day,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 19 (12/19) is 2 Corinthians 12:19

    Our verse to DATE the Word on December 19 (12/19) is 2 Corinthians 12:19
    2 Corinthians 12:19 says, “Have you (Corinthians) been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.”
    For your EDIFICATION

    2 Corinthians 12:19 concludes with “for we do all things, beloved, for your edification.”  What a great challenge to us as we consider our motives for ministry.  As a matter of fact, this concluding statement was made by the Apostle Paul to explain his motives for writing to the Corinthians AGAIN. As Paul wrote AGAIN to the Corinthians, he had to answer the age-old question of WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TELLING US WHAT TO DO question. With that question hanging heavy, the Apostle Paul defends his apostleship in the letter we call 2 Corinthians. He, also, though does not back off calling for the Corinthians to live differently and to do what is right! His ultimate purpose in writing was not to DEFEND himself but for their EDIFICATION – for their UPBUILDING. His motive for ministry was building up the body!  

    As we minister in a variety of ways, we will encounter people who may need an exhortation to stop sinning. (1 Thessalonians 5:14 says, “brethren, warn the unruly…..; James 5:19 says, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.)  So as “brethren” let us check ourselves to make sure our exhortation is for edification! When we take this approach Proverbs 25:12 is more possible!! Proverbs 25:12 says, “Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.”

    Our reason for rebuking (reproving) is to bring a person to repentance and then restoration!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 19 (12/19) is 2 Corinthians 12:19. It says, “Have you (Corinthians) been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, for we do all things, beloved, for your edification.”  

    How might you apply “for we do all things, beloved, for your edification” to your life today?  

    Continue Strong ministering to one another with the pure motive of edifying one another!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD