Tag: suffering
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The Things Not Said
1 Thessalonians 3:4 “For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.” One of the marks of a false teacher is what he or she does not say. Turn on your TV to any of the…
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A Fruitful Life
1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 “For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” Jesus likened His followers to branches on a vine in…
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Praying for Open Doors
Colossians 4:3-4 “pray . . . for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” What an incredible prayer request from the apostle Paul is found in the…
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Anxiety’s Cure
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” I am so thankful that God has given us such clear commandments about the…
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Our Greatest Help
Psalm 20:1 “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” To whom do you turn in a time of need? What do you do when the chips are down but you don’t know what to do? Do you turn to a parent, a friend, a psychiatrist, or…
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“With You in Spirit”
Colossians 2:5 “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit . . .” The words above were written by the apostle Paul as he languished in a Roman prison. The sad fact was that he longed to spend time with the Colossian church, a church whom he had never met…
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Jars of Clay
2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Do you think that because you are a follower of Christ, wonderful things are likely to follow you around in this life? Certainly, following…
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Lessons Learned in Times of Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” There are situations that inevitably come into each of our lives that have the effect of…
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All Sufficient Grace for Even Me!
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you.” How wonderful it is when we realize that the Scriptures are to be applied to each one of us personally. While the Scriptures were written by men who experienced God in a very personal way at the time they were written many years ago, they are…
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Thorns and Their Effects
2 Corinthians 12:7 “a thorn was given me in the flesh.” We’ve all had an actual thorn in our flesh at one time or another, or maybe a splinter, or perhaps a speck of dirt in our eye. Inevitably, when we discover something like that it does several things to us. One, it redirects our…
To Encourage You 