Tag: trials
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The Rough Edges
Philemon 8-9 “Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus” In the verses above we see the apostle Paul making an appeal to Philemon to do something that…
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Will the Trouble Never End?
Isaiah 40:25-31 “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is…
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Why Thorns?
2 Corinthians 12:7 “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” If you are a Christian, are you one in which everything in life is wonderful? Do you have any…
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The Master Sculptor
Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” I heard a recording of the late Elizabeth Elliott some years ago in which she was speaking about God’s transforming work in the lives of believers. As an illustration, she was speaking about the great sculptor, Michelangelo. One day…
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Jars of Clay
2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” When the glory of God is manifested in the life of a person, it is radically different from the glory of man. When we think of the glory, i.e., the greatness, of…
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Fiery Trials
1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.” One of the greatest blessings of the Bible is how…
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The Dross
1 Peter 1:6-8 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Have you ever been…
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The Gift of Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13 “. . . others . . . who have no hope.” As I’ve been thinking about all the sickness that has affected my family and friends of late, the verse above has come to my mind. Cancer: no one wants to hear that word, especially as it applies to themselves or a…
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Even This?
Philippians 4:11 “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” As you read the verse above penned by the apostle Paul from a stinking Roman prison, and then as you attempt to apply them to your own life, is your reaction, “Amen,” or is it “Are you kidding me?!!” Your answer and…
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All Things?
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” As with any other form of written communication, when reading the Bible and individual statements within it, it is always wise to consider the context. In an extreme example of this, the Bible says this about Judas: “He went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). …
To Encourage You 