2COR 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Jesus was crucified but He did not stay dead!  Jesus lives.  He was raised by the power of God.  We serve a risen savior. 

Mohammad is dead and in a grave.  All of the Popes are also in a grave.  Same goes for the leaders of all of Satan's religions.  Jesus is the only one who rose from the dead.

This is very important.  Since Mohammad has no power to raise his own body, he certainly does not have any power to raise you.

But Jesus has the power over death.  Verse 4 says that we will live with Him.  If you are saved, you will be raised one day to live with Him for all eternity. 

How to be saved.

 

 

I was recently asked what I think about our current banking crisis.  Here is my brief answer.

The first thing I think about all this is that God is on the throne.  He is not surprised by the banking problems. 

It is not going to twart His plan in the least.  In actuality I believe that it is according to His plan.

Are we headed for a depression?  It very well could be.  A depression might be what it takes to get this country to realize that it needs God.  Again God knows what is best.  If He sends us into a depression it is right and if He keeps us out of a depression it would be right.  He is God and whatever He does is right.

Can they fix it by throwing money at it?  That really depends on God.  If God wants it fixed, then throwing money at it will work.  If God does not want it fixed, then no amount of money on earth will fix it.

Much of this problem was caused by greed.  God is not mocked, men will reap what they sow.  So even if the money thrown at it stablizes the situation, there will still be some reaping from it for years to come.  This is right and just.

As a child of God I know that whatever trouble that this brings to me was allowed by my heavenly father.  It will be filtered thru His hands.  And when He allows trouble He also provides the grace to get thru it.

 

2COR 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul was given a thorn in the flesh.  There are many theories as to what Paul's thorn was, but no one really knows for sure.  If it was important for us to know what it was, God would have told us what it was. 

Instead of concerning ourselves with what the thorn was, we should concern ourselves with what was the purpose of the thorn.  Why was it there and what did it accomplish.

2COR 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Verse 7 tells us why Paul was given a thorn.  It was given so that he would not be exalted above measure.  The thorn was given to keep Paul humble.  To keep him from getting too big for his britches as the saying goes. 

Verse 9 tells us that God's strength is made perfect in weakness.  Paul realized this and gloried in his infirmities and the result was that the power of Christ rested upon him. 

The thorn made Paul usable.  In verse 10 Paul said, "when I am weak, then am I strong."  The thorn made Paul realize his weakness and made him lean on God's power and not his own. 

God gave the thorn to Paul to make him humble, to make him lean on God, to make Paul usable for God's work.

We are not given the kind of thorn that Paul had.  He was a special case.  He had seen revelations that we will never see.  He beheld revelations that could easily go to a man's head.  So God tailored a thorn just for Paul. 

God does not give us Paul's thorn, but God will bring thorns into our lives from time to time to effect the same results.  God will use trials in our lives to humble us, to make us lean on God, and make us usable for God's work.

When a trial comes into your life, don't complain about it.  Be thankful for what it is teaching you.  Be thankful that God is working in your life.

And always remember the promise in verse 9.  God's grace is sufficient.  No matter how bad it gets, God can get you thru it. 

 

 

2COR 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2COR 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Make no mistake, Satan is in the religion business!

He has false apostles.  The Devil has deceitful workers who transform themselves into the apostles of Christ.  They will name the name of Jesus and they will teach about Him.  They will claim to follow Jesus and most of them actually believe that they are following Jesus, but they are actually following Satan. 

They fool many people.  They really look like ministers of righteousness.  They say many good things and they do many good things.  Verse 14 says that this should not surprise us.  Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.

They will fool people but they will not fool God.  Verse 15 says that their  end shall be according to their works.

God knows who they are and they will be punished in the end.  We do not have to fret about that.

The question then becomes, How can I tell.  Since Satan's ministers can be transformed as the ministers of righteousness how can I not be fooled.

The answer is easier than you might think.  Their teaching will not line up with the Word of God.

This is just one more reason that you need to be in the Word of God for yourself. 

If people would compare what men are teaching with the Word of God, then there would not be any Catholics, Mormons, and very few T.V. Preachers.  A great deal of what those groups teach goes against the Word of God. 

Please visit my websites

2COR 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Notice that our weapons are not carnal.  This verse is not talking about M16's.  This is talking about spiritual weapons.  And our spiritual weapons are mighty through God and not thru ourselves.  They are mighty to the pulling down of strong holds.  This brings up the question what strongholds?  The next verse tells us.

2COR 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Just like the weapons are not carnal but spiritual, the strongholds are also not carnal but spiritual.  The strongholds are not forts and military bases.  They are spiritual strongholds.

The first stronghold mentioned is imaginations.  Many a man has fallen into the sin of adultery because of his imagination.   

The second one mentioned is every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.  This covers a great number of things.  Just one example would be evolution.  Some have had their faith shaken because of the lie of evolution.  Some evolutionists can talk a good talk but they have no proof.  And what they teach is against the knowledge of God. 

But our spiritual weapons are mighty thru God.  He can enable us to overcome our imaginations and we can overcome our wicked thoughts.  We are told in verse 5 to, bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

If our thoughts do not line up with God's Word, then we are to bring our thought into line with God's word. 

We have no excuse for not doing this because He has given us the power to pull down these strongholds.  We just need to humble ourselves and call upon Him to help us. 

 

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

2COR 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

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

Paul is still on the topic of giving in this chapter.  He brings up 3 very important points about giving in verses 6,7, and 8. 

In verse 6 Paul brings up the truth that the law of reaping and sowing also applies to giving.  He that soweth sparingly reaps sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully reaps bountifully.  The context of the surrounding verses makes it clear that Paul is talking about giving to God's work in verse 6.  Is your ministry reaping sparingly?  Then maybe your giving is the problem.

In verse 7 we see that the heart attitude about  giving is important to God.  Every man is to NOT give grudgingly.  A man is to give as he purposeth in his heart.  Giving is to be a heart matter.  If you are giving with the wrong heart, you are NOT impressing God.  God loves a cheerful giver.  If you are giving but you are doing it grudgingly, then maybe you should just keep your rotten money until you can get your heart right. 

And in verse 8 Paul brings up the fact that God is able to provide that you may give.  God will provide you the grace to give so that you may abound to every good work.  If you give to God's work with the right heart, He will not let you starve. 

 

2COR 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

2COR 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

The grace that Paul is telling them to also abound in is the grace of giving.  Paul tells them in this chapter of other  churches in Macedonia who gave liberally even though they were in deep poverty. 

They were able to give beyond their own power.  They were willing to give.  Their hearts were right with God.  They asked Paul to receive their gift with much intreaty.  They greatly desired to have a part in the ministering to the saints. 

They gave above what Paul had hoped.  This was possible because they gave their own selves to the Lord first.  And they gave according to the will of God. 

Paul says in verse 8 that giving proves the sincerity of your love.  Many people say that they have a love for lost souls.  But their actions prove otherwise.  They never give any money to missions or even to purchase gospel tracks to put on doors and to hand out.

Don't say that you love souls unless you are giving to the cause of saving souls. 

Even if it is just a small amount, all of us can give something.  And we all will if our hearts are right with God. 

 

1COR 7:22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

1COR 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

If you are saved, you were bought with a price.  The price was Jesus going to the cross.  Salvation was free to you, but it cost God His only begotten Son going to the cross and taking your sins upon Him.  He took the judgment for your sins in your place.

Therefore, because of what He did for us, we are to be His servant.  One reason is that it is only right.  It is our reasonable service.

Another reason that we should be His servant is out of gratitude.  If you have a concept of the price that Jesus paid for you, then you will want to serve Him out of Love.

You will want to return some of the Love that He has shown to you.

 

2COR 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2COR 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

The Bible is very clear that we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  Most often this verse is used as a proof text that Christians should not marry an unbeliever.  And that is certainly true.  But if you really look close at the context of the surrounding verses you will see that it goes much deeper than just marriage.  The context here is false religions.  Idol worship is mentioned in verse 16, Belial and infidels in verse 15.

And verse 17 tells us to come out FROM among them.

2COR 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

The question then comes up, what does it mean to be yoked.  A yoke is what you harness two animals in to pull the same load.  But for this to work both animals must be pulling the same direction.  If one animal is pulling North and the other is pulling South, a lot of pulling might be getting done but they are going nowhere. 

The same is true for us.  If you yoke a Christian to a Muslim, they will be pulling in two opposite directions.  The Christian will be working for Jesus and trying to bring people to Christ.  The Muslim will be pulling in the opposite direction trying to bring people to their false god  and thus with them into hell. 

The idea today of having  interfaith meetings with all religions is AGAINST the clear teaching of the Word of God. 

A lot of pulling might get done, but the cause of Christ will get nowhere. 

And remember that a yoke is talking about working together.  It is about pulling a load.  This verse is not saying that we cannot talk to unbelievers, or have them as friends, or work with them on the job site.  It is talking about pulling a load together for the cause of Christ.  And this applies to marriage because a husband and wife are to be pulling the same load the same way for Christ in their household, in their finances, in raising children, and in reaching the lost.

 

2COR 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2COR 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2COR 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Verse 6 says that while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord.  This DOES NOT  contradict other scripture that says He will never leave us.  The next verse clarifies this.  It says we walk by faith, not by sight.  Today God is with us.  But we cannot see Him with our eyes.  What the verse is talking about is that we are absent from His presence in heaven. 

Today we can only see God by faith.  We see God working in our lives, we see God working in circumstances, we see God today working on and in the hearts of men.  We know He is present and working, the evidence is all around us, but we cannot see Him by sight. 

One day this will change.  In verse 8 we learn that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  One day we will see him with our eyes. 

We are also told that this happens as soon as you die.  There is NO soul sleep.  As soon as you are absent from the body, you are present with the Lord.

You also can tell from verse 8 that Paul longed for that day.

It will be wonderful to not have to fight sin, pain, heartache, ect... anymore.  And we can look forward to that day.

However, until then we have a job to do for the Lord.  I hope that you are busy witnessing for the Lord and supporting His work.

 

 

2COR 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

2COR 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2COR 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

In spite of what the health and wealth preachers say trouble will come into a Christian's life.  Paul was troubled on every side, he was perplexed, persecuted, and cast down.  But at the same time he was not distressed, not in despair, and not destroyed. 

The reason is because he was not forsaken of God.  Just because trouble comes into your life does NOT mean that God has left you.  In fact He promised to Never leave you nor forsake you. 

You need to understand that God has a plan for every trial that comes into your life.  One reason is listed in verse 10.  It is that Jesus might be made manifest in your life. 

When trouble comes remember God is still with you and rely on Him to see you thru the trial.

 

 

2COR 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

The context of this verse is talking about ministers of the new testament.  A preacher or a teacher of the Word of God is not to think any thing as of himself.  It is God that convicts the hearts.  It is God that directs and empowers His work.  Our sufficiency is of God.

But this truth does not only apply to preachers.  All Christians are to be involved in God's work.  All Christians are to be witnessing.  All Christians are to be involved in a local body of believers. 

And no matter what job you are doing for God, you sufficiency is to be of God.  You are to rely on and trust in Him and not yourself.  If you serve in your power, then He does not get the glory.  If you serve in His power relying on Him, then He gets the glory and not you. 

2COR 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

All Christians need to remind themselves of this truth from time to time. 

 

 

Here are a few excerpts from the fall 2007 edition of On Tract, a publication of the Fellowship Tract League.

 

 

A man from Detroit Mi writes:

 

Thank you for making me think of this as my last five minutes alive, because I have been doing some crazy things and I didn’t care what happened to me.  I knew I needed to turn my life over to God.  Today after reading your tract, “This could be your last five minutes alive”, I decided to trust Jesus as my personal Saviour.  I know I am a sinner saved by the grace of God.  Time really is running out and I needed to give my life to the Lord today.  B.J.C.

 

 

My name is Thomas, and I just finished reading “One Heartbeat Away”; I loved every word of it.  It taught me to own up to the sins I do every day, and to stop doing them.  I am only 19 years old but I know if I continue to sin, my days will be shortened, so I am turning my life around before it’s too late.  Your tract helped me understand the Bible better.  I was wondering if you could send me one of every tract you have, if it’s not too much.  I want to learn as much as I can.  I am tired of doing the same old things.  God bless.

Sincerely, T.D. Oxford NC

 

 

Fellowship Tract League, I have decided to trust Jesus Christ as my Saviour.  I am a 16-year-old male who lives in Lower Burrell, PA.  My name is Keith.  I am in placement right now for a dependency charge.  I would like you to pray for me as I am also praying.  I have been away from home for 8 months and I really believe that God will give me another chance to do right.  Thank you for your time!

 

K.B. Lower Burrell PA.

 

Tracks do work!  I hope that you are involved in putting out tracks. 

 

 2COR 2:4 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.

This is a reference to the earlier letter of 1 Cor. that Paul wrote to them.  In that letter Paul sternly corrected them on many things.

In this verse we see his reason for doing so.  Paul did not write to them to grieve them.  He says that he wrote to them that they might know the abundant love that he had for them.  If you truly love someone, you will want what is best for them.  And God's truth is always what is best.

Sacrificing the truth is NOT love.  Letting someone go down the wrong path without warning them is NOT love.

Christians are to love in truth.  1Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Not only did Paul have the right reason for writing them before, but he had the right heart.  He wrote that harsh letter in anguish of heart and  with many tears.

Paul truly cared for these people.  He really loved them so he had to correct them.  But he did NOT do it gleefully.  It did not bring him some kind of perverse pleasure.  Paul corrected with anguish of heart and many tears.  Paul corrected in true Christian love. 

We need to do the same. 

 Please visit my websites

 

 

1COR 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

In my opinion this is what is sometimes called a mountain top verse.

God is faithful. 

What a wonderful truth.  Whatever God promises you can absolutely count on Him doing because God is faithful!

God says you have eternal life if you believe with a repentant heart and call upon Him to save you.  So you cannot loose your salvation because God is faithful!

God says He will never leave you.  So you can count on it because God is faithful!

You can count on all things working together for good if you love God and are called according to His purpose.

You can count on Jesus coming back.

You can count on God one day throwing that awful wicked Satan into a lake of fire.

You can count on God hearing your prayers.

You can count on God one day establishing His kingdom.

You can trust God with your soul.

You can count on every single promise in the Bible.

Simply put, you can count on God because He is faithful!

Amen and Amen!

 

1COR 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

I want to mention several things that this verse teaches.

First - they were gathering on the first day of the week.  That is Sunday not Saturday.  They changed from going to the synagogue on Saturday to going to Church on Sunday after they got saved.  That is because we worship a risen savior who rose from the dead on Sunday.  We do not worship the law, we worship the Christ who came and fulfilled the law.

Second - they were to give to God's work as God had prospered each individual.  The Bible clearly teaches proportional giving.  Everyone is not to give the same exact dollar amount.  Those that God has given more to are expected by God to give more.  Giving is to be proportional based on income.  This is tithing.  The more you make the more you are to give.  That is fair.

Third - They were to give so that there would be no gatherings of money when he got there.  They were to give so that the needs would be met on time. 

If all Christians would give to their Church according to God's plan, then there would always be enough money for that Church to do the work that God has called it to do. 

Proportional giving is God's plan and it will always work.  We just need to be obedient and put it into action. 

 

In these verses is the Bible definition of the gospel.  In verse one Paul says that he is going to declare what the gospel is, then in verses 3 and 4 we have the definition of the gospel.

 
1COR 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1COR 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1COR 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Bible definition of the gospel is the the death, burial and the resurrection of Christ.

That is it.  Just those three.  We are not to add to it or take away from it. 

Some groups will try to add to it by saying that they have the full gospel.  They will add something to the death burial and resurrection.  But anything added to the death burial and the resurrection is no longer the Bible gospel but another gospel.

Still others will preach the death and the burial and stop there.  But that is not preaching the gospel.  To preach the gospel they must preach all three.  They must also preach the resurrection. 

We have an empty tomb.  We have a risen savior.  We have a Lord who is victorious over death, hell, and the grave.

Never leave the resurrection out!  Amen and Amen.