Titus Our Brother

2 Corinthians 12:13-18 - How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?


1 Corinthians 9:12 - If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 2:17 - But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

2 Corinthians 8:19-20 - What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.

Application:

· Am I ready to surrender my rights because of love for others?
· Is my service to God joyful?
· Do I provide a good example in handling money?
· Am I carrying out the Lord’s work in a proper, ethical and honest manner?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Things That Mark An Apostle

2 Corinthians 12:10-12 - That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.


Philippians 4:13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Hebrews 2:2-3 - For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

Application:

· Do I see union with Christ as the secret of being content? Is Christ the source of my strength?
· Is my behavior Christ-like? Does the power of God give me strength to endure adversity?
· If disregard for the law brings punishment, then disregard for the gospel will bring even greater punishment.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Caught Up To The Third Heaven...Caught Up To Paradise

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 - I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.


2 Corinthians 5:8 - We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Philippians 1:23-24 - I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Luke 23:43 - Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Revelation 2:7 - Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Application:

· Would I rather be in this present body or at home with the Lord away from this body?
· Do I desire to depart and be with Christ?
· Paradise is a place of bliss and rest between death and resurrection. Am I looking forward to that?
· Is victory my objective? Am I strong in my faith? Am I looking forward to perfect fellowship with my God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Praised Forever

2 Corinthians 11:30-12:1 - If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.


Romans 9:5 - Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Application:

· Jesus is not merely a human being. He is also fully God.
· Do I see my weaknesses as an ideal opportunity for the display of God’s power?
· Do I boast in what I have done? Or do I boast in what God has done?
· Has God revealed to me what He has prepared for me? I have been given the Holy Spirit who comprehends the depth of God’s nature and His plans of grace.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Weak

2 Corinthians 11:29-30 - Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.


Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Application:

· Am I tempted to enter into quarrels with those who have a weaker faith?
· Do I boast in what I have done? Or do I boast in what God has done?
· Do I see my weaknesses as an ideal opportunity for the display of divine power?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Shipwrecked

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 - Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.


Acts 27:35 - After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

Acts 11:25-26 - Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

1 Corinthians 7:17 - Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

Application:

· Do I set a good example when it comes to giving thanks? (It is a testimony to my faith in God.)
· Is the mission I am in right now preparing me for a much greater mission?
· Am I living contentedly in my economic, family and religious situation? (God has called me to Himself in these situations.)

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Hebrews, Israelites and Abraham's Descendants

2 Corinthians 11:21-22 - To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.


Romans 2:29 - No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:14-16 - For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Colossians 3:11 - Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Philippians 3:3-6 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

Application:

· Have I repented of my hard heart? Have I received the Holy Spirit? Have I been enabled by the Spirit to live a new life characterized by obedience to God?
· Am I united with the body of Christ?
· Unity in Christ transcends ethnic and social distinctions
· Have I been re-created in the image of Christ?
· Do I see Christ transcending all cultural, racial and national barriers? Christ alone matters
· Do I use rules to merit God’s approval and blessing?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Different Spirit

2 Corinthians 11:4-6 - For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.


Romans 14:17-18 - For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Application:

· Do I miss completely the essence of Christian living by concerning myself with trivial matters?
· Do I have any conception of how God is blessing me and how He will be blessing me?
· Has God revealed to me what He has prepared for me? I have been given the Holy Spirit who comprehends the depth of God’s nature and His plans of grace.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Cunning

2 Corinthians 11:3 - But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.


Genesis 3:1-4,6 - Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman…When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Application:

· Do I doubt God’s Word? Do I see through deceptively innocent attempts at contradictions of God?
· Do I try to add to God’s Word? Do I try to distort God’s directives?
· Does my slavery to evil cause me to live a life God had not intended?
· Do I consciously rebel against God? Do I fail to carry out my divinely ordained responsibility to guard my helpmate?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

I Promised You To One Husband

2 Corinthians 10:15-11:2 - Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.


Jeremiah 9:23-24 - This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

Romans 2:29 - No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Ephesians 5:25-27 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Application:

· Do I boast in the Lord? Only God and my knowledge of and love for Him are worthwhile
· Have I repented of my hard heart? Have I received the Holy Spirit? Have I been enabled by the Holy Spirit to live a new life characterized by obedience to God?
· Do I entertain any rivals to Christ and His gospel?
· Do I give myself up for my wife? Do I love my wife in a self-sacrificial manner? Do I ensure that my wife finds marriage a source of rich fulfillment and joyful service to the Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Frighten You With My Letters

2 Corinthians 10:8-16 - So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.


1 Corinthians 4:20 - For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 - We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

Application:

· Does God reign in my life? Do I have a dynamic new life in Christ? Is my life humble? Am I dedicated to Christ and His church?
· A preacher’s wisdom, eloquence, intelligence and oratorical ability are ineffective if the Holy Spirit is not working in my heart.
· Do I feel obliged to give thanks where it is due?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

He Belongs To Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5-7 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.


2 Corinthians 5:12 - We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 - So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Acts 9:4 - He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Application:

· Do I have a superficial front? Am I concerned with spirituality that is true and deep, or am I concerned with money, popularity and self-importance?
· Am I in union with the church’s true leaders and with Christ?
· To persecute Christians is to persecute Christ.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Urged Titus

2 Corinthians 8:1,5-7 - And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches…And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.


1 Corinthians 12:8-10 - To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 13:1 - If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 1:7 - Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Application:

· Contributing to the needs of others is made possible by God’s undeserved gifts in my life
· Giving myself to the Lord is the true principle of my giving. Am I giving myself to the Lord?
· Do I have the ability to speak wisely or with knowledge into a situation?
· Do I have a will to love in obedience to God’s command?
· Has God enriched my skills (gifts) as a result of being a follower of Jesus Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

They Gave Themselves First To The Lord

2 Corinthians 8:1,3-5 - And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches…For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.


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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Application:

· Contributing to the needs of others is made possible by God’s undeserved gifts in my life
· Giving myself to the Lord is the true principle of my giving. Am I giving myself to the Lord?
· Human weakness provides the ideal opportunity for the display of divine power

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Grace

2 Corinthians 8:1-4,9 - And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people…For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.


1 Corinthians 16:2 - On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Application:

· Contributing to the needs of others is made possible by God’s undeserved gifts in my life
· For my sake Christ became poor so that I might become rich
· I am to bring what I have set aside to the Lord on Sunday, a day that acknowledges the crucial importance of Christ’s resurrection

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Salvation

2 Corinthians 7:6-16 - But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.


Acts 11:18 - When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Philippians 2:12-13 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Application:

· Have I changed my attitude toward sin? Have I turned from sin to God?
· Am I persevering, growing spiritually and maturing? Do I respond with reverence and singleness of purpose to God’s grace?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Great Confidence...My Joy Knows No Bounds

2 Corinthians 7:2-7 - Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.


2 Corinthians 6:4-10 - Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

2 Corinthians 2:14 - But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Application:

· I have everything in Him who is Lord of all
· My apparent defeat is temporal. Spiritually, I am victorious.
· God’s comfort flows to me when I suffer for Jesus sake.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Live On

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 - Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.


2 Corinthians 1:9 - Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

Philippians 2:17 - But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

Colossians 1:24 - Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 - You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Acts 3:6 - Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 - So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Application:

· God’s grace is all-sufficient, and my weakness is precisely the opportunity for His power to be displayed
· Even if I have nothing of this world’s goods, I have everything in Him who is Lord of all
· Do I emulate Paul’s joyful service to God?
· What was lacking in Christ’s afflictions was the future suffering of all who are afflicted for the sake of the gospel
· Suffering affliction is normal for those destined to be saved at the end
· My supreme incentive for generosity should be that Christ became poor so that I could be rich
· Peter did not heal by his own power, but by the authority of Jesus Christ
· I am in union with the church’s true leaders and with Christ
· If I am generous toward God, I will find that He is generous toward me and will supply my every need in Christ Jesus

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 - Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.


1 Corinthians 2:4 - My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Romans 13:12 - The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 6:10,12,14-15 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Application:

· Unless the Holy Spirit works in my heart, the wisdom and eloquence of a preacher are ineffective
· Do I hate evil?
· God triumphs amid human weakness, embodying the principle of Christ’s crucifixion
· Have I put aside the deeds of darkness? Have I put on the armor of light?
· Do I try to stand on my own against super-human powers? Or, do I rely upon the strength of the Lord’s own might?
· Do I lash out against human opponents as though they were the real enemy? Do I assume the battle is fought with merely human resources?
· Am I withstanding the enemy? Am I giving in to fear?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Put No Stumbling Block In Anyone's Path

2 Corinthians 6:3 - We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.


Romans 14:20 - Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:13 - Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

1 Corinthians 9:12 - If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:32 - Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Application:

· Am I concerned that I live an exemplary life because I do not want my ministry to be discredited?
· Do I regard a weak brother’s scruples?
· Do I refrain from engaging in harmless practices if it will cause weaker brothers to sin?
· Because of love for others, I should be ready to surrender my rights
· Living to glorify God will result in doing what is beneficial to others, whether Christians or non-Christians

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

The Time Of My Favor...The Day Of Salvation

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 - As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.


1 Corinthians 15:2 - By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Isaiah 49:8-9 - This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.

John 8:56 - Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

Application:

· Those who turn back from Christ show that their initial, apparent reception of God’s grace was not real but in vain.
· If I am not persevering in the Christian faith, this is an evidence that I did not have saving faith in the first place
· The day of salvation is now
· Abraham rejoiced that he would see the day of Christ

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 - All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


2 Corinthians 6:1 - As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Application:

· Those who turn back from Christ show that their initial, apparent reception of God’s grace was not real but in vain
· I have the privilege and obligation of being a herald and instrument in God’s hands to minister the message of reconciliation
· God regards me as forgiven and declares and treats me as forgiven, because God imputed my sin to Christ and imputed Christ’s righteousness to me
· I can be comforted with the truth that nothing that entices me is foreign to my Lord

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

To Fear The Lord

2 Corinthians 5:10-13 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.


1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power

Application:

· I will appear before the judgment seat of Christ accounting for all I have done with my life
· Do I put up a superficial front? Am I more concerned with money, popularity and self-importance than a true, deep relationship with Christ?
· Does the Holy Spirit work in my heart? Or do I rest on intellectual and oratorical ability?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Away From The Body...At Home With The Lord

2 Corinthians 5:8-10 - We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.


Philippians 1:23-24 - I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 - If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

Application:

· When I die, I will be in a preferable state than the present life in this body
· When I die I will be immediately with Christ long before my body is raised from the dead
· I will appear before the judgment seat of Christ accounting for all I have done
· Work that I do in Christ-like faith and obedience will survive and be rewarded; all other work will not
· My works could stand the test or disappear

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

A Building From God, An Eternal House In Heaven

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 - For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.


2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1 Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Application:

· The experiences and circumstances of the present life, often painful and perplexing, are what is visible. They are temporary and fleeting.

· When I die, though my physical body will be buried here on earth, I expect that I will go immediately into the presence of Christ, and will be present with Christ until the day of resurrection

· When the Lord returns, I will fully know Him, similar to the way the Lord knows me

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

What Is Seen...What Is Unseen

2 Corinthians 4:1,17-18 - Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart…For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Application:

· Seen in the perspective of eternity, my difficulties, whatever they may be, diminish in importance.
· The experiences and circumstances of this present life, often painful and perplexing, are what is visible. They are temporary and fleeting.
· Has God through His mercy called and commissioned me? Has God supplied the strength necessary for me to persevere in the face of hardships and persecutions?
· Do I concentrate on Jesus? The humiliation of present sufferings for the gospel’s sake is far outweighed by the prospect of future joy.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Therefore We Do Not Lose Heart

2 Corinthians 4:1,13-16 - Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart…It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.


Romans 7:22-23 - For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

Isaiah 40:30-31 - Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Application:

· Has God through His mercy called and commissioned me? Has God supplied the strength necessary for me to persevere in the face of hardships and persecutions?
· Do I delight in God’s law?
· Do I clothe myself with Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Let Light Shine Out Of Darkness

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.


2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Application:

· Is the light in my life the knowledge of the glory of God?
· Am I being gloriously transformed into the image of God?
· My redemption, effected by the power of the Spirit, is the beginning of the new creation destined to come


All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Blinded The Minds Of Unbelievers

2 Corinthians 4:4,6 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.


John 12:31 - Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

1 Corinthians 1:20 - Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

2 Corinthians 3:14,18 - But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away…And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Application:

· Am I being gloriously transformed into the image of God?
· Out of the cross flows the greatest good ever to come to the world
· All humanly devised philosophical systems end in meaninglessness because they have a wrong concept of God and His revelation
· Do I have the power to see how the new covenant has transcended and replaced the old covenant?
· Is the light in my life the knowledge of the glory of God?
· Am I made a partaker of the glory of God by being gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Have Renounced Secret And Shameful Ways

2 Corinthians 4:2-3 - Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.


2 Corinthians 2:17 - Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

2 Corinthians 1:18 - But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

2 Corinthians 3:14,18 - But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away…And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Application:

· Do I speak before God with sincerity?
· Have I found the gospel message to be altogether true and free from ambiguity?
· Do I have the power to see how the new covenant has transcended and replaced the old covenant?
· Am I made a partaker of the glory of God by being gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

This Ministry

2 Corinthians 4:1 - Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.


Isaiah 40:30-31 - Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

2 Corinthians 3:6 - He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Application:

· Has God, through His mercy, called and commissioned me? Has God supplied the strength necessary for me to persevere in the face of hardships and persecution?
· Do I clothe myself with Christ?
· I am provided with love for God’s law, which I previously had hated, and with the power to keep it, which previously I had not possessed.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Reflect

2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


1 Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

2 Corinthians 4:4,6 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Romans 8:29 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Application:

· Have I been made a partaker of the glory of God? Am I being gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ?
· Do I know the Lord to the fullest extent possible in my finite being?
· Am I being gloriously transformed into the image of God?
· Is the light in my life the knowledge of the glory of God?
· God foreknew, predestined and conformed me to Christ’s likeness so Christ can hold the highest honor.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Its Glory

2 Corinthians 3:6-8 - He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?


Exodus 34:29 - When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.

2 Corinthians 4:1 - Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Application:

· Do I reflect the divine glory?
· I am provided with love for God’s law, which previously I had hated, and with the power to keep it, which previously I had not possessed.
· When God calls and commissions me, He provides the strength necessary for me to persevere.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 - Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


Luke 22:20 - In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Romans 2:29 - No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

2 Corinthians 4:1 - Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Jeremiah 31:31,33-34 - “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah…“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Ezekiel 11:19 - I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Application:

· I am provided with love for God’s law, which previously I had hated, and with power to keep it, which previously I had not possessed.
· The new covenant is the administration of God’s saving grace found in and sealed by the death of Christ
· The true sign of belonging to God is the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit within
· When God calls and commissions me, He supplies the strength necessary for me to persevere
· The new covenant is made solemn by the blood of Christ
· Does the law govern my life?
· I am not ignorant of the Lord and His will for my life
· Is my commitment to the Lord and His will single-minded?
· Has the Lord transformed my mind and heart

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

With The Spirit Of The Living God

2 Corinthians 3:1-3,6,14,18 - Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts…He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life…But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away…And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


2 Corinthians 5:12 - We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

Jeremiah 31:33 - “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Ezekiel 36:26 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 11:19 - I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Application:

· Do I take pride in what is seen rather than what is in the heart?
· Does the law govern my life?
· Is God transforming my mind and heart? Is God bringing about change? What God requires of His people He always provides
· The Spirit alone gives life because only the Spirit can change the heart, enabling me to keep His commands
· Do I have a single-minded commitment to the Lord and to His will?
· Has Christ removed the veil so that I can see the power of the new covenant?
· Do I partake of the glory of God and am I being gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Do Not Peddle The Word Of God For Profit

2 Corinthians 2:16-17 - To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.


John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

2 Corinthians 3:6 - He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

1 Corinthians 5:8 - Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 9:12 - If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Application:

· God’s opposition to evil is both total and permanent
· Have I been provided with love for God’s law? Have I been provided with the power to keep it?
· Do I speak before God with sincerity?
· Do I live in holy dedication to God?
· Am I ready to surrender my rights?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Aroma

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 - But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.


Genesis 8:21 - The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Exodus 29:18 - Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the LORD.

Application:

· Am I called to spiritual warfare? Am I triumphantly led by God in Christ?
· Does the Lord take delight in my worship of Him?
· Am I totally dedicated to the Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Comfort Him

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:9 - I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.


Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Application:

· I have been forgiven in Christ. As a result, am I kind and compassionate, bringing to others what I have received from God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Seal

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 - For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.


Romans 15:8-9 - For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

1 John 2:27 - As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Haggai 2:23 - “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

Application:

· Do I praise God for His mercy to me?
· Do I have the resources to determine doctrinal error?
· The Holy Spirit is the seal guaranteeing my future inheritance

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Not Yes And No

2 Corinthians 1:13-19 - For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.”


1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Application:

· The gospel message is one great affirmative in Christ, in whom all God’s promises are Yes
· God may be trusted to do what He has promised: Keep believers strong to the end
· Christ is changeless and it will always be true

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Hope

2 Corinthians 1:10-12 - He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.


1 Timothy 4:10 - That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

Philippians 1:18-19 - But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

2 Corinthians 2:17 - Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Application:

· God is the Savior of all in that He offers salvation to all and saves all who come to Him
· I am saved to eternal life by God no matter what my circumstances on this earth
· Am I willing to persevere Christ-like suffering?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Rely On God

2 Corinthians 1:6-9 - If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.


Romans 11:25-26 - I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Application:

· Does God’s merciful plan to include me in His great salvation plan humble me or fill me with arrogance?
· God’s grace is all-sufficient, and our weakness is precisely the opportunity for His power to be displayed
· God’s grace is sufficient for me. Do I boast gladly about my weaknesses?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Our Brother

2 Corinthians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


2 Timothy 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 - Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Hebrews 2:11 - Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

1 Corinthians 1:2-3 - To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:7 - To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application:

· Am I holy and dedicated to God?
· Eternal life is available to all who will receive it through faith in Christ
· Do I live to glorify God?
· Jesus makes His people holy through His blood
· Am I set apart as holy? Do I reflect God’s holiness?
· Have I been called to God? Do I stand before Him as a holy one?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Every Pot In Jerusalem...Holy

Zechariah 14:17-21 - If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.


Exodus 19:5-6 - Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Romans 14:6-7 - Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Nehemiah 8:10 - Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Joel 3:17 - “Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.

Isaiah 35:8 - And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.

Application:

· God’s original purpose for Israel will be realized
· Do I persevere in faithfulness?
· Even common things become holy when they are used for God’s service
· Do I honor the Lord and give thanks to Him?
· Do I live to please myself or do I live to please the Lord?
· Every aspect of my life has the potential to honor God
· Do I rejoice in God and delight in His presence?
· Where God is present all is purified and even ordinary deeds become acts of holy worship
· Only the redeemed can use the Way of Holiness

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Worship

Zechariah 14:12-16 - This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day people will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.


Psalm 86:9 - All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

Obadiah 21 - Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

Isaiah 2:2 - In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Application:

· Am I grateful for the Lord’s blessings? Do I rejoice over them?
· Do I believe God is sovereign and will rule universally?
· The Lord reigns and is my King
· I will worship the one true God

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

The Lord Will Be King Over The Whole Earth

Zechariah 14:9 - The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.


Psalm 22:27-28 - All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

Obadiah 21 - Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

Habakkuk 2:14 - For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Application:

· There is one Lord and His name is the only name
· The rule of God is universal
· The kingdom will be the Lord’s
· The knowledge of the glory of the Lord fills the earth

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Day Of Battle

Zechariah 14:1-3 - A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.


Joel 1:15 - Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Zechariah 13:8 - In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.

Exodus 14:14 - The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Application:

· Is the day of the Lord near? Am I already in His presence, blessed by Him and saved through Him?
· God is merciful in the midst of judgment
· Even though I may be armed for battle and march out boldly, the victory will be won by God alone.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

They Are My People...The Lord Is Our God

Zechariah 13:8-9 - In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”


Malachi 3:2 - But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.

Daniel 11:35 - Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Psalm 50:14-15 - “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

Psalm 105:1 - Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Zechariah 8:8 - I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”

Application:

· God is merciful in the midst of judgment.
· Have I been restored to proper covenant relationship to the Lord?
· Do I have clean hands and a pure heart?
· Do I stumble so that I can be refined, purified and made spotless?
· Do I honor God with praise and obedience to His covenant law?
· Do I seek the Lord in public worship?
· Do I live with God in faithfulness and in righteousness?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

My Shepherd

Zechariah 13:3-7 - And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies. “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’ “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.


Ezekiel 37:24 - “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.

Zechariah 11:11,15,17 - It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD…Then the LORD said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd…“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”

Zechariah 12:10 - “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Mark 14:49 - Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Application:

· Have I told lies in the Lord’s name?
· Have I been disobedient to God’s covenant?
· Do I care for my flock?
· Do I recognize the authoritative word of the Lord?
· Those who shepherd who are not the Lord’s choice are foolish and worthless
· If I fail to respond to the shepherds God provides, He can give me over to false shepherds
· Do I look to my Messiah in faith?
· Are we seeing Scripture fulfilled?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Prophets

Zechariah 13:2-3 - “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.


Nehemiah 6:12-13 - I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

Zechariah 12:10 - “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Application:

· Do I propose courses of action contrary to God’s Word?
· Do I waver in the face of threats against me?
· Have I told lies in the Lord’s name?
· Does the Holy Spirit cause me to be repentant and seek forgiveness?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Cleanse Them From Sin

Zechariah 12:11-13:1 - On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives. “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.


Leviticus 16:29-30 - “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins.

Hebrews 9:14 - How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Jeremiah 31:34 - No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Application:

· Do I lead in repentance and mourning?
· Have I been cleansed from sin and impurity?
· Am I assured of sins forgiven?
· Has my conscience been cleansed from acts that lead to death?
· Do I know the Lord? Do I have true knowledge of Him?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Worthless Shepherd

Zechariah 11:15-17 - Then the LORD said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. “Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”


Ezekiel 34:2-3 - “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

Daniel 11:36-37 - “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.

John 10:11,14-16 - “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Application:

· If I fail to respond to the shepherds God provides, He can give me over to false shepherds
· Those who shepherd who are not the Lord’s choice are foolish and worthless
· Have I neglected my sheep? Do I benefit at the cost of my sheep?
· Do I misuse my power by using it for my own gain rather than the good of others?
· The antichrist (worthless shepherd) will exalt himself, speak against God and will be successful (for a time)
· The antichrist will have no regard for Christ
· The Good Shepherd (Jesus) laid down His life for me
· The good shepherd knows me deeply
· The good shepherd unites His flock as one

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Covenant

Zechariah 11:8-15,17 - In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD. I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD. Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel. Then the LORD said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd…“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”


Ezekiel 34:25 - “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.

Application:

· Do I have a covenant of peace with the Lord? Is my life full and secure in Him?
· Do I recognize the authoritative word of the Lord?
· Those who shepherd who are not the Lord’s choice are foolish and worthless!
· If I fail to respond to the shepherds God provides, He can give me over to false shepherds!

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Union

Zechariah 11:6-7 - For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the LORD. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.” So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.


Ezekiel 37:18-19,24,26 - “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’ say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’…“‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees…I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever.

Application:

· Am I one with other believers in the hand of God?
· Do I follow God’s laws and keep His decrees?
· Do I have an everlasting covenant of peace with the Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Walk

Zechariah 10:11-11:5,11 - They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will live securely,” declares the LORD. Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined! This is what the LORD my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the LORD, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them…It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD.


Micah 4:5 - All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Ezekiel 34:2-3 - “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

Application:

· Do I confess, love, obey and rely on the Lord?
· Do I recognize the authoritative word of the Lord?
· Have I neglected my sheep? Do I benefit at the cost of my sheep?
· Do I misuse my power by using it for my own gain rather than the good of others?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Gather Them

Zechariah 10:9-10 - Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them.


Zechariah 8:8 - I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”

Ezekiel 39:27,29 - When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations…I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Application:

· Do I remember the Lord?
· Am I one of God’s people?
· Has God been shown holy through me?
· Has the Lord poured out His Spirit on me?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

I Will Punish The Leaders

Zechariah 10:3-4 - “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.


Ezekiel 34:2-3 - “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

Psalm 118:22-23 - The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Acts 4:11 - Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Zechariah 9:10 - I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Genesis 49:10 - The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

Jeremiah 30:21 - Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me—for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the LORD.

Micah 5:2 - “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Application:

· Do I neglect my sheep? Do I benefit at the cost of my sheep?
· Do I care for my flock?
· Jesus is my capstone!!!
· Do I reject Jesus?
· The Lord’s rule will be universal!!!
· Am I obedient?
· Do I draw near to God?
· Christ reigns!!!

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Diviners

Zechariah 9:16-10:2 - The LORD their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.


Psalm 135:7 - He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Deuteronomy 18:9,15 - When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there…The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

John 6:14 - After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Genesis 30:27 - But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

Isaiah 53:6 - We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jeremiah 23:3 - “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.

Psalm 23:1 - The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Ezekiel 34:11,23-24 - “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.

John 10:11,14-16 - “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Application:

· Do I pray and trust in Him?
· Do I speak deceit?
· Jesus did more than the people expected of Him
· Has the Lord blessed me through others?
· Have I gone astray and turned to my own way?
· Has the Lord brought me back to Him?
· Is the Lord my shepherd?
· The Lord gave His life for me
· Have I been equipped for doing His will?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Hope

Zechariah 9:9-10,12-15 - Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.…Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword. Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.


Zechariah 14:20 - On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.

Application:

· Do I conform to the divine standard of morality and ethics?
· The Lord’s rule will be universal
· Am I consecrated to the Lord’s service? (Holy to the Lord!!!)

All Scripture verses taken from NIV