II Corinthians 3   Paul asks a question.. ".. do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?"  Paul wondered if the church needed to be introduced to himself again.. did they need an outside recommendation.. had they forgotten that he was there first, giving them the gospel of Jesus Christ?  

"You are our letter.. " Paul proclaims.. the believers that had been taken from death to life.. from idolatry to Christ.. from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh.  "You are a letter of Christ", he tells them.. "written in our hearts, known and read by all men.. "   

A life changed forever by Jesus Christ.. where the "Spirit of the Living God" had written His Name in their hearts.. that "manifested" the Presence of Jesus.. by the power of Jesus.. this is a letter of commendation that everyone should be able to recognize.  If they were changed at all.. by knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.. it would be made known by their very lives!  

"And such confidence we have through Christ toward God." Paul's own life had been radically changed when he met Jesus.. he recognized that transformation in true believers too.  Just as we, also, recognize the Spirit of Christ in the lives of other believers. 

Yet, Paul is careful to say, " Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."   His ability.. his competency.. to be a servant of the new covenant.. was from God.. not himself. This was a Spirit given ministry.. a life-giving.. glorious ministry.. a surpassing.. unfading.. eternal ministry .. able to remove the veil between God and men.  The ministry of Paul that changed them and was still changing them.. "from glory to glory".. transforming them by the Spirit of God.. this was the proof.. the "letter of commendation".. the only thing they needed to know.. 

Father, thank You for the transforming.. eternal .. surpassing power of the Holy Spirit.. Who writes the Name of Jesus on our hearts.. and changes us from "glory to glory" as He is manifested.. made known in our lives.  May we be letters of introduction.. letters of commendation.. that others will see Jesus clearly in us. Fill us once again, Holy Spirit, that we might overflow with love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.. that Jesus will be glorified !  We ask this in His wonderful Name.  Amen. 

 II Corinthians 2 Paul expresses his sorrow and love for the church in Corinth.. seeing that they obeyed his instructions.. he now urges them to forgive and restore the one that had been living sinfully in their midst. Forgiveness.. we all need it and want it.. but it is sometimes hard to be the ones to forgive those who hurt us with their sins. Paul says, " But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ."   Forgiveness restores fellowship.. unity.. and this is vital for the church.. any church!  The man who had caused the problems repented.. and the church, which had allowed the sinfulness to continue.. also repented.  Paul tells them to "forgive and comfort"..  first, so that he would not be "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow".. and secondly, " in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

A church that preaches repentance...that practices forgiveness and comfort..is a church that will have joyful fellowship and wonderful, Christ honoring unity... 

 Paul talks about his journey.. going to Troas and then on to Macedonia..  He is restless in his spirit.. but finds reason to be thankful...  "But thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place."   Here is another truth.. "we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.. "  We won't always be received with joy.. for sometimes the message of the gospel has an "aroma from death to death"... to those who refuse Him.. But, hallelujah, sometimes the aroma of the knowledge of Christ brings "life to life".   We do not control how someone hears or receives the good news of Christ Jesus.  What we do control is our sincere words of truth.. spoken "in Christ in the sight of God." 

Father in heaven, help us to hear Your words today.. to live for You.. according to these truths, by the power of Christ in us.. before You. Give us understanding of how these words can be applied to our church and our individual lives.  Help us to walk in sincerity and love. Manifest the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ in us.. no matter where we go. Let, the life of Jesus in us.. bring life to others who need Him.. We ask this in His wonderful, powerful Name. Amen.

 I Corinthians 1 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."   Yes, this is what we need this day, Father..  Your all- sufficient grace.. Your peace, that passes all our understanding.  We are indeed blessed with the comfort that You have provided.. "abundant through Christ". Thank You!

Father, may we share Your comfort with those who are suffering today.  May we have grace to reach out to those who are "despairing even of life".  What great truth we find here.. ".. that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."   You are our God, great in every way.. and You hold life and death in Your hands.. no peril can befall us.. no illness can defeat us.. no enemy can destroy us.. because ultimately we are delivered by Your abundant grace and kept in You abundant peace! Hallelujah!

Father, "we have set our hope" on You!  May our prayers join other.. giving help to those in need.. bringing others to set their hope on You.. on Jesus, the one who is "yes and amen"!  Thank You for the many promises You have given us in Christ. Thank You for establishing us in Christ and anointing us with Your Spirit.. given to us in our hearts... "as a pledge".. 

Father, we are thankful for Your Word that brings us comfort and peace, that reveals Your grace and truth. Thank You for the Spirit who abides in our hearts and fills us with Your Presence. Help us to stand firm in faith, setting our hope on You. Guide our steps, our choices, our thoughts, and even our feelings today.. for the glory of God and the praise of Jesus Christ our King. amen. 

 Lamatations 4-5 ".. for the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom.. " Think about that.. 

What sin is He talking about?  Rebellion. Unbelief. Idolatry. Shedding innocent blood. These sins.. that are the same ones filling our country today.. brought about destruction of a nation.. a nation that belonged to the Lord, the Almighty God and Creator.  "The Lord has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger." (v11)

Jeremiah gives us a heart-breaking description of Israel.. of starving babies.. of mothers who "boiled their own children".. of "skin.. shriveled on their bones.. " .. of complete desolation and reproach upon a once chosen nation.. "The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes are dim;"

Father in heaven, You rule forever! Your throne is from generation to generation.  You will not forget Your people forever.. for You have promised to restore them.. when they return to You.  May they do so now, Lord God.. in another season of desolation, destruction, and punishment.. may Israel turn back to their God.. confessing and repenting from their sins. May we also return to You Father.. recognizing the sinfulness of our own nation.  Bring repentance and salvation to us once again.. as we celebrate this season of Christmas..reveal Jesus to the nations.. May His kingdom come..  and may He reign forevermore! Amen. 

 Lamentations 3:40-66  Jeremiah expressed his anguish and depression.. and his faith in God's mercy and faithfulness.. He has encouraged us to "probe our ways".. to "lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven.. " and to confess our trespasses and rebellion.. and now he leads us in prayer. 

"Thou hast not pardoned.. thou hast covered Thyself with anger.. with a cloud.. so that no prayer can pass through.. "  Lord, sometimes we feel this too.. like our world is so evil.. how can we ever find You?  We are like "refuse".. "Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction.. "  We watch the news and see this before our eyes.. we know this in our own lives at times.. our tears "pour down unceasingly" just like Jeremiah's "because of all the daughters" of Your city... for the lost and devastated all over this globe.. 

"Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.. "  Ahh Lord we are not without hope.. for our hope is in You.. " I called on Thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest pit, Thou hast heard my voice, do not hide Thine ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help."   Mighty God, we pray this for the people of Israel.. especially for those still held captive.. and those whose loved ones are in harm's way.  "Thou didst draw near when I called on Thee; Thou didst say, ' Do not fear!'"  Thank You Lord!  For what You did for Jeremiah.. You have and  will do for us.. 

"O Lord, Thou didst plead my soul's cause; Thou hast redeemed my life."  Oh what wonderful truths!  You, Yourself plead our cause.. You are our Redeemer!  Jesus Christ, the Mediator is for us!  He came that we might be saved. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Father, we bring these pleas before You.. for ourselves and for Jerusalem.. for our families and for our neighbors who need You.. Come O Come Emmanuel.. come and hear our prayers. .come and open the Kingdom doors for the lost and forsaken.. Let the Good News of Jesus Christ be told on every mountain and in every valley! Draw us closer into Your Presence.. into Your heart today, we pray... in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Lamentations 3:1-41  The first 18 verses are Jeremiah's lament for himself.. " I am a man who has seen affliction.."  It has come.. from the Lord's hand, Jeremiah confesses... "because of the rod of His wrath.."  

Jeremiah feels abandoned.. he is walking in darkness; his flesh and skin are wasting away; he is broken, bitter, and desolate.  "So I say, ' My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the Lord." (v18)

There are times in our lives when we can truly relate to these feelings.. out of strength and out of hope.  

But, as desperate and dark as it was for Jeremiah, he chooses to remember:

"Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me, this I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is His faithfulness.. "

"The Lord is my portion, says my soul." He is my inheritance, my allotment, my lot, my ration.  "Therefore I have hope in Him."  Jeremiah reminds himself that God is good.. that He will have compassion on those who wait for Him and who seek Him. 

All that has afflicted Israel and Jeremiah, himself.. came because of sin.  Yet, God does not willingly bring the affliction.. He is Just and Faithful. 

"Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven."

So here we have a dark, desolate and depressing situation.. hopeless.. the city is gone; the people are either dead or in captivity; those left have made Jeremiah even more miserable because of their hatred and persecution.. yet.. he sets his mind on God's faithfulness and compassion!  And, in doing so, gives us a passage that has helped thousands of us to find hope again in our darkest hours!  Praise the Lord!

Father, thank You for being a good, good Father...who hears us when we cry out to You; who comes to us when we wait upon You.  We join in Jeremiah's proclamation.. You are our portion and therefore we have hope! Whatever we face.. this day.. this week.. or this year.. may we recall to mind the truth that Your loving kindnesses never cease.. that Your compassion never fail.. and that You are always faithful! Thank You, Lord!  All praise and glory and honor to Your holy Name. Amen 

 Lamentations 2  This chapter, like the first is an acrostic poem.  The theme here is God's awful anger that has been poured out upon His people.. "the daughter of Zion".   God's anger over sin is not a small thing.   We need to take heed of this.. 

V1.. His anger is vast.. "How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger! He has cast from heaven to earth the glory of Israel and has not remembered His footstool in the day of His anger."

The Lord's anger.. swallows up habitations; throws down strongholds; profanes kingdoms; cuts off strength; and burns like a flaming fire.. ( v2-3)

The Lord's anger is personal.. "He bent His bow.. He has set His right hand like an adversary.. The Lord has become like an enemy... He has swallowed up Israel.. "(v4-5)

The Lord's anger is all- inclusive.. palaces, strongholds, and His own tabernacle are violently destroyed.  Kings and priests.. elders and children.. virgins and young men...all are affected by God's anger, for all have sinned against Him. 

Oh how this breaks Jeremiah's heart.. "My eyes fail because of tears, my spirit is greatly troubled; my heart is poured out on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. When little ones and infants faint in the streets of the city.. as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom... O virgin daughter of Zion.. for your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who can heal you?" (v11-13)

The enemies of Zion gloated over her ruin.. but the truth is that they were not the cause.. "The Lord has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing. And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries." (v17)

Can we read this and not think of Israel today? The Lord is angry over the sins of His people.. His desire is repentance.. His purpose is to bring His people back to Himself.  But, if they.. if we.. refuse God's grace, in the persons of Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself all the sin.. all the shame.. all the wrath of God.. who swallowed up sin and death.. then God's vast, violent, destroying anger will be poured out upon us too. 

Wonderful grace of Jesus.. greater than all my sin.. thank You for taking my punishment.. for saving my soul from the eternal wrath of the Father. Thank You for the victory purchased upon the cross.. Your blood poured out.. Your body broken.. Hallelujah, What a Savior!