Meekness and Gentleness of Christ

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:1)

As Christians, we are told to be meek and gentle like Christ.

Paul desired to be meek and gentle.

To be meek and gentle is to keep our strength under control.

As Christians, we are told to keep our spiritual strength under control in humility and gentleness.

The world uses and abuses power for ungodly purposes. But we are to keep power under control for godly purposes.

We don't exercise our spiritual authority like the world does.

Our meekness and gentleness can and do win souls for Christ.

The path to spiritual power is through our weakness!

Often, those who are small have great spiritual power!

We use divine power to pull down earthly strongholds.

Nothing can exalt itself against the knowledge of God.

Nothing can escape the Judgment seat of Christ.

When the time comes, all disobedience will be punished.

Christians may be weak and insignificant to men. But they are not weak and insignificant to Christ.

God's power is at work in their weakness.

Never underestimate the meekness and gentleness of Christ in His People.

Heaven Rejoices when we Repent

There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10

Christian parents rejoiced when their children have given their lives to Christ.

They were so excited that they called for celebration immediately.

They wanted to tell the exciting news to others.

They rejoiced through tears...

The woman in Luke 15 had found her lost coin.

She called her friends and neighbors together to rejoice with her.

Jesus told this story.

He also told about a lost sheep and a lost son.

He wanted to show how He came to earth to pursue lost sinners. 

When we accept God’s gift of salvation, there is rejoicing on earth and in heaven. 

Heaven rejoices when we respond! 

Angels rejoice when we repent!

God loves us without measure

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.

—John 19:17-18

In John 19, we read that Jesus allowed people to put a crown of thorns on His head, mock Him, strike Him, strip Him, and crucify Him (John 19:1-6). 

He had the power to stop them, but He said very little (John 19:11). 

He did it all for love’s sake to pay for our sins and to rescue us from punishment.

How much does God love us? 

Jesus spread out His arms and was nailed to the cross. 

He died for us, then rose again. 

That’s a precious fact for followers of Christ. 

The truest measure of God’s love is that He loves us without measure! 

Open my eyes that I may see

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight.” —Exodus 3:3

In the midst of our busyness and stresses, we often miss the patches of beauty all around us. 

We are preoccupied with our things, and forget the glimpses of God's goodness we caught here and there along the way. 

As a result, we lost the opportunity to worship God, to praise Him and thank Him.

The universe displays tha glory of God.

If only we will take the time to stop and reflect upon God's love for us.

Moses took notice of the burning bush that was not consumed.

If Moses had taken only a fleeting glance, if he had ignored it and hurried on to other things, he would have missed a life-changing encounter with the living God.

Our lives should be less hurrying and more noticing. 

Our lives should be less self-occupying and self-pleasing. 

We should learn to take note of the things around us and see God's hand in them. 

We should learn to see God's glory, His loving care, His knowledge and wisdom, His longsuffering etc. 

O Lord, open our eyes that we may see.

Be a Good Helper

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
 —John 14:26
 

 

The apostle Paul had many helpers in his work of ministry.
He listed them in Romans 16.
He made special reference to Phoebe, who “has been a helper of many and of myself also” (2).
Priscilla and Aquila risked their own lives for Paul (3-4).
And Mary, Paul said, “labored much for us” (6).

According to 1 Corinthians 12:28, Helping is a spiritual gift.
Paul listed it among the gifts from the Holy Spirit that are given to believers in Christ’s body, the church.
The gift of “helps” is just as needed as the others that are listed.

In John 14:26, even God the Holy Spirit is called a “Helper.”
Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”.

In whatever ways the Holy Spirit, the Helper, has gifted you, let Him use you for His honor.

Remember: Be a good helper. Your church needs you.