By Josh Weidmann on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 1:39 AM

What makes sin sin is not first that it hurts people, but that it blasphemes God.

This is the ultimate evil and the ultimate outrage in the universe:

The glory of God is not honored.
The holiness of God is not reverenced.
The greatness of God is not admired.
The power of God is not praised.
The truth of God is not sought.
The wisdom of God is not esteemed.
The beauty of God is not treasured.
The goodness of God is not savored.
The faithfulness of God is not trusted.
The promises of God are not relied upon.
The commandments of God are not obeyed.
The justice of God is not respected.
The wrath of God is not feared.
The grace of God is not cherished.
The presence of God is not prized.
The person of God is not loved.

By Josh Weidmann on Monday, December 29, 2008 1:35 AM

2 Corinthians 13

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Paul’s second visit to Corinth was a hard one. It is evident by what we have read in this book that he was frustrated and sick of having to prove to them that he was simply trying to live for God and nothing else. But now at the close of his letter to the Corinthians he is saying, it’s your turn…are you going to pass the test? In verse 5 he tells them to examine themselves and see if they are living in true faith.

This is a good examination for us to go through as well. Today, take some time to examine yourself honestly before God. Find areas in your life where maybe you have a failed, and ask for God to help you. Ask yourself questions like: Do I always live for truth? When do I live a lie? How am I hypocritical in my lifestyle? Do by faith? Do I long for other’s approval more than God’s? What kinds of motives do I have behind my actions? Am I out to be prideful in myself or in God?

 

By Josh Weidmann on Saturday, December 27, 2008 1:32 AM

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

It hurts so badly when others talk bad about you – behind your back or to your face. Paul had experienced this kind of slander and by this point in the book of second Corinthians you can tell that he is really hurt. He hates that fact that he has had to brag on himself and plain out says, “I have been a fool!” But he was left with no choice. These other “Super-apostles” – people who claimed to be from God but were actually there to deceive people – had talked bad about Paul. They had told the people that he was probably just out to use them and not to really love them or care for them at all.

How hard it must have been for Paul to realize that these people – who he truly did love – had slipped so far away from the truth. He knew that if they had started to believe the lie of the enemy, other sin was going to follow close behind: jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, deceit and disorder. There are two big lessons we can learn here. First, we have to be careful what we say and choose to believe about others. If we don’t know their true intentions, then we can’t jump to conclusions. Second, we need to make sure that we don’t let sin creep in – like bad mouthing others. Because when the smallest sin begins to take hold in our life, it will only multiply into other sin and soon devour us completely.

 

By Josh Weidmann on Friday, December 26, 2008 1:29 AM

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

After chapter 11 Paul is sick of talking about himself. He no longer wants to boast about his life or accomplishments, but is ready to simply give the glory to God. He even tells the story about “this man,” referring to himself in the third person, but in reality he is telling his own conversion story. As he tells how “This man in Christ” was taken to an indescribable place and heard indescribably sounds he continually reminds himself, and us, that “God Knows!” and God is responsible for this miracle. It is even hard for Paul to understand all the details but he knows that only God deserves the credit.

Fur us to understand our true strength in God, we must understand our true weakness. There are certain circumstances that God allows us to go through this side of heaven that remind us just how weak we are. Paul refers to his trails indirectly by calling it a “Thorn.” It is something that annoys him, digs at him, hurts him, and is seemingly irremovable. But in the times when we think we are too weak or too weary to stay strong in our faith, we must cling to the same word of Jesus that Paul clung too; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.”

 

By Josh Weidmann on Thursday, December 25, 2008 1:48 AM

I did find this passage last night that I am really excited about reminding you about... It is a passage that I have seen and even sung before, but it hit me in a whole new way this time. It is Isaiah 9:6:

"For unto us a child is given; the government shall be upon his shoulders, and His name shall be called wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace."

This is an interesting Christmas season because we are that turn-over of a government into Obama's hands and the people that he surrounds himself with to lead our nation. This kind of turn-over only comes every four to eight years. If you watch the News, they are continually reporting on the "Transition of the White House" and guessing what implications may be upon us with Obama and his leadership team in power.

yet, truth be told, the government is not placed upon the shoulder of Obama, but on that of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He ultimately came as a child and God placed all "Authority and power" upon Him (matt. 28:18). He came to earth to bear the weight of it all, and still does to this day. Oh how quick I am to forget that it is not man who leads us, but God who holds us. Jesus Christ is on the throne and still ruling as our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace." This reality must be ever before us this Christmas season!