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God’s Word tells us when we are sick to give thanks in all things, look for God’s refining work in our lives, seek to have His heart and pray in faith for healing. God’s physical miracles are shadows of His spiritual work for our eternal lives.

“Thorns in the flesh” contemplates Paul’s struggle with handicaps and his healing through the grace of God. No matter what obstacles we face, God is there beside you to carry you and comfort you.

Ananias and Sapphira, whose names mean “grace” and “beauty” were not who they seemed to be. Hypocrise begins with false pretense and brings turmoil and chaos. Hypocrisy purged produces power and purity.

Our handicaps, or “thorns” as Paul dubs them, are no accident. God can use them for spiritual service. We must stop window-shopping for what we don’t have and learn to live with our own inventory.

God must exist because every effect has a cause, every design a designer and because men universally believe that He exists. The universal moral code is stamped on the hearts of men, and millions claim to have experienced His love and forgiveness.

Living by faith is the lifestyle guaranteed to please God. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. God rewards our faith as it grows over time.

Jesus knows about the afflictions, poverty and persecution the church at Smyrna has endured. This has not changed for us today. He intimately knows our pressures, needs and misunderstandings, but we can walk through these fires beside Him. We can rejoice with confidence because of our reward in heaven.

The first miracle sign Jesus performed was at the wedding feast in Cana. Changing water to wine is a sign of the lavish lifestyle that Jesus offers to all who will drink life from Him, and also symbolizes the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

John used this miracle to drive home the point that Jesus is the Bread that satisfies mankind’s deepest spiritual longings. He also was careful to record the line that Jesus drew in the sand as He set forth the conditions for obtaining Bread.

Jesus commends the Ephesian church for its strengths, offers correction for its problems and encourages members to re-kindle their first love, the Lord Jesus. In the struggle to live passionate Christian lives, we should find ourselves developing deeper love for God and others.

Learning to compromise is a sign of maturity. But compromising our values, morals, ethics, character and bodies is not. Jezebel represents the war between the temptations of Satan and the deep things of God.

Christ saw the Sabbath (and by extension, all of life) as being a time of restoration and connectedness with God. The Pharisees viewed the Sabbath as a day to prove one’s spiritual prowess by adhering to the difficult rigors of the Sabbath laws. One view is based on grace. The other is based on merit. Practical tips on enjoying a “day of rest” are given.