Category Archives: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians, 2018

Stunned and Shaken

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This is a mean and cruel world in which we live; horrible, incomprehensible things happen daily and some of those things come close and we are stunned, shaken, and bewildered, and we question what now? This now!:  we are always loved and GOD is always good!

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  source 2 Corinthians 4

Let us walk it out for one another in prayer, faith, and caring words.

2 Corinthians, 2018, Revelation

Comfort

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A Word of Comfort from The GOD of ALL Comfort.

Revelation 21:4  (CSB) 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.  source

And until then

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (TLV)3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement. 4 He encourages us in every trouble, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any trouble, through the very encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Messiah overflow into us, so also through Messiah our encouragement overflows. source

1 Timothy, 2 Corinthians, 2018, Ezekiel, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Proverbs

So Far

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Approximate Reading time: 2 minutes

1 Timothy 6:20  (TLV) 20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge—  source  

O (fill in your name), guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— What has been entrusted to me? What has been entrusted to you?  Our answers may vary as we mature in our journey, but I can think of two gifts (so far) that each repentant sinner who has placed faith in Christ has received. 

A new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV) 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. source 

And to further confirm:

Proverbs 4:23  (NIV) 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. source 

The Ministry of Reconciliation 

2 Corinthians 5: 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. source

I think we can safely dovetail The Great Commission with this Ministry of Reconciliation to confirm our entrustment of sharing the Gospel of Salvation with others. 

So how do we guard these priceless gifts? And from what do we guard them? 

An old principle comes to mind: Use it or lose it. 

Could we say, guarding our heart would be tantamount to exercising our new heart so that it does not become weak and sickly?  If we exercise our hearts will we not build muscles of faith, trust, and love —? I think we could name all the fruits of the Spirit right here.  Galatians 5:22-23. May I say if these fruits are not steadily increasing in us, we are not well guarding our hearts? Ouch!

And if we are not well guarding our heart, how well can we guard our Ministry of Reconciliation? How well can we demonstrate and speak the Gospel of Salvation to the world with a weak, sickly, offended, unforgiving, wounded, bruised, beat-up heart? 

Forgiveness that leads to healing – it truly must be my Word for 2018. 

Selah ~ ~ ~