Sorry I missed the last week! Vacation took over over.
June 6 finishes up Deut. for us.
Deuteronomy 34:
My take away:
The Lord gives us strength and long life.
There is a limit to grief and mourning. God set a limit of 30 days because he knew grieving could consume your life and keep you from moving on.
We have the privilege of knowing God face to face like Moses did. I don't always make that a priority, like vacation. It's the first thing that gets crowded out. My life is always fuller when my relationship with the Lord is active and I am seeing Him move in my life.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1
ReplyDeleteThe church at Corinth was weak. It struggled with idolatry and immorality, reminds me of today. They struggled with their Christian faith and lifestyle.
False teachers were making them doubt Paul's authority and were twisting the truth.
v. 5 as sufferings of Christ flow into our lives so does His comfort, they always flow together. Through other believers and Christ in us.
v. 6 When you see others suffer and are comforted, it helps you have patience and endurance.
v. 8 I love this verse: they were beyond their ability to endure, even to the point of death. It really was more than they could handle. It made them rely on God and not themselves.
He Has Delivered, He Will Deliver and He Will Continue to Deliver - enough said!!!
Praying for others brings gracious favor into their lives!
v. 20 God's promises are fulfilled in Christ. We have purpose, security and His presence. All to give us abundant life and make our lives complete.
I loved the sharing of comfort and suffering in vs 3-7. I think that is why it is so important to have a church family.
DeleteI also loved vs 20. My commentary said all of Gods promises of peace, joy, love, goodness, forgiveness, salvation, sanctification, fellowship, hope and glorification and heaven are made possible and fulfilled with Jesus. And with us saying Amen, we are saying yes to his preaching and teaching. And I think Paul's rambling about yes and no in the verses before it are saying that we shouldnt be wishy washy we should say AMEN! And mean it!
Ooooh, love that commentary. That explained so clearly. And the Amen means absolutely yes instead of wishy washy - love that too. I think we are wishy washy because we don't truly believe it. When we experience it for ourselves, it makes us believers.
Delete2 CORINTHIANS 1:2
ReplyDelete1-4 Paul wrote the painful first letter not to grieve them or bring them pain but to share the joy he knew. (Discipline is hard to give and to receive. Noone likes to be corrected, it's hard to say "thank you" and not be defensive. Taken the right way, it can improve our lives.
Here is my example: On vacation, Mindy told me that I had been really cranky, not to her but to others (that meant Jerry). I started to get offended, not angry, but feeling sorry for myself. Then I realized that I had been short but I hadn't even stopped to think about it. Others noticed. I tried to be alot nicer the rest of the vacation. Now I think about my reaction more.
v. 5-11 There comes a time to forgive. Discipline is not to punish people, but to bring them to repentance. If they repent and you don't forgive, it can lead to their "overwhelming sorrow" and gives satan's schemes fuel.
v. 12 This was so interesting that I am still thinking about it. The Lord can "open a door" and you can still have no peace of mind about it. So Paul changed his plan. What do you all think of that verse?
v. 14 God's leads, he goes ahead and prepares the way. To some we are life and they are ready to hear. To others our message is death. Our witness is not to keep score of how many we have "led to the Lord".
I liked verse 12. God opened the door but Paul went another way, but God will still bless him and God will still get done what he wanted to get done. Verse 17 says we are not peddlers of God's word, but men of sincerity as commissioned by God and in the sight of God we speak in Christ. So, no matter where we go as long as we are sincere we spread his word.
DeleteI like how it said we aren't peddlers too, like cheap door to door salesmen but sincere imitators! I like your application!
Delete2 CORINTHIANS 3
ReplyDeletePaul's authority did not depend on what others thought. He didn't defend himself. The proof was in people's lives, new believers. You can't argue with that.
When you turn to the Lord, the Spirit takes the weight off. The weight of sin and trying your best to do good. You reflect the Lord's glory which always increasing as you are transformed more like Jesus, from glory to glory,
Take Away:
If I am living in any kind of bondage, worry, fear, doubt, it is because I have made a choice. The flesh is always drawn toward bondage. The Spirit wants to set us free and He uses truth (God's word) to do it.
I love that Diane, the flesh is always drawn to bondage even when we want nothing more than to be free. We are such contrary creatures.
DeleteI liked verses 12-18. Remember when Moses had to wear the veil because the glory of the lord shone on him and it scared the people? Well our veils are removed! Our glory gets to be seen by everyone as we are transformed into the image of the Lord who is the spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. How awesome!! No more bondage from our flesh.
Ha! Auto correct misspelled your name!! Sorry!!!
Delete2 Corinthians 4
ReplyDeleteI liked vs 4, about how the gods of this world have blinded the people from seeing the light if the gospel. So sad! But the light of the gospels shine through our hearts. So other Christians can see it. I live it!!
And verse 8 is awesome. We are afflicted and stuff, but we are not destroyed because Jesus is alive in us. We can make it through anything through him.
We will always yearn for something else while on this earth, never be completely fulfilled living here because it is not our home. God fills that void here but someday we will be complete, body and spirit.
Delete16-19 We have a new life - new attitude - new perspective - new purpose. We have a new slate every morning (which I need)!!!. God doesn't count our sins and keep track (thank you Jesus). His mercies are new every morning too. There is newness in Jesus!!!
My take away from Chapter 5 was when you realize how much God loves you and how much He's given you and forgiven you for, your love for Him will be your motivation for everything. The more you realize it, the more love you will have for Him and others.
DeleteSorry, I just put all of that under 4 and it was for 5!!!
Delete2 Corinthians 5
ReplyDeleteI am excited to get my heavenly body some day! Its got to be better than this one LOL! But as long as I have this one, I will all to please him because someday I will have to answer for all that I have done.
vs21 is really powerful. Christ took our sins and was treated as a sinner so that we might become the righteousness of God. My commentary said "He bore our sons so the we can bear his righteousness". Wow! That just really makes sense now.
love that commentary!
Delete2 Corinthians 6
ReplyDeleteI love the first verse - don't receive the grace of God in vain. We are supposed to spread the word of God through our patient endurance of hardships. I'm tired of hardships, but hopefully I can be a witness to others. Among them being vs14 which I know about first hand- don't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. It won't work very well.
I know Aimee, we learn alot of things the hard way. I do too.
Deletev. 2 I thought don't put off your relationship with God, neglect or procrastinate. Now is the time to take it seriously, we have one shot at this. I have to make it a priority.
3-10 This kind of reminded me of "A Day in the Life of Paul" hahaha! His attitude in the midst of everyday life and trials.
v. 13 in the Message "Open up your lives, live openly, expansively". Open your hearts to receive God's love so you can extend it to others and give it in return. It took years to learn to receive God's love and the way He accepts me. Your heart can hold you back to live openly and expansively. I am still learning how to do that to people that are especially different than me. God is teaching me to "love them to Jesus" not judge them because they are different. What holds people back from offering love and receiving love? fear of losing the familiar? Change -noone likes change - Fear of unknown - fear of rejection - insecurity? People are no different now than they were then. You have to take a risk to let go and love others, but first accept God's complete, unconditional love for yourself. That is freedom!
That is good. I want others to automatically know what I know or make the decisions I make, but they have to make their own and we have to love them for it. Especially our children, when we think they are taking the wrong road.
Delete2 Corinthians 7
ReplyDeleteI loved verse 10. And i am loving my commentary. We repent initially to be saved then continually to enjoy a relationship with Christ and to be blessed. But human sorrow is unsanctified remorse and has no redemptive capabilities. It is nothing more than wounded pride getting caught in a sin and having our lusts go unfulfilled. It leads to guilt, shame, depression, self pity and hopelessness. And will lead to death.
Wow!!! This really hit home for me. I really feel guilty on certain subjects and this is really freeing for me.
I love that too! Guilt, shame, depression, self pity and hopelessness is where the enemy wants us to put down roots and live and just accept it as life. But Godly sorry that leads to repentance leads to freedom. I guess that is the way you can know the difference. What is the fruit? When we repent, it is a done deal. Forgotten. Done. I love that. The hard part is accepting God's forgiveness sometimes, because we don't think we deserve it. And we don't! It's grace.
DeleteThat is awesome. It is hard to accept forgiveness when we feel we don't deserve it. The devil lines to remind us of it all the time, and God has forgotten all about it.
Delete