I hope everyone had a good Friday the 13th. It has always been a good day for me!!! The sun was out! That was a big blessing! I am trying to use the summer to revitalize my spiritual walk, rest and enjoy the Lord, and bask in His blessings. I have started "counting my 1000 blessings" again and trying to stop and notice all the things He does everyday to show me how much He loves me. He is so good and wants us to notice His goodness in our lives.
New Community Church announced our blog in the church bulletin, didn't know they were going to do that! But I am thrilled they did and hope new people will feel welcome to join us for the summer. I am going to post why we're called the Thorngirls again in case we have new people who don't really know how we got that name. I love it. So here ya go:
The Thorngirls was started when our small group which meets at the mall in Muskogee was studying "Brave" by Angela Thomas. It talked about how all of us have thorns in our lives, things that hurt, things that bring us pain, things that remain that we can't remove. Sometimes it's other's thorns that we have to live with that are also painful to us. The important thing is what the thorn produces, if we let it. It produces humility, surrender and desperation for God. When God looks at Thorngirls, He sees a beautiful rose. It brings Him glory. It draws others to Him. We thought the name was fitting for our group so it stuck. They are just that. Beautiful Thorngirls to me. They have been blessings through their pain.
Aimee and I already posted Friday's notes on the last blog. So here is the schedule for this week.
Saturday, June 14 - 2 Corinthians 8
Sunday, June 15 - 2 Corinthians 9
Monday, June 16 - 2 Corinthians 10
Tuesday, June 17 - 2 Corinthians 11
Wednesday, June 18 - 2 Corinthians 12
Thursday, June 19 - 2 Corinthians 13
Friday, June 20 - Psalms 32 (notice change)
Love reading your thoughts and comments. It adds so much insight to my reading.
Saturday will start under comments. See you in the blog
Saturday - 2 CORINTHIANS 8
ReplyDeletev. 1-2 Sounds like a contradiction in terms: most severe trial, overflowing joy, extreme poverty, rich generosity. That is almost too much to understand! They gave even beyond their ability and pleaded for the privilege of sharing. That tells me that they got it! They got what Christ had done for them. They knew how it felt to receive God's love and pour it out to others. Quite a contrast from Ch. 7 where he was trying to convince them to open their hearts.
v. 12 your willingness and heart is what matters, not the amount. It shows your sincerity (v. 8)
The church at Madedonia were known by their generous giving. That was their reputation. As Christ as their example, they imitated Him.
v. 11 The church at Corinth had good intentions but somehow didn't follow through. How many times I do that. I feel convicted and think that is enough. My good intentions need to lead to action.
I liked verse 8 too. Your giving isn't a commandment, but proof to others that your love is genuine. And Paul said to give in your abundance so when you lack others can give to you. I feel I kind of slack in this because I don't have a lot of "abundance" but I can give of my time and friendship. And I hope someday (when I win the lottery ha!) I can give back to those who have helped me.
Delete2 Corinthians 9
ReplyDeleteI really liked verse 8. I think this is true in whatever you do. The more you put into something, the more you get out of it. Whether it is work, play, relationships, or even something as simple as cleaning your house. But most importantly is your relationship with God. Through this study, that we have done for almost a year, I have found I am way closer to God than before. And it helps to read the bible everyday with a cheerful heart...God even said he loves it :)
Talk is cheap. Good intentions don't mean anything. Paul was making the Corinth church accountable.... just like the blog does, just like small group does. We need the encouragement and accountability. I think Paul had the key, a good balance of both.
DeleteThe principle of reaping and sowing is universal. All farmers reap and sow the same. So it is for believers and unbelievers. I like what you said, what you put in is what you put out. You need friends, be a friend. Whatever you need, you make the effort, it will return to you.
v. 9 Commentary said "God replenishes so you will always have enough so you can continue to give. God gives lavishly to cheerful givers. God will supply everything needed for real happiness and contentment." And it will all result back to God in thanksgiving.
I think we all see this all the time in our life. God provides in any way He wants. If we give, we will never want. Hoarding doesn't work, it does the opposite. But if we're broke, hoarding is what we want to do. It seems logical but God's ways are usually the opposite of logically!
2 CORINTHIANS 10
ReplyDeletev. 1-4 I have lived by these verses for a very long time. They are the ONLY way to have victory in your life.
Everything that has a strong hold on your thoughtlife, that is arguing with you in your Spirit and every fantasy that is in contrast to what God wants for your life and what His word says HAS TO BE TAKEN CAPTIVE AND DESTROYED or it will create a barrier to separate you from God and make you miserable.
Breaking down strongholds is work. The thoughts have made themselves at home and they are your routine thoughts now. The fantasy, what if? if only.... are dangerous. They are pretend, idols of our imagination that can steal your joy and contentment and make you make very destructive decisions. You have to confess and reject every single time they start until you have victory over them.
v. 10-11 Paul was not a bully!!! He was firm and exact in his letters. He wasn't bragging about himself or comparing himself to others. That is a trap. He boasted in what the Lord had done in this life and in the mission field.
His hope and goal was simple: their faith would grow and the gospel would spread.
I really like what you said about the strongholds and saying what if and daydreaming. I catch myself doing that about a husband or boyfriends and does nothing but make me sad. I am happy the way I am and God will bring me someone someday.
DeleteI liked verse 12 too. The false prophets set their own standards and then thought themselves superior when they met them. We are so much like that. We should set our standards with God, not man. We don't have to have a big house and lots of money to be happy, or have a boyfriend. We should be happy with what God has given us.
I was kind of rambling tonight. I hope it all made sense :)
I know exactly what you're talking about. I had set up idols of what I wanted my life to look like and when that didn't happen exactly as I planned, I became discontent, sad, depressed. And it wasn't God's plan but what I thought it should look like. If you allow your thoughts to even go down that road a tiny bit, it can turn into a stronghold like that!!! Being thankful is the key. God has planned my life and He knows what will make me happy and more importantly, what will make me more like him, not me. I've been down that road so many times. Hopefully, I have learned my lesson!
Delete2 CORINTHIANS 11
ReplyDeleteThe "super" apostles came in wearing 3 piece suits, sunglasses, charismatic and charming, but with a different message than Paul's. They were "shiny", arrogant and most of all convincing. Paul was not "shiny". He had preached for free to keep them from being burdened. "Shiny" did not. They were "money grubbers" MSG, crooked, lying, scum. Isn't that how the enemy works. He attracts you, "the lust of the eyes", gets you hooked and then hangs you out to dry!
v.16 They put up with abuse and exploitation from the 3 ring preachers. "They rob you, rip you off, steal you bind, put you down, even slap your face. They were the egomanics of the pulpit. I know we do the same. We allow satan space in our life and it is always destructive but we do it anyway.
Paul had face everything and anything you could imagine. Apparently "shiny" had an impressive resume too but it couldn't trump Paul. He still boasts in the Lord after all that not himself.
It just makes you get mad at yourself when you let the enemy have space and you know you are. We have to know truth so well that we see "shiny" when it comes and not even entertain it for a second.
I totally agree. We have to know the truth so we don't fall for anything and everything. But the problems with the false prophets is that sometimes they look just like the real ones, and we need to know how to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteSo, I have along of questions about this third heaven stuff. My commentary said it was the abode of God. The first heaven is earths atmosphere, and the second is the planets. So, when we die do we proceed through all these heavens? Or does it just mean "space".
ReplyDeleteMy commentary said it was the dwelling place of Christ and the saints. The same word is used in Rev. 2:7 which is a reference to heaven and in Luke 23:43 which is another reference to heaven. A commentary I found online said he probably meant he went through the lower sky, through the clouds and firmament, to the space above. First heaven where the birds fly, the second where the clouds are, the third where God resides. I found that in two commentaries.
ReplyDeleteSo the first and second heaven just means sky, not where we go when we die. That is what was confusing me.
Delete2 CORINTHIANS 13
ReplyDeleteNot only was there an offense against Paul doubting his authority, the Corinthians were living contrary to the will of God. Paul was going to have to discipline on his next visit. He urged them to test, or evaluate their faith.
There comes a time when we have to evaluate and see if our lifestyle matches our faith, if our reality lines up with our theology. Words are cheap and we can convince ourselves that we are being obedient when we are not. If you stay in the Word, it continues to convict and show us where we are deceiving ourselves.
Follow up of Corinthians:
The Corinthians did heed Paul's warnings. He visited there and stayed three months where he wrote the letter to the Romans. The Corinthians were obedient. YEA!!!!!
Vs5 says to test and examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. Like you said Diana, It is very easy to become complacent and think we are doing good when we are not. I have fallen in that trap many times. We almost become desynthesized by the world, so we should step back and test it often.
DeleteI agree Aimee. Desensitize is the perfect way to put it. Our mind is deceitful above all things!
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