Side By Side

What are you sowing?

The principles of sowing and reaping are deeply rooted in my life and heart.  Even to the extent of what kind of seed you are sowing.  Sow in money reap in money... Time reaps Time... etc.  I pray that I always sow good seeds the kind that will reap Grace and Mercy and a bountiful harvest.  I pray the same for all of you that might take the time to read this study.  I pray that today as you read God's Word will fall fresh on your heart.

Questions will follow...

2 Corinthians 8:15-9:15 (New International Version)

¹⁵as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

Titus Sent to Corinth

 ¹⁶I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. ¹⁸And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. ¹⁹What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

 ²²In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

2 Corinthians 9

 ¹There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. ²For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. ⁴For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

Sowing Generously

 ⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written:
   "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
      his righteousness endures forever." ¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

 ¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Questions:

What can we learn from Paul's example of the duty of giving praise where praise is due?  What picture do you have of the personalities of the Christian workers he describes?

What lessons do we learn here about handling money?  What kinds of giving does God value?  What reward does he give?

Blessings on your Journey today,

Kris Munoz

Set apart

It is our greatest challenge to live in the world but not be of the world!  To be set apart and Holy but still draw those around us into the loving relationship waiting for them in Christ.  How is it that the message of Jesus could shine through us if we acted the same as those caught by the desires of their bodies and this world.  If our decisions and choices are the same as those that do not know Christ why would they bother to choose Him?  For it would seem then that Christ really has not made a difference in our lives.  I pray that today God's Word will fall fresh on your heart as you read.

Questions will follow...

2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16 (New International Version)

 ¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. ¹²We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers

 ¹⁴Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
 ¹⁷"Therefore come out from them
      and be separate, says the Lord.
   Touch no unclean thing,
      and I will receive you."
 ¹⁸"I will be a Father to you,
      and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

2 Corinthians 7

 ¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Paul's Joy

 ²Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. ⁴I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

 ⁵For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. ⁶But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

 ⁸Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹²So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. ¹³By all this we are encouraged.

   In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. ¹⁵And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

Questions:

In what ways does Paul show in 6:14-16 that Christians must be a separated people?  What arguments does he use in 6:16-7:1 to lead us to separate ourselves completely from all that defiles, and to endeavour wholeheartedly to make our holiness perfect?  Are you willing to test your friendships and your inmost purposes by this passage?  see first Psalm 139:23,24

Psalm 139:23-24
 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.  ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

In what way does Paul convey the strength of his feelings about the Corinthian Christians and their behavior?  What two kinds of sorrow for si are distinguished here: a) in their nature, and b) in their result?  By what signs did Corinthians show they were genuinely penitent?

Blessings on your journey today,

Kris Munoz

A candle in a dark room gives off a lot of light!

These passages outline the need to be a light in a dark world.  Ambassadors of His Grace and Mercy like a candle in a dark room:)  I posted the scripture in the Amplified Version today.  I often like to compare bibles.  May God's Word fall fresh on your heart today as you read.

Questions will follow 

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10 (Amplified Bible)

¹¹Therefore, being conscious of fearing the Lord with respect and reverence, we seek to win people over [to persuade them]. But what sort of persons we are is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood by God, and I hope that it is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood also by your consciences (your inborn discernment).

    ¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are providing you with an occasion and incentive to be [rightfully] proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who pride themselves on surface appearances [on the virtues they only appear to have], although their heart is devoid of them.

    ¹³For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit,

    ¹⁴For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died;

    ¹⁵And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.

    ¹⁶Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].

    ¹⁷Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

    18But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

    ¹⁹It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).    ²⁰So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

    ²¹For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

   

2 Corinthians 6

 ¹LABORING TOGETHER [as God's fellow workers] with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain [that ^]merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them--do not receive it to no purpose].

    ²For He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation!

    ³We put no obstruction in anybody's way [we give no offense in anything], so that no fault may be found and [our] ministry blamed and discredited.

    ⁴But we commend ourselves in every way as [true] servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation and suffering, in hardships and privations, in sore straits and calamities,

    ⁵In beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless watching, hunger;

    ⁶By innocence and purity, knowledge and spiritual insight, longsuffering and patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love;

    ⁷By [speaking] the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [to attack] and for the left hand [to defend];

    ⁸Amid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. [We are branded] as deceivers (impostors), and [yet vindicated as] truthful and honest.

    ⁹[We are treated] as unknown and ignored [by the world], and [yet we are] well-known and recognized [by God and His people]; as dying, and yet here we are alive; as chastened by suffering and [yet] not killed;

    ¹⁰As grieved and mourning, yet [we are] always rejoicing; as poor [ourselves, yet] bestowing riches on many; as having nothing, and [yet in reality] possessing all things.

Questions: 

What great motive dominated Paul's life, and to what conclusion did it lead him?  How far are we like Paul in this matter?

What does Paul say God: a) has done in Christ and b)now purposes to do through us?  What ought we to tell men, and to beseech them to do, in order to fulfill our God-given task?

Examine the list of twenty-eight particulars in which Paul describes the kind of life and experience into which the acceptance of Christ and of Christ's commission led him.  To what extent do you find that this describes your life as a Christian?

Blessings on your journey today,

Kris Munoz

Are you 100%?

Sometimes our light and momentary afflictions don't feel so light!, but to keep an eternal perspective helps. Reading the Word of God brings the confidence needed to be 100% sure.   I would encourage you to read the passages listed in other versions of the Bible to.  Many times I will read in the NASB version and/or Amplified/ and New King James, the passage below is the NIV version.  I pray that today God's Word will fall fresh on your heart as you read.

Questions will follow...

2 Corinthians 4-5:10

2 Corinthians 4

Treasures in Jars of Clay

 ¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

 ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

 ¹³It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

 ¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5

Our Heavenly Dwelling

 ¹Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

 ⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Questions:

Why has God placed the 'treasure' of 4:6 in a weak vessel - the earthen vessel of man's frail human nature?  How does this arrangement work out in actual experience?  How do present afflictions appear to the eye of faith, and what prospect is seen at the end?

Paul defines one aspect of the future prospect more closely .  What awaits him after death?  Or, if Christ should come first, as would be Paul's desire, what awaits him at his coming?  How is Paul sure that this prospect is no mirage, and what effect has it on his present aim? 

Blessings on your journey today,

Kris Munoz

Are you bright? As you seek the treasures in God's Word His light can't help but shine through your heart.

There is so much treasure to be found in the Word of God.  As we are willing to dig in read, God can change our hearts and transform our thoughts through the Spirit.  With our palms face up and unclenched God can peel away the old veil and open our eyes to His Spirit.  To see possibilities where there were no possibilities.  To find peace that surpasses all human understanding during the worst of circumstances. To remember and know who we are in Christ and to understand what is important and what we chase after that is unimportant.  I pray that God's Word will fall fresh on your heart today as you read.

Questions will follow:

2 Corinthians 3-4:6

2 Corinthians 3

 

 ¹Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. ³You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

 ⁴Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

 ⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

 ¹²Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. ¹³We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. ¹⁴But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

Treasures in Jars of Clay

 ¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Questions:

The intruders at Corinth made much, we may gather, of the letters of recommendation that they carried(see Acts 18:27), 

Acts 18:27
 ²⁷When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

and may have said, or implied that Paul did not possess such, though he was very ready to commend himself.

In 3:6-11, the old and new covenants are contrasted(see note below).  List the ways in which the new covenant is shown to be superior to the old.

In this passage Paul describes his own confidence in the work he is doing.  What grounds for confidence does he find? a) in the effects of preaching and b) in the nature of his gospel? 

Note:  'The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life':  Paul has condensed into these few words the teaching about the law and the gospel which is expounded fully in Romans 7 and 8.

Blessings on your Journey,

Kris Munoz

Are you a smelly Christian (I hope so:)

Some days are more difficult than others.  Each morning I wake up with the same burden of grief and loss, and physical challenges I suppose I am becoming a stronger carrier.  It's not as if the burden lessens but my ability to put one foot in front of the other carrying it strengthens.  I wonder if this was the case for Jesus as he recognized his journey from the Father at 13 or was it 10 (so young).  What a tremendous realization though I know that the Father did NOT expect him to shoulder it alone and walked with Him every step of the way.  As I know Jesus  is now walking with me or somedays carrying me.  One of my favorite word pictures is in the passages below.  We can't help whether someone finds our fragrance in Christ as life or death but make no mistake we MUST be fragrant!  Understanding that this life will not be our end in Christ but that we have eternity to look forward to.  I pray that today God's Word will fall fresh on your heart as you read. 

Questions will follow...

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17

 ²³I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. ²⁴Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

2 Corinthians 2

 ¹So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. ²For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Sinner

 ⁵If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. ⁷Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ¹⁰If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ministers of the New Covenant

 ¹²Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, ¹³I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

 ¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

Questions:

There had been a gross case of immortality in the church at Corinth (see 1Cor 5:1) and Paul had written strongly about it.  This was the reason for altering plans.  He did not wish to come with a rod(1:23;2:1), and had postponed his visit in the hope that his letter would achieve its purpose.  This had been the case, and Paul now counselled that the offender be forgiven(2:5-11). 

What can we learn from the spirit in which Paul administered discipline?  What can we learn from his attitude to the situation in Corinth(1:24; 2:4),  and from the instructions he gave to the Corinthian Christians regarding discipline and forgiveness?  In what ways can a scandal in church life give Satan an advantage?

Does the Word of God promise that faithful preaching of the gospel will win all who hear it?  How does Paul describe his own experience in this regard?

Blessings on your journey today,

Kris Munoz

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Today the Word speaks of comfort.  I am no longer personally comfortable here and I long for heaven with a homesickness that I cannot put my words to.  I am learning to put one foot in front of the other with a broken heart that will never mend here on this earth.  Yet I understand the comfort of God and His Word does bring me hope and comfort.  I pray that the Lord will meet you where you are at today. I pray God's Word will fall fresh on your heart.  Questions will follow...

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
      To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

 ²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of All Comfort

 ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

 ⁸We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul's Change of Plans

 ¹²Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. ¹³For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 ¹⁵Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. ¹⁶I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"?

 ¹⁸But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." 20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

 ²³I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

Questions:

What particular aspects of God's character does Paul give praise for?  Why do you think these should be particularly singled out in this letter?  Can we learn from Paul's experiences any new lessons about the Christian in his personal relationships with God?

What reasons does Paul give in this passage for wanting the Corinthians to be fully aware of the extent of his sufferings?  What spiritual gain would they get from his suffering (verse 6)?  What part are they to play, and with what result(verse11)?  How faithful are we in our support of those whose Christian lives entail more than a usual amount of suffering?

To what does Paul's conscience bear witness regarding his relations: a) with the world, and b) with fellow believers?  Can you say the same?

Paul makes the remarkable claim that his reliability is to be compared to with the eternal faithfulness of God.  What does he tell us here about God's faithfulness?  What three special functions of the Holy Spirit are referred to in verses 21, 22?

Blessings on your journey today,

Kris Munoz

I will trust

Today is our last day in the Psalm's for a while.  Tomorrow we'll be journeying through 2 Cor.  I will try to be consistent but Oct. is a rough month for me.  I trust that the Lord will make all things clear in time.  I pray that God's Word will fall fresh on your heart today... Questions will follow

Psalm 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

 ¹ Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
       the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

 ² The LORD will protect him and preserve his life;
       he will bless him in the land
       and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

 ³ The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed
       and restore him from his bed of illness.

 ⁴ I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me;
       heal me, for I have sinned against you."

 ⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
       "When will he die and his name perish?"

 ⁶ Whenever one comes to see me,
       he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
       then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

 ⁷ All my enemies whisper together against me;
       they imagine the worst for me, saying,

 ⁸ "A vile disease has beset him;
       he will never get up from the place where he lies."

 ⁹ Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
       he who shared my bread,
       has lifted up his heel against me.

 ¹⁰ But you, O LORD, have mercy on me;
       raise me up, that I may repay them.

 ¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,
       for my enemy does not triumph over me.

 ¹² In my integrity you uphold me
       and set me in your presence forever.

 ¹³ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
       from everlasting to everlasting.
       Amen and Amen.

Questions:

David from his sick-bed thinks of the words, thoughts and attitudes of other people, some of whom visited him.  Note the different ways they added to the sufferings of David.  In contrast to this, think of ways by which you can consider the poor weak and those who are sick.

Amid the ' fighting without and fear within'

2 Corinthians 7:5
 ⁵For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

how did the psalmist's faith finally gain the victory?

Blessings on Your Journey today,

Kris Munoz

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Waiting on the Lord is no easy task.  For some it seems so easy to toss out the words cast your burdens on Jesus.  Or trust in the Lord which of course it's exactly what one needs to do but when someone is in the trenches of trial and adversity it's better to get down in there with them and dig for awhile than toss out a true statement.  I wonder how many times I've given the easy pat answers (that aren't so easy) without taking the time to dig in with someone in pain??  'sigh' I still have work to do... I pray that today God's Word will fall fresh on your hearts as you read. 

Questions will follow...

Psalm 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
       he turned to me and heard my cry.

 ² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
       out of the mud and mire;
       he set my feet on a rock
       and gave me a firm place to stand.

 ³ He put a new song in my mouth,
       a hymn of praise to our God.
       Many will see and fear
       and put their trust in the LORD.

 ⁴ Blessed is the man
       who makes the LORD his trust,
       who does not look to the proud,
       to those who turn aside to false gods. 

 ⁵ Many, O LORD my God,
       are the wonders you have done.
       The things you planned for us
       no one can recount to you;
       were I to speak and tell of them,
       they would be too many to declare.

 ⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
       but my ears you have pierced , 
       burnt offerings and sin offerings
       you did not require.

 ⁷ Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
       it is written about me in the scroll. 

 ⁸ I desire to do your will, O my God;
       your law is within my heart."

 ⁹ I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
       I do not seal my lips,
       as you know, O LORD.

 ¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
       I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
       I do not conceal your love and your truth
       from the great assembly.

 ¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
       may your love and your truth always protect me.

 ¹² For troubles without number surround me;
       my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
       They are more than the hairs of my head,
       and my heart fails within me.

 ¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
       O LORD, come quickly to help me.

 ¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life
       be put to shame and confusion;
       may all who desire my ruin
       be turned back in disgrace.

 ¹⁵ May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
       be appalled at their own shame.

 ¹⁶ But may all who seek you
       rejoice and be glad in you;
       may those who love your salvation always say,
       "The LORD be exalted!"

 ¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy;
       may the Lord think of me.
       You are my help and my deliverer;
       O my God, do not delay.

Questions:

This psalm consists of two parts, which differ widely in their content.  The first part is full of joyous thanksgiving for recent deliverance.  The second pleads for help in the midst of distress and danger.

What five things does David say in verses 1-3 that God did for him?  And what effects did his deliverance have on those who witnessed it?  Have you a corresponding experience of God's deliverance, and has it had a similar effect? 

To what reflections, resolve and actions did his deliverance give rise in David's own heart and life?

What are the reasons for the psalmist requiring God's help?

On what grounds does he ask for God's help, and what does he see as the result of an answer to his prayer?  What lessons can we learn for our own prayer life?

Blessings on your journey,

Kris Munoz

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath.

David is still dealing with the consequences of his sin here in this psalm.  What a picture of a journey we all can relate to.  I can only imagine that God has included so many examples of fallen men in the Bible so as to give us hope to pick ourselves up and step forward again in Him. Notice the references to the tongue and who David addresses when he speaks.  I pray that today God's Word will fall fresh on your heart as you read. 

Questions will follow

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

 ¹ I said, "I will watch my ways
       and keep my tongue from sin;
       I will put a muzzle on my mouth
       as long as the wicked are in my presence."

 ² But when I was silent and still,
       not even saying anything good,
       my anguish increased.

 ³ My heart grew hot within me,
       and as I meditated, the fire burned;
       then I spoke with my tongue:

 ⁴ "Show me, O LORD, my life's end
       and the number of my days;
       let me know how fleeting is my life.

 ⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
       the span of my years is as nothing before you.
       Each man's life is but a breath.
       Selah

 ⁶ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
       He bustles about, but only in vain;
       he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

 ⁷ "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
       My hope is in you.

 ⁸ Save me from all my transgressions;
       do not make me the scorn of fools.

 ⁹ I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
       for you are the one who has done this.

 ¹⁰ Remove your scourge from me;
       I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

 ¹¹ You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;
       you consume their wealth like a moth—
       each man is but a breath.
       Selah

 ¹² "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
       listen to my cry for help;
       be not deaf to my weeping.
       For I dwell with you as an alien,
       a stranger, as all my fathers were.

 ¹³ Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
       before I depart and am no more."

Questions:

Why was the psalmist at first silent, and why did he break silence and speak?  When he gave utterance to his thoughts, to whom did he speak?  What can we learn from this? see first Psalm 62:8; James 3:5,6

Psalm 62:8
 ⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
       pour out your hearts to him,
       for God is our refuge.

     Selah

James 3:5-6

⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.It seems that God had many lessons to teach David, and that after his fall his eyes were opened to some of them in a new way.  Discover from this psalm what some of these lessons were, and ask yourself, 'Have I learned them?'

Blessings on your Journey today,

Kris Munoz