King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, December 05, 2019
Chapters: II Corinthians 1-4
Message: All Things Are For Your Sake
Hello My Friend,
I had an awesome day yesterday, even though I was in pain as the cold weather effects the arthritis in my knee, I got a lot of work done. I do not credit myself for having an awesome day, I credit God, as I literally talked to Him all day long. I even credited Him for finding some rare toy trucks that I thought I would never find. Someone asked me why I was so bubbly all the time. I never thought of myself as being bubbly, but I told him it was not me, it was Jesus. When You know Christ is with you you tend to walk through life differently. Of course, you feel pain and discouragement at times, you mess up sometimes, and you even have doubts sometimes, but that is what grace is for. Yes, God’s amazing, infallible, undeniable, always attainable grace. “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” – II Corinthians 4:15-18.
The Book of II Corinthians was written Paul to believers at Corinth, and all believers. The timeline for this letter is approximately 60AD, and the purpose of the book was to reestablish his authority as an apostle, and show gratitude and thanks for their faithfulness in Christ. What we are to learn from the book is that human weakness provides an opportunity for the power of God to be revealed through us. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was one of discipline, this one, written about a year later, is of encouragement. He had it written when he himself was discouraged and heard how they had turned things around after his first letter. He wanted to show them how pleased he was that they were living by the true Gospel, and how much of an encouragement they were.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” – II Corinthians 1:3-9.
“so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” Consultation; comfort from distress. Before we were saved, we had a death sentence placed upon us because we are sinners, but the second we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He delivered us from that, much more than that, we will be resurrected upon Christ’s return to earth. Life can drag us down, sometimes to the point that we are in complete misery all the time. Tribulation is never meant to punish or push us away from God, but to comfort and draw us closer to Him. “insomuch that we despaired even of life:” Let me tell you, discouragement is contagious, it can spread to everyone around you, not to mention keep you from living life. We cannot become so discouraged that we come off as grumpy sourpusses, complaining about how bad life is, because it will have an impact on everyone else. The Corinthians wanted Paul to come and visit them, but he sent Timothy instead because he was is so much despair that he did not want to discourage them by his discouragement.
“But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” – II Corinthians 2:1-7,10-11.
“that my joy is the joy of you all.” When we see others who are bubbly, despite their tribulation, it gives us hope, and starts encouraging us. If all we do is walk around moping, and sad all the time, what good are we going to be to others, let alone ourselves? I have been there, I have walked off jobs, stopped serving in church, even resorted to communication with my ex-boyfriend, who was not good for me at all. In order to overcome that, you have to open your heart, and give it all to Jesus. Yes, that sounds like it will do absolutely nothing when you are struggling, but that is the first step, He will guide you through the rest of them. You see, the most challenging times in our lives actually become the most rewarding as we discover that we can go to God all day long and find joy. Paul reminds us all that, as long as we are saved, we have the power of the living God in us.
“Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.” – II Corinthians 3:3-6,9-11.
“but our sufficiency is of God;” When we come to God through Jesus Christ, and all His grace, He is sufficient. Ministration; The act of performing service as a subordinate agent; agency; intervention for aid or service. Jesus is our first step to intervention, then He will send us to the right people at the right time, that is once we stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Believe it or not, the tribulation we face and how we handle it with Christ has a bigger impact on others than us. Those who have no hope in their situations want to see why we have hope in ours, and if they see that hope through Christ as He shines through us, then we can help the next person.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” – II Corinthians 4:1-5,8-12.
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds” Who is the god of this world? The devil himself. I had a pastor that calls him, smutty face, and he sure is. Old smutty face is the main culprit behind our tribulation because while God already knows we will see Jesus, the devil will do everything he can to discourage the lost from seeing Him. If you are saved and living a life with Christ in it, it is not because you were forced, it is because you willingly chose Christ. From that moment you were save you have the great power of the Holy Spirit in you that will enable you to endure and overcome every bit of tribulation the devil will throw at you. “So then death worketh in us,” When we do everything in our own flesh we are dead because we are not physically capable of dealing with everything, but when we come to Jesus, all things are possible, for He brings life into it all. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” – Colossians 3:2-4.
Today’s Prayer: God, When tribulation comes my way, I admit the last thing I want to do is minister to others, especially when it never seems to end. I know I get discouraged and sometimes even spreading my sorrows to others as I try to get by. When I come to my senses, I know You are always there, ready to pick me up and show me how to handle things, and help me get back to doing the work You called me to do. You are so merciful to me that it tears me up to think that I suffered so long when all I had to do was come to You. Lord, there is no one like You, so loving, so trusting, so fearing, just as a Father should be, You may not remove the tribulation right away, but Your grace is sufficient enough to help me through it and I thank You for that. Walk with me, guide me, and abide in me, give me that consolation that I know only comes as I remain in Your presence, and let me be a consolation to others in need. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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