King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 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.]
Date: Sunday, December 05, 2021
Chapters: II Corinthians 1-4
Message: Hope
Hello My Friend,
When I woke up this morning I was determined to make some changes in my life, God had truly blessed me beyond measure this past week, and I do not want to mess it up. Life can certainly put a toll on your spirit, especially when the devil knows your faith, but for some reason sees fit to cause havoc on it. Our faith really is like a roller coaster, and one of those that go way up high, then spirals down or even drops down really fast. One moment, we are so high in our faith that we can literally see God move mountains, then the next, it is so low that all we see Him move is a pebble, but we must never forget, it does not matter the size of our faith, what matters is that we never lose hope in what we have faith in. The world’s hope is on the government, jobs, people, whatever it is that they see, but fails continually, but our hope is in God. And believe it or not, it is our hope that brings the world to Christ as we show them His mercies through our kindness.
[Luke 6:33-36 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.]
The Book of II Corinthians was written Paul to believers at Corinth, and all believers. The timeline for this letter took place 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, [2 Corinthians 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.]
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was one of discipline, this one, written about a year later, is one of encouragement. He had it written when he himself was discouraged and heard how they had turned things around, including the man that he had told them to remove from the congregation. Paul wanted to show them how pleased he was that they were living by the true Gospel, and how much of an encouragement they were to him. He points out that there is a reason for the afflictions that we face.
[2 Corinthians 1:1-6 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 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. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 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.]
[it is for your consolation and salvation,] Believe it or not, the suffering that we endure through Christ actually brings the lost to Christ. There is nothing that we are not faced with that the world is not. Everyone is looking for some kind of hope that what they are going through will come to pass, imagine their wonder to discover that Christ does, so to speak, move mountains for us and is gives them that hope. That hope not only brings others to Christ, it renews our own as well.
[2 Corinthians 1:7-10,14,24 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 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: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. 24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.]
[insomuch that we despaired even of life:] I do not care how strong our faith in Christ, we all get a little despair sometimes, look at me, I have been like that roller coaster, but our hope was never in trusting man or our own broken selves, we are trusting in the living God who will raise us up, just like He did Jesus, [Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?]
There is no way that we can actually find hope in the things that we see, it is literally having hope in the things that we cannot see that we find them. Life can drag us down, sometimes to the point that we are in complete misery all the time. Going through affliction is never meant to punish or push us away from God, but to comfort and draw us closer to Him. And as we overcome it, we can be the hope that someone else sees through our faith. Well, part of that hope also comes through forgiveness or rather forgiving those whom have wronged us. Yes, forgiveness actually does bring hope, and remember, it is not all about us. Paul encourages them to forgive the person who had caused the problems and allow him back into their congregation, he was aware of his fault, repented, having faced much affliction, and was looking for hope himself.
[2 Corinthians 2:4-7,10-11 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. 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 10 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; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.]
[for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;] You see, there is no way that we can forgive anyone in our own human reasoning, that takes our faith in Christ to do that. Even if we never see them again, we need to forgive, as we have been forgiven of our wrong by God Himself, [Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.]
Life is so hard sometimes, and this year I believe has been challenging on everyone. If there was ever a time where we need to trust God it is now, and we must remind ourselves that unlike the world who sees no hope, we are sealed with Christ, who is all the hope we need, [2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.]
[in the sight of God speak we in Christ.] You know them, the ones you want avoid when you see them because all they do is talk about is how bad things are. Yes, it is good to vent, it is good to tell our burdens and talk to someone about our problems, but lighten up, it is not that bad, if you are saved, rejoice in that, knowing that Christ is with you, will see you through, and you will triumph with Him. 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.
[2 Corinthians 3:1-3,17-18 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 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. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.]
[but with the Spirit of the living God;] You have the living God living inside of you, stop wallowing in your sorrows, and start walking in faith, knowing His promises. The law of Christ was written in their hearts, and the love of Christ shed abroad through their faith, not written in tables of stone as the law of Moses given to him by God, but of tables of the heart. You are a saved, born again child of the KING! Your name is written in the Book of life, it cannot be removed no matter how many times you fail God. Rejoice in that, and then you will find that hope you lost.
[2 Corinthians 4:1-5 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 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. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 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. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.]
[but by manifestation of the truth] You see, whether we realize it or not, even at our worst, we are faithful to our faith in Christ, and it actually does shine when we are walking by that faith. Walking by faith does not mean we are not going to have days of discouragement, it does mean that God knows and understands that we have this flesh, and as long as our faith in Christ is not in vain, He will see us through every bit of it.
[2 Corinthians 4:8-12,15-17 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 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. 11 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. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;]
[that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.] The life we live after we are saved becomes a reflection of Christ, the ore we endure those troubles on every side with Him the more hope we give to those who are trusting in what they see to save them, [1 Peter 3:14-15 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:]
Let Us Pray: God, When affliction come my way, I admit the last thing I want to do is minister to others, in fact, all I want to do is hide in a corner somewhere and not talk to anyone. When You bring me to my senses, I know that You are always there, ready to pick me up, and show me how to handle things, and 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 affliction right away, but Your grace is sufficient enough to help me through and give me the hope I need to keep going, and I thank You for that. Lord, Walk with me, guide me, and put Your hedge about me, keep reminding me of the hope that I know only comes through my faith in You, and let me be the Light others need to see that You are their hope. If there is any unforgiveness in my heart, remove it and give me the forgiveness that only through Christ that I can give. I love You Lord and ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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