BibleJournal.net

Todays Reading: 2 Corinthians 6

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

– Suscipe of Saint Ignatius

This prayer has been a constant on my mind for the last several weeks. During my days in pharmacy school at Creighton, I had the privilege to grow spiritually and prayerfully. I believe at one of the convocations or Masses I received a card that had this prayer on it. I kept the card in my bible and would read it every often. One day while meditating and reflecting on this prayer, I had an epiphany from the Spirit and I truly understood and realized the depth of the prayer. We face many difficult circumstances throughout the day and are granted many graces and mercies daily. But what I had fell to realize was this was all for God, given by God, for God’s glory.

In the reading we are reminded that we were given God’s grace and salvation at a most precious price, Christ’s blood. With this precious and delicate gift we cannot allow it to be in vain and not cherished and celebrated. Then Paul shows us that in the things that we have been through we have to change the looking glass and see it in the Glory of God:

2 Corinthians 6:4-10

⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷ in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹ known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

 

Many times the beatings and imprisonment and riots would be viewed as something to be shamed or depressed, but Paul shows that even in the lowest places and most inhumane situations God’s grace allows us to be able to see the bigger picture. It is not for that moment, but for something bigger than we cannot yet image.

So with this new understanding, I have found it essential to not allow His grace to be in vain and acknowledge Him in all the afflictions and hardships and praises and joys. I know that I when I return everything that have been given to me back to Him; he will use me and the events that I experience for His glory.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your amazing and unending grace. Allow us to take peace in your presence as we live for you daily. Allow us to daily return all that we have, the good and the bad, the highs and low, the painful and joyous to you from whom all blessing and honor flows. Allow us to see you in all things. Amen

According to Wikipedia, a tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs. First used as portable homes by nomadic peoples, tents are now more often used for recreational camping and temporary shelters.

I boldned  the words, temporary shelter, because in our study of 2 Corinthians 5 today, Paul tells us that the body we live in is a temporary shelter.

2 Corinthians 5:1 says,                                                                           “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down- when we die and leave these bodies-we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”

Wow, I long for this day when the temporary tent that I live in is transformed by God.  I have faced medical issues, sickness, tiredness, and daily battles with how I look compared to others and worldly standards.  It is so refreshing to read these words and know that this is temporary. I will never be satisfied with the body I have here on earth.

In verse 2, we read,
“We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.”

Different translations use the word “groan” instead of “long”. Do you ever find yourself groaning? As I get older, I hear certain sounds or groans come from my mouth and usually question where that came from. Groan is a word expressing the emotion of pain. (yes, sometimes I feel pain as I get up when I have sat too long:)  But, Paul is talking about something here beyond the ordinary groaning we do. This is a groaning of wanting to occupy that other body, the eternal body God has prepared for those who walk by faith!

But what does life look like while we are dwelling in these “tents”?? It means hearing, believing and doing as God directs. It means not living according to what you see in the temporary world. We have to make it our priority to please God.

Verse 9 states,
“So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body.”

Here is a poem that pretty much sums up what Paul is saying about living in our tent:

This Old Tent
by Steve Coyle

When I looked upon the days gone past,
I’d thought this tent was built to last.
For I’d stood it on some rocky ground
where stormy winds couldn’t beat it down.
And with my pride and my own hand,
I put my tent on shifting sand
where pegs pulled loose and my tent did shake,
but I was young and I could take
the unstable world that I was in
I’d just up and move again.

So for many years I went this route,
shifting this old tent about.
Till one cold day when my mind grew clear,
this tent had an end and it might draw near.

So with much fear (such a heavy load)
I looked for the One who made this abode.
Yes, the Tentmaker, He’d surely know
where one such rotting tent should go
to have this canvas revitalized,
to have these poles and pegs re‐sized.

I went to Him on bended knees
begging Him, ‘Oh tentmaker please!
Restore this tent I thought would last,
this canvas house that went so fast.’

He looked at me through loving eyes
and merely pointed to the skies.
‘Please don’t grieve over some old tent,
old canvas walls that have been spent.
For this mansion that’s been built by Me
will last you for eternity.’”

Compliments of Joni and Friends PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376 www.joniandfriends.org

Because of Christ we have a Hope! Verses 17-21 assure us that regardless of what you have done you can receive these blessings and have this hope because of who Jesus Christ is, and what He did on the cross for you and me.

Today’s reading:  2 Corinthians 4

I’ve had several interesting, and occasionally frustrating, experiences navigating the politics of corporate America this week.  While today’s text in 2 Corinthians 4 was written for the purpose of encouraging Corinthian Christians who were confronting false teaching, not for corporate politics, I still found Paul’s key messages applicable.  May I share with you his encouraging words?

• Rather, 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 everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2).  God commands us to be honest in all situations, anything less is sin. Manipulating God’s word is false teaching.  Deception in human interactions also erodes trust, inhibiting us from experiencing meaningful relationships with others.
• For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Corinthians 4:5). Paul’s teaching always pointed to Jesus, it was never about himself. Messages that don’t align with God’s word and don’t point people to Jesus are false teaching. In contrast, putting aside our selfish ways, serving God and loving others can bring joy and fulfillment in even the most challenging situations.
• But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9). In our times of weakness, God’s strength can sustain us to stay the course. These times are opportunities for him to demonstrate his power. If we accept him as Lord, he will never abandon us.
• So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Our short life on Earth is not all we have. If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can look forward an eternity in the presence of God. One that is free from pain and suffering.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

 

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 16

Today we finish the final letter written by Paul to the Corinthians. Of his thirteen letters to them, this final message is the only one that finishes with love. As with all of his glorious writing I feel more connected to the people of the Corinthian church and to Paul. For me, the most significant piece of today’s letter begins in verse 13:

“Be watchful and stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

 Five final instructions. Five objectives to live by in order to truly follow Jesus Christ. These instructions were written in the present tense. They are meant to be a living, ongoing journey. I wrote these five instructions with notes next to each of them that pertain to how I can live like a Corinthian. I’m going to share them here in hopes that it might inspire you to write your own response to Paul’s 5 final instructions.

Be Watchful

• Jesus could come at anytime. Would I want Him to meet me tomorrow? Is my behavior, my speech and my actions a representation of my Christianity?
• Watch for those that seek division rather than unity. Am I taking part in divisive conversation that compromises His church?

Stand Firm in the Faith

• Social media, marketing and societal pressure can often lead me astray. Am I placing worldly goods above God? Am I putting Jesus at the center or my iPhone?
• I know the enemy uses temptation to convince me to put other God’s before Him.
• Am I standing strong in the face of the enemy? Am I giving in to temptation when I’m not around my Christian friends?

Act Like Men

• Well….I’m a woman but I think what Paul is telling us here is to be courageous. Be a dangerous witness.
• “Man or Wo-man up”

Be Strong

• We can do all things through Christ. Paul is urging us to be strengthened by his love and mercy. We know that we are too weak to do it alone but through the Holy Spirit we are bolstered by His eternal strength.

Let all that you do be done in love

• Love the Lord first and then love one another.
• Challenge yourself to find something to love in every person
• Reach out to someone that needs Christ’s love

 I love these “rules” set forth by Paul. They teach us how to be united as a church and how to truly live with one another until He comes again. When I finished studying this chapter, I began to imagine God watching us all as if we are on an episode of Survivor! He knows what each of the challenges will be and he wants us to rise as Jesus taught us. At the end of his letter, Paul finishes with love:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 16:24

 If you are reading today, my love is with you.  Have a great week.

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 15

Are you good at prioritizing?  Can you focus your thoughts and actions on the one thing that makes the most difference? The truthful answer for me is “no.”  I am continuously overwhelmed with the number of choices available to me.  Combine that with external pressures from friends, family, co-workers and Christians and its likely that I will choose poorly.  Apparently, the Corinthian church wasn’t any different.  They engaged every kind of dialogue and strategy to be better people. To “be closer” to God.  To fulfill their potential.  While their effort may have been noble, just like ours, their result was failure.  You see, in our attempt to define what God wants for our lives and how he wants us to live them, we lose sight of the most important thing.  It’s what Paul calls “first importance.”

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

I love Paul’s gentle reminder in those verses.  He’s telling the Corinthians, and us, in our busy and distracted lives, not to forget the most important thing.  It doesn’t matter what our spiritual gift(s) is, or if we can speak in tongues, or if we can prophesy.  Only one thing matters.  The Gospel.  That’s right.  Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day.  How is this helpful?  Simply put, it brings us in touch with his perfect grace.  The grace that allows us, sinners, idolaters and haters to live in harmony with our perfect creator.  Paul was clearly in touch with his need for the grace found within the Gospel.  He says, “I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle” (1 Corinthians 15:9, NLT).  Despite Paul’s unworthiness, he knows that hope and abundant life come through, “the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

That’s it.  That’s the thing of first importance.  It’s the understanding that we are sinners and acknowledging that God is willing to look past it, because of Jesus.  When we are continuously in touch with both our need for God’s grace and the reality of God’s grace, new life is upon us.  Looking again to Paul, we can see this at work.  He “[worked] harder than any of them” (1 Corinthians 15:10).  No, that does not mean he was earning it.  Paul’s hard work was a response of worship.  He wanted to be sure that God’s precious gift, his glorious grace was not wasted.  He lived in the reality of God’s grace.  All the time.