20042012

2 Corinthians 1

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

1 Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Greetings also from Timothy our brother in Christ.

To God’s church in Corinth and to all of God’s holy people throughout Achaia.

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

Paul Gives Thanks to God

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 5 We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. 6 If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is so that we can comfort you. And this helps you patiently accept the same sufferings we have. 7 Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in our comfort.

Some of us thought that If God comfort us, so that our problem or trouble will be disappear. But it will become a trend that we seek God is just to solve the problem not because of his love. We can get more comfort from God if we facing a lot of trouble. When we face problem, let God comfort you and be with you. Must remember that, what ever problem we face today, your experience will help you to help others to face their problem too. Praise Lord.

8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there, which were greater than our own strength. We even gave up hope for life. 9 In fact, it seems like God has been telling us we are going to die. But this is so that we will not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from death. 10 He saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We feel sure he will always save us. 11 And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers.

God promised us, he will continue to save us no matter what happen. Usually we will just seek God when we face trouble but when nothing happen on us, we will just leave God and live for ourselves. But as we know we are powerless, we need God to strengthen us so we must have a relationship with him. With this close relationship, he could strengthen us. Let's learn to rely on him. Beside we also need to pray for those who work for God, our pastor, church leader, missionary... ,it because who ever work for God, That's the person satan hate the most and try hard to attack them.

The Change in Paul’s Plans

12 This is what we are proud of, and I can say with a clear conscience that it is true: In everything we have done in the world, we have done it with an honest and pure heart from God. And this is even truer in what we have done with you. We did this by God’s grace, not by the kind of wisdom the world has. 13 We write to you only what you can read and understand. And I hope you will fully understand, 14 just as you already understand many things about us. I hope you will understand that you can be proud of us, just as we will be proud of you on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

15 I was very sure of all this. That is why I made plans to visit you first. Then you could be blessed twice. 16 I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and again on my way back. I wanted to get help from you for my trip to Judea. 17 Do you think that I made these plans without really thinking? Or maybe you think I make plans as the world does, saying yes and no at the same time.

18 But if you can believe God, then you can believe that what we tell you is never both yes and no. 19 The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one that Silas, Timothy, and I told you about was not yes and no. In Christ it has always been yes. 20 The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God. 21 And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work. [a] 22 He put his mark on us to show that we are his. Yes, he put his Spirit in our hearts as the first payment that guarantees all that he will give us.

23 I tell you this, and I ask God to be my witness that this is true: The reason I did not come back to Corinth was that I did not want to punish or hurt you. 24 I don’t mean that we are trying to control your faith. You are strong in faith. But we are workers with you for your own happiness.

Yes, we are chose to for his work and he put his mark on us to show that we are his. He put his spirit in our hearts as the 1st payment that guarantees all that he will give us. Amen.

Today as I pray for my colleague, thanks God, I got the chance to share gospel again with her. I started to teach her pray with Jesus name. Beside, she tell me she trust in everything, I can feel that, she didn't refuse this great gift, but yet she try to know more about it. That the good start in her. She ask me to save the praise and worship song for her and she started to ask more. Thanks God.