1 I really don’t need to write to you about this help for God’s people. 2 I know that you want to help. I have been bragging about you to the people in Macedonia. I told them that you people in Achaia have been ready to give since last year. And your desire to give has made most of the people here ready to give also. 3 But I am sending these brothers to you. I don’t want our bragging about you in this to be for nothing. I want you to be ready just as I said you would be. 4 If any of those from Macedonia come with me, and they find that you are not ready, we will be ashamed. We will be ashamed that we were so sure of you. And you will be ashamed too! 5 So I thought that I should ask these brothers to come there before we do. They will help in getting together the generous gift you promised. Then it will be ready when we come, and it will be seen as a blessing you are giving, not as something you were forced to do.
6 Remember this: The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“He gives generously to the poor;
his goodness will continue forever.”
10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. 11 God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God.
12 The service you are offering helps God’s people with their needs, but that is not all it does. It is also bringing more and more thanks to God. 13 This service is a proof of your faith, and people will praise God because of it. They will praise God that you freely share what you have with them and with all people. They will praise him to see you following the Good News about Christ that you openly accepted. They will praise God because you freely share with them and with all people. 14 And when they pray, they will wish they could be with you. They will feel this way because of the great grace that God gave you. 15 Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful to describe.
Amen, God is always great that will bless us more the our wish. This proof our faith, and people will praise God because we share.
2 Corinthians 10
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 I, Paul, am begging you with the gentleness and the kindness of Christ. Some say that I am bold when I am writing you from a distance, but not when I am there with you. 2 They think our motives for what we do are like those of the world. I plan to be very bold against those people when I come. I hope I will not need to use that same boldness with you. 3 We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. 6 We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey, but first we want you to be fully obedient.
Paul assure that God's weapon is by ~ Praying, faith, hope, love, bible, holy spirit and all power is works together.
7 You must look at the facts before you. If you feel sure you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to Christ the same as you do. 8 It may seem as though we boast too much about the authority the Lord gave us. But he gave us this authority to strengthen you, not to hurt you. So I will not be ashamed of whatever boasting we do. 9 I don’t want you to think that I am trying to scare you with my letters. 10 Some people say, “Paul’s letters are powerful and sound important, but when he is with us, he is weak and the worst speaker you have ever heard.” 11 Those people should know this: When we are there with you, we will show the same power that we show now in our letters.
12 We don’t dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don’t compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.
"Do not compare"...When we start to compare we will get proud, but when we get the measurement from God, we will know that we can be proud of nothing. So, Don't compare with others, instead of comparing, we must keep asking ourselves am I please God in my living.
13 But we will not boast about anything outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our boasting to the work God gave us, but this work includes our work with you. 14 We would be boasting too much only if we had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good News about Christ. 15 We limit our boasting to the work that is ours. We don’t boast about the work other people have done. We hope that your faith will continue to grow. We hope that you will help our work to grow much larger. 16 We want to tell the Good News in the areas beyond your city. We don’t want to boast about work that has already been done in someone else’s area. 17 “Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord.” [a] 18 What people say about themselves means nothing. What counts is whether the Lord says they have done well.
When we reach up the achievement, we will try to tell others and get the praise from others. But the praise from other is danger as this will bring us proud as what we had done. So, we must look for the award from God more then the praise from others. Thanks God.
Today, early morning after I have a morning prayer time, I go for my breakfast with my uncle and auntie from Aus. They give me an good idea about my future. They share to me that in future, if I get my business course there will be helpful to have a promotion and for managing people. As my uncle said, nursing is about hard work and less pay. I don't mind get that, but the main reason I get nursing is I love the people that God create. Although is tough, but there is the way we can share God miracle, love, and good news. A smile can bring hopes to them, why not I get involve with that? God, I need your miracle happen in my life so that I could share your love to all the people you love and bring them to you as you wish... Let's your healing and miracle with me and as I share with them, let's your spirit with me so that I'm not doing it alone, with your spirit I win these spirit. Amen. Thanks God.
7 Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live.
We must make sure our self free from anything that makes our body or soul unclean. Away from the sin and close to God each and every day.
Paul’s Joy
2 Open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone or caused harm to anyone. And we have not cheated anyone. 3 I do not say this to blame you. I told you before that we love you so much we would live or die with you. 4 I feel that I can tell you anything. I am very proud of you. Even with all the troubles we have had, I am greatly encouraged and feel very happy.
5 When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We found trouble all around us. We had fighting on the outside and fear on the inside. 6 But God encourages those who are troubled, and he certainly encouraged us by bringing Titus to us. 7 It was so good to see him, but we were encouraged even more to hear about the encouragement you gave him. He told us that you really want to see me and that you are very sorry for what you did. And he told us how ready and willing you are to help me. When I heard this, I was so much happier.
8 Even if the letter I wrote you made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. I know that letter made you sad, and I was sorry for that. But it made you sad only for a short time. 9 Now I am happy, not because you were made sad, but because your sorrow made you decide to change. That is what God wanted, so you were not hurt by us in any way. 10 The kind of sorrow God wants makes people decide to change their lives. This leads them to salvation, and we cannot be sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has will bring death. 11 You had the kind of sorrow God wanted you to have. Now see what that sorrow has brought you: It has made you very serious. It made you want to prove that you were not wrong. It made you angry and afraid. It made you want to see me. It made you care. It made you want the right thing to be done. You proved that you were not guilty in any part of that problem. 12 The main reason I wrote that letter was not because of the one who did the wrong or the one who was hurt. I wrote so that you would realize, before God, how very much you care for us. 13 And that is what was so encouraging to us.
We have to be teachable when other point out our mistake. Don't be proud and don't let the proud stop you from admit the mistake that you had done. When we did a mistake, must admit it and change it and face it.
When I read this verse, i sudden think of myself. I had done a small mistake while working. I think I'm the one accidentally throw the surflo out of the yellow bin that suppose to. My boss saw it and come to me. She ask me who is the one that throw like this. At 1st I tell her that, I not really sure. Then I start thinking and I realize that just now I got off a big boy surflo is it I'm the one that throw it. Then I tell her, I got off a big boy surflo but I'm not sure that is it I'm the one throw like this. Because in my memory I don't think that I will do kinda mistake. But finally, I said maybe I'm the one. I place the surflo in to the bin and go off... God, I'm sorry, I really not realize that I'm the one who make it and I din admit it on the spot. Please forgive me. Thanks God.
We were greatly encouraged, but we were especially pleased to see how happy Titus was. You all made him feel so much better. 14 I had bragged about you to Titus, and you didn’t embarrass me. We have always told you the truth, and now what we told Titus about you has been shown to be true. 15 And his love for you is stronger when he remembers that you were all ready to obey. You welcomed him with respect and fear. 16 I am so happy that I can trust you fully.
2 Corinthians 8
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Help for God’s People in Judea
8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you what God’s grace has done in the churches in Macedonia. 2 These believers have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But their great joy caused them to be very generous in their giving. 3 I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do this. It was their idea. 4 But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people. 5 And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They gave themselves to the Lord and to us before they gave their money. This is what God wants.
6 So we asked Titus to help you finish this special work of giving. He is the one who started this work. 7 You are rich in everything—in faith, in speaking ability, in knowledge, in the willingness to help, and in the love you learned from us. So now we want you to be rich in this work of giving too.
8 I am not ordering you to give, but I want to see how real your love is by comparing you with others who have been so ready and willing to help. 9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that he gave up his heavenly riches for you. He gave up everything so that you could be richly blessed.
10 This is what I think you should do: Last year you were the first to want to give, and you were the first who gave. 11 So now finish the work you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have. 12 If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. Your gift will be judged by what you have, not by what you don’t have. 13 We don’t want you to have troubles while others are comforted. We want everything to be equal. 14 At this time you have plenty and can provide what they need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can provide what you need. Then everyone will have an equal share. 15 As the Scriptures say,
“Those who gathered much did not have too much,
and those who gathered little did not have too little.”
Titus and His Companions
16 I thank God because he gave Titus the same love for you that I have. 17 Titus agreed to do what we asked. In fact, he himself wanted very much to come see you. 18 We are sending with Titus the brother who is praised by all the churches. He is praised because of his service to the Good News. 19 Also, he was chosen by the churches to go with us when we carry this gift. We are doing this service to bring honor [a] to the Lord and to show that we really want to help.
20 We are being careful so that no one will criticize us about the way we are caring for this large gift. 21 We are trying to do what is right. We want to do what the Lord accepts as right and also what people think is right.
22 Also, we are sending with them our brother who is always ready to help. He has proved this to us in many ways. And he wants to help even more now because he has much faith in you.
23 Now about Titus—he is my partner. He is working together with me to help you. And about the other brothers—they are sent from the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24 So show these men that you really have love. Show them why we are proud of you. Then all the churches can see it.
God you tell me that to share what I have. God I'm learning to share. I admit I'm those kinda selfish person, but from onwards I'm willing to share. Where's the worth and where's my heart to. If I'm keep looking towards the worth in the worlds, my heart will follow to love the world. Yet, Lord I'm willing to love and serve you, God, keep my eyes on you and look forward to your anointing everday. Thanks God.
Today is start on the 30days prayer for the youth camp. I'm the one who started on today. When I pray, I know that God is talking to me. He give a vision to me. He want me to see that Youth pray for youth. That's what recently I get the vision. Today he given me again. I pray for that, In the camp, many youth spirit will be save. By prayer, we can do it. God, we need your anointing. We use what you have gave us to serve you and bring them near to you. Holy spirit is the one touch them and bring them here. We are the one who help God to feed them and lead them by spirit. God please strengthen us, give us love and faith to do so. Amen.
6 We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Don’t let the grace that you received from God be for nothing. 2 God says,
“I heard you at the right time,
and I gave you help on the day of salvation.”
I tell you that the “right time” is now. The “day of salvation” is now.
3 We don’t want people to find anything wrong with our work. So we do nothing that will be a problem to others. 4 But in every way we show that we are servants of God. We never give up, even though we face troubles, difficulties, and problems of every kind. 5 We are beaten and thrown into prison. People get upset at us and fight against us. We work hard, and sometimes we get no sleep or food. 6 We show that we are God’s servants by our pure lives, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. We show it by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, 7 by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. This right way of living has prepared us to defend ourselves against every kind of attack.
8 Some people honor us, but others shame us. Some people say good things about us, but others say bad things. Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth. 9 To some people we are not known, but we are well known. We seem to be dying, but look! We continue to live. We are punished, but we are not killed. 10 We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich in faith. We have nothing, but really we have everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you people in Corinth. We have opened our hearts to you. 12 Our feelings of love for you have not stopped. It is you who have stopped your feelings of love for us. 13 I speak to you as if you were my children. Do the same as we have done—open your hearts also.
We Are God’s Temple
14 You are not the same as those who don’t believe. So don’t join yourselves to them. Good and evil don’t belong together. Light and darkness cannot share the same room. 15 How can there be any unity between Christ and the devil [a]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 God’s temple [b] cannot have anything to do with idols, and we are the temple of the living God. As God said,
“I will live with them
and walk with them;
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
17 “So come away from those people
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch anything that is not clean,
and I will accept you.”
18 “I will be your father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord All-Powerful.”
Paul said that we must have a limit with our relationship with those unbeliever but yet not to stop the relationship with them. By the limit we will not lose our passion, love in Christ and get involve with the thing and action that not please God. We have to get relationship to others believer so that we could share to those unbeliever how great is our God and share God's love. God said, Away from those sin and get a distance from that and it mean to have a close relationship with God and passion for him.
Actually yesterday my body Tiredness level reached 5 stars... I nearly fall asleep while prayer meeting, but I tell myself I need to pray. I need to ask... Ask God's spirit with us and get his strength.
God really answer my prayer, while pastor pray for some others about Spiritual keys... After that he said the he wanna pray for those who ask for the healing spiritual gift from God. I say no... I think I'm not the one... No.... I ask recently, but I din ask in prayer meeting what... but, my heart start having palpitation, until I decide to stand infront and get the pray by the pastor. When pastor pray for me...I felt like electric shock... Is like shivering...keep shaking...I can't relax... God spirit works on me as I know...
Lord, Thank you. Thanks you still chose me as a servant to serve you with what you gave. I know sometimes I'm not following what you say and make you sad, but yet Holy spirit in me and get me back in your embrace. Lord, I will serve you will all I have.
Good news is that, after prayer meeting, chester told me that he wanna start on a prayer chain in all committee. Although it look unbeliever but tomorrow onwards that's exactly 30days before camp. I'm willing to do the schedule for him as that's also what I hope to do so before I start the youth prayer schedule for youth. ^^
Just like what Bro Alan share in prayer meeting, he saw many youth stand to serve God and evangelism happen in youth...Amen. Prasie Lord.
