Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000414
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00:15 Hi and welcome to His Words Are Life.
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer. When we were together last we were reading 00:21 Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth and 00:24 he was thanking the church for their generosity, for their zeal 00:29 in collecting and giving and how that had encouraged Titus and 00:33 brought joy to Titus and through Titus to Paul. As we pray now 00:37 and as we begin to read this, let's look to our brothers and 00:42 sisters in that long ago church as an example of how we can 00:46 ask God's blessings on our life, not that we may hoard 00:50 them to ourselves, but that we may with great generosity 00:53 share what we receive. Let's pray together. 00:55 Dear Jesus, thank you so much for these words that come to us 01:00 to encourage us, but to set forth also an example of what 01:05 is pleasing to You. And You told us it is more blessed to give 01:09 than to receive. As we read about the huge generosity 01:14 of Corinth, please open our hearts to how we can be 01:18 more generous to those around us not just with finances, 01:23 but generous with ourselves. We received everything from You 01:27 You gave everything to us. You held back nothing. You gave us 01:31 Your own Son. Help us now to hold back nothing that we are 01:35 able to give to serve others for You. We love You, Amen. 01:39 I am reading from II Corinthians in the King James Version 01:44 We left off at chapter 9 and we'll now beginning reading with 01:47 verse twelve. For the administration of this service, 01:52 not only supplies the want of the saints, but is abundant also 01:57 by many thanksgivings unto God. Whiles by the experiment of this 02:02 ministration may glorify God for your professed subjection 02:06 unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution 02:10 unto them and unto all men; And by their prayer for you 02:14 which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 02:18 Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. 02:22 Continuing in chapter ten. Now I, Paul, myself, beseech you 02:28 by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence 02:32 am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 02:36 but I beseech you that I may not not be bold when I am present 02:40 with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, 02:43 which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 02:47 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 02:52 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty 02:56 through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 03:00 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth 03:04 itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity 03:08 every thought to the obedience of Christ; 03:11 and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, 03:15 when your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things 03:20 after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself 03:23 that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, 03:28 that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. 03:34 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, 03:38 which the Lord has given us for edification, 03:40 and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: 03:43 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. 03:47 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; 03:51 but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 03:54 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by 04:00 letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed 04:03 when we are present. For we dare not make ourselves of the number 04:08 or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: 04:11 but they measuring themselves by themselves, 04:14 and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. 04:17 But we will not boast of things without our measure, 04:21 but according to the measure of the rule which God hath 04:25 distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 04:29 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though 04:33 we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also 04:38 in preaching the gospel of Christ: Not boasting of things 04:42 without our measure, that is of other men's labours; 04:45 but having hope when your faith is increased, that we shall be 04:50 enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, 04:54 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to 04:58 boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. 05:01 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 05:05 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, 05:09 but whom the Lord commendeth. 05:11 Continuing to read in II Corinthians, 05:14 This is the King James Version. 05:16 beginning chapter eleven. 05:17 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: 05:21 and indeed bear with me, for I am jealous over you 05:24 with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, 05:28 that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 05:31 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve 05:37 through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted 05:40 from the simplicity that is in Christ. 05:44 For if he that cometh preached another Jesus, whom we have not 05:48 preached, or if ye receive another spirit, 05:50 which ye have not received, or another gospel, 05:53 which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 05:56 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest 05:59 apostles, but though I be rude in speech, 06:02 yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made 06:06 manifest among you in all things Have I committed an offence 06:11 in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, 06:14 because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? 06:17 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to do you service. 06:20 And when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable 06:25 to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren 06:29 which came from Macedonia supplied. 06:31 and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome 06:35 unto you, and so will I keep myself. 06:37 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me 06:42 of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? 06:45 because I love you not? God knoweth. 06:48 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion 06:53 from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, 06:57 they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, 07:02 deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles 07:06 of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed 07:10 into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing 07:14 if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of 07:17 righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 07:21 I say again, let mo man think me a fool; if otherwise, 07:26 yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 07:29 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, 07:33 but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 07:36 seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 07:41 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 07:45 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man 07:49 devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, 07:52 if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning reproach, 07:57 as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any 08:02 is bold - I speak foolishly - I am bold also. 08:06 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. 08:11 Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 08:15 Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more; 08:19 in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, 08:24 in prison more frequent, in deaths oft. 08:27 Of the Jews, five times received I 40 stripes save one. 08:33 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, 08:36 thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in 08:40 the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, 08:44 in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, 08:48 in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, 08:52 in perils of the wilderness, in perils in the sea, 08:54 in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, 08:59 in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 09:05 in cold and nakedness, beside those things that are without, 09:10 that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 09:14 Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? 09:19 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things 09:22 which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord 09:27 Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth 09:30 that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king 09:36 kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous 09:39 to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket 09:42 was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. 09:45 Continuing in II Corinthians, chapter twelve. 09:49 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. 09:53 I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 09:56 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, 10:00 whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body 10:03 I cannot tell: God knoweth; such an one caught up 10:06 to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body 10:11 or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth 10:13 how that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable 10:18 words which it is not lawful for any man to utter. 10:21 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, 10:26 but in mine infirmities, for though I would desire to glory 10:30 I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth; 10:33 but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above 10:38 that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 10:41 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the 10:45 abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn 10:48 in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, 10:52 lest I should be exalted above measure, 10:55 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might 10:59 depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient 11:04 for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 11:08 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, 11:13 that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 11:16 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, 11:20 in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: 11:24 for when I am weak, then am I strong. 11:29 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: 11:32 for I ought to have been commended of you: 11:34 for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, 11:38 though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought 11:42 among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, 11:45 and mighty deeds. For what is it wherein ye were inferior to 11:49 other churches, except it be that I, myself, was not 11:52 burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. 11:55 Behold the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not 11:58 be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: 12:03 for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, 12:06 but the parents for the children and I will very gladly spend 12:11 and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, 12:15 the less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you: 12:19 nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 12:22 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 12:27 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. 12:30 Did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the 12:34 same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 12:37 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? 12:41 we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, 12:44 dearly beloved, for your edifying, for I fear, lest, 12:48 when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, 12:51 and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: 12:54 lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, 12:59 and whisperings, swellings, tumults: And lest, when I come 13:03 again my God will humble me among you, and that I shall 13:07 bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented 13:10 of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness 13:13 which they have committed. 13:14 We are reading II Corinthians, chapter 13. 13:18 This is the third time I am coming to you. 13:21 In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word 13:24 be established. I told you before, and foretell you 13:28 as if I were present, the 2nd time; and being absent now I 13:32 write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, 13:35 that if I come again, I will not spare: 13:39 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, 13:43 which to youward is not weak, but is mighty in you. 13:47 For though he was crucified through weakness, 13:50 yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him 13:54 but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 13:59 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; 14:02 prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, 14:07 how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 14:11 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 14:14 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should 14:19 appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, 14:22 though we be as reprobates, for we can do nothing against 14:26 the truth, but for the truth. 14:29 Please join me again next time to read the word of God. 14:32 and to be a blessing to you. |
Revised 2014-12-17