2 Corinthians 11 - 10.23.26
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:1–4
“I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.”
Observation:
Paul is speaking to the Church in Corinth. In this chapter, Paul discusses the False Apostles. This chapter is not about the Jews and the law; rather, it is about heretics who have infiltrated the church to boast about their ministry. The heretics were impressive in speech and appearance. Those who listen to some of these heretics are easily led astray, just as Eve was in the garden. The Corinthians were seeking proof that Christ is really speaking through someone like Paul.
Some heretics today take Bible verses out of context or even claim the Bible does not mention things like abortion, marriage, or how to get to heaven. Being in our scriptures daily helps us recognize when someone is not preaching or speaking about the Jesus found in our Holy scriptures. How do we know the scriptures are about Jesus? In John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Application:
All of us love our pastor, whom we support at our home church. Some of us listen to other pastors throughout the week. The first thing to keep us grounded in Christ is determining whether the people we listen to are preaching or teaching from the word of God. Is the message pointing to Christ? Is the pastor using scripture in his message? Is the church in prayer? In order to identify any pastor or church that is not following the Word, we need to know what the Bible says. Reading, praying and listening to the Holy Spirit can help us know when something is not of God.
In Revelation 2:1-7 the Chruch of Ephesus is giving a report card. They are being told what went well, what went poorly, and how to correct themselves:
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Are we boasting of our ministry? Pastors are not the only ones with ministries. All of us who are believers have ministries. We need to have the Spirit check us. We need others to check us. We should be aligned with our home church's ministries so we are not working against each other or pursuing different agendas. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14 "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Prayer:
Jesus your Word is Holy. Let me hear what the Spirit says in these letters and in your whole Word. Forgive me when I miss my daily bread. May I boast only about you Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen
- Robert Oberg
2 Corinthians 10 - 10.22.26
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 10:1-5
1 “By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come, I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
OBSERVATION
Paul’s Defense of His Ministry
This chapter serves as a reminder of the spiritual nature of Christian leadership and the importance of relying on divine strength rather than human wisdom. Paul is speaking in defense of his ministry contrasting his humble demeanor when present with the Corinthians to his boldness in letters. He emphasizes that his authority comes from Christ and not from worldly standards.
As we know, Paul is a passionate man who at one time had the same fault with Jesus and His teaching so he understands their disbelief BUT when Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus, it transformed Saul from a persecutor of Christians to one of Christianity's most influential apostles, and he is on fire for the Lord. And this reminds me of the word “Rhema” we heard one Sunday from the Missionaries in Nicaragua. And I looked up the meaning of the word Rhema:
“A Personal relationship with God that influences daily life. This concept emphasizes the idea that rhema is not just the written word (graphe) or the overarching message (logos) of Scripture, but rather a specific, Spirit-inspired word that speaks directly to an individual's situation or need. And it has two parts;”
Transformative Nature: Rhema is seen as alive and transformative, providing guidance and insight that can change how believers approach their lives.
Personal Application: Believers often seek rhema during prayer or meditation, looking for specific messages that resonate with their current circumstances.
APPLICATION
I love the word “transformed”—to be transformed into his image and continue with love and boldness to be an “apostle of God’s word” is our desire. AND every time we read it, we get something new in the same scripture. JESUS left us with the HOLY SPIRIT and He speaks to us in the need of the hour. AND our desire is to have the same Passionate Fire and Rhema (personal relationship with Jesus) the apostles had to lead others to know the Living God.
And I love this as we thirst for His word and have Rhema because Jesus is here in His Holy Spirit.
Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
PRAYER
Dear Jesus, my/our savior, I come before you with a humble heart. I cherish your words Jesus, and those who wrote of it and those who speak of it; my pastors and all missionaries we’ve heard the past Sundays. And Lord bless all those in DSC who write a SOAP for all of us to see. I don’t often comment on the blessing I received from it but it speaks to me. Lord, this day let me be your missionary to show others who you are and give me your words to speak of your Rhema. Bless this day, Jesus. Every season of life with you, Father, I treasure…and my soul thirsts for you. Protect my family and my DSC family and speak to each one. I trust in your unfailing grace. IN your holy name Jesus, Amen!
- Charleen Zakarian
2 Corinthians 9 - 10.21.26
Scripture: II Corinthians 9:10-13
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”
Observation
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus loved and served others. As we give generously, meet needs, and serve others, we are pointing them to God.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ
And as we live out our faith by giving and serving generously, He promises to fill our bucket so that we can continue to give and serve, ever enlarging the harvest of righteousness.
Application
I got so excited when I read this chapter! God is speaking to me about serving our community and I believe he is also speaking to us as a church.
I don’t want to be just a hearer – I want to be a doer. I want to act on my faith. I don’t want to close my eyes to the needs around me. I want to love others like Jesus did. People need to hear about Jesus - and they also need to feel his love and care for them.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ
When we meet needs, it opens people up and softens their hearts. People are much more open to hearing about God’s love for them when they feel cared for. We can tell them God loves them and wants to be in relationship with them, but we also need to show them.
Prayer
God, please show me what it means to serve my community. Show me how to love as you do. Show me how to love with no expectations and no strings attached, simply loving and serving others because of your great love for them. Nudge me to give generously. Grow my faith to trust that you want to bless others through me. Continue to stir up my heart. Guide and direct me. Teach me to listen to your promptings.
- Debbie Dunn