Author: Larry Soape

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (day four, Thanksgiving Day)

Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.  Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.  For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.  Worship the Lord in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth.  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it.  Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.    –Psalm 96

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 10 (day four)

In 2 Corinthians 10, there is a change in the demeanor of Paul’s letter.  In the first 7 chapters, Paul was seeking to restore his relationship with the Corinthian church.  Having restored it, in chapters 8-9 he tells them of the opportunity to participate in the gift to the Jerusalem church.  Now, in chapter 10, Paul’s tone abruptly changes.  He begins to confront the false teachers that are seeking to undermine his apostolic authority.

Paul confronted the false teachers.  Satan will always present his lies to divert men from God’s way of truth.  Spiritual warfare is a reality we all face.  Just as Paul stood for truth and confronted false truths, so must we be diligent to not only recognize the wiles of Satan, but confront them and battle them just as Paul did.  To fight this battle, we must put on our armor of God daily. (Ephesians 6:10-17)  The warrior must be equipped and prepared to do battle in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 7:5-16 (day four)

Paul had written to the church in Corinth to provide correction and to defend his authority.  His rebuke caused some sorrow in the church, but it resulted in repentance.  Paul rejoiced because his letter had produced the desired effect.  The Corinthians responded with fear and trembling before the Lord and repented of their wrongs.  Paul demonstrated excellent leadership here in chapter 7 as he praises the Corinthians for their obedience and their response to correction. He had praised them to Titus that they would respond in that way and he was not disappointed.  They had made Paul proud and he wanted them to know he was encouraged by them.

When we offer correction, do we follow up with words of encouragement?  Do we celebrate and rejoice when others respond correctly to God’s instruction and correction?  The heart of a shepherd is filled with joy to see those under his care walk in a manner worthy of the Lord!

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 4 (day four)

Paul is offering his counsel to the church in Corinth.  He is reminding them of the contrasts between the world and God.  He used words like hidden vs. manifested…veiled vs. seen…blinded vs. sight…darkness vs. light…afflicted vs. not crushed…persecuted vs. not forsaken…perplexed vs. not despairing…struck down vs. not destroyed…death vs. life…decaying vs. renewing…and temporal vs. eternal.  Satan’s ways are always completely opposite from God’s ways.  He always has a counterfeit.  Paul’s counsel is ‘don’t lose heart, hang on…it is worth the wait…our reward is eternal and glorious.’

God’s kingdom is victorious, eternal and glorious beyond comparison!  Satan is a defeated enemy.  Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”  Satan would have us believe there is no possible way to victory when he has already been defeated.  Paul is instructing the church to live in the reality of Christ’s victory.  Are you walking in victory?

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:12-24, 2:1-11 (day four)

Paul had been wronged…falsely accused…by a member of the Corinthian church.  He wrote to the church urging correction and discipline for the offender.  A majority of the church was in favor of discipline, but there were some who believed the punishment was not severe enough.  Paul’s counsel was not for vengeance, but to restore the church to a right relationship with God.  It was given out of love.

In 2:11, Paul gives valuable instruction.  God has given the command to His people to be reconciled.  (Matthew 5:24)  Reconciliation does not hinge on our relationship with the offender.  If we fail to forgive and seek reconciliation, we are directly disobeying God and giving Satan an advantage to accuse us.  Forgiveness is not based on the merits of the offender, it is based on our relationship with God and our obedience to Him!  Paul’s counsel is to alert the church to the schemes of Satan and restore the church to holiness and godly sincerity.

Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (day four)

Unfortunately, many of our decisions are made based on our own personal comfort.  Whether it is physical comfort, emotional comfort, or intellectual comfort, we seek what is perceived to be best for us.  We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that God saved us, delivered us, or provided for us solely for our good because He loves us.  The end result is for our benefit.

Paul instructs the church in Corinth (as well as us today) that God brings comfort to us in time of need so we can offer hope to others when they face difficult times.  Even providing for an opportunity for them to intercede for us, gives them cause to give thanks to God.  The focus of God’s work in our lives is for the benefit of others.  God’s blessing in our lives is the result of the prayers of others.  Think God’s glory and the good for others…rather than our own personal comfort!

Re:Verse passage – I Corinthians 15:3-20, 35-44, 50-57 (day four)

Verses 3-4 have sometimes been referred to as the Easter passage.  “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”  This short, concise passage accurately sums up the work of Christ.

I like the phrase “according to the Scriptures.”  Jesus had an assignment and He completed it obediently.  Why would He do that?  Why would He willingly die such a horrible death, for us?  It was for love!  Love for the Father and love for us.  Do we have any responsibility as a result of Jesus demonstrating His love toward us?  Should we be asking ourselves anything for such a sacrifice?  With that level of love demonstrated for us, we owe Him…at the very least…to ask what He would have us to do.

• Who is Jesus?
• Why did He come?
• What does He want me to do?

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 13 (day four)

As a college freshman, I was challenged by a friend to read 1 Corinthians 13 every day for 30 days.  He gave me a small book by Henry Drummond to assist me.  The experience was a life-changer.  I began to have a picture of what God’s love for me and for those around me really looked like.  Not only did I learn what the characteristics of true love were, I was floored by three words in verse 8…Love never fails.

Never?  How can that be?  Surely we get a few exceptions!  But there it is…Love never fails.  I wish I could say that it has never failed in my life since then, but I can’t.  God constantly uses those three words in my life though to shape and mold the direction of my life.  Powerful words …life-changing words…God-honoring words that can change the world!  Try reading the chapter for 30 days in a row…see what happens.