2 Corinthians 13
This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
11 Finally, brothers,[brothers and sisters] rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
My oldest son worked as a waiter in college, during his fraternity president years. He told me for a long time each Sunday, a nun, a woman in her 70s, in the Austin/Georgetown Texas area, came in to his restaurant. Each Sunday, this wonderful woman would ask for my zippy fraternity president son as her waitstaff. She would arrive for a Sunday lunch, in her vestments, alone, after specifically asking for Cal. And spend about 10 or 15 minutes asking him about his classes and his life and his opinions on various things. Cal, was not attending Church at the time; called home to tell me he thought she was a very special, open, considerate, caring woman. Each Sunday, she would affirm him with a few, new sentences written on the check. And she would tip him very generously. She wrote things like this, "You are a very special and thoughtful young man. I look forward to hearing the things you comment upon."
Jesus Christ. The Lord. Was coming to visit Cal. I kid you not. Of course, this was a woman. In Genesis, God describes His attributes as both masculine and feminine. Jesus tells us about Himself in the Word of God. Jesus, our Hero, gets His hands in life as He immediately reaches for Peter. Jesus bends down and sits with the woman caught in adultery. Jesus is so filled with amazing goodness, He travels on His Sabbath to minister to my son. Seeing in Cal wonderful possibilities and reasons to go out of His way to love this young man.
These are the attributes we are not skilled to point out in Jesus! He has are so much amazing goodness and His unending up-building in Love is plentiful.
Psalm 119:50
This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Isaiah was given the blessing of seeing the AMAZING Blessing of God's Unending LOVE.
Isaiah 12:1
You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me."
Jesus spend His days proclaiming individual mercies and love, instead of rules and severity.
Isaiah 51:1
And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way. ”Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug."
Isaiah 66:13
As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Philippians 2:1-3
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Acts 13:15
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”
Acts 15:32
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
Colossians 2:2
That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ
Colossians 2:19b
Holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
This passage has key phrases influencing my life for many years. Paul is severe here, but he relates so well the phrases
my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down
An example I've tried to use for years in parenting and in communicating - is the third time of reaching out. Going the extra mile Scripture asks of us in communicating, before judgment, in disciplining children. Jesus makes our lives meaningful by continuing to reach towards us.
1 John 4:19
We love, because He first loved us.
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