7/23/12

When I need a little help



We all do stupid things from time to time.  Why should dogs be different?  If a cat did this (but it can't because its too small) it would just jump and land on its feet.  If you or I were in this position we would probably just do what the caption says.  Anyway, we would feel foolish afterward; that is how the apostle Peter must have felt after this episode....

Matthew, Chapter 14
25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.  26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.  27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "“Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”"

  28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

  29 He said, "“Come!”"

Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.  30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

  31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”"  32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.  33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”


Peter, always the impetuous one!!! The sort of person who leaped before he looked.  But he did have one thing going for him... he knew enough to ask for help AND HE KNEW WHO TO ASK...JESUS!!!  When I do stupid things (and I do more often than I like to acknowledge) I ask for help from Jesus;do you?

July 23 2 Chronicles 1-3


July 23
2 Chronicles 1-3
2Ch 1:1 Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2Ch 1:2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses.
2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tent of Meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness.
2Ch 1:4 But David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
2Ch 1:5 Moreover the bronze altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of Yahweh: and Solomon and the assembly were seeking counsel there.
2Ch 1:6 Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before Yahweh, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.
2Ch 1:7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."
2Ch 1:8 Solomon said to God, You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
2Ch 1:9 Now, Yahweh God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
2Ch 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?
2Ch 1:11 God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of those who hate you, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king:
2Ch 1:12 wisdom and knowledge is granted to you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you; neither shall there any after you have the like.
2Ch 1:13 So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
2Ch 1:14 Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
2Ch 1:15 The king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
2Ch 1:16 The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue; the king's merchants purchased them from Kue.
2Ch 1:17 They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
2Ch 2:1 Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.
2Ch 2:2 Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
2Ch 2:3 Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, even so deal with me.
2Ch 2:4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Yahweh our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
2Ch 2:5 The house which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods.
2Ch 2:6 But who is able to build him a house, seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn incense before him?
2Ch 2:7 Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave all manner of engravings, to be with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon: and behold, my servants shall be with your servants,
2Ch 2:9 even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
2Ch 2:10 Behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
2Ch 2:11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, "Because Yahweh loves his people, he has made you king over them."
2Ch 2:12 Huram continued, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, that should build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.
2Ch 2:13 Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, of Huram my father's,
2Ch 2:14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, also to engrave any manner of engraving, and to devise any device; that there may be a place appointed to him with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
2Ch 2:15 Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants:
2Ch 2:16 and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need; and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry it up to Jerusalem."
2Ch 2:17 Solomon numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father had numbered them; and they were found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.
2Ch 2:18 He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at work.
2Ch 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2Ch 3:2 He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
2Ch 3:3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
2Ch 3:4 The porch that was before the house, its length, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
2Ch 3:5 The greater house he made a ceiling with fir wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
2Ch 3:6 He garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
2Ch 3:7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and its walls, and its doors, with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.
2Ch 3:8 He made the most holy house: its length, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
2Ch 3:9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
2Ch 3:10 In the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold.
2Ch 3:11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
2Ch 3:12 The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
2Ch 3:13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
2Ch 3:14 He made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
2Ch 3:15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
2Ch 3:16 He made chains in the oracle, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
2Ch 3:17 He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS" Chapter Four by Mark Copeland


                "THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS"

                              Chapter Four

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1) To appreciate Paul's transparency and view of service

2) To understand why some people are so blinded to the obvious

3) To gain insight into why God allows His children to suffer

4) To glean Paul's secret for not "losing heart" (getting discouraged)

SUMMARY

Paul continues his defense of himself and his ministry.  With such a
glorious ministry described in chapter three, he does not get
discouraged.  Instead he has renounced the use of deceitful tactics and
openly proclaims the truth (1-2).  If the gospel seems veiled, it is
only to those whom Satan has blinded so they might not see the light of
the gospel (3-4).  Paul is simply preaching Christ Jesus as Lord and
considers himself as a servant for their sakes.  He humbly realizes
that it is God who has shone in his heart so he might share that light
of the gospel with others (5-6).

As magnificent this "treasure" may be, he is simply an "earthen
vessel".  As such he experiences great suffering in his ministry, but
he knows that God allows it so that the "life of Jesus" (the power of
God) might be manifested in his mortal body by the way he endures it,
and that such grace from God might cause much thanksgiving to the glory
of God (7-15).  In addition, he does not lose heart because his inward
man is renewed daily by the knowledge that affliction is light and
temporary compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits him, and
by keeping his focus on things which are unseen but eternal (16-18).

OUTLINE

I. THE "HONEST" NATURE OF PAUL'S MINISTRY (1-6)

   A. THE HIDDEN THINGS OF SHAME RENOUNCED (1-2)
      1. Having received a glorious ministry by the mercy of God, Paul
         does not lose heart (1)
      2. He has renounced the hidden things of shame (2a)
         a. He does not walk in craftiness
         b. He does not handle the Word of God deceitfully
      3. But with open presentation of the truth he commends himself
         before all and before God (2b)

   B. THE GOSPEL VEILED ONLY TO THE PERISHING (3-4)
      1. If the gospel seems veiled, it is only the perishing who think
         it so (3)
      2. For their unbelieving minds have been blinded by the "god of
         this age" (4a)
      3. So that the light of gospel of the glorious Christ does not
         shine on them (4b)

   C. PROCLAIMING CHRIST AS LORD, AND THEMSELVES AS SERVANTS (5-6)
      1. Preaching not themselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord and 
         themselves as their servants for Jesus' sake (5)
      2. It is God who has shone in their hearts so that they might 
         spread the light of the knowledge of God's glory revealed in
         Jesus Christ (6)

II. THE "SUFFERING" NATURE OF PAUL'S MINISTRY (7-18)

   A. SUFFERING PERMITTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE LIFE OF JESUS (7-15)
      1. The treasure of the gospel is in "earthen vessels", but this
         is so the excellence of God's power might be demonstrated in
         them (7)
      2. Examples of overcoming suffering (8-9)
         a. Hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed
         b. Perplexed, but not in despair
         c. Persecuted, but not forsaken
         d. Struck down, but not destroyed
      3. In this way, "dying for Jesus" gives them opportunity to
         demonstrate the "life of Jesus", which in turn blesses others
         (10-12)
      4. Confident of the resurrection and ultimate glorification, he 
         knows that all things can be to their benefit, resulting in 
         thanksgiving and glory to God (13-15)
   
   B. AFFLICTION PRODUCES AN ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY (16-18)
      1. He is not discouraged, even when the outward man is perishing,
         for the inward man is renewed daily (16)
      2. Affliction is light and temporary, compared with the eternal 
         weight of glory (17)
      3. His focus is on the unseen, on things that are eternal (18)
         
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

1) What are the main points of this chapter?
   - The "honest" nature of Paul's ministry (1-6)
   - The "suffering" nature of Paul's ministry (7-18)

2) Why does Paul not "lose heart"? (1)
   - Because of the nature of his ministry (cf. 3:7-18)

3) In renouncing the hidden things of shame, what two things does Paul
   not do? (2)
   - Walk in craftiness
   - Handle the word of God deceitfully

4) To whom is the gospel "veiled"?  Who has blinded them? (3-4)
   - Those that are perishing
   - The god of this age

5) Who does Paul preach?  How does he view himself? (5)
   - Christ Jesus the Lord
   - As their servant for Jesus' sake

6) How is the "light" that God has commanded to be shone in his heart 
   described? (6, cf. 4b)
   - As the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
   - As the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

7) How does Paul describe the gospel, and himself in comparison? (7)
   - As "treasure" in "earthen vessels"

8) What four examples does Paul use to describe how God's power had 
   worked in him? (8-9)
   - Hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed
   - Perplexed, but not in despair
   - Persecuted, but not forsaken
   - Struck down, but not destroyed

9) Why was Paul and others allowed to suffer for Christ? (10-11)
   - That the life of Jesus may be manifested in their mortal bodies

10) Who benefited by the things Paul suffered? (12,15)
   - The Corinthians

11) Why did Paul not "lose heart" when his outward man was perishing?
    (16)
   - Because his inward man was being renewed daily

12) In what two ways does Paul contrast his affliction and the glory to
    come? (17)
   - Light vs. a far more exceeding weight
   - Momentary vs. eternal 

13) Upon what does Paul keep his focus? (16)
   - Things unseen, which are eternal