7Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.G2192G3767G5025G1860G27G2511G1438G575G3956G3436G4561G2532G4151G2005G42G1722G5401G23162Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone.G5562G2248G91G3762G5351G3762G4122G37623I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you.G3004G3756G4314G2633G1063G4280G3754G2075G1722G2257G2588G1519G4880G2532G48004I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.G4183G3427G3954G4314G5209G4183G3427G2746G5228G5216G4137G3874G5248G5479G1909G3956G2257G2347
Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
5When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.G1063G2532G2257G2064G1519G3109G2257G4561G2192G3762G425G235G2346G1722G3956G1855G3163G2081G54016But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.G235G2316G3870G5011G3870G2248G1722G3952G51037His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!G1161G3756G1722G846G3952G3440G235G2532G1722G3874G3739G3870G1909G5213G312G2254G5216G1972G5216G3602G5216G2205G5228G1700G5620G3165G5463G31238I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.G3754G1499G3076G5209G3076G1722G1992G3338G3756G3338G1499G3338G1063G991G3754G1565G1992G3076G5209G3076G1499G4314G56109Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.G3568G5463G3756G3754G3076G235G3754G3076G1519G3341G1063G3076G2596G2316G2443G2210G1537G2257G1722G336710For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.G1063G2316G2596G3077G2716G3341G1519G4991G278G1161G3077G2889G2716G228811Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.G1063G2400G5124G846G5209G3076G2596G2316G4214G4710G2716G5213G235G627G235G24G235G5401G235G1972G235G2205G235G1557G1722G3956G4921G1438G1511G53G1722G422912My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us.G686G1499G1125G5213G3756G1752G91G3761G1752G91G235G1752G2257G4710G5228G5216G1799G2316G5319G4314G520913We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease.G1223G5124G3870G1909G5216G3874G1161G4056G3123G5463G1909G5479G5103G3754G846G4151G373G575G5216G395614I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true!G3754G2744G1536G846G5228G5216G2617G3756G2617G235G5613G2980G3956G5213G1722G225G2532G3779G2257G2746G3588G1909G5103G1096G22515Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect.G2532G846G4698G2076G4056G1519G5209G363G5218G5216G3956G5613G3326G5401G2532G5156G1209G84616I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.G5463G3754G2292G1722G5213G1722G3956
2Corinthians 8
A Call to Generous Giving
8Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.G1161G80G1107G5213G1107G5485G2316G1325G1722G1577G31092They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.G3754G1722G4183G1382G2347G4050G846G5479G2532G846G899G2596G4432G4052G1519G4149G846G5723For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.G3754G2596G1411G3140G2532G5228G1411G8304They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.G1189G2257G3326G4183G3874G2248G1209G5485G2532G2842G1248G1519G405They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.G2532G3756G2531G1679G235G4412G1325G1438G2962G2532G2254G1223G2307G23166So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.G1519G2248G3870G5103G2443G2531G4278G3779G2005G2532G2005G1519G5209G5026G5485G25327Since you excel in so many ways-in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.G235G5618G4052G1722G3956G4102G2532G3056G2532G1108G2532G3956G4710G2532G5216G26G1537G1722G2254G2443G4052G1722G5026G5485G25328I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.G3004G3756G2596G2003G235G1223G4710G2087G2532G1381G1103G5212G269You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.G1063G1097G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3754G5607G4145G1223G5209G1223G4433G2443G5210G1565G4432G414710Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it.G2532G1722G5129G1325G1106G1063G5124G4851G5213G3748G4278G3756G3440G4160G235G2532G2309G4070G57511Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.G3570G1161G2532G2005G4160G3704G2509G4288G2309G3779G2005G2532G1537G219212Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.G1063G1487G4295G4288G2144G2526G1437G5100G2192G3756G2526G2192G375613Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality.G1063G3756G2443G243G425G1161G5213G234714Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.G235G1537G2471G3568G1722G2540G5216G4051G1519G1565G5303G2443G1565G4051G2532G1096G1519G5216G5303G3704G1096G247115As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”G2531G1125G3588G4183G4121G3756G4121G2532G3588G3641G1641G3756G1641
Titus and His Companions
16But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.G1161G5485G2316G3588G1325G846G4710G1722G2588G5103G5228G521617Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you.G3754G3303G1209G3874G1161G5225G4707G830G1831G4314G520918We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News.G1161G4842G3326G846G80G3739G1868G1722G2098G1223G3956G157719He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.G1161G3756G3440G235G5500G2532G5500G5259G1577G4898G2257G4862G5026G5485G3588G1247G5259G2257G4314G1391G846G2962G2532G5216G428820We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift.G4724G5124G3361G5100G3469G2248G1722G5026G100G3588G1247G5259G225721We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.G4306G2570G3756G3440G1799G2962G235G2532G1799G44422We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you.G1161G4842G846G2257G80G3739G1381G4178G1381G5607G4705G1722G4183G1161G3570G4183G4707G4183G4006G3588G1519G520923If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.G1535G5228G5103G1699G2844G2532G4904G1519G5209G1535G2257G80G652G1577G1391G554724So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.G3767G1731G1519G846G2532G1519G4383G1577G1732G5216G26G2532G2257G2746G5228G5216G5228
Psalms 2
2Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?H1471H7283H3816H1897H73852The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.H4428H776H3320H7336H3245H3162H3068H48993"Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from slavery to God."H5423H4147H5423H7993H56884But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.H3427H8064H7832H136H39325Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.H1696H639H926H27406For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain."H5258H4428H6944H2022H67267The king proclaims the LORD's decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father.H5608H2706H3068H559H1121H3117H32058Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.H7592H5414H1471H5159H657H776H2729You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'"H7489H7626H1270H5310H3335H362710Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth!H7919H4428H3256H8199H77611Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.H5647H3068H3374H1523H746112Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!H5401H1248H599H6H1870H639H1197H4592H835H2620
Dublin, OH
at ease.G1223
