{"id":17400,"date":"2021-09-16T22:00:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T05:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-5_11-21-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-09-17T12:14:01","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T19:14:01","slug":"2corinthians-6_1-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-6_1-10\/","title":{"rendered":"God Never Wastes a Hurt or a Hardship"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>6<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>As God’s co-workers…<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1a: \u00a0Isn’t it cool that as ambassadors of Jesus, we are God’s co-workers?\u00a0 That means\u00a0we don’t just work\u00a0<\/strong>for\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>God but\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>God<\/strong>.\u00a0 When Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, Jesus followed it up by saying, “And surely I am\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In other words, as we do God’s work, we can be assured that we’re not just working\u00a0for\u00a0<\/em>Him, but\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>Him.<\/p>\n

Praise God!\u00a0 As you seek to bring Jesus to your home, your workplace, your school and your city, remember that you’ve got the best Co-Worker on your side.\u00a0 God, who is working in us and with us, will empower you with everything you need to accomplish the mission He has given you.\u00a0 So serve with confidence and faith!\u00a0 God is with you!<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>6<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>…we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1b: \u00a0We have a choice: we can either take God’s grace for granted (i.e. “receive God’s grace in vain”), or we can cherish God’s grace.\u00a0 So when God puts it on your heart to do something (e.g. to receive Christ, get baptized, say yes to an opportunity), make sure you do it without delay.\u00a0 In Genesis\u00a06:3, God says, “My Spirit will not always strive or wrestle with men.” \u00a0In other words, there is a window of time that God gives us to respond to Him.\u00a0 If you don’t respond in time, God will not necessarily keep on knocking on your door.<\/p>\n

So don’t keep delaying the decisions and commitments that God wants you to make.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Follow Him immediately, for “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (v2).\u00a0 Do it before the window closes.<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 3-10: \u00a0 What does Paul mean when he writes “we commend ourselves in every way” (v4)?\u00a0 Paul means that in every situation – both good or bad – he and his teammates show that they are true servants of God by the way they respond to each situation.\u00a0 Then in verses 4 to 10, he lists all sorts of situations, both good and bad, that he and his teammates have encountered as they try to serve God.<\/p>\n

Sometimes people will ask, “What school should I go to to be equipped to serve God?\u00a0 What courses should I take?” \u00a0You know what school Paul went to? He went to the Academy of \u201cGreat Endurance\u201d (v4)!\u00a0 Courses offered at the Academy of Great Endurance include:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0troubles, hardships, distresses (v4)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, fasting (v5)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0purity, wisdom, patience, kindness, Holy Spirit, how to love people even when it’s hard (v6)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0how to speak the truth in love, the power of God, spiritual warfare (v7)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0what to do when people praise you, what to do when people criticize and slander you (v8)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0how to deal with being unknown or unpopular, how to persevere when you feel like dying (v9)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0how to deal with heartbreak and still have joy, and how to make others rich while staying poor (v10).<\/p>\n

I don’t know if there’s a seminary today that offers these as mandatory coursework.\u00a0 But if your heart is set on the kind of work Paul was doing, get ready to enroll in the same school Paul went to: the Academy of Great Endurance!\u00a0 In fact, you have no choice.\u00a0\u00a0You will take those courses whether you like it or not!<\/p>\n

Praise God!\u00a0 God’s grace is sufficient for us.\u00a0 Paul passed his courses with flying colours, and I pray you would as well.\u00a0\u00a0For God uses the hardships in our lives \u2013 even the ones He never intended or hoped that we would go through \u2013 to mould us and equip us to be the servants of God He wants us to be.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank You Father that You never waste a hurt or a hardship, but You will use all the hurts and hardships I go through to teach me, mould me and make me into the servant of God You designed for me to be.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a06:1\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0As God’s co-workers…<\/p>\n

On verse 1a: \u00a0Isn’t it cool that as ambassadors of Jesus, we are God’s co-workers?\u00a0 That means\u00a0we don’t just work\u00a0for\u00a0God but\u00a0with\u00a0God.\u00a0 When Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, Jesus followed it up by saying, “And surely I am\u00a0with\u00a0you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In other words, as we do God’s work, we can be assured that we’re not just working\u00a0for\u00a0Him, but\u00a0with\u00a0Him. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Praise God!\u00a0 As you seek to bring Jesus to your home, your workplace, your school and your city, remember that you’ve got the best Co-Worker on your side.\u00a0 God, who is working in us and with us, will empower you with everything you need to accomplish the mission He has given you.\u00a0 So serve with confidence and faith!\u00a0 God is with you!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a06:1\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0…we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17400"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17401,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17400\/revisions\/17401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}