2Corinthians 7-8; Psalms 2 - Prayer Tents

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.G2192G3767G5025G1860G27G2511G1438G575G3956G3436G4561G2532G4151G2005G42G1722G5401G2316 2Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone.G5562G2248G91G3762G5351G3762G4122G3762 3I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you.G3004G3756G4314G2633G1063G4280G3754G2075G1722G2257G2588G1519G4880G2532G4800 4I 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.G1063G2532G2257G2064G1519G3109G2257G4561G2192G3762G425G235G2346G1722G3956G1855G3163G2081G5401 6But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.G235G2316G3870G5011G3870G2248G1722G3952G5103 7His 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!G1161G3756G1722G846G3952G3440G235G2532G1722G3874G3739G3870G1909G5213G312G2254G5216G1972G5216G3602G5216G2205G5228G1700G5620G3165G5463G3123 8I 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.G3754G1499G3076G5209G3076G1722G1992G3338G3756G3338G1499G3338G1063G991G3754G1565G1992G3076G5209G3076G1499G4314G5610 9Now 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.G3568G5463G3756G3754G3076G235G3754G3076G1519G3341G1063G3076G2596G2316G2443G2210G1537G2257G1722G3367 10For 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.G1063G2316G2596G3077G2716G3341G1519G4991G278G1161G3077G2889G2716G2288 11Just 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.G1063G2400G5124G846G5209G3076G2596G2316G4214G4710G2716G5213G235G627G235G24G235G5401G235G1972G235G2205G235G1557G1722G3956G4921G1438G1511G53G1722G4229 12My 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.G686G1499G1125G5213G3756G1752G91G3761G1752G91G235G1752G2257G4710G5228G5216G1799G2316G5319G4314G5209 13We 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.G1223G5124G3870G1909G5216G3874G1161G4056G3123G5463G1909G5479G5103G3754G846G4151G373G575G5216G3956 14I 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!G3754G2744G1536G846G5228G5216G2617G3756G2617G235G5613G2980G3956G5213G1722G225G2532G3779G2257G2746G3588G1909G5103G1096G225 15Now 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.G2532G846G4698G2076G4056G1519G5209G363G5218G5216G3956G5613G3326G5401G2532G5156G1209G846 16I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.G5463G3754G2292G1722G5213G1722G3956

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.G1161G80G1107G5213G1107G5485G2316G1325G1722G1577G3109 2They 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.G3754G1722G4183G1382G2347G4050G846G5479G2532G846G899G2596G4432G4052G1519G4149G846G572 3For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.G3754G2596G1411G3140G2532G5228G1411G830 4They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.G1189G2257G3326G4183G3874G2248G1209G5485G2532G2842G1248G1519G40 5They 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.G2532G3756G2531G1679G235G4412G1325G1438G2962G2532G2254G1223G2307G2316 6So 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.G1519G2248G3870G5103G2443G2531G4278G3779G2005G2532G2005G1519G5209G5026G5485G2532 7Since 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.G235G5618G4052G1722G3956G4102G2532G3056G2532G1108G2532G3956G4710G2532G5216G26G1537G1722G2254G2443G4052G1722G5026G5485G2532 8I 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.G3004G3756G2596G2003G235G1223G4710G2087G2532G1381G1103G5212G26 9You 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.G1063G1097G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3754G5607G4145G1223G5209G1223G4433G2443G5210G1565G4432G4147 10Here 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.G2532G1722G5129G1325G1106G1063G5124G4851G5213G3748G4278G3756G3440G4160G235G2532G2309G4070G575 11Now 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.G3570G1161G2532G2005G4160G3704G2509G4288G2309G3779G2005G2532G1537G2192 12Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.G1063G1487G4295G4288G2144G2526G1437G5100G2192G3756G2526G2192G3756 13Of 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.G1063G3756G2443G243G425G1161G5213G2347 14Right 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.G235G1537G2471G3568G1722G2540G5216G4051G1519G1565G5303G2443G1565G4051G2532G1096G1519G5216G5303G3704G1096G2471 15As 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.G1161G5485G2316G3588G1325G846G4710G1722G2588G5103G5228G5216 17Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you.G3754G3303G1209G3874G1161G5225G4707G830G1831G4314G5209 18We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News.G1161G4842G3326G846G80G3739G1868G1722G2098G1223G3956G1577 19He 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.G1161G3756G3440G235G5500G2532G5500G5259G1577G4898G2257G4862G5026G5485G3588G1247G5259G2257G4314G1391G846G2962G2532G5216G4288 20We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift.G4724G5124G3361G5100G3469G2248G1722G5026G100G3588G1247G5259G2257 21We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.G4306G2570G3756G3440G1799G2962G235G2532G1799G444 22We 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.G1161G4842G846G2257G80G3739G1381G4178G1381G5607G4705G1722G4183G1161G3570G4183G4707G4183G4006G3588G1519G5209 23If 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.G1535G5228G5103G1699G2844G2532G4904G1519G5209G1535G2257G80G652G1577G1391G5547 24So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.G3767G1731G1519G846G2532G1519G4383G1577G1732G5216G26G2532G2257G2746G5228G5216G5228

2Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?H1471H7283H3816H1897H7385 2The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.H4428H776H3320H7336H3245H3162H3068H4899 3"Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from slavery to God."H5423H4147H5423H7993H5688 4But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.H3427H8064H7832H136H3932 5Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.H1696H639H926H2740 6For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain."H5258H4428H6944H2022H6726 7The king proclaims the LORD's decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father.H5608H2706H3068H559H1121H3117H3205 8Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.H7592H5414H1471H5159H657H776H272 9You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'"H7489H7626H1270H5310H3335H3627 10Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth!H7919H4428H3256H8199H776 11Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.H5647H3068H3374H1523H7461 12Submit 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