Lord's Day Devotion - Finish It (2 Corinthians 8 ESV)

 

Here it is again; money talk.  This is literal money, not possessions referred to in this chapter.  It certainly puts one in mind of what Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians though.

He'd asked them to have "a collection for the saints" and to give of their "store" as the Lord had "prepared them" (1 Corinthians 16:1-3 KJV).

He continued to instruct,

"bring your liberality unto Jerusalem."  

It would be termed, "gift".

Lastly, he guided,

"Let all be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV).

Again, Paul encourages the Corinthians to give generously.  The church and the poor in Jerusalem still needed help.  They should follow through on what had already been collected.  Furthermore, Titus, now a well-known evangelist and man of integrity, would be entrusted to carry and deliver their monetary offering.

He stirred them up by, ooo, comparison!  Aren't comparisons, taboo?  Paul tells them the Macedonian believers even though poor, gave what they could, plus more they could barely afford.  You guys in Corinth are wealthy.  Give accordingly!

The key to this though was that they

 "gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us"                                 (1 Corinthians 8:5 ESV).

Since the Corinthians felt pretty good that they excelled in several areas, Paul, with tongue-in-cheek, says,

"see that you excel in this act of grace also" (2 Corinthians 8:7 ESV).

It wasn't exactly a command.  Instead, Paul cleverly goaded them,

 "to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine"                                (2 Corinthians 8:8 ESV).

At times we give, perhaps reluctantly, for the furtherance of our Lord and King Jesus' kingdom's matters.  Maybe saying, "They just want more!" or "Again!!?"  Of course we need to have good stewardship of what the Lord gives us but do we have a stingy, reluctant heart?

Paul gives good reasons for giving in this instance.  And his best and biggest 'high stake' reason is Jesus Himself.  Jesus came from Heaven to Earth; from richness in glory to poverty among the poor.  Yet He did this so we could become rich in God and in our spirits.

Our Jesus, our Savior, came to ransom our souls to give us life eternal.  He paid the debt from the sins we commited and for our sins due to The Fall (but this is another story for some other time).

Jesus gave His all.  He gave it for the Corinthians.  Could they not give theirs for Him and His people in need?

And Jesus didn't just begin His work on earth, He brought it to completion.  Paul noted to the Corinthians.

"[You], a whole year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it ..."        (2 Corinthains 8:10 ESV).

We make starts of things maybe out of guilt or an initial enthusiasm but there's a following through to do.  Paul continued to admonish,

"so now finish doing it, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have " ( 2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV).

Yes, sometimes we need time to work through things in our hearts and minds.  It's ironic what this saying by the American businessman Glenn Turner, convey's.  He may have been not above board in some areas but he seems to have gotten this right...

"The last parts of us to be converted are our pockets and purses."

The Israelites of the Old Testament were told to give of the best of their firstfruits of their grain, livestock and so on.  It was to be a first action, not a last (see Exodus 23:19).

God gave of His best.  He gave His One and Only son that we might be saved and have everlasting life (see John 3:16).

This Lord's day, remember God's freewill offering and 'burnt offering' - His giving of His all for us, coupled with Jesus' desire to complete what He had started, and then doing so.  Partake of the broken bread and the cup of wine, symbols of His death and paying for our pardon, do so with thanksgiving.

Do so, with generosity of our firstfruits, money, possessions, time, and energy.  What He asks, let's serve Him and give Him our all.  Let's desire to do it, complete it out of what we have, just like Jesus did (see John 19:30; 17:4; 4:34; and Hebrews 10:12).

                                                    ~  ERC  June 2026   ~

Based on 2 Corinthians 8 ESV.

Sing, Jesus Paid It All, along with Kim Walker-Smith.

See related article:  Pockets and Purses.

Pastor E's Motorbike

 Pastor E's bio looks something like this ...

NAME:  Pastor E.

AGE:  old enough to drive but younger than Jesus was when he began active ministry

GENDER:  Male

ADDRESS:  remote rural village

TITLE:  Besides 'pastor,' there's Servant of Jesus Christ

CORE SKILL:  Caring.  Able to communicate God's Word; reaching out to youth in surrounding region; lead a congregation

KEY ACHIEVEMENT:  Gather youth to be present at an unscheduled mid-week meeting; completed one year of active ministry

TARGET VALUE:  To love, honor, worship and serve Jesus Christ with integrity and store up treasure in heaven; being part of the maintaining unity of the Sprit in the bond of peace; sustained daily humble walk with the Lord

CHARACTER:  Humble, loving care, joyful.

As you can see, Pastor E. is quite a young and energetic and caring man of God.  His hopes and ambitions focus on God and His kingdom through Jesus Christ.  Besides these qualitites, the observer can take note of how joyful his countenance is.  He radiates the joy of the Lord, who is his strength.

His desire to reach out to not only his own assigned congregation, but especially the youth even in other neighboring villages.  To be more effective and efficient, Pastor E. desired and prayed for a motorbike.  He prayed and prayed and one day as he was going about the Lord's business, another brother approached him.

The brother said, "Here's $10,000 for your use."

Pastor E was amazed.  He'd only asked the Lord for a motorbike.  But, well, here was a brother donating enough funds for the desire of his heart to aid his ministry!  It was a bountiful gift.  Isn't this wonderfully amazing!

Of course, Pastor E. realized that not everything he asks God for, he'll get.  He knows that not everything is good or needed.  But he does recognize God is good and will supply his need.

Scripture tell us,

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 ESV).

Now Pastor E. goes on his way rejoicing in the Lord, bouncing all over those unpaved, potholey  roads, village to village, giving all praise and honor to God His Father.  All glory be to God.

Lord, thank You for this young Pastor E.  Watch over him and may he praise You day and night.  Raise up many more such sincere young brothers for similar tasks.  May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with Pasor E.'s spirit and those others too, when You raise them up.  I ask in Your most precious name.  Amen.

                                             ~ ERC  June  2026  ~

Based on a true story/testimony.

Sing, My God Shall Supply All Your Need, along with Songs From Scripture (Abe & Liza).

The Second Letter (2 Conithians 7 ESV)

The practice of writing snail mail letters is more or less obsolete.  Most of today's generation have no idea of the joyous feel of receiving and reading a missive from a friend or relative.  Something that you can feel the texture of, maybe even the smell of some lingering fragrance, and hear the crinkle of  paper unfolding and smoothed out, the turning of a page ...

It makes one feel nostalgic.

It used to be so thrilling to even get a birthday card via snail mail.  Just like clockwork my grandfather would send a card.  What's more, we'd open that card very carefully so the money gift would not fall out.  It was a highlight of the occasion.

The art of sitting down, thinking out, writing out, taking time and more thought, paper and ink, to write and to connect with others on a more intrinsic level brought substance to our lives.  The unseen sentiment and loving care of a relative or friend 'stitched' into the letter writing is irreplaceable.

Can you get the feel of all that?

What must it have been like to get a letter from the apostle Paul!  Well, sometimes he admonished to set things straight.  Sometimes he taught and explained.  Sometimes he commended and greeted.

And maybe at times, they didn't really understand or appreciate what he was getting at, but it was real, pro-active caring communication.  He couldn't be there in person but he could still connect in a personal way.

Even in this seventh chapter of 2 Corinthians you can feel his love and care for these believers.

"I am overflowing with joy" (vs 9).

Despite his hardships and affliction and their lack of room in their hearts for him (see vs 2), he was still proud of them, like a father to his children.  He ...

 "rejoiced ... because [they] were grieved (by his 1st letter), into repenting" (vs 9).

They'd taken his rebuke and corrective measures and responded positively.  Oh how we'd like our own children to do so too!

And Paul said,

"Therefore we are comforted ... we rejoiced ... [they had] refreshed" Titus (vs 13 ESV).

He continued,

"I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you" (vs 16 ESV).

We may not always fully trust our own children but when we can, we certainly do rejoice.

This letter has been divided into chapters, but it would have been running commentary on individual sheets of papyrus back in Paul's day.  In our own known experience it may have been equal in length to a 10-15 or so, page letter.

So chapter 7 and verse 1 actually seems like it belongs to chapter 6.  This is where Paul talks about,

 "coming out from among them, and be ye separate" (KJV vs 17).

Coming out from among the unclean society.  They had no choice but to be in that place but they did not have to be of it.  He wanted the Corinthian believers to be holy as God is holy.

This speaks to us nowadays too.  The promises that our Lord Almighty would welcome them as sons and daughters when they were 'clean,' was imperative.

It was an ongoing process of progressive sanctification.  Paul penned,

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God"                                 (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV).

In this day and age, we can work on aiming towards this goal.  God keeps His promises.  May all of us followers of Jesus Christ work towards this holiness too.

We can also treasure this letter, after all it's actually a letter from God Himself.  

How special is that!

                                             ~  ERC  June 2026  ~

Based on 2 Corinthians 7 ESV.

Sing, Again I Say Rejoice, along with Divine Hymns.

Link: Open-Armed Welcome.

POEM - Jungle Joy

          The children

          ran

freely.

The village

their playground.

But they didn't 

go far.

They stayed close to the

community hub ...

The pastor's parsonage,

where

interesting activity 

had arrived.

The guests could see

the jungle joy

and freedom.

NO handphones!

Children 

climbing

fruit-laden jambu trees,

plucking and 

eating

their fill.

Down they came,

raced about,

testing each others strength.

Then,

to see

 and welcome

the new arrivals.

They approached.

Shy faces,

Curious faces,

Friendly faces,

grinning

up

at us.

There's 

a welcome 

here.

"Hello."

Cautious smile. 

"Hello."

Gentle handshake.

Smile.

Two-way street -

Acknowledgement.

Acceptance.

Joy,

ran freely. 

~  ERC  June 2026  ~

Book Review - AKA Montana -The Rise and Fall of an Italian Drug Lord - By Fabio Amato - Publication Date: 24 June 2026

 I wouldn't usually choose such a book as this, but curiosity got the best of me, so I requested to read this biography.  It was indeed an eye-opener into the depths of despair and the deparavity into which a person can fall when living life surrounded by drugs.  Donato, the Drug Lord, also known as AKA Montana, spent the good part of his prime youth and subsequent years immersed in this type of scene.

I like it that this book can be used as a revelation, discovery, and bombshell against any would-be youth tempted into this deplorable lifestyle.  In my opinion, it could also encourage those who feel they are prisoners to the drugs, and the environment attached to it, that there can be a way to determinedly crawl and climb out of it.  This is a very hopeful message, I feel.

For a biography, I felt that although some of the read was a bit sluggish and in other sections difficult to read and learn about, it mostly ran along very intrigingly.  It's not every day one reads a real life, non-fiction account of this in-depth look at a life spent in this trade and fully committed to the lucretive culture of illicit substances.

                                              ~ Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger  

                                                               June 2026

Disclaimer:  This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Read review on Goodreads.

Open-Armed Welcome (1 Corinthians 6: especially vs 17 & 18 ESV)

 It sounds arrogant to say, come away from those people, be separate from them, they are 'unclean.'  Then and only then, you are welcome into our elite 'clean' group.  

We all know what it was liked to live so exceedlingly separated during the Covid years.  Do we go back to that scenaro?

Take a look at the context of the text though.  Even parents warn their children, especially their teens who crave independance, that they need to be wary of certain groups of people.  Watch out for the drug scene, gangs and those who'd lead you astray into bad company.  This is wise instruction.

However, if we walk among certain groups of people, we will be affected by their beliefs and actions.  It could be a slow drift into them and eventually we become an 'in' member.  We have come into agreement with their core values and standards some of which could be an illicit culture.

It's a choice then, we need to personally make, just as it was for the Corinthians Paul was writing this second letter to.  Corinth was a promicuous society.

Sexual immorality abounded, apparently.  There was  immense wealth and much materialism and ethnic diversity.  It was a Roman colony.  This was 'Sin City' (AI Overview).

The higher up Roman elites let it be known they were 'elite'.  They condescended upon those they considered beneath them.  This early Corinthian church had representatives from across this stratification.

Due to his tent making, often considered, awnings, made for, for example, hawker stalls  at the Roman games, Paul got to rub shoulders with a cross-section of the diverse crowds.  He knew the temptations that could come ones way.  He knew the city vibes.

He knew he should not linger, loiter or mingle.  He should be in the world but not of it.  He knew what he was talking about and therefore taught these believers to

 "be separate".

Separate from the uncleaness and lures of their society from which they had been rescued by Jesus.  Old habits needed to die, old influences relinquished and the new creation in Christ had to grow.

The way to do so was to ...

"Therefore go out from their midst," 

Paul wrote, 

"and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you ..." (2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV).

That society had been their confidence, their benefactor of sorts.  But now, if they'd be separate from all that, the Lord Almighty promised to be a father to them.  He'd be their protector.  And he'd welcome them.

It's so nice to be welcomed by someone.  An open-armed welcome is so sweet.  May each of us too, have this experience as we keep ourselves separate from unclean things - the things that would taint our Christian behavior, walk and talk.

Then we can go out and sincerely preach the gospel with pure hearts and minds, remembering we are Almighty God's sons and daughters.  Let's be holy as He is holy (see 1 Peter 1:15).

                                                ~  ERC  June 2026  ~

Based on 2 Corinthians 6: especially vs 17 & 18 ESV.

Sing, Holy, Holy , Holy, Lord God Almighty, along with Chet Valley Hymns and Songs.

Photo Credits:  Jane Koh.

Earnest Longing (2 Corinthians 5:1`-5 ESV/KJV)

 May our "inner selves" be renewed day by day allowing spiritual growth to abound and our relationship with Jesus to become stronger every day (see 2 Corithians 4:16 ESV).

And as the tabernacle we live in dissolves, we can earnestly long for our heavenly dwelling more and more.  That has been the case with several believers in Jesus Christ I have known.

My Dad was one of them.  He'd be heard to say that "Perhaps Today" it would happen.  This is NOT to say he was suicidal.  No way!

Rather, he expectantly awaited the rapure of all the saints of God to go up to be with Jesus, en masse.  Then we would be together forever, with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Getting to see Jesus was more his focus though.  In the end, some of Dad's children longed for him to go, even solo, because of his being 'trapped' in his earthly body and the declined mental capacity that Alzheimer's Disease ravished.

It was so devasting to witness.  And so we 'groaned' about his earthly body, when he no longer could even think of "perhaps today".

One day, we, God's children, will have our mortal flesh "swallowed up" by everlasing life, and changed bodies.  Until then, our guarantor, the Holy Spirit, indwells us teaching us patience.

So we can, praise the Lord, singing, "Hallelujah!" every day as we ...

 " ... long to put on our heavenly dwelling" (vs 2).

We earnestly long for and patiently wait ... perhaps today!

                                              ~  ERC  June 2026  ~

Based on 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 ESV/KJV.

Sing, When the Trumpet of the Lord Shall Sound, along with Grace Bible Church.