2 Cor 2 Love (a 3 fold cord of covenant) It Hurts for others, Repents and Obeys

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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2 Corinthians 2
1 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

Forgiveness for the Sinner
5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.
9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
Ministers of the New Covenant
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters[a] who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 2:17 Some manuscripts read the rest of the hucksters.

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
I think I’m finally learning that all love is not glee and happiness, and ease. More than that, a true love that comes from God, sees another and lays down for that other. Sees another’s needs above his own right to be right or to desire something accomplished in a certain manner. They see that it is not as important as extending one’s soul for the souls of men. That extension of the soul is not without pain.
It is very much likened to a woman having a child. First she may feel quite queasy or even more intense than that on a daily basis for up to 9 months, then she begins to stretch and stretch and stretch. As she stretches, the rest of her body goes through tremendous changes to compensate and prepare and make way for another person to come through her life. When labor-day comes, she is not all “la-te-da” about it. It is work and it is worth it to bring forth another life. There is pressure, a great squeeze, and potential for fear and pain. Yet after however long it takes and how much toil, a child, another person to love and care for, is born.
That is only the beginning. She has been stretched beyond herself and should get to rest and recover, but that new life needs nurturing and does not sleep often, though she does like to sleep, and needs to, and wants to in order toto heal, or maybe return back to “normal”.
When a woman gives her life to bring forth another life, there is no more “normal” for her, everything from here on out changes! The amount of love that comes in giving even through inconvenience, toil and pain, is amazing, there’s nothing like it, ever. You can tell that there’s nothing like it, because through it all she’s willing to go through it again!
That’s true love. It is a love that lays down its life for another; its will for others; its desire for others. This is “normal” living, anything other than this is self serving and not from God.
Paul was a “mother”, had the heart of a mother for Christ’s bride, the “church”. He was set by God to raise her up and bring her into a more perfected state. He felt the pain of love. As Jesus also lived out the extreme pain of love for an unsaved rejecting world. Jesus said to us, no greater love, than a man (person) lay down his life for another. Paul was showing this by the pain he was willing to suffer for the object of His father’s love.
Love forgives and restores offenders.
Love gives to those who hurt us, not expecting a return. OUCH!
Love comforts
Love reaffirms
Repentance is love, love repents. Love loves repentance
Love is captivated, a captive to love, a prisoner of unselfishness.
Love obeys (Both God and the people He sets us up with to love. Does it ever hurt to obey? –in a godly manner? Or do we always have to be particular and make sure every iota is covered before we ever consider it? Consider this, disobedience hurt much worse and the continual practice and exercise of it is dangerous- it effected eternity it was so strong, and so obedience because of love is stronger!)
Whom we love is who we obey
Our Lord weighs every heart thought and deeply seated motive, there is nothing hidden from His sight. “Adam” (means earth man), where are you? Are you in love with Him, do you love who He loves?

Daily Thought to Ponder -
“Oh Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!”