2 Corinthians 8:20 (KJV) Honest Things

2 Corinthians 8:20 (KJV)
Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

Second Corinthians chapter eight is about two things:

• Generous giving and
• The men who administer it

While the only names provided us are Paul and Titus, there is a reference to another in verse eighteen and of “our brethren” in verse twenty-three. 

Paul took personal responsibility in,
2 Corinthians 8:21
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 

If we would ask people to be generous, we must expect to provide for honest things in the administration of those offerings. It is true that the gift given to God must be freely given and let go of. It does not follow that such allows for careless use of the gift so generously and freely given.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

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2 Corinthians 8:20 (KJV) Honest Things

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2 Corinthians 7:10 (KJV) The Age of Depression

2 Corinthians 7:10 (KJV)
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The first examples of the truth delivered in this passage that come to my mind is that of Judas and Peter. 

• Both men denied Jesus in the tough time
• Both were struck with conviction at their denial of Jesus Christ 
• Both sorrowed and were obviously distraught with their actions

But one man repented and led the first and greatest revival since the resurrection of Christ while the other went out and hung himself. 

We live in an age of depression. The statistics are staggering. The growth of the mental health industry is alarming, and yet it is not making a difference. Just this week, I learned of three, I wrote correctly, three New York police officers who committed suicide. What the circumstances were, I do not know. I do know this is tragic. 

Despite what the atheist agnostic and mental health professional will say, there is only one way to reverse this epidemic; turn the sorrow of this world into godly sorrow. We must acknowledge God and the breaking of His standards. We must honestly confess our sins to God. We must grieve over this sin. We must mortify the seeds of the body. Then we must embrace and rejoice in the promises of God. 

• A promise of kinship
• A promise of cleansing and
• A promise of forgiveness 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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2 Corinthians 7:10 (KJV) The Age of Depression

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2 Corinthians 6:1 (KJV) Vain Grace

2 Corinthians 6:1 (KJV)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Perhaps the companion passage, the one that interprets this passage best for us is 

James 2:14-26 (KJV)
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

To have received this Gospel grace and to leave it untapped, untried and unused is vanity indeed. 
Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

What a tragedy to possess so great salvation and then to neglect it. 

• To ignore the preaching of God’s Word
• To backslide and rebel against it
• To be a hearer of the Word and do nothing with it. 

This is to receive the grace of God in vain and it is, as James puts it, dead. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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2 Corinthians 6:1 (KJV) Vain Grace

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Exodus 1:12 (KJV) Don’t Lose Our Savor

Exodus 1:12 (KJV)
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

I wonder if the children of Israel knew that, in the midst of their affliction, God had blessed them with growth, and perhaps more importantly, the eye of Egypt? 

• That they were afflicted could have been such a preoccupation that they failed to see their numbers growing. 
• That Egypt was grieved because of them could have been such a concern that they did not see that such grief was a sign of their influence. 

Egypt would not have been grieved by an insignificant people. 

I am not sure that the current number of Christians is growing. 
The surveys taken these days would be so skewed by errors of presumption[1]that I doubt any count could be considered accurate.

I am sure that, these days, Christianity is a grief to those of the world. 
That grief ought to be interpreted as an indicator that we are fulfilling our function. We are acting as the salt of the earth. 

God help us not to lose our savor. 

---

[1]They would presume every Christian denomination is Christian. They would presume that everyone who claimed to be a Christian in previous decades is Christian. They would presume smaller groups of Christians such as the independent Baptists, should be included as a part of the larger Protestant count and not as a separate count by themselves. etc.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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Exodus 1:12 (KJV) Don’t Lose Our Savor

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2 Corinthians (KJV) 4:2-4 Resolved

2 Corinthians 4:2-4 (KJV)
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

I have, from time to time, returned to this chapter as almost a life theme. Paul’s sentiment here is so fitting for what has often been my experience in the ministry. 

I note today a resolution in the Apostle. 

• He had resolved not to use dishonesty 
• He had resolved not to attempt craftiness
• He had resolved to handle the Word of God with integrity 

And he had resolved to leave whatever comes of that between others and the Lord. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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2 Corinthians (KJV) 4:2-4 Resolved

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2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (KJV) Headed for the Ditch

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (KJV)
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

I can understand why the Jews have so much trouble with spiritual truth. Not knowing Christ, the Word of God – even their Old Testament is a mystery to them. They read it, study it and write about it but they are completely blind to its truth.

What is much more troublesome to me is that group of souls who claim to know Christ but hang the vail over the Word of God again. 

• They could know the Bible. 
• They could understand the Bible. 
• They could benefit from the Bible. 

Instead, they choose the path of the blind leaders known as the Jews. 

And like them, I am afraid they are headed for the ditch. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (KJV) Headed for the Ditch

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Please consider helping our church’s teen department by signing up for cash back shopping at http://www.dubli.com/M04VB. This program has three levels of participation, the first being completely free.

Genesis 47:6 (KJV) Men of Activity

Genesis 47:6 (KJV)
The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

We people are such hypocritical beings. The Egyptians considered shepherds an abomination but their own Pharaoh owned cattle. He may not have worked them himself but owning them made him a de facto shepherd.

On a more positive note, I am interested in the Pharaoh’s interest in “men of activity.” His experience with Joseph told him that these were people capable of production. He no doubt had his own employees over his cattle but Joseph might recommend someone able to get more increase for the same work. 

Men of activity will never be long out of work. Someone will see it. Someone will recognize the person who puts his hand to the plow. Be busy about whatever work you do, and someone will put you to even greater work.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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Genesis 47:6 (KJV) Men of Activity

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2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV) But in God

2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV)
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Exactly what were the circumstances to which Paul referred is uncertain. 

• Some believe he may have been sentenced to the beasts, or that when in Philippian jail they had condemned he and Silas to death. 
• Others believe this may have been a description of his state of depression when first arriving in Corinth. 
• It may also have been a cultivated state in which he said, “I die daily.”[1]

Whatever the occasion of his words, this trust is missing in much of Christianity these days. Paul believed he had nothing to offer. He was as good as dead. He could not help himself, let alone be a help to others. His only hope, his only rest, his only trust, was in God. 

We would be much more effective for Christ if we gave up our own life so He could truly live in us. 

---

[1]1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV)

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4600 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
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My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
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2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV) But in God

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Please consider helping our church’s teen department by signing up for cash back shopping at http://www.dubli.com/M04VB. This program has three levels of participation, the first being completely free.