Category Archives: Open worship

Global Christian forum for worship of the Lord God through the Holy Spirit in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord

As it is written

Posted on by
Reply

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him  was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.  John 1:1-5

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Who hath an ear to hear, let him hear.  Matthew 13:37-43

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  And beside this,  giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But he that lacked these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from the old sins. 2Peter1:2-9

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  But the rest of the dead lived not again until  the thousand years were finished. This the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6

And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.  But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them Deuteronomy 4:28-31

Irritant

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t want to sacrifice my comfort, but that is what God is asking of me.  What shall I do Lord, knowing what you ask of me, constantly threatened to give way to the undertow of my own self importance?  When will this narcissistic yearning end?  We both know that I am incapable of answering your call for my life while simultaneously listening to internal urges.  What then of those within the Church who bid me follow siren’s call, shall I walk away from them, rebuking as I go?  Shall I join them on the satin couch, reclining as the Great Day of Lord draws unavoidably near?  How might I approach someone else to rouse them from slumber when I am rubbernecking in my own sedentary saddle?

Give me peace Lord, the peace that surpasses my own inadequate capacity to discern.  Let me take the actions of my destiny, relinquishing any harbored dream of conducting the orchestra within my own sonnet.  Give me courage to lose sight of the shoreline following you to the other side of the lake, where You said we must go.  Take from me this foolish desire to quell the pull of change.  Give me Your power, gentleness, kindness and patience so that my words remain Yours, such that they do not see me be instead hear only Your Call.  Wake us from our disobedience slumber at the entrance to the garden.  Give us vigilant hearts, diligent minds and obedient spirits.

What fool am I to rest while enemies march upon our summit?  What idle recklessness is this thing in my heart that calls me to serve my own ideas when all that we hold Holy is threatened?  Where is my good sense when all five continuously seek the bitter, temporary and unfulfilling taste of sin over lasting righteousness, prayer and truth?  Make of me a man of character in this vital moment of my history.  Make my legacy that of a man who made the choice to serve God above all else, even my own voice.  Remove this susceptibility to the forces tugging my feet away from the skinny path.  Remind my feet upon which Rock they stand.  I shall not be moved for I am a man created in the image of God, not in the frail timidity of mortality or futile, despair of disobedient angels.  My call is clear, please Father let it remain so until the day of my transition to eternal worship.  Let me come home without regret knowing that I was a good and faithful servant for Your Everlasting Kingdom.

Hear my prayers of God.  Heal my heart, give me strength and courage to stand even when to do so costs me everything.  Your Will be served by the Church and all within.  In Jesus’ Name.

Given to pray

Posted on by
1

This day will be here for a short time, never coming again, its value expended as night turns to tomorrow.  You are on my heart, this day, this twenty-four hours beginning a new year.  Since, it is so valuable, this moment in time, let me utilize its entire potential impact in the lives of those for which I feel warmth or burden.  What then should I say to God, knowing fully that my words are always insufficient, my petition to God so important?

These are the groanings of my heart.  Give them strength, dear, precious Lord.  Strength beyond reason, beyond reserve, beyond attribution to personal effect, wealth, health or power.  Let their tears of joy or sorrow be shared with You in honest appeal for transformation.  May we know, each of us, the authentic deployment of our purpose, no longer guessing but fully and certainly committing to the Divine Intentions of God.  Let them see fear as an indicator of contention, a radar return, showing that their next attempt is valid, important and worthy of their courage.  Give them guidance by Love, for Love, through Love, empowered by Love to do things that require Your intervention, authority, strength, provision and courage in completion.  Arouse their Agape Passions to do those things that have been grown within their spirit, planted by the seed of Your Holy Word, watered by the Everlasting Waters of sacrifice and salvation, nurtured by Your Glorious Provision and Hope.

What comes is certainly going to be difficult, displeasing and in many respects frightening, as are all those moments when we meet the Truth of God’s unfolding plan for humanity.  I pray that You Fear the Lord our God more than anything else in this universal struggle, responding to that fear with reverence, allegiance, obedience and prayer.  I pray that you Love Him more than this life, so that you may rise to each challenge beyond your own understanding.  Father, write Your Holy and indisputable Word upon each of our hearts, such that we dream in tandem with Your Truth.  For as a man dreams, so does he walk.  I pray health become wealth, a wealth utilized in its fullness to further the Will of God.  Give them diminishing doubt and increasing faith, improving their anchored footing to the Rock of Ages, our salvation and place in this masterpiece.  Grant them peace when there is no reason for such calm, hope where there remains no evidence for optimism and take from them the burdens that resist their flight.

Father, remove me as the reason for contention in and among the brethren.  Let me create, nurture and preach harmony, consistency and total reliance on Your Will.  Let them know how much I love them as reflection of the Love You first gave me.  Take away the weight of this world, its cares, worries, sorrows and finite failure.  Give them eternal hearts, bound for everlasting and the requisite intention to change all things here.  Most of all answer their calls Lord, walk with them in such a way that they are certain of Your Holy Presence.  Let them show devotion and love to a world that is as undeserving as I have been.  Give us the courage to stand proclaiming Your Name, with rejoicing at the hour of our greatest trial.  Make us Your own, removing any veils, deception or vacillation.  Let us be what we were truly meant to be.  In Your name I pray to God the Father, thank you Lord Jesus for saving me long enough to make my prayers heard in Your ears this day.

Active vs Passive

Posted on by
1

Study to show yourself approved.  Present your bodies a living sacrifice.  Walk in the Spirit.  Put on the whole armour of God.  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.  Hear the word of the Lord.  Praise the Lord, all nations!  I must ask the Lord for forgiveness for those who do not know what they are doing.  I must not judge or personally interpret the motivations of a man’s heart, for I am incapable of truly knowing anyone’s heart.  Besides some things are God’s prerogative.  However, I will make a simple observation.  Christianity is entirely an active faith and where we see inaction, lethargy, complacency and passivity, we are certain that the Holy Spirit is not in position of priority.

The Bible calls us to action, certainly there are times when we are told to wait upon the Lord, but that is to develop patience, dependence and a faith walked out by His Will, so that His plan guides our actions, not so we can feel comfortable remaining sedentary.  We are not a people who were ever meant to stand still, congregate without purpose or become members of an organization then bask in the benefits.  We are workers for the harvest, and work is an active pursuit.

We were designed to leave the 99 and go search for the one.  That does not mean we spend our time as the Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon’s or any other socially inspired organization, combing the neighborhoods for new recruits.  It is not about my, your or anybody’s church as a functional organization, business or effective membership structure, it is about going to all corners of the Earth, spreading the Good News of Christ, planting seeds that He might germinate, grow, feed, water and harvest.

We have a problem, Houston.  If the church owns millions of dollars of hard assets and does no local mission work, revivals, soup kitchen work, homeless support, hospital/elderly visitation, remains ignorant of widows, orphans or the poor and takes no active participation against social travesties, then we have become a passive facsimile of what Christ intended.  Membership is not Biblical, keeping track of my tithe is not Biblical, staying within the church and never venturing out to find the lost, for the purpose of spreading the Good News of Christ is not Biblical.

Why then have we fallen pray to the predictable script of two songs, several announcements, praise, prayer and 30 minutes of professional pastory on an elevated dais, then one more song, maybe an altar call and dismissal to brief fellowship and socialization?  And this is a nation wide, denomination wide, possibly global phenomena.  Why are all the churches following the same agenda, format and schedule?  Granted, when I say all there are always those who remain outside the mold.  Not wishing to have an Elijah type rebuke by the Lord where He tells me that even this day there are many who never bowed to Baal, I must concede the generalizations.

My dilemma remains. I have the choice between three options, remain silent and suck it up, walk away from the church who is caught up in worldly structure and pursuits or speak out, taking the likely chance that I will be disliked, ostracized, persecuted or ignored.  I do not want to call pastors, elders and deacons out, but isn’t that we are called to do?  Wake up folks, if I am wrong I will gladly apologize and seek silence, but what if I am right?  How have we been caught up in this sham, having been deceived into abdicating our Ambassadorial authority?

We have quenched the Holy Spirit to a point that we no longer recognize His power, authority and voice in the Church.  People are truly astounded when they see His Power, to the point that they do not know what to do, run away or toward His presence.  Where is the healing, where are the massive conversions of conviction, where are the revivals, where are the hearts turning back to the Lord in droves, answering the Spirit’s Call?

People have been forced into membership groups where those who are on the list get the services, honor, respect and care while those who aren’t remain outsiders, typically, eventually and invariably leaving the church body.  Membership segregates, presenting barriers to entry that decrease Church efficacy with the surrounding public.  People are told that Christianity is inclusive, but what they see is no different then worldly club structure.  Certainly, behavior may be a bit better, less slander, cursing, back-biting and wickedness but the worldly structure is consistent with those organizations we see in work, home or play.  People are looking for something different.

The Church does not belong to bank or does it?  The Church does not belong to its largest contributors or does it?  The Holy Spirit indwells every believer, or does it?  We are all equal members of the Body of Christ.  All Christians are saints, princes/princesses and priests.  There is no ruling class as in Catholicism for this is the practice of the professional clergy vs the laity that Christ “hated” in Revelation.

I want to serve Christ in a Church body where we are all preachers, teachers, prophets, healers, administrators and servants of each other for Christ.  Certainly God accounts for the oxen eating from the harvest but we have taken that and superimposed over top the worldly structure of a top down leadership that Christ never intended.  I cannot afford good clothing, so I must sit in a place where I am seldom noticed for my poverty.  I am often filthy for having worked or been in the field spreading love and the Good News to the lost and the lame.  My family, my brothers and my sisters are caught up in drugs, alcohol and sinly pursuits.  Must I fain that this is not the truth, choosing to keep these realities to myself in hopes of being acceptable to a group of elders that never really loved me in the first place?  All I wish to do is love people, all people including the lost as Christ told me to do.  I wish to spread the gift of Grace I was first given, when He found me and set me free from sin and death.   I should be refreshed when coming into the Church body not thrown into greater anxiety caused by an attempt to measure up to rules, membership and monetary regulations I have no hope of meeting.

Please forgive me for working out my salvation with fear and trembling.  Please forgive me for presenting my frustration in a way that may elevate your anxiety.  Please forgive me for saying things that make you feel uncomfortable, unless and I pray this is the case that these words are those placed upon my heart by the Holy Spirit of God.  I must speak out.  I feel compelled to tell this truth, ask these questions, convict even myself regarding my ridiculous action.  I will therefore accept the repercussions of my choice in speaking out.  Lord I pray that I have done Your Work this day and brought people closer to the knowledge of the Truth.  Please forgive me if I have offended You or pushed anyone further away from that moment of acceptance and salvation.  In Your precious name I pray to the Father, Lord Jesus Christ the King.

Nothing left to do

Posted on by
Reply

Stop trying, start freely and openly surrendering the misaligned areas of your life to God.  Christianity is not about trying harder, or being good enough or even about building your patience through perseverance.  These things we want changed require an expert physician, a healer who may transform past occurrences into future successes.  They require the only one capable of forgiving our sin and removing its stain to allow a rebirth.  I am not patient, but the Lord is teaching me patience.  I have some frustration issues but I know that the Lord is covering me with His Love and removing my desire to control every outcome.  I am often incapable of forgiving my enemies and those who have hurt me yet strangely as the Lord works in my spirit at some point my grudges, upset and unforgiveness disappear.  That is the Spirit of Almighty God at work in each believer, transforming, softening up fallow ground making us more like Him.

What then am I to do as a “good” Christian if not deeds?  This is the most difficult part for human beings to grasp.  We are so captured by the world’s idea of success being tied to performance that we bring this concept into the churches even requiring others to rise to our own poor understanding.  Eternity is not about the things that I do.  It is about the things that “HE HAS ALREADY DONE”.  Certainly we are being sanctified to spend eternity with a Holy God but that is a process accomplished through belief, surrender and works of the Spirit of God, not by us.  Yes, I must stand in good courage fully rooted in the knowledge of the presence of God in my life, but I am not meant to win any battle because the battles we fight are with powers and principalities over which we personally have no impact.  Hallelujah they have been defeated by Jesus and are subject to His authority that dwells in each of us.  So, if we remind them whom we serve, pulling the two-edged sword of His Word they must flee, but that has nothing to do with my works only my understanding, faith and walk.

Yes, the Lord has given me directives, tasking and objectives but they are His objectives, His outcomes, His Plans, not my own.  Therefore I am absent responsibility for the outcome only the attendance and surrender.  He will complete that which He first started in each of us.  He is steadfast, righteous and faithful.  He loves you I hope that you know that.  No, I hope that you get it way down deep inside where it really matters.  For words like hope, faith and love don’t require evidence or knowledge akin to man’s intelligence or legal support.  Let me demonstrate.  Do you love your Father and your Mother?  You say, of course.  Prove it.

Yes, I know God loves me.  Yes, I do what He wants me to do because I love and respect Him.  I am not looking for a crown, but He will give me one, or perhaps more.  I am not looking for a house, though He will give me a mansion.  I am not looking for this life to last forever, though He HAS GIVEN ME ETERNITY.  I am not perfect, but He is shaping to me in His perfect image.  I try because I want to not because it earns me anything.  I want to please my Father, that is natural for a loving son.  My job is to love Him and love you.  Loving you enough to tell you how to be set free from sin and death.  Loving you enough to introduce you to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Loving you enough to give you what I have been given, freeing you from what you have mistakenly thought that you need to do.  I cannot earn a place in heaven, I have been given one.  Praise the name of God, through Christ Jesus I pray.

True

Posted on by
Reply

Would it be true for me to say that I take all of my decisions to the Lord before choosing a path?  Would it be true to say that today I treated each person I encountered in a way that reflected the way I would want to be loved?  Would it be true that I have forgiven everyone whom offended me, especially those whom would be my enemies?  Would it be true that I loved my wife as Christ loved the church?  Would it be true that I put God first in a position that recognized His authority, sovereignty and unique position as the only object of my worship?  Would it be true that I walked as if I have been filled, indwelt, accompanied, counseled and taught by the Holy Spirit?  Would it be true that I remain a light and salt, preserving, sponsoring and convicting this world through God’s Word, prayer and observable living?  Would it be true that I live in this moment as if the Bible is True and I am responsible for my obedience to that Holy Word?

The truth is not meant for the lost alone.  In fact, the Truth of God’s Word should be established as necessary and unavoidable to those who have chosen to abide in Christ.  Do I perhaps avoid Truth as inconvenient, simply choosing to pull God’s double edge sword when my personal justification is not present?  What then is the power of Truth if it is subjected or susceptible to my personal reliance, interpretation or choice of timing and application?  Ouch, that one hurts.  How about for you?

Where can I go but to the Truth of God’s Word to determine my similarity in Christ.  How may I know if I am missing/making the mark as an ambassador if I have not firmly established the “Absolute Truth” of God’s Word as it applies to my every action?  I cannot depart from the Truth in convenience and ignore the conviction associated with misbehavior, as I am the Holy of Holies where God resides in this plane.  To deny that voice of Truth, making decisions based upon my own desires, understanding or misunderstanding immediately places me in the dangerous position of conflict with God.  In Truth, I have never heard any Christian claim that they wished for or invited hardship into their lives, yet that is exactly the outcome of this personal practice and flippant handling of Truth.

I sinned today, I recognized it, confessed it to God and turned away from it.  I followed that process purely based upon God’s Truth and my belief in its inerrant nature, its sufficiency and efficiency in removing the weighty implications of my sin.  I did not rely on my ability to conceal, justify, get over, ignore, cleanse or make up for that sin.  The Truth is that I can do nothing about my sin apart from Christ.  Just as Christ is the great dividing line of humanity, His forgiveness of sin is the great burden to which no other religion provides solution.  His Truth should be my Truth and when it isn’t I should immediately ask and receive His forgiveness for my transgression of that Truth.  I know that someday I will remain in Spirit all the time, never venturing from His Will, but today was obviously not that day.  For today’s transgression and in hope of my eventual total obedience to His Truth, I ask you Lord to forgive me and teach me how to remain steadfast to Your Truth, Always.  Praise God in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

Lining up

Posted on by
Reply

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20151121/ml–iran-israel-802f84ed57.html

How do you view recent worldly events that coincide with Biblical Prophecy?  Not how does you Pastor feel about, or what does your church think of it or what have you seen recent Christian pundits discuss, but what is your personal view?  You see the relationship between God and every Christian is a personal one.  It was a personal decision to accept Christ, a personal decision to follow Christ and equally a personal and individual decision to  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15) 

When discussing this matter with any of you I do not care what someone else has to say about these issues.  I only want to hear your view, for that is apparently how the Lord views it as well.  God forgive me if I have spoken incorrectly about His position.  Eternity will not allow us to take anything with us of a material nature, but it is clear that we will remember, regret or appreciate the things we did while in this life.  In fact, we will very clearly discuss this life with the Lord Jesus Christ when we meet Him face to face. 

How then do you see the enemies of God lining up for their part in the Battle of Gog and Magog, the tribulation times and the final battles on the day of Christ’s Second Coming, coincidentally a day that is spoken of in the Bible more than any other time in history or future.  Logically none of us would go to work, leaving the house improperly dressed, if we have seen the day is prone to inclement weather.  That would be foolishness.  It is equally foolish to leave the house ill equipped to be a Christian, not having studied or taken our work seriously for Christ.  Isn’t that taking the Lord’s name into the world in a vain attempt to accomplish something for which we have been ill advised, ill equipped or insufficiently prepared?  The Holy Spirit will give you the words that you must say, but have you taken time to know the person of the Holy Spirit so that you may recognize His Voice above the din and noise of this world?

We know that the rapture appears to be near, but none of us knows the day or the hour.  What if it comes after a time of persecution, where the prince of the world and his minions are given authority to make war against the saints?  What will you personally do when faced with the pressure of imminent loss by declaring your allegiance to God through Christ?  What will you personally do when the enemy armies entering Israel are culled by over 80% in one day?  Will you be one of those who hides his head in the sand or simply stands silent, when Bible Prophecy is fulfilled by the enemies of God in their attempt to conquer, defeat and destroy Israel?  Don’t you see the indications of the storm on the horizon and if you do not then you must not have studied what God says is soon and quickly coming for mankind?  Do you believe or did you just answer when times were tough and you wanted a free get out of hell card?  A man who believes acts upon that belief otherwise it is as James attested a “dead faith”.   

Have you asked your Pastor, elders and deacons to teach on Biblical eschatology?  If they aren’t teaching books like, Peter, John, Jude, 2nd Timothy, Daniel, Ezekiel, the minor prophets and Revelation, then I would ask you are you getting a mature understanding of God’s Word or just tickly parts?  Are we called to know truth or just the pieces that give us warm fuzzies and comfort?  Isn’t that the same reason for which people use marijuana?  Just another feel good exercise to escape the pain of life and reality?  This is a personal decision for each of us.  If you are aren’t being given the full truth then don’t you either wish to demand it be taught, seek it yourself or simply go somewhere where leaders fully accept the gravity of their responsibility as Shepherds for Christ?  If they aren’t teaching you everything at least ask them their reasoning?  I believe that the answers will surprise you.

Every one of us sees the rapid decay of social organizations, both in this country and abroad.  All of us have seen the emergence of Israel and a return to its land by God’s People.  Everyone of us sees now the obvious non-coincidence of Russia, Iran and other Biblical established characters being dragged into the battle surrounding Israel and its neighbors.  Simply look and read Isaiah 17-19 and you will see clearly that the actions in Syria and Egypt were predicted over 2700 hundred years ago.  If you will read you will know and your faith will grow.  That is a promise from God.  Hold on to Biblical truth, do not run from the trials of this life as God is always in charge, even those times when we have departed from His Will.  He is very clear and direct about His expectations and will for all of us as Christians.  If you are confused then you either have not read His Word regarding those expectations or you have chosen to disobey them.  Either way the responsibility is individual, each of us is personally accountable to God.  I see clearly Biblical Prophecy and the players in end times, “lining up” to a conflict with God.  They are about to lose BIG, doesn’t that make you want to jump for joy, praising God for His faithfulness.

Join me in singing God’s Praises for as the hymn proclaims, “Great is His Faithfulness” and we are meant to “Trust and Obey”.  Get to know God.  Learn and discuss His Word with the Holy Spirit, your family and the church.  So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free ‘?”  John 8:31-33.  The enemy wishes that you skip the work associated with being given the truth.  So, as always he twists God’s Word to make it easy, palatable and open available to even the wicked.  Jesus says you must continue in the word and then you will truly be disciples of His, then and only then will you be given the truth and be set free by it.  That is significantly different then the world’s twisted understanding of the simple phrase, “the truth shall set you free”.

God has prepared in foreknowledge for every twist, action, scheme and plan of the devil.  Remember God knew everything that the enemy would do before time began yet he still chose to create Him.  I don’t know about you but that gives me tremendous confidence in the Word of God and the 100% likelihood that those things which He said will come to pass are in fact about to happen.  Get right with God, get ready for His unfolding plan, get your hearts prepared for the return of our righteous Lord and keep your vigilant eyes heavenward assured of that imminent return.  Praise God for Jesus Christ the King.

I do not ask for anyone to follow me, it is Christ you seek and I pray that my words plant a seed within your heart to cry out to Him.  I am subject to the same sinful nature to which we all have entered through birth to this life.  Yes, I am striving, craving, asking and learning by the sanctification of God’s Holy Spirit to become an ambassador to reflect His Glory.  Do not for a moment believe that I find myself above, set apart, holier or better suited for the nice seats in the church or for the work God has set before each of us.  If I am successful in any measure with regard to the things of God then I will become invisible as you see the Master’s Light.  The following scripture should guide each of our thinking with regard to Kingdom work.  In its reading and review I see just how far I have come and equally or more greatly how far I have yet to follow Jesus.  I am not there yet, but someday, I will look into those eyes of fire and see that smiling face as I enter my real life to serve Him without the burdensome shroud of this sinful world.  Lord change my heart letting me become that which you’ve always intended.

2 Corinthians 6:1-10

We then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  (For he saith, I have heard these in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)  Giving no offence in any thing that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet away rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.