The Devotional – 1093 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1093 – Foot Steps in Second Corinthians, On Going

This morning glancing at our local newspaper there was a name mentioned. It was the same name of a friend, but it was not my friend since the man in the paper was just half as old as my friend. Well I say friend, but it did not start out that way. His last name was “Wood” and most of us called him “Woody”! Now that is not odd, the military is big on nicknames as most referred to me as “Abe”! Woody and I sat for a spell in the Laundry on the ship and I shared the gospel with him. He accepted the LORD, we were both full of joy in the Spirit at that moment, but a few days later he came to me and said. “Abe, I have decided that I do not want to be saved, pray and ask the LORD to take it back!” I said that I would not pray and that even if I did, that what God has done cannot be undone, so you need to press on! Please note: Our friendship took a hit at that moment, but our relationship as brothers in Christ did not as time and the Spirit of God confirms.

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 2 Corinthians 7:13-16

The struggles of the apostle Paul with the church at Corinth were tough, yet there were seasons of time that the joy of living in the LORD under the power of the Holy Spirit were beyond words. There is not a lot of joy in Christendom these days and it just may be that we are losing ground with presenting the gospel to the lost, what is God’s Will in this thought? John 6:39.

An excerpt from Dr. Tom Constable’s exposition of the Book of Titus.

Titus was a Greek Gentile (Gal. 2:3). He had probably become a Christian under the influence of Paul, and subsequently became one of the apostle's protégés (Titus 1:4). Titus had been with Paul since the apostle's early ministry. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their mission of mercy to the Jerusalem church, when Paul was laboring in Antioch of Syria, Titus' home.

This happened before Paul's first missionary journey (Gal. 2:1; Acts 11:27-30). Titus was also Paul's special representative to the Corinthian church during Paul's third missionary journey. He carried the "severe letter" from Ephesus (2 Cor. 12:18; cf. 2 Cor. 2:3-4; 7:8-12) and, returning to Ephesus through Macedonia, met Paul in Macedonia (2 Cor. 7:6-16). He was, in addition, the leader of the group of men whom Paul sent to the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, to pick up the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:6, 16, 23).

Our lives as children of God should be filled with brothers and sisters in the LORD. Now you may say that this is not so with you, but this is simply not the case. My wife and I were talking about a couple who responded to yesterday’s devotional. The names were familiar to me, but I could not connect the faces. After talking with my wife, their faces came into view along with the ministry that we were involve with them in. What a joy this brought to our heart.

We do not have to be church planters, missionaries or any other thing than what God has planned for us in life. We only need to be walking by faith and living under the Power of the Holy Spirit and God will take care of leading us along His path. In closing this morning I would like to use another of Dr. Tom Constable’s findings about the man Titus.

"Tradition has it that Titus, having become first bishop of Crete, died there in advanced years. His successor, Andreas Cretensis, eulogized him in the following terms: 'The first foundation-stone of the Cretan church; the pillar of the truth; the stay of the faith; the never silent trumpet of the evangelical message; the exalted echo of Paul's own voice'."

Now I charge us all… should not every saint of God be an “echo” of Paul’s voice, if this is true and it is; than “I rejoice as the apostle Paul and have every confidence in you in everything!