Emanuel

Q2. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) In what sense are we “living letters”? In what way can people “read us”? Why is it so important to be authentic, not phony, in our lives? What happens when people “read” something in you that they admire and mention it to you? How might you respond appropriately? I bring to mind here the expression "I can read you like a book", well you cant judge a book by its cover and to be read like a book you must allow your pages to be read. To do this just open your heart, let your love shine through and show the character of Christ. Every day for me is a "Red Letter Day" Sincerity is a committement, and our actions speak louder than words, it is of paramount importance to be authentic, to be real about our faith, shallow deeds will be seen through in an instant. We are servants of God, to take His word to all we come into contact with, with sincerity and unselfish motives, and if we are to gain anything from it, it should be the knowledge of being obedient to Him. Emanuel

Q1. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a) In what sense is knowing God fragrant to people who are open to God? In what way is this fragrance repugnant to people who are closed to God? Have you suppressed your “fragrance” because some people are allergic to Christian perfume? If so, how can you regain the fragrance of Christ’s gospel? We are all as Christians expected to take on the "character" and likeness of Christ to the best of our abilty as we are enabled. I like to think that as I walk, it is with Him, as I talk, it is with Him and so others around me are subjected to this whether they like it or not. One thing I do know and that is, that people who are open to God have no problem with it at all and to those who are not, well its a perfect opportunity to witness. Most people who find it repugnant are really scared of letting the truth in, so react accordingly, its as If they want to see before believing, looking for something tangeable, if only they would believe and then they would, like me, "see" Emanuel

Q3. (2 Corinthians 2:9) How does obedience to servant leaders help the church of Jesus Christ? How does obedience to self-serving leaders hurt the church? Are you obedient to those whom God has placed over you in the Lord? Why or why not? What is the relationship between obedience and church unity? Obedience to servant leaders in the church promotes unity, no one likes disunity in "their family" and as such we bend to the authority invested in leadership. Obedience to self-serving leaders causes disunity in the church and besides that, our focus is skewed, we lean towards disunity and division. Leadership by any account should be towards service to Him and not self. Scripture places us under no doubt as to how we should relate to our leaders, respect and obey. There will never be church unity when self-serving or disobedience is allowed to flourish. Emanuel

2 Corinthians 1:24 - What does it mean "to lord it over" someone? What is the balance between (1) good, strong leadership (2) micromanaging, and (3) a complete laissez-faire approach to leadership? What are the dangers of an authoritative leadership style? What are the dangers of a weak leadership style? Having the upper hand in any given situation can be very advantageous, but if used in such a manner as to come across with a "Lording it over" attitude it can become destructive. It is obvious that Paul did not want to cause any more further "pain" here to the Church at Corinth but to gently encourage. Good strong leadership should be authoritative but tempered with respect and humbleness and firmness, and to micromanage is akin to sticking on a bandaid plaster, a quick fix, very shallow and will not stand up to scrutiny. As regards to laissez-faire approach, that is like handing over responsibilty and allowing people to make their own descisions and work under their own steam, without proper guidance and direction can only lead to failure. Being over authoritative can lead to resentment and discord yet to be too weak will definately lead to contempt of authority. Emanuel

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:21b-22) According to this verse, what does the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives signify? How does the Spirit unite us with God? What is the promise of future blessing inherent in the Spirit’s presence? We stand firm in Christ because His spirit has annointed us and we are "found in Him". The Spirit unites us by this annointing and marks us as His property, to be used by Him and for us to serve. By accepting Him into our lives, by coming to the foot of the cross and believing on Him we are guranteed life eternal, an assurance of Salvation, a living Hope. Emanuel

Q3. (2 Corinthians 1:10-11) Why does Paul ask people to pray for him? How do the prayers of others have an effect? What happened in your life that has helped you enter into a ministry of intercessory prayer? There is strength in numbers and I for one always feel comforted hearing prayers of others during corporate prayer, praying alone can sometimes feel like one "crying out in the wilderness". I am not saying dont pray alone as there is a certain "personal connection" whilst doing so and when I pray during my "quiet time" it is very special, just as if I have God all to myself! So much has happened in my life and I have witnessed the power of prayer, we all need prayer and anyway how could a person turn his back on the needs of others. Emanuel The power of prayer cannot be diminished by distance; it is not limited by age, infirmity or daily duty; political changes and restrictions cannot alter its effectiveness; for the word still stands, “If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it”. The power of prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can only be undermined by neglect. Hudson Taylor

Q3. (2 Corinthians 1:10-11) Why does Paul ask people to pray for him? How do the prayers of others have an effect? What happened in your life that has helped you enter into a ministry of intercessory prayer? There is strength in numbers and I for one always feel comforted hearing prayers of others during corporate prayer, praying alone can sometimes feel like one "crying out in the wilderness". I am not saying dont pray alone as there is a certain "personal connection" whilst doing so and when I pray during my "quiet time" it is very special, just as if I have God all to myself! So much has happened in my life and I have witnessed the power of prayer, we all need prayer and anyway how could a person turn his back on the needs of others. Emanuel The power of prayer cannot be diminished by distance; it is not limited by age, infirmity or daily duty; political changes and restrictions cannot alter its effectiveness; for the word still stands, “If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it”. The power of prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can only be undermined by neglect. Hudson Taylor

Q2. Growing through Crisis Any crisis that I undergo no matter how trivial or otherwise, just reconfirms time and again that I can do anything with Him by my side. Every positive outcome, and there is never a negative! is a witness to His love and as I walk with Him on a daily basis I grow to love Him more and more. It's like being a child I suppose, which is what we are really in His eyes, and as a child I just know that I have the love and support of my Father in Heaven and my love for Him just grows and grows. Having been a nominal Christian for most of my life, the death of my wife (who was born again) from cancer in 2004 brought me face to face with Him. If ever there was a crisis in my life then it was then. He lifted me up, He showed me the way and He opened my eyes. He has since brought another Christian woman into my life and I am now remarried and together we walk in the way of the Lord as he enables us on a daily basis. Oh what joy! One thing I do know and that is, that even the non Christian realises that "you can't go it alone". Once, many years ago whilst out sailing, we lost our steering and we were in a storm. Whilst battling to keep things under control and trying to stay calm there was a lot of panic from the novice crew that were with us. Some were crying out to God for help and I as a non Christian as I was then, was not, I was just getting on with the job at hand not wanting to admit that I needed help, well the seed was planted because we came through and I realise that even then He was with me and my pride just wouldnt let me see it. What a fool I was! Today I will not leave the house without saying a prayer, I am not a fool anymore and know just who is in control of my life. All of life's trials are witness to His love and support of us, and as mentioned in my previous post "He will never leave us or forsake us" what better testimony can we give to others than this," He died so that we might have life". and as His servant I will serve to the best of my ability, to spread the good news. Emanuel

Q1. Comfort and Comforting. Having only come to faith at a late stage of my life (2008 at the age of 61) I have travelled a long road of pain and suffering. If only I had known my saviour then,oh what a difference it would have made. One thing I now know, and that is this, "Nothing can ever seperate us from the love of Christ Rom 8 : 35-39. Paul was more than aware of this and in his concern for the Church at Corinth would have been strenghtened by this I am sure. I am able to move forward with my life in the knowledge that no matter what befalls me I can rest in His comfort. As for my Christian and non Christian friends alike, I say that we have a living hope in Christ, who heals us, cares for us and only wants our salvation "found in Him". Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you 1 Peter 5 :7-11 Emanuel