Come As You Are - COMFORT- 2 Corin. 1:3-4

This is Namma for Christ with the seventy-fourth inspirational message dated Saturday, November 21st, 2015. The title of this message is: "Come As You Are:  COMFORT – 2 Corin. 1:3-4". This message is based on the below scripture text from  the second book of Corinthians as found in the New Testament  - where the writer, the Apostle Paul, informs the reader about the COMFORT of GOD and how GOD comforts us to help us be comforters:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

King James Version (KJV)

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

This message is all about "COMFORT" - the COMFORT of GOD and how through HIS helping us to be COMFORTED...we can be COMFORTERS of others. Below is a beautiful meditation from R. Tuck on the subject of  "comforting". 

Personally speaking, when my dear father passed away in January of 2003, I didn't know what I would do. But God...in His love, mercy, comfort, grace, strength, peace and guidance through His Holy Spirit - helped me through the loss of my dad. I pray that this message may comfort someone else. 

Philippians 4:6-7

King James Version (KJV)

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Remember - Jesus said, He will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you…

Hebrews 13:5King James Version (KJV)

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Comforted, And Therefore Comforters

(2nd Corinthians 1:4) by R. Tuck

It may seem strange that the Bible, and Christian ministers following its example, should deal so frequently and so largely with troubles and afflictions. You sometimes half suspect that Christian people must have a larger share of earthly sorrow than fails to the lot of others.

 Our afflictions and our comfortings can become a blessing to others:

 "so that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble." 

Our sorrows have by no means exhausted their stores of blessing when they have dispelled our doubts, delivered us from our dangers, and cultured our characters; they have stores of blessing left in them still, with which, through us, to enrich and comfort others.

But the Christian's experiences are not of griefs only; they are of griefs together with Divine comfortings, and these together bring a peculiar kind of power. 

How different are the consolations offered by stricken than by unstricken ones! The unstricken can find beautiful words, and be truly sincere as they utter them. But the stricken ones can express unutterable things in silence and look. They can also "feel" compassion similarly and express a true, sympathetic "understanding" - because...they've "BEEN THERE".

The plant of healing sympathies grows and blossoms and fruitens 

out of our very wounds and tears. 

It will be reasonable to expect that, if God has high places of work for us, and valuable influence for us to exert, He will need to bring us through great and sore troubles.

Paul recognizes this in our text. How his life was filled with anxieties.

He did not care to be always talking about himself; only once or twice does he lift the veil and show his secret history; but there - in much affliction awaiting him everywhere, and the comfortings of God abounding in all - is the explanation of his mighty and gracious influence. He was "comforted of God that he might be able to comfort them which are in any trouble." The same truth shines out even more clearly from the life and Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is able to succour (or help) because in all points tempted. Lifted up, "He draws all men unto him" gaining His influence by His own sufferings borne in patience and faith. Winning power to save and help the world by dying an agonizing death and knowing, in the uttermost needs of a dying hour, the gracious comfortings of God.

 You may have thought that your afflictions have set you aside from your work. No, they have just lifted you up to the trust of some of God's highest and best work. Tribulation worketh patience, experience, and hope. It matures the finer elements of character. But it does more - it fits us for work, for higher influence on others, enabling us to set before men all the power of a noble example. Our afflictions and comfortings are really our clothing with the soldier's dress, our putting on the soldier's armor, our grasping the soldier's weapons, our drilling for the soldier's service, that we may be good soldiers of the cross. Each one of us can become a comforter, a person of consolation. Comforted of God, let us learn to comfort others. 

Please enjoy the accompanied song and video (including beautiful lyrics), "Come As You Are" as sung with anointing by the Christian artist, "David Crowder".



(I do not own the rights to this song.)


BE BLESSED!

Touch the Sky: PRAY - Phil. 4:6-7

This is Namma for Christ with the seventy-third inspirational message dated Saturday, November 14th, 2015. The title of this message is: "Touch the Sky: PRAY - Phil. 4:6-7". This message is based on the below scripture text from the fourth chapter of  Philippians as found in the New Testament  -

Philippians 4:6-7

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We must PRAY and surrender ALL to JESUS.  ALL TO HIM – WE MUST FULLY GIVE!

We must yield our lives and all that we have to Him – because JESUS IS SUFFICIENT!

Give God your cares, your concerns, your worries, your doubts, your fears, your needs, your problems, your trials and your challenges, etc. ...be careful for nothing. BUT, IN EVERYTHING BY "PRAYER & SUPPLICATION" - WITH "THANKSGIVING"...LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD...

AND THE "PEACE" OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS!

JESUS IS SUFFICIENT! HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!

2 Corinthians 12:9

King James Version (KJV)

 

⁹ And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

WE ARE SAVED BY GOD'S GRACE:

Ephesians 2:8-9

King James Version (KJV)

 

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

How often, we think that we have to be our own supplier of what we need. We MUST come to JESUS “FIRST”! 

PRAY AND “SEEK JESUS FIRST”!

Matthew 6:33

King James Version (KJV)

 

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We read in scripture of the mighty miracles of the Lord Jesus. We must continue to place our faith and trust in HIM! Can't we ALL remember times in our past that GOD brought us through - by no effort of our own? GOD CAN DO ALL THINGS BUT FAIL! WE MUST CONTINUE TO SEEK OUR LORD AND OUR LORD'S WILL THROUGH PRAYER:

The below scripture refers to how we should pray:

Matthew 6:6-15

King James Version (KJV)

 

⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

⁷ But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

⁸ Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

¹⁴ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

¹⁵ But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

WE MUST SURRENDER OUR WILL TO THE "LORD'S WILL":

Matthew 16:24-26

King James Version (KJV)

 

²⁴ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

²⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

JESUS TELLS US WE ARE TO ALWAYS PRAY:

Luke 18:1-8

King James Version (KJV)

 

18 And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

² Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

³ And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

⁵ Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

⁷ And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?

⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

JESUS IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR… WE MUST PRAY – and thereby we “Touch the Sky – when our knees hit the ground” and SEEK OUR LORD to live the purposeful lives that HE has planned for us as in Jeremiah 29:11 –

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

 

^{11 "}For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Please listen and enjoy the below anointed song and video (with lyrics) of “Touch the Sky” by Hillsong UNITED.

(I do not own the rights of the song.)
 

BE BLESSED!