Author: Pastor Mike

The Kitchen Table Devotional

2 Corinthians 8 Day 1

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, ² that in a great ordeal of affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2

Great love begets great love.  When we make room in our hearts for God, we find room in our hearts for others to know the same God and the same love we have found.  There is a joy in giving that only comes from knowing God and His gifts for us.

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2 Corinthians 7 Day 4

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. ¹⁰ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

The only way to clean a dirty heart is through repentance.  This act is preceded by sorrow that there is no room for God in our hearts.  This act is followed by forgiveness and freedom through Jesus without regret.  There is a sorrow of regret and that insufferable.  There is a sorrow of repentance that brings salvation.  Regret fills our hearts with self-judgment, but repentance fills our hearts with the Savior’s judgment, moving into our hearts forgiveness, freedom, and favor in Him.

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2 Corinthians 7 Day 3

But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.

2 Corinthians 7:6-7

When there is room in our hearts, God brings messengers and ministers to fill our hearts.  Sometimes there is nothing like a real friend to fill the hollow spots left by the defilement of the world.

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2 Corinthians 7 Day 2

Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.

2 Corinthians 7:2

What defiles the heart fills the heart.  When we let God deal with the problems in our hearts, we make room for God’s people in our hearts.  God can do anything He wants without us but does everything He wants with us and through us using people who have made room in their hearts for Him.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

2 Corinthians 7 Day 1

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

It’s hard to hold onto promises when we’re holding on to problems.  This is where God leaves it up to us.  He makes the promises and makes them reality in our lives, but we have to choose to drop the problems in our hearts, with our hands, and from our own heads.  Be afraid of a life of a life without God and the power to deal with the problems of life.  Jesus made a way!

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2 Corinthians 6 Day 5

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Vanity lives in relationships that are bad for us.  If you want to make your life count, make your relationships count, beginning with your relationship with God.

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2 Corinthians 6 Day 4

You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.

2 Corinthians 6:12

We are never restrained by those who are living right, but rather we find ourselves restrained by what we do that’s wrong or evil.  The trouble a person finds himself in is probably always the result of his own choosing somewhere in his own history.  Don’t live this wonderful life in vanity, it’s created to give you victory.

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2 Corinthians 6 Day 1

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— 2 Corinthians 6:1

Don’t let this might and marvelous work of God come to an end in your life.  If you do, all that came before would be in vain.  There’s not a happy ending for those who start but stop following Jesus.  Receive the grace (the underserved and unreserved love of God) afresh and anew every single day.  All the power of Christ and His cross are available to you for today and tomorrow.

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2 Corinthians 5 Day 5

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

2 Corinthians 5:11

The Kitchen Table Devotional

2 Corinthians 5 Day 5

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

2 Corinthians 5:11

Let your spirit shine!  Let the convictions that rule your life color your life.  Know what you believe and hear the Holy Spirit saying, and do it.  As you do, your spirit will become known to the spirit of those around you.  It’s not hard to live this life, just live from faith, with hope, in love according to God’s word and by the power of God’s Spirit.  This life is lived by faith, not sight, believing Jesus, not just believing in Jesus.

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2 Corinthians 5 Day 4

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

What have we done for Him lately?  Everything we have is a gift from God, including this body.  Now this thing is wearing out and it has its limitations but it’s here where we learn to live there, in that new body.  And we’re all going to give an account for what we did with this, while we here, before get there to get that when we get to then.  Don’t worry about holding on to this body when you’re going to get that body He has prepared for you.