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Hello, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost. It's like really hard for me to get any words out right now because I am smiling so big. You guys have no idea how grateful I am to be here with you all today. It's been a minute for me personally with just being in the studio. It's been so long and it feels so good to be back. It feels so good to be back on this couch. We have our coffee on ice, of course, right here in our handy dandy little CWCOI glass Tumblr cup. I love her. We always have the other one displaying behind me too. They are still available as well if you guys ever want to match with me. They're still on our site with the rest of the merch. Gorgeous. Splendid. Scrumptious. Next, we also have. Wait. That coffee is really good, actually. I got it from Starbucks today and I don't even know what did I order. Some type of cinnamon something. And it's actually really. I'm taking another sip. That's really good. Yeah, that's gorgeous. Okay. What a good day. And of course, first and foremost, above all else, we have our Christmas, we have our Word, which we will be reading today because I told you guys in the last episode we were starting Second Corinthians. And so we are going to continue Second Corinthians. I don't know if we're going to finish. This might be something that you guys will have to do on your own with the Lord and the Holy Spirit is finishing Second Corinthians, but we finished the third chapter, so we're going to pick up in chapter four. Obviously, per usual. I mean, this is something that we do on the podcast here. If you're new, we will just simply sometimes read scripture. I don't know, sometimes I'll pop in and I'll have a little commentary if, like, I feel something's like, like a little revelation has happened. Other times we just read right through it. Yeah. This is life. This is life. And I'd love to read it with you guys. So if you're in a place to sit down and study this and read along, I think that would be the best. But if you're not, I'm happy to still just read it to you if you're going on a little walky poo or you're in the car or you're just not in a place where you can actually read your Bible. Oh, I brought something, actually. Show and tell. Can I show you Guys, something really cute and fun. Hold on. Just because we're on the topic of the Bible, I have to show you guys this, okay? You guys are my family. I don't know. I just want to show you guys all the new things that happen in my life and all the little thingies that I get. So if was my birthday, like, I don't know, a couple months ago. And my sister sent me this care package. She lives in New York, I live in California, so we do the longest distance ever for sisterhood. My sister Ashley, I love her so much. I have a best friend named Ashley, and then I have like a blood sister, Ashley. She's my one and only sibling. I'm obsessed with her. I would literally die for her. She's the best person in the world. Anyway, she sent me this care package for my birthday, for my 30th birthday. Obviously, everything that was in my care package had to do with Jesus, because she's just the best and she knows how much I love Jesus. So one of the things that she put in this care package and I've been saying I want one of these is a little tiny. Look at the. No, look at this little, tiny holy Bible. Do you see how little and itty bitty it is? I mean, it's giving, like, size of hand. And I wanted a Bible this compact and small so I could just put it in my pocket at all times because obviously too big. And then I have my other travel Bible too that's like yay big, but still not pocket size. And so, so it's ESV and it's the New Testament and then the Psalms and Proverbs. So New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs is what this is. I'm just obsessed with it. Look how cute it is. I think she said that she got it off of Amazon. So I don't know if you guys are wanting a little mini travel pocket sized Bible. I think you can just go on Amazon and say pocket sized Bible. I don't know, but shout out to my sister, Ashley. I love you so much, Ash. Thank you for my little tiny Bible. I'm so excited and proud of it that I had to show all my friends on the podcast. So there it is. Anyway, back to what we were going to do. We're going to read 2 Corinthians starting in chapter 4. Okay. Little rundown on my Bible. I know I do this a lot, but if we have any new listeners. Hi. This is my Bible. I am reading the NLT translation. I also got my Bible from Hosanna Revival. They're the best. I shout them out every time. I'm obsessed with them. They create the most beautiful Bibles and journals and just things that you can use even for studying. And I have a code with them so you guys can use it. It's just my first and last name, Ali Yost. They're the best. They're the best. You should totally support them. Okay, so let's dive into it. Do we all have our Bibles now? I'll give you guys a couple seconds. Are we there? Cool. We're going to start at the top. Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 1. Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God. And all who are honest know this. If the good news we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the God of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus sake. For God who said, let there be light in the darkness has made this light shine in our hearts so we can know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. I love that verse. I've heard that one before. Oh, I love that. When we feel like we are being pressed on all sides by troubles in life, it says in God's word that we will not be crushed. That's crazy. We are pressed on every aside by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed through suffering. Our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. That's so good. That's so good. Okay, 4, 11. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmists had. When he said, I believed in God, so I spoke. We know that God who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long, yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now. Rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. Can we read that again, guys? If that doesn't pierce your spirit. First off, I should have prayed. Hold on, hold on. We're gonna pray. Lord, I just thank you for your word, God. Jesus, thank you for your word. And I just bless my listener on the other side of this podcast, God. And I ask, Lord, that whatever you want them to receive through this message, that it just pierces their heart and their spirit. God, I pray that if there are any veils over our eyes or hearts, Lord, that you just rip those veils away and you speak truth and revelation over your children. God, Jesus, thank you for this opportunity for us to all sit together and commune over your word, to be like sponges, God, just absorbing your wisdom. And so, Lord, I just bless. I bless them, God. And I ask for revelation in their hearts and their minds and their spirit. God, I pray for a fresh washing of your spirit over them from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. God, I ask for a fresh washing of their mind that if there are any lies or any gunk or fogginess that has been making them blind or making them feel numb to your word or your presence or your spirit or who you are, God, I just pray that all of that breaks off in Jesus name through your word being read right now. Thank you, God, that your mercies are new every day. I seal this by the blood. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Okay, I needed to lead with that first and foremost. Okay, I'm reading that again. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now. Rather, we fix our Gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone. But the things we cannot see will last forever. Second Corinthians, chapter 5. For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down, that is, when we die and leave this earthly body, we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies. We will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh. But it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us His Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies, we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil and we have done in this earthly body. Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord. We work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No. We are giving you a reason to be proud of us. So you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. That's really good. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone, so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun. And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors. God is making his appeal through. We speak for Christ when we plead, come back to God. For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Now we're in 2 Corinthians, chapter 6. As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. For God says at just the right time. I heard you. On the day of salvation. I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation. We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardship and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness. By the Holy Spirit with us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us imposters. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing and yet we have everything. Oh, dear Corinthian friends, we have spoken honestly with you and our hearts are open to you. There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us. Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said, I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you, and I will be your father and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Second Corinthians, chapter seven. Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. Let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. Wow, there are a couple words that just were so highlighted in that verse. I'm going to read it again. Okay. I'm going to emphasize the words that I feel. Emphasis from. From the spirit. Because we have these promises. Dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. Let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. I'm not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts and we live or die together with you. I have the highest confidence in you and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles. I also love. This is just like a side thought that I'm having right now. First off, the love in Second Corinthians is crazy. Like, the way that Paul is speaking with such love while also, like, being honest and saying, hey, you know, we've really opened our hearts to you. I'm so proud of y'. All. I'm not condemning you. I take pride in you guys. I have the highest confidence in you. You guys are in our hearts and we live or die together with you. Like expressing that loyalty and that love to the Church of Corinthian, while also being honest about the troubles of the relationship between them. You know where Paul had said, I'm asking you to respond as if you were my own children, open your hearts to us. You have withheld your love from us. What comes to my mind is just like, let that speak volumes to how we should all, Even in the 21st century, like conflict, maybe disappointments, heartache, like whatever that looks like, but with such love and honor, like, still honoring the other person on the other end. And I just feel like there's no lack of that. Like, there's no lack of honor and love in the way that Paul is writing to these people. And I think it's beautiful so, anyway, I just wanted to point that out because I'm just like, dang. The grace. Like, the grace in his words and how he's communicating to the Corinthian church is. It's beautiful. Oh, he says, I'm not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts. I have the highest confidence in you. It's just so sweet. Okay, moving on. Second Corinthians, chapter seven, verse five. When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so is the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you longed to see me and how sorry you are for what happened and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy. I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it. Not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent. Oh, this is so cute. And change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have. So you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. I love that. I love that Paul is just revealing that, like, no matter what, we'll feel sorrow. You know, whether we're in the world or whether we are walking with Christ, there's sorrow. But the difference is that this kind of sorrow, God does actually want us to experience it because it actually leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret from that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Worldly sorrow is just a lot of shame and guilt. And without repentance, there's also no deliverance or freedom or opportunity to turn from that very thing and become an even better version of yourself through Christ. That's powerful. Just see what this godly sorrow produces in you. Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. My purpose then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. I had told him how proud I was of you, and you didn't disappoint me. I have always told you the truth. And now my boasting to Titus was also proved true. Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you. 2 Corinthians, chapter 8. Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness, has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which is overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped for. Their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do so. We have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. Since you excel in so many ways in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love for us, I wanted to excel also in the gracious act of giving. I am not commanding you to do this, but I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor so that by his poverty he could make you rich. Here is my advice. It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly and give according to what you have, not what you don't have. Of course, I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. As the Scriptures say, those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. But thank God he has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem, a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. We are careful to be honorable before the Lord and we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you and the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. So show them your love and prove to all of the churches that our boasting about you is justified. Second Corinthians, chapter 9. I really don't need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem, for I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don't want to be wronged in my boasting about you. We would be embarrassed, not to mention your own embarrassment, if some Macedonian believers came with me and found out that you weren't ready for all that I had told them. So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grungingly. Remember this. A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop, but the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your hearts how much to give, and don't give reluctantly or in response to Pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, they share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving. The needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God as a result of your ministry. They will give glory to God for your generosity to them and to all. Believers will prove that you are obedient to the good news of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given you. Thank God for this gift. Too wonderful for words. All right, Second Corinthians, chapter 10. Are we hanging in there, guys? This is good. Okay, now, I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. Though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come, I won't have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives. We are human, but we don't wage wars as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. Oh, I love that. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up. It doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. I'm sorry, that literally freaking rocks. Can I read that again? Okay, Paul, dude. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord, but our authority builds you up. It doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. I'm not trying to frighten you by my letters. For some say Paul's letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak and his speeches are worthless. Those people should realize that our actions, when we arrive in person, will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. Oh, don't worry. We wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are. But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant. We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ. Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else's territory. As the Scriptures say, if you want to boast, boast only about the Lord. When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. I think that's where we're going to wrap for today with reading Second Corinthians. There's only one, two, three more chapters, though. Can I trust y' all to say that you should just finish those last three chapters alone? I believe in you. I think you can really do it. Will you guys finish second Corinthians 11 through 13, chapters 11, 12, and 13 on your own with the Lord? Of course. But, yeah, that was good. I'm sorry. Second Corinthians is full of wisdom. That was so fun, guys. Thanks for letting me read to you. Thanks for letting me read to you. That was so fun. Can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is today? Let's walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like him, reflect more of Christ's characteristics, extending love and grace and all the things that he gives us so freely every day we will extend to others. I love you guys. I'm so proud of you. And I will see you so soon. Bye. Are some of y' all still listening? Okay. If you're still here, that means you're a real one, which is why I'm about to share this with you. If you've already caught up on all the episodes so far and you don't want to wait until next Friday for a new one, I have really good news for you. 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