FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 2 : A PASSION FOR PEOPLE

[cimi]

December 2
Tuesday


A PASSION
FOR PEOPLE

READ:
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He died for all, that
those who live should
live no longer for
themselves, but for Him
who died for them and
rose again.
__2 Corinthians 5:15
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Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

This quote appears on a Web site intended to help people discover what they are passionate about so they can live with greater significance.

The apostle Paul's passion in life was largely driven by concern for the eternal destiny of others. In 2 Corinthians 5, he names three things that fueled his passion. First, he recognized that he was accountable to Christ for his service and wanted to give a good accounting at the judgment seat of Christ (vv.9-10). Second, Paul was driven by Christ's love and a desire that others would know the love that he had experienced. In verse 14 he wrote, "For the love of Christ compels us." Finally, he understood that a lost and dying world needs the Savior (v.20).

What are you passionate about? Paul's passion for people was fueled by the love of Christ--and ours should be as well. Let's apply Twain's words of challenge to our efforts in out reach: "Sail away from the safe harbor." Share the love of Christ with someone today. __Bill Crowder
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```````````````````Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray!``````````````
`````````````````While the world perishes, we go our way``````````
`````````````````Purposeless, passionless, day after day;```````````
```````````````````Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray!``````````````

Talking to Christ about others
helps us to talk to others about christ.

************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Corinthians 5:9-21**********

9 Therefore we make it our
aim, whether present or
absent, to be well pleasing to
Him. 10 For we must all
appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one
may receive the things done
in the body, according to
what he has done, whether
good or bad.

11 Knowing, therefore, the
terror of the Lord, we
persuade men.... 14 For the
love of Christ compels us,
because we judge thus: that if
One died for all, then all
died; 15 and He died for all,
that those who live should
live no longer for themselves,
but for Him who died for
them and rose again,

16 Therefore, from now on,
we regard no one according
to the flesh. Even though we
have known Christ according
to the flesh, yet now we
know Him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyonen is in
Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away;
behold, all things have
become new. 18 Now all
things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself
through Jesus Christ, and has
given us the ministry of
reconciliation, 19 that is, that
God was in Christ
reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them, and has
committed to us the word of
reconciliation. 20 Now then,
we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were
pleading through us: we
implore you on Christ's
behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In 1 Corinthians, Paul's writing is disciplinary in nature, addressing
and correcting the excesses and failings of that troubled congregation.
In 2 Corinthians, he continues to deal with problems, but his tone is
much more instructional and challenging. __Bill Crowder