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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">January 19, 2013</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
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</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>AUG
20 - 2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-13:14 - PAUL’S WEAKNESS: FURTHERS THE
GOSPEL</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>1.
11:30-31 (11:16-33, NNT) PAUL: GLORIED IN HIS INFIRMITIES. <font size="3">“If
</font><font size="3"><i>I</i></font><font size="3"><span style="font-style:normal">
must glory, I will glory of the </span></font><font size="3"><i>things</i></font><font size="3"><span style="font-style:normal">
of my :weakness. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="font-style:normal">31
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="font-style:normal">The God
and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed unto the ages, knows
that I lie not.” </span></font></b><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
You are King of Your Kingdom, the King’s Domain! Like Paul we will
glory in our weaknesses, and magnify Your grace! </span></span><b><i>Hallowed
be your :name!</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>2.
12:1 (12:1-9a) PAUL: GLORIES IN VISIONS AND REVELATIONS. <font size="3">“I
must glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions
and revelations of </font><font size="3"><i>the</i></font><font size="3">
Lord.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">If it is Your
will, like Paul we will receive visions and revelations. If thorns in
the flesh are necessary to keep us humble, we will receive them with
thanksgiving. </span><b><i>Your :kingdom come!</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>3.
12:9b (12:9b-10) PAUL: TAKES PLEASURE IN WEAKNESS. <font size="3">“Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in :weaknesses, that the power
of the Christ may spread a tabernacle over me.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Your
power Father, rests upon us in Christ as we rejoice like Paul and
Silas in prison following beatings. </span><b><i>Your :will be done,
As in heaven, so on earth.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>4.
12:12 (12:11-21) PAUL: VINDICATES HIS APOSTLESHIP. <font size="3">“Indeed
the signs of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, both
by signs and wonders and powers.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
we see the forgiveness of Paul toward the unfaithful Corinthians. We
see </span><span style="font-weight:normal">h</span><span style="font-weight:normal">is
faithfulness in supernaturally working among them as an apostle. </span><b><i>Our
:daily :bread Give us this day.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>5.
13:1 (13:1-10) PAUL’S LETTER : TO SPARE THEM HIS PRESENCE. <font size="3">“This
</font><font size="3"><i>is the</i></font><font size="3"> third </font><font size="3"><i>time</i></font><font size="3">
I am coming unto you. At </font><font size="3"><i>the</i></font><font size="3">
mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established.”
</font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">We arm ourselves with
Yourself Father, as our armor. We will not be reprobates, but prove
our life in You. We will save ourselves from judgment by heeding Your
words. </span><b><i>And forgive us our :debts, As we also have
forgiven our :debtors.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>6.
13:11 (13:11-13) PAUL: HIS FAREWELL SALUTATION. <font size="3">“</font><font size="3"><i>For
the </i></font><font size="3">rest, brethren, farewell. Be perfected;
be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace: and the God of :love
and peace shall be with you.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
You are our hedge round about. Keeping Your words is our protection.
We rejoice in Your words of life. </span><b><i>And bring us not into
temptation.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>7.
13:14 PAUL: HIS TRIUNE APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION. <font size="3">“The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of :God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">What
a triune Benediction! What a triune God! We are made in Your image:
body, soul and spirit. Our body is for </span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">You</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">,
blessed Holy Spirit! Jesus, You have saved our souls! Father, our
spirit is for You. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">But
deliver us from the evil </span></i><span style="text-decoration:none">one!</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
12:8-9a (12:1-9a) PAUL: GOD’S WISDOM IN PAUL’S THORN.
</b></span><b><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“Concerning
this </span></font><font size="3"><i><span style="text-decoration:none">thorn</span></i></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">9a
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And he
said to me, My :grace is sufficient for you: for the power is made
perfect in weakness.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
what a passage! What a truth! Open our eyes that we may increasingly
see our lives from Your perspective. And for </span></span><u><span style="font-weight:normal">Your
pleasure</span></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">,
we are created! </span></span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">C.H.
Spurgeon Quotes: “Desires”. </span></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Why,
the Christian, above all men, should have what the world calls his,
“holidays and bonfire nights” - his days of rejoicing, times of
holy laugher, seasons of overflowing delight. No, I think he should
strive to have them always, for we are told, “Delight yourself in
the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart!”</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
Psalm for the day: 50:23 (50, </span><span style="text-decoration:none">ESV</span><span style="text-decoration:none">)
</span><span style="text-decoration:none">GOD HIMSELF IS JUDGE.
</span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“The one
who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who
orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
our life is Yours: it is our sacrifice of thanksgiving for You and
Calvary. We embrace our White Funeral! Now we can </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">hallow
your :name!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">Title:
</span></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">“A
Psalm of Asaph.” This is the first of the Psalms of Asaph, but
whether it was the production of that eminent musician, or merely
dedicated to him, we cannot tell. The titles of twelve Psalms bear
his name, but it could not in all of them be meant to ascribe their
authorship to him, for several of these Psalms are of too late a date
to have been composed by the same writer as the others.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">50:5.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Gather My
saints together unto Me.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
Go, you swift-winged messengers, and separate the precious from the
vile. Gather out the wheat of the heavenly garner. Let the
long-scattered, but elect people, known by My separating grace to be
My sanctified ones, be now assembled in one place. All are not
saints who seem to be so - a severance must be made; therefore let
all who profess to be saints be gathered before My throne of
judgment, and let them hear the Word which will search and try the
whole, that the false may be convicted and the true revealed.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Those that
have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice: </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">this
is the grand test, and yet some have dared to imitate it. The
covenant was ratified by the slaying of victims, the cutting and
dividing of offerings; this the righteous have done by accepting with
true faith the great propitiatory sacrifice, and this the pretenders
have done in merely outward form. Let them be gathered before the
throne for trial and testing, and as many as have really ratified the
covenant by faith in the Lord Jesus shall be attested before all
worlds as the objects of distinguishing grace, while fo</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">r</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">malists
shall learn that outward sacrifices are all in vain. Oh, solemn
assize, how does my soul bow in awe at the prospect thereof! The
address which follows, beginning with 50:7, is directed to the
professed people of God. It is clearly, in the first place, meant for
Israel; but is equally applicable to the visible church of God in
every age. It declares the futility of external worship when
spiritual faith is absent </span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">-</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
the mere outward ceremonial is rested in.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">50:9.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">I will take
no bullock out of Your house.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
Foolishly they dreamed that bullocks with horns and hoofs could
please the Lord, when indeed He sought for hearts and souls.
Impiously they fancied that Jehovah needed these supplies, and that
if they fed His altar with their fat beasts, He would be content.
What He intended for their instruction, they made their confidence.
They remembered not that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams.”</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">50:15.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And call
upon Me in the day of trouble. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">O
blessed verse! Is this then true sacrifice? Is it an offering to ask
an alms of heaven? It is even so. The King Himself so regards it. For
herein is faith manifested, herein is love proved, for in the hour of
peril we fly to those we love. Who shall say that Old Testament
saints did not know the gospel? Its very spirit an</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">d</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
essence breathes like frankincense all around this holy Psalm.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And you shall
glorify Me. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Thus
we see what is true ritual. Here we read inspired rubrics. Spiritual
worship is the great, the essential matter; all else without it is
rather provoking tha</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">n</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
pleasing to God. As helps to the soul, outward offerings were
precious, but when men went not beyond them, even their hallowed
things were profaned in the view of heaven.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">50:16.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">But unto the
wicked God says, What have you to do to declare My statutes? </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">You
violate openly My moral law, and yet are great sticklers for My
ceremonial commands! What have you to do with them? What interest can
you have in them? Do you dare to teach my law to others and profane
it yourselves? What impudence, what blasphemy is this! You count up
your holy days, you contend for rituals, you fight for externals, and
yet the weightier matters of the law you despise! You blind guides,
you strain out gnats and swallow camels; your hypocrisy is written on
your foreheads and manifest to all. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Or
that you should take My covenant in your mouth.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
You talk of being in covenant with Me and yet trample My holiness
beneath your feet as swine trample upon pearls; do you think I can
brook this? Your mouths are full of lying and slander, and yet you
mouth My words as if they were fit morsels for such as you! How
horrible an evil it is that to this day we see men explaining
doctrines who despise precepts! They make grace a coverlet for sin
and even judge themselves to be sound in the faith, while they are
rotten in life. We need the grace of the doctrines as much as the
doctrines of grace, and without it an apostle is but a Judas, and a
fair-spoken professor is an arrant enemy of the cross of Christ.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">50:21.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">You though</span></i><i><span style="text-decoration:none">t</span></i><i><span style="text-decoration:none">
that I was altogether such a one as yourself. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">The
inference drawn from the Lord’s patience was infamous; the respited
culprit thought his Judge to be one of the same order as himself. He
offered sacrifices, and deemed it accepted; he continued in sin, and
remained unpunished, and therefore he rudely said, “Why need
believe these crazy prophets? God cares not how we live so long as we
pay our tithes. Little does He consider how we get the plunder, so
long as we bring a bullock to His altar.” What will not men imagine
of the Lord? At one time they liken the glory of Israel to a calf,
and anon unto their brutish selves. (</span></span><b><span style="text-decoration:none">From
“The Treasury of David” by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O.
Fuller)</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
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