2 Corinthians 12:1-10
1 It is necessary to boast; it is not helpful, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. 3 I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. 5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses. 6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. 10 So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul was, in what most of us agree, a man of God who we all would like to emulate. He was shown something that was unspeakable. God allowed him to see something we all would love to see. How special was he? How great was this man of God. Probably in the "Hall of Fame" of heaven. If God had an All-Star team, he would be one of it's captains. Who would disagree with that?
Paul, however, was making the that he wasn't anymore special than anyone else. How many of us would not be puffed up with pride in ourselves if God allowed us to see what Paul saw and experienced? Paul always presented himself as a failed human who was no greater than the next person. He knew how much he needed God's grace. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and I am the worst of them."(a)
"As we never try to fly, because we have no angelic wings; so we do not aspire to supreme holiness, because we imagine that we have not apostolic advantages. Indeed, this is a very injurious idea and must not be tolerated. What the ancient saints were, we may be." Charles H. Spurgeon
We are just as much a saint as Paul. Don't you get that? We have been given the right amount of grace that was needed. We are Saints! We don't need to be canonized. We were given sufficient grace to make us the exact servant God wants us to be. Now that we have excepted Jesus as our savior, and have already received the Holy Spirit, we can be as great as we want. It is a choice of our own will.
Some of you may think you have too many handicaps to be great. Paul said 7 so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. God doesn't expect us to do more than we can. We are to do what we can. Some are given less glamorous jobs, some more.
I have always said that God didn't give me great looks and a great body. This used to bother me, until I realized that God made me the way I am for a reason. He uses what I do have. Plus it probably has kept me out of more trouble than I could have possibly imagined. Some may say this is false humility. Some may say this is what Paul was portraying. Paul had no reason to be falsely humble. His actions spoke for the man he was. He was also trying to tell the Corinthians they needed to strive to be the best they could be in their service to God. We don't know exactly what Paul's thorn that the Lord wouldn't remove was. I think we weren't told for a reason. Maybe because we all have things in our life that we let stop us from doing God's will. Our own "thorns in the side". Maybe it's alcoholism, or you've been married several times, or you've been in an adulterous affair. Only you know. Don't let that stop you from doing what God wants you too. Use your failures in life to help others.
Remember who was ridiculed in Jesus' parable of the talents.(b) It was the man who did nothing with his talent. Think of the talent, or minas, as the talent that God gave you. You are not necessarily responsible to become the next Billy Graham. You are, however, responsible to use the gifts (talents) God gave you. No matter how small it may seem to you.
Boast in your own weakness. You never know who you may bring to the Lord because you did boast in your weakness. Maybe the next Billy Graham. God grace was and is sufficient enough for you.
(a) 1 Timothy 1:15
(b) Matthew 25:14-28
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Asleep In The Boat?
MARK 4 35-41
35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side [of the lake]." 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was [already] in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't you care that we're going to die?"
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"
41 And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
Alister Begg told this story as good as I have heard. Begg once wrote "more spiritual progress is made through failure and tears than success and laughter." He was absolutely right.
I heard his sermon on Mark 4:35-41 during one of the roughest times of my life. I felt as if Jesus was asleep in the boat. I am even at this moment having trouble with my faith. I am trying to steer my boat through this storm myself. I panic. "Teacher! Don't you care?" Time and time again the answer comes back "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" I don't know why! I still lack faith.
Divorce, debt and relationships have been like that storm. I have a grip on the wheel. Only the steering wheel isn't hooked up. I am not through the storm yet. When will it end? When can I be happy again? What is going to happen that will make that happen again? I don't know, I just don't know! I panic again and again. I get frustrated and "WHY ME" comes out of my thoughts. My house is being foreclosed on. My debt is killing me. I ache for my kids that see their mommy and daddy get divorced and a family is broken.
My life has been a series of cycles. Ups and downs and ups. Today is a down day. The storm is here tearing up my life again. Just when I think everything is starting head in the right direction and I see that beautiful light, it goes dark. It is dark today...again. But as I said in my earlier blog, God didn't promise a wonderful life. We were to expect the opposite.
The one thing God does promise is that He will prepare us to go through trials. He knows what we can handle and doesn't allow us to go through more than that.
Today I also realized something else. Time and time again the storms have come and I have survived. This may be a down day, week, month or maybe a year, but every time I have suffered though the storm, God has done something great in my life to make it better. This time will be no different. He will get me through it again. If He is preparing me for something more difficult, I will thank Him for preparing me to handle it. No matter how bad the next storm is.
Today I am sad, fearful and lack faith, but I will defeat this. I will be ok. God will see me through. So I have peace through prayer. God has comforted me again. Nothing can be thrown at me I can't handle. I have released the wheel and will let God drive the boat. Unseen, but in total control. In my head I know I will once again be rescued and hear Jesus say "Silence! Be still!"
35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side [of the lake]." 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was [already] in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't you care that we're going to die?"
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"
41 And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
Alister Begg told this story as good as I have heard. Begg once wrote "more spiritual progress is made through failure and tears than success and laughter." He was absolutely right.
I heard his sermon on Mark 4:35-41 during one of the roughest times of my life. I felt as if Jesus was asleep in the boat. I am even at this moment having trouble with my faith. I am trying to steer my boat through this storm myself. I panic. "Teacher! Don't you care?" Time and time again the answer comes back "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" I don't know why! I still lack faith.
Divorce, debt and relationships have been like that storm. I have a grip on the wheel. Only the steering wheel isn't hooked up. I am not through the storm yet. When will it end? When can I be happy again? What is going to happen that will make that happen again? I don't know, I just don't know! I panic again and again. I get frustrated and "WHY ME" comes out of my thoughts. My house is being foreclosed on. My debt is killing me. I ache for my kids that see their mommy and daddy get divorced and a family is broken.
My life has been a series of cycles. Ups and downs and ups. Today is a down day. The storm is here tearing up my life again. Just when I think everything is starting head in the right direction and I see that beautiful light, it goes dark. It is dark today...again. But as I said in my earlier blog, God didn't promise a wonderful life. We were to expect the opposite.
The one thing God does promise is that He will prepare us to go through trials. He knows what we can handle and doesn't allow us to go through more than that.
Today I also realized something else. Time and time again the storms have come and I have survived. This may be a down day, week, month or maybe a year, but every time I have suffered though the storm, God has done something great in my life to make it better. This time will be no different. He will get me through it again. If He is preparing me for something more difficult, I will thank Him for preparing me to handle it. No matter how bad the next storm is.
Today I am sad, fearful and lack faith, but I will defeat this. I will be ok. God will see me through. So I have peace through prayer. God has comforted me again. Nothing can be thrown at me I can't handle. I have released the wheel and will let God drive the boat. Unseen, but in total control. In my head I know I will once again be rescued and hear Jesus say "Silence! Be still!"
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