Did Paul do Relay ???
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
2 Corinthians 11 21b-29
This was my quiet time the other day, for some reason I found it encouraging. It’s Paul defending his ministry to the Corinthian Church. My musing are:
Paul has to defend himself, people don’t accept him and he has to fight to earn and keep the trust of his flock. In fact his flock are going off seeking other new and more interesting teaching of others, Paul pleads with them with unconditional love to come back to him. People reject Paul and he still loves and cares for them and their life.
Look at Paul’s long long list of what he went through, I don’t think we’ve been through anything like that, often when I have bad time I just want to stop to catch my breath. My mind is “wow that was hard, I’ll just stop and rest and work out what just happened”. Or we look to ourselves and our problems, again “man things are hard, I can feel the darkness closing in, I need to stop it all so I can concentrate on holding it all together.” Look at Paul, he’s going through all this AND he says: And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. So in the midst all all his troubles etc Paul is still carrying on the work he is given. He is dealing with his problems and with his task. Paul is concerned above all with God’s work and his trials are part of that yet don’t hinder him.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
Here is interesting and also comforting. Paul is human too, he looks at all his problems in his churches and admits he is weak as well. Often I feel why bother helping other when I can’t help myself, or I am such a hypocrite telling others how to live their lives when mine is in a mess. Paul struggles to, yet he knows he is weak and can still help others? Why ? GRACE- “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:8-9) Paul is a weak human but he knows God’s Grace will get him through and his weakness only glorify God more when God works in Paul.
Also Paul’s love for his flock. When they fall he is “indignant”, especially when made by others teachings. I know when I see friends and fellow believers hurt by teaching it makes me Mad! Teachers are there to help us in Christ yet they can pull people down as easily as build them up.
Did Paul do relay? It looks like he wrote the book on it! (many infact!!!)
So what? My troubles are there and real, as are yours, as were Paul’s! Trials and troubles does not mean we can put down the baton (for UCCF people reading that) or give up. It means we must keep on trusting in God’s grace and that through our weakness and helplessness he will work, why? So that all will know that it is not our work but God’s.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
2 Corinthians 11 21b-29
This was my quiet time the other day, for some reason I found it encouraging. It’s Paul defending his ministry to the Corinthian Church. My musing are:
Paul has to defend himself, people don’t accept him and he has to fight to earn and keep the trust of his flock. In fact his flock are going off seeking other new and more interesting teaching of others, Paul pleads with them with unconditional love to come back to him. People reject Paul and he still loves and cares for them and their life.
Look at Paul’s long long list of what he went through, I don’t think we’ve been through anything like that, often when I have bad time I just want to stop to catch my breath. My mind is “wow that was hard, I’ll just stop and rest and work out what just happened”. Or we look to ourselves and our problems, again “man things are hard, I can feel the darkness closing in, I need to stop it all so I can concentrate on holding it all together.” Look at Paul, he’s going through all this AND he says: And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. So in the midst all all his troubles etc Paul is still carrying on the work he is given. He is dealing with his problems and with his task. Paul is concerned above all with God’s work and his trials are part of that yet don’t hinder him.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
Here is interesting and also comforting. Paul is human too, he looks at all his problems in his churches and admits he is weak as well. Often I feel why bother helping other when I can’t help myself, or I am such a hypocrite telling others how to live their lives when mine is in a mess. Paul struggles to, yet he knows he is weak and can still help others? Why ? GRACE- “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:8-9) Paul is a weak human but he knows God’s Grace will get him through and his weakness only glorify God more when God works in Paul.
Also Paul’s love for his flock. When they fall he is “indignant”, especially when made by others teachings. I know when I see friends and fellow believers hurt by teaching it makes me Mad! Teachers are there to help us in Christ yet they can pull people down as easily as build them up.
Did Paul do relay? It looks like he wrote the book on it! (many infact!!!)
So what? My troubles are there and real, as are yours, as were Paul’s! Trials and troubles does not mean we can put down the baton (for UCCF people reading that) or give up. It means we must keep on trusting in God’s grace and that through our weakness and helplessness he will work, why? So that all will know that it is not our work but God’s.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
posted by Jonny:) @ 4:13 PM
1 Comments:
his grace is indeed sufficient!! Hallelujah!!!! :D
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