War...

2015 has had a bit of a rough start for the Wilson Family.  2014 was almost totally sickness free.  This year, 2 whole months, we have had the stomach bug hit 2 girls and now we have a cold that I am hoping is finally working its way out of the last person.  There have been lots of other things that have popped up to frustrate us and burden us that I can't really share here.  

It is war.  Well, the prince of darkness is trying to wage war against us.  Why?  This stuff started happening when Ron started teaching his way through Romans in Sunday School.  He doesn't want us to obey what the Lord.  He throws stuff into our path to distract us, to make us lose our focus.  Time and a bit of maturing on our part, we are now able to see these wars being waged against us a little more quickly and to not be thrown off quite as much as we used to.

The last straw was on Sunday coming out and finding that someone from the neighborhood had backed into our van really hard, tailgate is done for, and left without a note and then discovering at same time that we had a nail in our tire.  After I called to Ron that we had been hit, my second comment was that I was glad it was us and not another church member.  What!?  Yes, that was what I said and I still feel.

Jump ahead to Monday afternoon.  I was finishing up my bible study lesson for CBS (Community Bible Study).  We are on 2 Corinthians 4 this week.  Today we went to CBS and I had more ah-ha moments.  I thought I would just share with you those ah-ha's.

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.  v1

We are not losing heart.  We continue on with the path the Lord has set before us.

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.  v2

We will not waiver in presenting the whole truth, the unchanged word of the Lord.  We will not water down the Word of God or distort it no matter how hard those words are to take, they are His words and not ours.  Yes, Romans can be a tough book to understand.  The Words of the Lord have been distorted by so many popular people that it is shocking when you read what the Bible really says.  You may not like what the Lord says but His Word is true.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. v3-6

A reminder to me that those who are not believers will not grasp our peace or strength when facing tough times because they do not understand where it comes from.  They will not grasp the truths of the Word.  They are not rejecting us because we are not bringing our own message but the Lord's.  When they reject the message they are rejecting the Lord.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. v7-12

This was the part that hit me like a ton of bricks today.  Paul endured so much but the Lord saw him through and kept him from being totally crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed.  Paul endured so much more than my family or I are going through or have gone through.  So many believers are persecuted and martyred in other parts of the world.  My suffering is not much.  At the same time I have joy because often if you are not on the path He has for you then you are not going to see spiritual warfare or suffer persecution or hardships.  During the Sermon on the Mount Jesus lists what we call the Beatitudes but often we stop after the first  eight "blessed are".  No one want to read "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecute the prophets who were before you."  Rejoice in suffering is not something we want to hear.  Suffer for Jesus sake so that His word may go forth.  We can do nothing in our own strength for the kingdom of God.  We suffer for the sake of the gospel going forth.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. v13-15

In our lesson one of the questions for this section of verses was, "Does the truth of this verse challenge you?"   Yes!  Yet at the same time I see how I fail so often.  I do believe and so I should be speaking more.  I should be affirming more my confidence in what the Word says, what God has promised.  Why do I not shout thanksgiving  out for all He has done and continues to do for me.  I want Him to get all the glory for my life, He is the only one who deserves glory for anything in my life.  As it said back in verse seven, I am just a jar of clay here to show that the power belongs to God and not man.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. v16-18

 Again Paul reminds us to not lose heart.  One of the questions for this section was, "What do believers' temporary troubles achieve for them?"  My first answer was that they can get so wrapped up in what is going on that their focus is no longer on God but the situation.  The more I thought about the question the more I saw that in the long term you learn to become more dependent on God.  As you see his faithfulness during the tough times over and over you learn to lean on Him more and more all the time.  The more we lean on Him the more glory He gets.  What is the chief end of man?  To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  When we lean on Him for our strength we are renewed day by day.

Do Not Lose Heart!  This world is transient, passing away. We are enduring light momentary afflictions.  If you believe then speak.  Speak of the one who raised the Lord Jesus and will raise us and bring us into His presence.