Paul’s Thorn…

Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” 2 Corinthians 12:7 was allowed by God just as Satan was granted dominion over Job’s wealth and then his health. As we learned from the Job story that God believes in us the same way we believe in Him and nothing in all creation can come between our faith in the Almighty, if only we believe. So what was the reason for Paul’s thorn in his flesh if not to help him to avoid being “exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations” as the text says. As we read further we see that he pleads 12:8 that it might depart. No use splitting hairs or forming dogmatic conclusions on what the exact particulars of this passage may be 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Of this much we are sure a “thorn in the flesh” had come upon Paul by the way of a messenger of Satan and that the Providence of God allowed this to happen.

So God allows Paul and I would stagger a guess at all believers in general the act of suffering as a way of growing spiritually as opposed to worldly. We all live in this world, we all have certain beliefs from this world and God wants to replace lies with truth. The bottom line is that there is pain involved in growing in Godliness just as there is pain in creation, birth, muscles, etc. The whole idea here is it seems to be a rule that there is no growth except by pain. We are advised over and over to embrace our trials and count them as blessings as I’m sure that the blessings follow the trial, if only you believe. Could this be God’s way of teaching us to have a positive attitude for the Kingdom that is the opposite of the prosperity teaching which obviously seemed to exist even in the time of Job and Paul’s ministry? Or perhaps we are to embrace our trials as a way of learning simple logic and being able to accept things as they are and not as we think they should be, trusting God all the while.

Either way if we learn or willfully choose not to turn from our path as we work through our trial, to which this is likely specifically chosen for us due to the condition of our hearts. We will come out the other side as we should be. With further God given knowledge and revelation that strengthens our walk with the Almighty and helps in the remaking of the new creation we have become.

So I ask you again Christian can you feel the presence of God when you walk with Him, talk with Him, worship Him, argue with Him (yes you can argue with God), wrestle with Him, listen to Him, wait for Him, serve Him, receive Him, preach Him, Can you feel the presence of God?

If you cannot feel the presence of God there is only one solution and lest God do it for you I would humble myself today!

1 PETER 5:6

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

If everything was always rosy okey dokey for Paul many more people would have came to Christ but his condition scared away the faint hearted shallow folk that attended church just for the image. You know the type always to busy to commit to anything or to serve when asked or most times begged. We are not here to consider each others feelings when in truth we are phoney baloneys attending church just for the image of it.

So how would you know if you’re one of these types?

Simple really, ask yourself theses questions and the answer will tell you if you are a real Christian or the phoney baloney type that is attending church just for image.

1. How many folks did you bring to Jesus today?

2. How about his week?

3. How about this month?

4. How about this year?

5. How about your whole life?

You want to be a real Christian, tell people about Jesus and discard your excuses in the refuse pile with all the other garbage TODAY!

Want to learn how to spread the gospel in about five minutes flat take a look at The Way of the Master to learn more…

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge

click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here

Subscribe in a reader

All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar

Walking with God… Part Deux (2)

Before we get back to Saul lets take a look at the parallel sufferings of Job and Paul and how their suffering in and of itself may have strengthened them in their gift of faith in God the Father.

Job a man who had grown children, was very rich and was considered greatest of all the people of the East. He was a man who feared God and shunned evil.

Job 1:6 Satan, satan (sah-tahn) Strongs #7854: An opponent, the arch enemy of all that is good. Satan is a hater, a destroyer, an accuser, obstructer and adversary of God and all who would fear and obey Gods will.

Now the story of Job and Paul are both stories of real men in a real time, with real names, real feelings and the ability to think just like you and I. So if Satan felt compelled to bother them it was due to his wanting to stop what they were doing for God. That is why scripture continually tells us to count trials as honor in serving our God. Job had a fear of God that his sons may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts so he regularly offered intercessory prayer for them.

Satan came before God and God bragged about the righteousness of Job to Satan, (Job 1:8Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."). The response of Satan was to accuse Job saying “if God took away his hedge of protection from him Job would surely curse Him”. God then gives control (permission) of all Jobs possessions to Satan but he is not to harm Job physically. Now in perspective, the beauty of this passage and story is that not only did Job believe in God but God also believed in Job, isn’t that great, that God can believe in us as we do Him?

Job’s first response after losing all he had was not to question why but to accept it and to continue to praise God with this;

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

Satan is really peeved now and again asks God for permission this time to affect Jobs health and physical wellness. God allows this too. Now just as God himself in Jesus Christ choose Paul when we would not have, we must not try to put anthropomorphic thinking (human attributes unto God) as a rule. Rather we should take comfort in the fact that God calls and equips us and believes in us with the same measure we do Him.

Ask yourself this Christian, how would you have faired in Job’s position, would you have cursed God for losing all your wealth even your health if in the same position? Do you trust the relationship you have with the almighty to be one that is unbreakable by you or Him because of your belief and faith in the strength and love that bonds the relationship? Have you pursued God first, as it is written “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”? Back to 1Samuel 16:7 God does not see as we do his sight is deeper than surface as we are surface only. We cannot see the heart of any man except for our own hearts that is why scripture compels us to examine ourselves first.

God finally reveals himself as a whirlwind (Job 38:1-42:6) to Job and ends the argument of Job and his friends. God challenges Job to learn from his suffering as compared to the suffering we as humans think that we or others suffer due to something intrinsically wrong, that we must suffer penitently as opposed to educationally for furtherance of our minds, spirits and wisdom. God describes the greatness of the earth, the heavens and his awesome design of all creatures upon the earth. God then allows and challenges Job to directly question Him.

God further challenges Job by asking Job directly if he is the judge of God 40:8. We as humans feel that we must be judges and that is our original sin to judge. We judge God based on the actions of professing Christians, we judge God based on what he does or doesn’t do. We judge people based on their suffering thinking they must have done something wrong or are so full of sin to deserve their calamity or position in life. When if we do as Job did and spent the time of a trial holding fast to our innocence we would be justified and righteous for God believed that we are capable of such character.

However those who did not hold fast the confession of God were reprimanded and their fate put into the hands of the one who gave intercessory prayer from the beginning (Job 42:8-10). Job’s friends were ordered to humble themselves by giving a burnt offering and that Job the true servant of God would pray for them and forgiveness of their folly lest God deal with them according to their folly.

To Be Continued…Next Paul’s Thorn

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge

click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here

Subscribe in a reader

All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar

The Art Of Divine Intervention

Imagine for a minute that we needed to make cosmic decisions with our finite minds, decisions that not only affected ourselves and our family's, but every single family throughout history. Now imagine having to choose someone to continue the work your Son Jesus Christ started on earth. Be honest would you have chosen Paul?

If you don't have time to read the whole post below and follow the links bookmark it, and come back later I guarantee a change in your finite thinking to one that glorifies God in His Infinite wisdom.

Based on Bill Britton's classic; modified and expanded by Dean VanDruff.

MYSTERY BABYLON DENOMINATION
FOREIGN MISSIONS BOARD

To: Rev. Saul Paul
First Christian Church
Antioch, Syria

Dear Mr. Paul:

I have your application for missionary appointment before me, and will be as frank as possible concerning your qualifications as a foreign missionary. We have to be very careful in choosing our missionaries, and our Missions Board has reviewed your case thoroughly. We have decided that it would be unwise to send you to the foreign field for the following reasons:

1. It has come to our attention that you are doing secular work on the side. We do not feel that making tents and full time ministry go together very well. [1Th 2:9] It seems that you do not have enough experience in trusting the Lord for your income. You should make up your mind whether you want to preach or continue your profession.
2. Your previous actions have been very rash and unseemly for a minister. We learned that in a public meeting you opposed Dr. Simon Peter, an esteemed minister with a high reputation. [Ga 2:11-14] We also hear that you argued so violently with some of our ministers that a special council meeting had to be called at Jerusalem to prevent a serious split in the churches. [Ac 15:1-30] We frown on such radicalism. For your own good, I am enclosing a copy of Daius' Carnegus book on "How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks." [Ga 1:10, 1Th 2:4-6]
3. You have conflicted with mature Jewish brethren in nearly every city you have visited who simply want to encourage the converted Pagans to be properly circumcised. Mr. Paul, you must know that these men are our most learned sages with a deep sense of the roots and history of our faith. As well, and more importantly, these men control the synagogues you could be ministering in if you would simply tone down your dialog into a more friendly and respectful exchange. [Gal 5:2-12]
4. In checking back, we discovered your Christian education consisted of a three year course in Arabia. [Ga 1:15-20] We find that the Arabian school has not been approved by our accreditation board.
5. Further, you admit to being an unskilled public speaker. [2Co 10:10, 11:6] Paul, surely you must know that people expect fine elocution from men of God, and that as a denomination we stand for the highest levels of excellence in the pulpit. Yet instead of going to much-needed oratory classes you spend your time making tents instead. From your correspondence, you also appear to be spending a considerable amount of time writing letters to insignificant little "churches" that meet in homes. [Ac 28:3-6] Honestly now; do you really think that such misguided activities are what will lead to your success in the world of religion? We strongly suggest that you put down your tools and set aside your pen, and instead practice hand gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation in front of a mirror for several hours a day until you come up to par.
6. It has come to the attention also that you often emphasize "the power of God" and "the gifts of the Spirit." [1Co 2:3-5, 12:1-7] Also that you speak in tongues a great deal. [1Co 14:18] Surely you realize that such as this only drives off the better class of people, and attracts only the riff-raff. It would be better to tone down those more sensational forms of worship. You sound as though you are "off the deep end." [1Co 3:18]
7. It has been proven to our satisfaction that you had hands laid on you at Antioch with prophecy going forth, [Ac 13:1-3] with none of the Apostles or Headquarters brethren present to conduct this ordination service in the prescribed manner.
8. We see here that you have a jail record in several places. [2Co 11:23-27] If this is true, it puts you in a bad light, for our denomination has always stood for a high standard of civic responsibility. I fear it would damage our reputation to have someone representing us that had served time in jails and prisons. Frankly, Mr. Paul, we seriously doubt you could have been innocent and the judge wrong in so many cases. It just doesn't look right.
9. It seems that you are a troublemaker, Mr. Paul. Several business men of Ephesus have written us that you were the cause of severe loss of business to them and even stirred mob violence. You must learn to cultivate the friendship and influence of men such as these. [Ac 16:16-22]
10. We also have some details of a shameful "over the wall in a basket" episode at Damascus, [2Co 11:30-33] plus a stoning at Lystra, and several other violent actions taken against your ministry. [2Ti 3:11] Haven't you ever suspected that conciliatory behavior and gentler words might gain you more friends?
11. We have learned through channels that following some trouble with a preacher on the island of Cyprus, you began to allow yourself to be known by the Gentile pronunciation of your name rather than the proper Hebrew. [Ac 13:4-11] Yet another conflict, and then a name change. This does not seem to us to be conduct becoming to the ministry.
12. You admitted in your application that in the past you neglected such needy fields as Bithynia, just because "the Spirit didn't lead that way," and that you undertook a hazardous journey on the strength of a dream you had at Troas. [Ac 16:6-10] Mr. Paul, surely you don't expect us to go along with such flimsy and fantastic excuses for your seemingly purposeless wanderings.
13. Many times you did not stay long enough, in our opinion, to get a church established. You left your converts many times without even a pastor to guide them, and without setting the church in order in some good hierarchical denomination. [Ts 1:5]
14. We hear also from Troas that you preach too long, one sermon lasting almost twenty-four hours, even to the extent that a young man fell asleep and was seriously injured. [Ac 20:7-12] We understand that you claim to have restored his life and raised him from the dead by falling on him and embracing him. What nonsense! We need practical men in the ministry, Mr. Paul, not high strung emotional radicals. Our advice is for you to shorten your sermons considerably. We find that about twenty minutes is the longest a minister can hold the attention of his audience these days. Our motto is "Stand up, speak up, and shut up."
15. It is reported from your home church that you could not get along with your fellow ministers; that John Mark--a commendable young man and nephew of one of our leading ministers--had to leave your party in the middle of a journey; and that you had a sharp quarrel with gentle, good natured Barnabas. [Ac 15:36-40] Now these men are well thought of in Jerusalem and we wonder why you are always having trouble with your fellow workers?
16. We have notarized affidavits from four very popular and influential preachers: Diotrephes, Demas, Hymenaeus, and Alexander; to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your program. [1Ti 1:20]
17. From what we hear, you seem to think that you have some direct sanction from on-high, boasting about your revelations and that God has chosen you to reveal some "Mystery". [Ep 3:3-4] Can't you realize that any truth that is to be revealed would come through Headquarters to the recognized, established brethren, and that after it had been checked by our Procedure and Doctrine Committee that we would distribute it on to the ministry?
18. Finally, we hear that you claim to be an Apostle. We know nothing of this being passed upon by the proper authoritative channels and wonder how you could back that claim up, when the last Apostle was voted into office right here in Jerusalem. [Ac 1:26] Now that our denomination is firmly established, why do you imagine there would be any need for God to continue the Apostolic gifting?

As you see, Mr. Paul, we feel definitely after close scrutiny of your case, that you are undoubtedly the most unqualified applicant we have ever seen, and my advice for you is to find a church where you can work in harmony, and use your past education as perhaps a Sunday School teacher.

I hope I have prevented you from making a terrible mistake in your life.

Most sincerely yours,

J. Flavios Fluphehead, SECY

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge

click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here

Subscribe in a reader

All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar