Tag Archives: messenger

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE – 3

The Apostle Paul also had experiences that puzzle us if we fail to understand their purpose and context.

‭2 Corinthians 12:1-2, 5, 7-10 NLT‬
[1] This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. [2] I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows….
[5] That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses…
[7]…So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. [8] Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. [9] Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul was trying to justify his positions as ‘spiritual father’ to the church at Corinth. There were others who came to teach them but not always the truth. Paul had opportunity to boast about out-of-body experiences but, rather than brag about these, he chose to boast about what God had done to keep him humble.

He speaks of an unusual gift which he called ‘a thorn in the flesh’. Where did this expression originate and what does it mean?

God used this expression to explain to His people the reason for them to exterminate the Canaanites when they entered the Promised Land. If the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, they would soon worship their gods and adopt their ways. Idolatry is like a thorn which pierces the flesh, causing pain and infection, and eventually death if not eradicated. Idolatry defiles everyone, tempting idolaters to do evil.

‭Judges 2:1-3 NLT‬
[1] “The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. [2] For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? [3] So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be THORNS in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

‭Deuteronomy 29:18 NLT‬
[18] “I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears BITTER and POISONOUS FRUIT.”

The writer to the Hebrews warns against bitterness. The root of grudges and offenses that makes people bitter is self and particularly self-pity, which is idolatry.

‭Hebrews 12:15 NLT‬
[15]”Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

Only God’s grace can deliver us from bitterness. We become our own god when we elevate ourselves above others, judging them but not ourselves.

When Paul was constantly faced with trouble and hardship, and especially persecution from his own people as well as from the Roman government, he thought Satan was after him. Satan probably was, but Paul had something else to learn.

His prayers for deliverance went unanswered but…God promised him enough grace to overcome every situation so that he would not become bitter against those who caused him trouble. He was never to elevate himself above other people. Rather, he was to submit himself to God’s sovereignty and celebrate the hardships that reminded him of his weakness and kept his feet on the ground.

No, Paul was not sick, nor did he have eye problems as some have tried to identify his ‘thorn’. He himself tells us what his thorn was.

‭2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT‬
[10″That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What a valuable lesson to learn! Paul exulted in the suffering he experienced for his obedience to Jesus. It was the trials and hardships that kept him from having inflated ideas about himself that would have fuelled an attitude of self-sufficiency and cut him off from God’s grace.

‭James 4:6 NLT‬
[6] And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Once again, the Bible explains itself and leads us to understand the truth if what God wants us to know.

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – HE UNDERSTOOD

HE UNDERSTOOD

“After John’s messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. ’What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pyjamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, “I’m sending my messenger on ahead to make the road smooth for you.”‘ Luke 7:24-27.

Why this vehement defense of John the Baptist?

John had just publicly revealed his vulnerability in his extreme circumstances. It was Jesus’ turn to set the record straight, not only to defend John but also to save his ministry.

John was God’s appointed forerunner of the Messiah, the one foretold by Malachi four hundred years before. He had come, as predicted, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to announce and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. People had flocked to hear him in the wilderness. They had received his message that the Messiah was on the brink of being revealed to them. Perhaps some had even been present when Jesus was baptised and had heard the Father’s affirmation of His Son.

Now John was wavering and who can blame him? The all-powerful Messiah had not lifted a finger to rescue him in his predicament. Perhaps John did not realise that his work was done, short though it had been, and it was time for him to step aside and allow Jesus to stand in the limelight for a season until He, too, stepped aside when His work was complete.

Jesus did not want the crowd to think that John was undoing all he had said and done by wavering in his conviction that He was the Messiah. Turning to the Scriptures, He demonstrated to John’s followers that He fulfilled everything the Scriptures had said about Him to that point. His own circumstances aside, John had to believe that Jesus was all that John had reported Him to be.

But Jesus was not only protecting John’s ministry, He was also protecting John himself. This temporary lapse in John’s conviction, this wobble in his faith, was not who John was. In his weak moment, Jesus was there for him and quick to point out that he was no fly-by-night, self-appointed prophet. God had foretold his coming through His messenger centuries before just as surely as He had prophesied the coming of His Messiah.

In glowing terms Jesus began to correct any misgivings people the crowd might have had about John. John was no holiday maker or member of the idle rich, on public display for their entertainment. He was a messenger sent from God, whose arrival was foretold in the Scriptures as surely as that of the Messiah. The implication was that the people had better heed what John had preached. It was serious business and, even though John was shaky in his faith right then, his doubts did not cancel out who he was and what he had done before his incarceration.

Don’t you love Jesus for this little interlude? It reveals His heart once again. A lesser person might have criticised John for vacillating in his circumstances, but not Jesus. No matter how weak he was right then, his work remained and Jesus acknowledged that.

This should give us the courage to know that God is tender towards us in our struggles. He does not judge the process through which we have to go to reach our conclusions. How many times we have been where John was, only to emerge stronger and more secure in our confidence in God because God sees the whole picture and accompanies us to a place of greater strength.

So don’t give up. Jesus will never stab you in the back. He will walk with you through the valley until you reach the other side.

A Peek Inside

A PEEK INSIDE

“But I think it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.” Philippians 2:25-27.

Paul peppered his letters with little cameos of his life and his interaction with fellow believers. This is one of them.

He had a very special relationship with the people of the Philippian church. From what he wrote, we learn that they had taken care of his needs more than once, sending money to him and one of their members, possibly even a leader or elder to see to his needs in prison.

Epaphroditus could not hop on a plane from Philippi and land in Rome in an hour or two. He had to endure a long and hazardous overland journey to get to Paul. He may have contracted malaria or some other infectious disease on the way, causing him a serious and almost fatal illness. No doubt Paul and his fellow-believers in Rome must have prayed earnestly for his recovery. God was merciful and spared his life and Paul the sorrow of losing a beloved friend and companion in the gospel.

Look how Paul described Epaphroditus – brother, co-worker and fellow-soldier. He was a brother in the love that bound them together. Paul was not only the evangelist, teacher and mentor of these people. He was also their brother and they were his brothers and sisters in the bond of God’s family. Their Christian lives would have been sterile without the love that warmed them and drew them together to care for one another.

Epaphroditus was also a co-worker and fellow soldier. He was no spectator sitting in the grandstand cheering Paul on. He was right in the game with Paul, facing the dangers of the Christian life in the arena of misunderstanding, hatred and persecution at the hands of Jews and Romans. He soldiered with Paul in spreading the gospel and caring for the flock of God. Paul was not slack in giving him the honour he deserved for his willingness to labour with him.

I see in this little cameo something very precious in this church and something that is not always evident in many church fellowships. These people were held together by a deep love for Paul and for one another. Without that love they would have believed Paul’s message, come to Christ and formed a group of believers that met together and stuck together simply because they were hated by the world. It was their love for each other and for their beloved apostle which motivated them to give of their resources and themselves.

They gave their money to take care of Paul’s needs. They sent a representative to help Paul in prison. They were concerned for the wellbeing of Paul and Epaphroditus in Rome. They were certainly not indifferent to the circumstances of their “father” in the faith when he was far away. They cared and they showed their care by doing something about it.

Imagine what an impact the church would make on a world of selfish and greedy people if we truly loved and cared for one another as the Philippians did! The world largely treats the church with indifference because in many ways the church is no better than a religious “club”. There are power struggles, infightings, factions, competition among leaders, and all the sins off the world blatantly evident in the church as well.

Where is this alternative society made up of true followers of Jesus who have died to themselves and are reflecting the Master they serve as “stars in the universe”? Where are these companies of people scattered throughout the world whose love for Jesus and for one another convinces the world that they are really following Him?

How tragic that many of the big name leaders in the church are living in multi-million dollar mansions and driving the most expensive of cars with the excuse that their wealth is God’s blessing, while those who are desperately trying to reach the masses with the gospel are crying out for the funds to do so!

Come on, church! Let’s get real. Our treasure is not on this earth. It is laid up for us in heaven.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17, 18.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

He Understood

HE UNDERSTOOD

“After John’s messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. ’What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pyjamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, “I’m sending my messenger on ahead to make the road smooth for you.”‘ Luke 7:24-27 (The Message).

Why this vehement defence of John the Baptist?

John had just publicly revealed his vulnerability in his extreme circumstances. It was Jesus’ turn to set the record straight, not only to defend John but also to save his ministry.

He was God’s appointed forerunner of the Messiah, the one foretold by Malachi four hundred years before. He had come, as predicted, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to announce and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. People had flocked to hear him in the wilderness. They had received his message that the Messiah was on the brink of being revealed to them. Perhaps some had even been present when Jesus was baptised and had heard the Father’s affirmation of His Son.

Now John was wavering and who can blame him? The all-powerful Messiah had not lifted a finger to rescue him in his predicament. Perhaps John did not realise that his work was done, short though it had been, and it was time for him to step aside and allow Jesus to stand in the limelight for a season until He, too, stepped aside when His work was complete.

Jesus did not want the crowd to think that John was undoing all he had said and done by wavering in his conviction that He was the Messiah. Turning to the Scriptures, He demonstrated to John’s followers that He fulfilled everything the Scriptures had said about Him to that point. His own circumstances aside, John had to believe that Jesus was all that John had reported Him to be.

But Jesus was not only protecting John’s ministry, He was also protecting John himself. This temporary lapse in John’s conviction, this wobble in his faith, was not who John was. In his weakest moment, Jesus was there for him and quick to point out that he was no fly-by-night, self-appointed prophet. God had foretold his coming through His messenger centuries before just as surely as He had prophesied the coming of His Messiah.

In glowing terms Jesus began to correct any misgivings people the crowd might have had about John. John was no holiday maker or member of the idle rich, on public display for their entertainment. He was a messenger sent from God, whose arrival was foretold in the Scriptures as surely as that of the Messiah. The implication was that the people had better heed what John had preached. It was serious business and, even though John was shaky in his faith right then, his doubts did not cancel out who he was and what he had done before his incarceration.

Don’t you love Jesus for this little interlude? It reveals His heart once again. A lesser person might have criticised John for vacillating in his circumstances, but not Jesus. No matter how weak he was right then, his work remained and Jesus acknowledged that.

This should give us the courage to know that God is tender towards us in our struggles. He does not judge the process through which we have to go to reach our conclusions. How many times we have been where John was, only to emerge stronger and more secure in our confidence in God because God sees the whole picture and accompanies us to a place of greater strength.

So don’t give up. Jesus will never stab you in the back. He will walk with you through the valley until you reach the other side.