Tag: 2 Corinthians

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Understanding the Value of Weakness

Sometimes in the car I listen to Way-FM. There is a DJ in the morning named Brant.  This guy has a sort of dry mono toned voice, one that on the show has been compared to Kermit the frog, which gets you in the general direction of his voice, although its not the best comparison. Anyway, when I first started listening to this guy, I really didn’t enjoy it, so much that when the song was over and he started talking, I would change the station.  That’s crazy isn’t.

But I suppose my hands had better things to do, like driving the vehicle, and so I began to listen to what he was saying and got past the idiosyncrasies of his voice.  The more I slowed down and listened the more I liked the what I was hearing, so much that I actually enjoy his commentary now. That’s crazy isn’t.

A few weeks ago, he was talking about where are strength comes from, and how God uses us when we are weak. Its stuck with me over the days, as this is a truth that I have heard from when I was little, but really I don’t it’s been well explained . I mean, we are taught to be strong, to be tough, to be rugged.  Although on a physical level there is merit to buffeting the body in a way that it is in its best physical shape, more on that another day.  So, we are taught to be strong, however, its not always when we are the strongest that we are used.  I think mainly because, when we think we are strong, we look at ourselves.  “I have this all under control!”  When we are weak, we look other places “God help me”.

So the trick is, staying weak.  Staying in a place where we need God – where we recognize our need for God, and not making it all about ourselves.  I think that’s called being humble!

9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-11)

So three things this mornings. First don’t judge  so quickly, sometimes you may end up missing some great things, Second, if you are in an area where you can listen to Way-FM, I think you may find some encouragement and some challenges listening in sometimes.  And finally, lets delight in our weaknesses, and we ready to be used.  Stay lowly, stay meek, and He will use you in ways you cant even imagine or blog!

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Going Home

This morning, I will board a 6am flight, and travel across air back to my Southern home.  Its such an amazing tribute to the gifts that men have been given that we have figured out how to make machines that fly.  That aside, going home is always a wonderful thing.  No matter how enjoyable the trip is, the anticipation that comes with traveling back to the comforts of your home can not be topped.   The warmness, the deep relationships, the ability to completely relax and be yourself. 

Sometimes, I think about heaven, my eternal home, and I wonder why I don’t always have the same excited feeling about going there.  Imagine how that place will be – for some reason I think it will feel more like home, then a church building.  I am going to use this little return trip to consider they way I view and feel about the return to heaven to be with God.  Its always these little things in life that help us understand and set our perspective.  I hope you spend a little time, as you return home – whether its from a day at the office, or a run to the grocery, to consider the trip.  Notice the anticipation, the  excitement and the relief.  And then consider these words about our “heavenly homecoming”.

2 Corinthians 5

 1-5For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.

 6-8That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

 9-10But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10, The Message)

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End of the Decade

Its the end of the decade today.  Tomorrow we will be in the teens, and that means new fashion, new music, new hairstyles, new fades, new designs – the whole shooting match.  One thing however will be the same.  That’s the power of Christ to change your life and to make you new.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”- 2 Corinthians 5:17

Since it is the end of the year/decade and since there are all sorts of countdowns and rewinds that happen.  The Daily Buffet will look back as well.  I have gone back and picked out 9 (since it is the end of 2009) favorite emails from early in this year and will post 1 every even hour from 8am until midnight.  FUN!  I hope you enjoy.

(oh , the pirate email is exclude, as it can only appear on September 18.

Happy New Year.

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Letting it Go

There are times in your life when you feel like you are in complete control.  Its amazing that its during these times that usually things go out of control!  God has a funny way of keeping us humble, it we don’t keep ourselves there.  But its in these times when we are not in control, or in times when you feel completely broken that great things can happen!

Take a look at this from the pen of Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (New International Version)

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Absolutely Amazing!  Can we accept this?  Can we accept that we are stronger when we completely rely on God?  Can we accept not being in control?  Can we be more glad in our weakness, in our hardtimes, in our difficulties?

Think deeply about this and see how this can transform you to be more dependent on Christ and less dependent on yourself.

Have a great (rainy) Wednesday!