“If anyone
could tell you the shortest, surest
way to all happiness and perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule
to
yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you.
For it is
certain that whatever seeming calamity
happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you
turn it
into a blessing.” – William Law, clergyman, 18th century
The King James Bible Church
HARLEY HITCHCOCK
PO
Box 310, Mt Ommaney, Australia 4074
Let’s study Paul’s life
You’d
reckon if anyone knew how to pray, it would be Paul the
apostle. And as we study Paul’s life, it will be obvious how he prayed.
But
I’m just an ordinary Christian?
In
your eyes - “Yes”, but in God’s eyes “No”.
I
don’t understand?
You
may not have the official title of Pastor, Preacher,
Evangelist or Teacher but when you think about it, all Christians do
the same
work. As Christians, we all witness, care for other Christians, teach
them the
Bible and ‘preach’ and exhort others as well.
So?
We’ll
look at 2nd Corinthians and see what challenges Paul faced
and how he prayed and took them to the Lord.
As
Paul says Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
What
is 2nd Corinthians about then?
The
theme is “The Ministry”. It describes Paul’s infirmities,
reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses for Christ’s sake
(2Cor
12:10). But not just Paul, 2nd Corinthians is a description of the trials,
tests and tribulations that await for any Christian.
God
will put you through such trying circumstances such that you
will be able to speak personally of his comfort and deliverance
not
from your head, but from your heart.
From
experience and not just out of a book, you will know, that
you know, that you know, that you know … that comfort and consolation
only
comes from the Lord.
And
this will come from throwing yourself 100% in utter
dependence, in crippling circumstances, on God the Father
Why?
Then
God will get all the glory like Moses at the Red Sea! And
Shadrach in the firey furnace!
What
sort of circumstances did Paul face?
Paul uses
45 words in 2nd Corinthians, to
describe his ministry. They
are “anguish, perplexity, devour, smite, bondage, weak, despair,
forsaken, faint, persecuted, sorry, grieved, down, perish, burden, cast
down,
groaning, poor, chastened, hunger, beaten, perils, pain, infirmity,
stoned,
reproaches, offended, weariness, mourning, trembling, fear, poverty,
affliction, despair, necessities, imprisonments, distressed,
destruction,
tumults, killed, tribulation, dying, suffering, terrified, death.”
Ooo!
I’m not sure that’s for me.
Dear
Reader, you have no choice. Your life is no longer your
own. You will be conformed to the image of the Son (Romans
8:29)
whether you like it or not. You can’t hope to fight God and win. Put it
this
way, the sooner you get on the program the better. The sooner and
quicker you
learn how to pray the better.
Welcome
to the Christian life!
And
furthermore, you will thank and praise the Lord from the
bottom of your heart that he has seen fit to destroy any form of self
support
or confidence you may have in yourself, in order for him to get all the
glory.
(Psalm 119:75)
As
Paul states “And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power
of
Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's
sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Indeed,
“…that
the excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
Alright,
where do we start?
Paul talks
about Israel in the desert and their
five chief sins of lust, idolatry, fornication, tempting and murmuring
(1Cor
10:6-11). Paul says we are to use these for our
So?
Do
you know what really “killed” them and delayed their journey?
The journey from Egypt to Canaan (their promised land) should have only
taken
them a couple of weeks apparently. Why did it take 40 years? MURMURING!
“And
when the people COMPLAINED, it displeased the
LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of
the
LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost
parts of
the camp.”
(Numbers
11:1).
They
kept thinking about their old life in Egypt. God was giving
them manna from heaven, but they wanted the old life of Egypt – the
fish, the
melons, the cucumbers and so on.
What’s
murmuring?
It’s
called having a whinge and a whine, complaining, bleating,
not being content with what you have, grumbling, sullen, frowning,
upset with
your lot in life, being dealt a ‘bad hand’ in life, walking around
depressing
others with any upsetting details of your life, seeing your glass as
half-empty
and not half-full.
“It’s
too hot today.” “I want more money” “I wish I had a better
marriage!” “I deserve better!” “Why me Lord?” “I’m a Christian Lord,
you should
be treating me better.” “Not rissoles again” “Why can’t we have a nicer
house
like our neighbours!”. “Look at my clothes. Why can’t I have better
shoes?” Got
the picture yet?
It’s
alright for you, but you don’t know the crosses I
have to bear!
Try
this one. What if, as an infant, your parents took you to the
doctor to fix up a minor eye condition? The doctor put the wrong
ointment on
your eyes and you were made blind for life?
This
was the lot of Fanny Crosby who used her blindness
to write hundreds of hymns for the Lord. She found her work for
the Lord
through her handicap. (Blind from a medical mishap when 6 weeks old)
Well I
just don’t feel like it! Well you
are sinning if you don’t start praising and thanking the Lord
for everything that comes your way. God says And we know that all
things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called
according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Giving
thanks always for all things unto
God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ; Ephesians 5:20
Be
careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6
Rejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians
5:16-18
God
is in no hurry. Unless you get on his prayer program, you’ll
just spin your wheels and sink further into the mud (Hosea 4:16).
Well,
that’s all easier said than done
Let
me put it this way. What does a father want from his children?
Thanks, gratitude and appreciation. Do you think that any good father
doesn’t
know what his children want and in advance as well? What parent likes
their
child to be on the whinge and whine all the time? “I want this and I
want that”
“My friends have such and such and I don’t” Their focus in on
themselves about
what they need and want.
God
the Father is the same. He knows what we need before we even
ask. But most people just keep bashing on God’s door for their health
and
wealth and whatever else they want, as though God is ignorant of their
needs.
What he
wants to hear is our praise and thanks
for, and in all, our situations. – good, bad and ugly. In
his time,
when and where he sees fit, his will, will be done. When we don’t do
this we
sin. God says And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable,
and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. Our thoughts must be his
thoughts.
Furthermore Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought
to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5
I
don’t get it
Look
it may not seem obvious, but God just loves to be the first
and last port of call in all matters of life. He deliberately knocks
out any
form of self-support we have. God hates our independence. Our
calamities are
his blessings to us in disguise. HE WILL GET ALL THE GLORY when he
delivers.
Well
I still don’t like it!
And
I’ll tell you why. You still think it’s your life. You won’t
have the life you want. “If I was a Doctor or a Lawyer I could
serve him
better.” You secretly hate the fact your life is over, being put to
death in
Christ. You may have a fear about being sent as a missionary?
This
won’t be easy
It’ll be as easy as you want it to be. There was a crippled girl who hesitated going to the doctors to get healed. “I don’t think I’d better” she said. “I’ve grown to love Jesus very much, because he is such a strength to me in my weakness, and I’m afraid that if I were made well, there might be the chance of my loving him less”.
God
said to Paul “… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore
I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Quote
from Martin Luther
“Blessed
is he that submits to the will of God; he can
never be unhappy. Men may deal with him as they will … he is without
care; he
knows that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God,
to
them who are the called according to his purpose.’” – Martin Luther,
Christian
minister 19th Century
God
tries all hearts. What’s in yours?
Australian Bible Ministries, PO
Box 5058 Mt. Gravatt East 4122 Qld, Australia
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com
