Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Fix Our Eyes" by Harold Wedel for Tuesday, 19 July 2016 with Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18
-------
"Christ Power Enables" by Harold Wedel
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1 God has shown us such mercy that we do not lose courage as we do the work he has given us. 2 Indeed, we refuse to make use of shameful underhanded methods, employing deception or distorting God’s message. On the contrary, by making very clear what the truth is, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 So if indeed our Good News is veiled, it is veiled only to those in the process of being lost. 4 They do not come to trust because the god of the ‘olam hazeh has blinded their minds, in order to prevent them from seeing the light shining from the Good News about the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God. 5 For what we are proclaiming is not ourselves, but the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, with ourselves as slaves for you because of Yeshua. 6 For it is the God who once said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has made his light shine in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua.
7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. 8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. 10 We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. 11 For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. 12 Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
13 The Tanakh says, “I trusted, therefore I spoke.”[2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10] Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust, we also trust and therefore speak; 14 because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence. 15 All this is for your sakes, so that as grace flows out to more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God.
16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily. 17 For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description. 18 We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal.
-------
Hymn for Today: "We Shall See The King Someday" by Lewis E. Jones
1. Tho' the way we journey may be often drear,
We shall see the King some day;
On that blessèd morning clouds will disappear;
We shall see the King some day.
Chorus:
We shall see the King some day,
We will shout and sing some day;
Gathered ’round the throne,
When He shall call His own,
We shall see the King some day.
2. After pain and anguish, after toil and care,
We shall see the King some day;
Thro' the endless ages joy and blessing share,
We shall see the King some day.
Chorus:
We shall see the King some day,
We will shout and sing some day;
Gathered ’round the throne,
When He shall call His own,
We shall see the King some day.
3. After foes are conquered, after battles won,
We shall see the King some day;
After strife is over, after set of sun,
We shall see the King some day.
Chorus:
We shall see the King some day,
We will shout and sing some day;
Gathered ’round the throne,
When He shall call His own,
We shall see the King some day.
4. There with all the loved ones who have gone before,
We shall see the King some day;
Sorrow past forever, on that peaceful shore,
We shall see the King some day.
Chorus:
We shall see the King some day,
We will shout and sing some day;
Gathered ’round the throne,
When He shall call His own,
We shall see the King some day.
-------
Living in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States is definitely living in "Cardinal Country." The Saint Louis Cardinals professional baseball team have won eleven World Series Championships, second only to the New York Yankees. For years, scientists have conducted research on baseball players to better understand how they can run, track and catch a fly ball all at the same time. There are physical and neurological theories that try to explain the phenomenon, but the explanation is simply, “Keep your eye on the ball.”
Changes in our world can definitely imitate the same stress levels a baseball player experiences when attempting to make that perfect catch. It actually can appear frightening and personal when pressure, anxiety and discouragement settle in. The Apostle Paul lived in such a day. He had been “hard pressed on every side … perplexed …persecuted,” even knocked off his feet (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
What can one do? Every believer must look to Jesus who will renew the inner person. He can lift the heaviest burdens and make them seem light and momentary. So, let’s “fix our eyes” on Jesus today. He alone will provide an eternal perspective.
-------
Thought of the Day: Hebrews 12:1 So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us, 2 looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting,[Hebrews 12:2 Habakkuk 2:4] Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[Hebrews 12:2 Psalm 110:1]
-------
Please Pray: That many people in Namibia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment