2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

In South America there is a tree called the cow-tree. It grows on the barren flank of a rock that its roots are scarcely able to penetrate. To the eye it appears dead and dried, but when the trunk is pierced there flows from it a sweet and nourishing milk. This is not unlike the Christian, who outwardly may appear to be withering and dying but within possesses a living sap that is welling up to eternal life.

The key to the victorious Christian life is all in one's perspective. Not focusing on what is seen but focusing on the eternal.

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William Wallace is one who didn't focus on what was seen but unseen. (maybe not the eternal). He dreamt of the future of having a free Scotland. When he stood before the mentally defeated army who were standing before the English Army. He said to them, "What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?" some of the others called out, "against that! No we will run!" William rouses up the army by saying, "Aye, fight and you may die...... Run and you will live,........at least a while...... Then when you're dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies you can take our lives, but you'll never take our freedom!!!!!!" yeahhhhhhhh!!!! etc, etc....

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Their Army was severely out numbered yet Wallace' army defeated the English that day. Although Wallace wasn't pursuing a Spiritual call, we can still see the power in his life and in his army on focusing not on what was in front of them, but focusing was beyond that - freedom.

God has called us to look towards what is eternal and not our momentary troubles.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (New International Version)

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This is one of my favourite passage in the bible. I love the imagery of becoming totally new, that God cleans us up and gives us a new heart and a new Spirit. It's nothing we can do, it is God who makes us a new and cleans us up!

I think it's incredible that Jesus didnt do it all himself in relation to spreading the news, but he gave us the responsibility to tell others about him.

Just as our country has ambassadors around the world representing us to other nations. God has made us ambassadors for him to those who don't know him.

Next time you feel shame, regret or guilt from the past, remember the God has made you a new creation - THE OLD IS GONE! THE NEW HAS COME

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2 Corinthians 1:3-5

(Hurricane Katrina)

God Brings comfort in the midst of great storms

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

It's important to notice 2 things in this passage. First, this provision of comfort is not for us but its intention is so that we can comfort those in any trouble. suffering equips us so that we can better minister to those who are going through trials and hardships.

Secondly, the provision is not deliverance "from" but encouragement in trouble. We are not promised release from trouble but help in the midst of it. If we are serving Christ, we will encounter hardships.

It certainly doesnt feel exciting when we are going through hardships. But God does promise that he will comfort us and he will ultimately use you to impact other people's lives for God through your hardship

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