| GOD IN THE WORKPLACE The (ECAC) Ebenezer Community Alliance Church is a visible manifestation of Christ’s Body of believers under the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMACOP). + Full Story | Another Articles | |
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Ebenezer Bible College & Seminary
A Theological Institution of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines, Inc.
Upper Calarian, Zamboanga City,... + Full Story |
| In Ebenezer I met my wife and partner in the ministryA match made in Ebenezer, circa 1998 + Full Story | Another Articles | |
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| Amazing GraceText: Genesis 4:1-16
Title: A Missing Grace
Introduction
Today I will focus on grace. The title of our message this morning is, “A Missing Grace.”
Yes, God’s grace is amazing. But if we... + Full Story | Another Articles | |
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| Strength in Weakness |
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| Text: 2 Corinthians 12:9 Title: Strength in Weakness Just this week I received a wonderful news from my program director in my that I have completed 51 academic units of doctoral work. Nalipay jud ko kaayo. Ngano man? Kay hapit na pito katuig ko kaeskwela sa pag ka doctor ug hapit na jud ko mahuman, maluoy ang Ginoo. Apan nahadlok pud ko maghunana ug mahuman pa jud ko niini We experience many things in our lives that make us proud of ourselves, don’t we? We think about ourselves and our achievements in years past, individually and as a group. We pat each other’s shoulders and say, “You did good!” or “We are good!” Paul had all the reasons to be proud and to boast about himself – his person, his credentials, his achievements and even in his sufferings (2 Cor. 11:23-30). Who can match Paul? Paul was and is our model par excellence. He is the greatest: missionary, church planter, pastor, theologian, teacher, pastor…name it, and he has it. He was successful in his missionary and ministry journeys in all places that he went, except in Corinth. Why? What happened to Paul in Corinth? Paul had the difficulty of ministry in Corinth. The Corinthians, at least some of them were not so impressed with Paul. In fact, they opposed and questioned Paul’s apostleship. They even accused Paul as a false apostle. In response, Paul argued and labored to prove to them that he was a true apostle – even if he sounded like boasting already. Problems in the church happen, right? Well, that’s part of growing – our growing pains. God uses church problems to make the church grow fast. Don’t be shock with church problems. We are not immune to that. We are not perfect yet. If you happen to see a perfect church, yung walang problema -my advice is, please do not join that church or that church will not be perfect anymore. What is important is that we identify the problem and everybody helps to work out for a solution to the problem. Paul encountered a problem in Corinth. He encountered an opposition. He called it “a thorn in the flesh.” (2 Cor. 12:7) Contrary to some speculations, the “thorn in the flesh” Paul mentioned here refers to a person and not to a sickness. A demonized person was sent by Satan to torment Paul. This “thorn in the flesh” person was destroying Paul and his ministry. He was instrumental in discrediting Paul and dividing his church. He was tormenting Paul. One of the things we emphasize in Ebenezer now is mentoring. That is one of our institutional purposes. We encourage the faculty and staff to mentor students. Sometimes students complain that in the past the faculty and staff failed to mentor them. Instead, they have become their tormentors. I hope this is not true with you. I hope you help mentor each other, that means you help each other grow spiritually and not become the tormentor of others. Paul faced a tormentor in the church of Corinth. He suffered a great deal. The torment particularly refers to ill treatment that Paul received from others. The same word for torment is used when Jesus was in the Sadhedrin prior to his crucifixion. Some people spat at him, struck him with their fists, slapped and beat him. They tormented him. We can imagine also how Paul suffered the same in the hands of his tormentors in Corinth. I consider myself fortunate to have worked a number of years in church and now in Ebenezer. We experienced the kind of torment described here. We had a taste of torment, especially when my husband became the president of Ebenezer. Because of the changes that he wanted to put in place in the school, some people were affected. As a result, they tormented him and then of course us as a family. They spread bad report about him. They tried to malign him. They even threatened to sue him in court. They were not successful. PTL! How did Paul respond to his torment and to his tormentors? Human as he was like us, Paul begged to the Lord 3 times that the Lord remove his torment (v.8). He implored to the Lord 3 times. The pain was too much. Paul wanted a relief from it. He prayed and he prayed hard and repeatedly but to no avail. Prosperity theology would say that something is wrong with you that is why your prayers are not answered. Something is wrong with you that is why you do not prosper. I don’t think that is true. Who can question Paul’s spirituality? Like Job of old, Paul and other faithful men and women of God today may find God’s answer to be NO in spite of all their pleadings. Some pains are meant to stay no matter how much we pray for God to remove it. Do you experience that? Do you experience being tormented for an extended period of time? The torment can be in the family situation. It can be in the work situation. It can also be in the church situation. The worse is when they are in all situations. What did God say in response to Paul’s appeal? We are coming now to our text. V.9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness…” God’s grace – his favor, his blessing, his enabling, his power…is sufficient. The present tense “is sufficient” reveals the constant availability of God’s divine grace. God will constantly supply Paul with the grace necessary for him to endure his torment. God may not remove our thorns but he will supply us with his grace. And that would be enough. But like Paul we quickly ask God to remove the pain when what needed to ask is the grace to stand the pain. That is what he promised to give. That is the best that he can give. That is what we needed and to ask for God to give. Why do we need his grace? We need grace because his power is made perfect in weakness. God’s power is perfected in our weakness. That means the weaker we are, the more power he gives. The humbler we are, the more strength he provides. That is why Paul said, “I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (v.9b) Truth: GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THOSE WHOSE STRENGTH IS DEFICIENT. The Corinthians glory on visions and revelations. For them, visions and revelations validate a true apostle. Paul wanted to argue that he also had these visions and revelations. Remember, they questioned his apostleship. therefore in his own effort Paul wanted to prove otherwise. Paul was tempted to boast of his credentials. To stop Paul from being conceited God sent him a thorn in the flesh to humble him (v.7). If he boasts, he boasts not of his strength but of his weakness. GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THOSE WHOSE STRENGTH IS DEFICIENT. Do you experience thorns in the flesh individually or as a church? Are there persons who torment you and causes you so much pain? Do you respond by using your own strength, your power and all the means at your disposal to fight back? Listen to what God is saying to you this morning. “My grace is sufficient for you…” He will supply you daily with the strength that you need. The more you humble yourself, the more power and strength he will provide. That is because his power is made perfect in your weakness. Live up to your name as Christians. Let us be women of grace who constantly rely on the grace of God in the midst of troubles and adversities. GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THOSE WHOSE STRENGTH IS DEFICIENT. Be humble. Rely on God’s power and strength and not in yours. Remember, “It is not by might nor by power but my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.” (Zachariah 4:6) As the old song says, “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase. To added affliction he addeth his mercy; to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. His love has no limit, his grace has no measure; his power has no boundary known unto men. For out of his infinite riches in Jesus; He giveth and giveth, and giveth (grace) again.” GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THOSE WHOSE STRENGTH IS DEFICIENT. |
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