Being and Becoming God’s own

2 Corinthians 4, The Message

We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

13-15 We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

What do we learn?
–We know that God knows what to do.
–God is always at our side.
–Believers live at risk which makes Jesus more evident in us.
–Think, say and behave like we believe.
–Every detail is to be done to God’s glory
–While the outside seems to fall apart, God’s unfolding arms of grace hold us tighter still…what a blessing of his unconditional love and mercy!
–NEVER give up! Give up on what you can do, but NEVER give up on Jesus, what He can and will do, through hard times and good times, praise His Name!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you. Just thank you. I love you with all my heart, mind and soul and I give You nothing but priase this morning. I am nothing without You. I need you every hour. Thank you for being with us…Emmanuel. In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…(by Lanny Wolfe)

In everything give Him thanks
Give Him thanks
In everything give thanks
Give Him thanks
In the good times praise His name
In the bad times do the same
In everything give the King of kings
All the thanks

Verse 1
With all the good things
That had come His way
It’s no wonder
You could hear Job say
The Lord giveth and He taketh away
I’ll give Him thanks
But when the tables were all turned around
And Job’s world came crashing down
His faith in God caused Job to say
I’ll still give Him thanks

Verse 2
When trouble comes
And there’s no one around
Satan tries to tell me
That God’s let me down
Through ev’ry dark hour
The best thing I’ve found
Is to give God the thanks
For He has never never
Failed me yet
So why should I start now
To worry or fret
In eve’rything I won’t ever forget
To give God the thanks

King of kings all the thanks
In ev’rything give the King
Of kings all the thanks