Weakness

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

-2 Cor 4:5-11

I used to take this from a theological perspective, but that’s not the way Paul is writing at all. In context with the larger book, Paul is speaking against the so-called apostles that preached victory all the time. There are much more ‘powerful’ preachers around him, preaching power and that they are the greatest and that people should serve them. Paul’s days were no different than ours in that respect.

In Mozambique, pastors have to hide when they are sick. It’s a sign of not having enough faith. Believers hide when their marriage has issues or their businesses are doing poorly or they are struggling not necessarily for selfish reasons but they think that their testimony is better if everything is healed and powerful. There is a faith teaching that says: declare it like it will be not, like it is; which from my perspective doesn’t always seem truthful.

“We don’t go around preaching about ourselves” - the Mozambicans would say this in the exact same way. A translation into American direct English would be “Other ‘Apostles’ spend much of their time preaching about themselves.” That happens here. I have been to many preachings where, at the root of the preaching it’s more about the pastor’s exploits than Jesus’s - of course, it’s done in Jesus’ name. Then you have me… adverse to even talking about myself.

Strangely enough, Paul criticizes this behavior here but then does the same thing - half the book of 2 Corinthians he is talking about himself and the things God has done through him. It means there is a time and a place for it; we just have to be sure of the right time and place. God, teach me the times and places where I need to talk about myself and what You have done through me.

There is also difference in the content. Paul would rather boast and connect in his weakness than boast
in his strength.  Paul admitted he was tormented by a demon constantly! Imagine a preacher today saying that in one breath and in the next saying the power of God works strongly in them. I think that is a powerful lesson for us - we should connect on our hardships and trials rather than strengths for there is no shame in going through suffering. That is where Paul is and if Paul is there, we need to be there too. Treasures in fragile clay jars. 

Psalms 89: Covenant

Covenants God has made with me:

• You take care of my people and I will take care of your courses (circa 2005)

• Don’t ask and I’ll still provide. In fact, give away $1000 of what you already have (2007)

• I will inhabit you. Your thoughts will be my thoughts and your actions my actions (2008)

• I have appointed you to bear fruit that lasts (John 15:16) - 2014

• I will be with you (Jesus, 2016) The road is going to be hard, impossible-looking but I will still be with you.

• Your job is to remain in Me (John 15) - spiritual retreat 2018

My thoughts on Covenant:

A covenant is a sealed contract, written by God. Sometimes it’s conditional, other times it’s unconditional and requires nothing of us. When God gives us a covenant, it will absolutely be challenged. We need to see how God is bringing it to fruition and see what we can do to partner with Him. We need to trust that He will do His part. But even if we don’t, He’ll follow through.

Covenants are very special things. Not everyone has things that God tells them in the form of a promise. But when He does tell you something, you can guarantee it’s important and that it will be tested.

We need to be like Abraham, who in the face of God giving Him a covenant of blessing on Him and his descendants, Abraham was able to still fully trust in God to the point of offering the best land up for Lot’s flocks and offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice. He knew Covenant did not depend on him at all.

What has God promised us? Has He been faithful in the past with those same situations? Am I trusting Him now to still come through? What is holding me back? What are ways I can trust Him more in my life and ministry?

Saying Yes

What did Mary need to do to make the vision happen? Essentially she just had to say yes. She had to say yes at the beginning and every day, even the ones where she was being mocked or attacked or her life threatened by stoning. Every day was a choice not to abort and walk away. Though saying yes is easy in some moments, there are others where yes is hard.

Yes is hard because you are saying no to a normal life. Saying yes to God automatically shoots down so many dreams and ambitions and plans. Granted, most of those plans are futile or impossible, but there is a deep sense of loss nonetheless. Sometimes it is heart-breaking to understand that you will never truly belong anymore.

Saying yes is hard because often you don’t have a reason. “God told me” is the best you have to explain to people but you can’t use it. Now that shouldn’t be bad but so many people have used it to manipulate others that it just seems calloused and conversation-ending to say. Once you say “God told me” you are closing the door to any other opinions or advice, good or bad. No, often you have to just say that you don’t have a reason, or that you may be wrong but you don’t want to miss God.

Saying yes is hard because everyone will rejoice with you in the victory and birth (Luke 1:58) but no one will be there to help to carry it out.

Getting to Bethlehem

Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. How did Mary get there? She didn’t need to strive and fight to fulfill this particular part of the prophecy; it turns out that there was a government census and EVERYONE needed to travel. It also just so happens that her fiancee's family was from Bethlehem.

God didn’t tell Mary that she needed to find a way to get to Bethlehem; it just happened. God was orchestrating His plans in His ways. Be extremely careful to do things HIS way or you will find yourself using so much effort on things He hasn’t called you to do!

Also, trust that the Lord will bring around the right people at the right time. I have neither the time, not the energy, nor the strength to find the kind of partnerships we need in the US to put the ministry on solid financial footing. But I don’t need to - God has told me many things but that I need to be spending more time trying to find donors isn’t one of them. I need to trust that God will bring the right people at the right time, and that he is calling someone else to carry this standard.

Elizabeth's Place

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. -Luke 1:56

Elizabeth’s place was a place of sanctuary, a place of refuge before Mary had to go back and face her reality. It had people who believed her and believed in her. It had people that were doing things differently, walking by faith and not by sight. It had 2 clearly visible miracles in the house - the one of Elizabeth’s birth and the one of Zechariah’s mute-ness; both awe-inspiring signs from the Lord.

What was one of the keys of Mary’s pregnancy? Be around others pregnant with a vision. It is important to be around others who have also been called by God for a work. This builds faith and encouraged everyone; another sign we were never supposed to do life alone! 

An angel showed up and told Mary what would happen to her. Every day for 9 months, she struggled and fought the what ifs, the condemning stares, the people who thought she was obviously a liar. Every day, she had to wake up and go through life where the reality of what she saw with her eyes didn’t match the reality of what she was told by the angel. She had pain, difficulty, and uncertainty, but her time with other believers of vision helped her. Whenever she hit rock bottom, God would send people to believe in her; first Elizabeth and later Joseph.

So what was the order? The plan came from God, then was given to Mary. It was encouraged by other people with the same calling but of different locations. After she had to go back to her circumstances, God sent her the team (Joseph) that would actually carry out the plan.

I can actually see the same thing with Equip Mozambique… It wasn’t our plan to go back; in fact, we wanted to go anywhere except Mozambique! God initiated. Then we got all of our intercessor friends together and we all prayed about it. We were lifted up, encouraged and blessed, but it was just us that had to get on that plane and actually live out the vision.

While we were here though, the vision was still forming. We didn’t yet have a team of people who had been called for the same mission as us. Slowly but surely God started forming the team. He put the right people in the right places and though they weren’t the ones that were pregnant, they chose to marry the vision and connect their destiny with ours.

Lord, teach me daily how you work. Show me your ways, and help me be an encouragement in the lives of others.

 

Mary's Attitude

The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" -Luke 1:28

What did God’s favor on Mary mean? In practical terms, she would face stoning. She would be judged and ridiculed for the rest of her life. She would crush her fiancee’s heart and their relationship may never be the same. But she would have a first-hand seat to the most important events in the world, and experience the miraculous life that changed everything.

Often times we have the same choice. Do we choose the same path, a path of comfort and being like everyone else, or do we choose the favor of the Lord, the path of great ridiculed and difference, having a front-row seat as God’s kingdom breaks into people’s lives?

If we do it for the honor that will eventually come, we do it for the wrong reason. If we do it for the blessing, our hope is often misplaced and can fail.

How can we live with the attitude of Mary, saying Yes to the Lord regardless of the cost? Lord, give us vision so big that it takes an angel, older relatives, and angelic visits to our friends to bring it forth. Let us ask “how” (v34) without letting that be a limiting factor. Help us live every day trusting in God and not making the choice to abort the vision God has given us out of convenience.