the end of an era

Today, Ed led devotions. It is his last day in the office. A chapter in OM is closing. He and Pauline have been my friends since I met him in the dining room at debron. I am sad to see them go.

Six characters in search of an author

I have a couple of small, but functional parts in, "Six Characters in Search of an author". It will be a busy week. One of the cast was very ill. We shall see how it all goes tonight as tonight is opening night.

book

Only one more person to get back to me about my book and then the rewriting of portions of it begins.

video and dropbox

I made a prayer video, which I hope will be the first of many. I have just about mastered dropbox which is a great tool

a prayer video

https://db.tt/LMqkeqzc

The thorn in the flesh

Romans 7:15- 25 ( on to Romans 8 1-2) Oh wretched man that I AM 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10 the thorn in the flesh. Paul struggled within himself against sin in his own body. In another passage he said that he beat his body. Dealing with sin in himself was an emotional struggle for him. I find that. We are told in Romans 8 v1 “There is therefore now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of death.” This is true and comforting If we are in Jesus there is a putting off of sin. However, sometime we fail. Sometime there is a sin that we return to. It may be a thought or an action, but we know that it is not pleasing to god and we need forgiveness and we need to put that sin to death There is speculation about what Pauls Thorn in the flesh was. God has not revealed to us what it was, so speculation is just that, speculation, but I note what God has revealed about it. 2nd Corinthians 12. Who is the man that Paul refers to? It is generally thought that Paul is speaking of himself in the third person. He was caught up into paradise. He could have thought that he was special. Note that Paul says that he will boast of such a man but not of himself. He then says of himself that he was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him from exalting himself. As this flows from that he has just said about the man being caught up to paradise, it is more than likely that paul means himself as he reflected on what God had done 14 years prior to writing this letter. Now let us consider what he says about the thorn in the flesh He calls it A MESSENGER FROM SATAN. I think that is a very strong description. Whatever it was, It deeply perplexed him. It seems that God permitted Satan to do something to Paul that tormented him. As he calls it a thorn in the flesh, it seems to be with his body. We know that from other passages that he struggled with sin in the body. I emphasise we do not know what the thorn in the flesh was, but if it were a strong temptation, this indeed would be of the flesh and of the devil as the description suggests. Paul was in a privileged position in Gods eyes. He was a great visionary, planting churches over the known world, encouraging fellow believers and preaching to the lost and I expect seeing many saved. He was so effective in this that there was a plot against him. There were those who would gladly have seen him dead. The thorn in the flesh was given to keep him humble. He says that he besought the lord three times to take it away. I think these were times of begging God to take this messenger of Satan away. You can almost hear him saying, “Oh lord, take this terrible thing from me.” I could serve you so much better if I did not have to contend with this, and he put hours of prayer into this before the lord finally spoke and said “My Grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness”. God was saying that he would not take it away for he had given Paul what he needed to live with it and deal with it. God was using it to keep Paul humble. We all like to know things, especially things God has not revealed. He has not revealed what the thorn in the flesh was, but let me ask you a question Is there something in your life that torments you? Something you have asked the lord to take away, and time has gone on, and God has not taken it away? It could be anything at all, but if it torments you and God has not taken it away, is it because God is saying I have given you what you need to deal with it. I am not going to give you more I expect you to let it do the work I intend it to do ( not the devils work) I want you to be driven to cling to me all the more as you deal with this thing day by day or week by week. It keeps you humble and closer to me. Have you ever noticed that those who are used most mightily of God are usually people who do not think too highly of themselves? Paul must have had the potential to think very highly of his own position in the kingdom of heaven or else the thorn in the flesh would not have been necessary. I say as a brother and fellow traveller to you that I struggle with things. Things I would gladly be rid of, but God has not removed them, therefore they are my thorn in the flesh. I can relate to the things that paul says about the good he would but did not do but the sin which he hates he did and cry out WHO WILL DELIVER ME FROM THIS BODY OF SIN!!1 HAVE YOU EVER CRIED OUT IN DESPERATION LIKE THAT? Let us like the apostle paul, accept that there are somethings in this life that God has permitted satan to make us struggle with. Let us not give in to them. Let us cling all the more to the lord and give thanks that there is No Condemnation for those in Christ Jesus Amen

Feedback

Feedback is starting to come on the draft of my book. Much of it is what I expected and confirms some of my own thoughts. Some of it will mean adding to the book, and much of the feedback is about the difficulty of marketing such a book ( I expected that) Far from being put off, I am looking forward to acting on it.