Faith Joy & Coffee

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen”
– 2 Corinthians 13:14 –

Paul concluded his Letter with the symmetrical blessing that encompasses the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the communion of the Spirit. It is more than a farewell greeting: it is the blessing of the fullness of the Diety.

As we close our reflections about the two Letters to the Corinthians, let us remember Paul’s struggles in defending the message, the mission, and the church. Some of the brethren questioned the apostle, as they considered him to be no more than a rabble-rouster pastor. That is why Paul presented his credentials:

• He was commissioned by God: 2 Cor. 1:1, 21; 4:1.
• He spoke sincerely about the power of Christ: 2 Cor. 1:18; 4:2; 2:17.
• He acted with holiness, sincerity, and dependence on God: 2 Cor. 1:12.
• He was objective and candid in his letters: 2 Cor. 1:13, 14.
• He had the Holy Spirit; he was filled with the power of God: 2 Cor. 1:22; 13:4.
• He loved the believers: 2 Cor. 2:4, 6, 11; 11:11.
• He worked among them and transformed their lives: 2 Cor. 3:2, 3.
• He lived as an example for the believers: 2 Cor. 3:4; 6:3, 4; 12:6.
• He never gave up; he endured pain and dangers in the mission: 2 Cor. 4:1, 16; 11:23-33.
• He taught the Bible with integrity and authority: 2 Cor. 4:2; 10:14, 15.
• Christ was always the center of the message: 2 Cor. 4:5.
• He suffered persecution in proclaiming the gospel: 2 Cor. 4:8-12; 6:4-10.
• He was Christ’s ambassador: 2 Cor. 5:18-20.
• He lived and evangelized with purity and patience: 2 Cor. 6:6.
• He was reliable and filled with the power of God: 2 Cor. 6:7.
• He remained faithful to God under all circumstances: 2 Cor. 6:8.
• He never wronged or corrupted anyone: 2 Cor. 7:2; 11:7-9.
• He promoted offerings responsibly and irreproachably: 2 Cor. 8:20, 21.
• He did God’s work with God’s weapons, not his own: 2 Cor. 10:1-6.
• He was sure he belonged to Christ: 2 Cor. 10:7, 8.
• He always rejoiced in the Lord, not in himself: 2 Cor. 10:12, 13.
• He was blessed with a surprising vision: 2 Cor. 12:2-4.
• He was constantly humbled by a thorn in his flesh: 2 Cor. 12:7-10.
• He performed miracles among them: 2 Cor. 12:12.
• He worked to strengthen the faith and maturity of believers: 2 Cor. 12:19; 13:9.
• He passed the test: 2 Cor. 13:5, 6.

These were the credentials presented by Paul and should be ours as well.
It may not be easy, but is there any other way?

“Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have” (Billy Graham).
Are you ready to pay the price?

God bless you…

“And now, my friends, good-bye! Strive for perfection;
listen to my appeals; agree with one another; live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you”
– 2 Corinthians 13:11 –

The main feature of vehicles known as “4×4” is that they have traction in all four wheels, which means that all of them can provide power to move the vehicle. They also have a special suspension that can withstand the worst irregularities of the road and the most slippery places. Having the 4×4 feature does not increase the force of the engine, but distributes it better, allowing for safer driving on all kinds of terrains and situations.

Before his final greeting, the apostle Paul had a “4×4 admonition” for the church so that the church could ditribute its energy better and face its journey more safely, even in the most difficult situations.

Paul is repetitive about encouraging people to live a joyful life as a distinctive characteristic of believers, independently of the times that are faced or the difficulties of life. He uses a verb in the present to emphasize that joy must continue to be part of the Christian experience on a permanent basis. Below are the key four recommendations the apostle makes:

1. Strive for perfection: The Corinthians are asked to accept the counsel that will lead them to the perfecting of their lives as the body of Christ. The experience of the believer is to involve constant communion, relationship, growth, and mission.
2. Encourage one another: Exhort and restore one another, accompany one another. Pay attention to my exhortations to get together, encourage, pray, and comfort. Strengthen one another and show solidarity. Listen to what I have told you, and be inspired. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and comfort is the result of having God at our side.
3. Be of one mind: Look after the same things, giving yourselves to the love and truth of the gospel and agreeing with each other. The Romans were told to strive for unity (Rom. 12:16; 15:6), while in Philippi, he begged Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony (Phil. 4:2). Paul wanted there to be a correlation between his teachings and unity, but not uniformity. The bretheren had to have hearts and minds that were united in order to face the enemy.
4. Live in peace: Believers are to live in peace with everyone – at least, they are to do everything within their grasp to achieve that (Rom. 12:18). As with love, peace also comes from God.

Accepting and living out this 4×4 counsel
allows us to journey life more safely,
even as we drive on slippery, steep, or dangerous roads;
and it gives us the certainty of reaching our destination.

“Together we are stronger, we go farther,
and we get there faster” (Pr. Erthon Köhler)

May the peace of the Lord be with you. God bless you…

“This will be the third time I am coming to you.
By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word
shall be established”
– 2 Corinthians 13:1 –

In 2 Corinthians 13, we find the apostle Paul’s final words of advice to the church in Corinth.

1. Paul promised to be tough with everyone (vv. 2, 10).
2. Christ was crucified, but He is risen and lives by the power of God (vv. 3, 4).
3. Our faith requires constant personal evaluation to know whether we, in fact, abide in Christ (v. 5).
4. The truth will remain in spite of its opponents (v. 8).
5. We must pray and work for the spiritual growth of our brethren in the faith (vv. 9, 10).
6. It is the duty of every child of God to love good and seek the good of all people (v. 11).
7. God’s presence with us is the only way to live in peace with each other (v. 11).

As Paul did, we must always work for the growth of the church, constantly seeking to help our neighbors grow, all for the honor and glory of God. To achieve this goal, the apostle had the vision and passion of a prophet, the mind of a scholar, the heart of an evangelist, the discipline of a soldier, the devotion of a friend, and the fervor of a reformer.

Paul, a preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles, introduced himself with the titles of

• herald, because his obligation was to proclaim the commands of the One he represented; 
• apostle, because he had been called, established, and sent by God; and
• teacher, because he had to teach those for whom he had been appointed.

The apostle understood and lived the commission of making disciples, always seeking to fulfill that divine purpose. Paul was not a solitary evangelist, but the commander of a large and growing circle of missionaries; thus, he worked in the church and for the church.

Paul also understood that not only he as an apostle, but all apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are custodians of the gifts that God gave to the church, sent for the purpose of equipping, training, and disciplining believers for the growth of the church and the fulfillment of the mission.

“Have you so deep an appreciation of the sacrifice made on Calvary
that you are willing to make every other interest
subordinate to the work of saving souls?
The same intensity of desire to save sinners
that marked the life of the Saviour marks the life
of His true follower. The Christian has no desire
to live for self. He delights to consecrate all that he has
and is to the Master’s service. He is moved by an inexpressible desire
to win souls to Christ” (Maranatha,p. 100).

God bless you…

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance
of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me,
a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure”
– 2 Corithians 12:7 –

Corinth was a commercial city with two ports. It had eight hundred thousand inhabitants and was cosmopolitan and wealthy. It was a stopping point, a place throught which everything and everyone passed. It was the New York of that time. There was religious diversity and syncretism in Corinth. Temples abounded for dozens of gods, including Dionysus, Diana, Jupiter, Zeus, and Aphrodite or Venus, the goddess of love.

God planted a church in this promiscuous and immoral city. It was supposed to go out to the world, but the world was encroaching upon it, and grievous sins were finding their way inside. Paul wanted to bring the church completely to Christ and His Word. 

He told them about an extraordinary experience: he had been carried up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4). Then he descended back to the earth having no arrogance, only humility.

He still had a thorn in his flesh – a stabbing, piercing spliter that he attributed to a messenger of satan. The enemy’s purpose was to annoy him and hinder his work. Christ’s purpose in allowing the affliction was to protect him from pride (vv. 5-11). The apostle spoke about sublime things and about heaven, but sometimes we want to know what the thorn in his flesh was.

What was the apostle’s thorn? Problems with his eyes? Myopia, astigmatism… perhaps something more serious, like glaucoma? We do not know exactly, but the fact is that he cried out for healing, and the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9).

The painful and bothersome thorn was not going to prevent him from preaching. Paul continued to prepare souls for heaven. Many overlook their own thorns and delight in seeing those of others and exposing them to everyone, including on social media. Instead of evangelizing with heaven, they spread worldliness with the thorns.

Paul cried out for a cure, but God knew that the best remedy was to leave the thorn in him because that would make him stronger and more dependent. There was no place for Paul to criticize; he had to preach. There was no room for murmuring; he had to worship. The Lord did not take out his thorn, but He filled him with His grace. And that was more than enough.

In 1986, a large wave capsized Edward Shiftlett’s vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. In spite of that, he managed to hold onto a floating seat cushion that helped with buoyancy. Two days later he was saved by a man boating with his family. He was calm, with his torso lying on the cushion and one of his legs resting on the other… a wooden orthopedic leg. He had lost his leg in a car accident some years before and always reffered to his artificial leg as “a bad leg,” but now it had become his life raft.

Let the Lord take care of your thorn today;
in the meantime, live by spreading the good news
and preparing yourself for heaven.

God bless you…

“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing
to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord”
– 2 Corinthians 12:1 –

In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle talked about his privilege of having been called by Christ Himself. Nevertheless, Paul did not boast about it. In order to avoid pride and self-glorification, God allowed the apostle to have a thorn in the flesh (v. 7). Paul was probably referring to some apparent physiscal illness, something that caused him considerable difficulty, as well as discomfort and inconvenience. However, that difficulty helped the great Paul to be completely dependent on God’s grace.

By depending on the power of God in his frailty,
the apostle considered himself strong precisely because he was weak.

In his ministry, the apostle was able to deal with the weakness of others because he was aware of his own. This helped him to show an interest in people – not in their possessions or in the advantages of being with them, but in their well-being. And in his concern, he tried to help solve or avoid any arguments, schemes, and selfishness that there might have been among his children in the faith.

Paul asked God three times for the solution to his “thorn” (v. 7), but he did not get an answer (vv. 7-9). Paul was not the kind of worshipper who prayed and just did not get answers. He prayed, and the prison of Philippi shook and the jailer was saved. He prayed, and 276 people were saved in an incredible shipwreck. However, he prayed three times about his physical problem, and three times God said “no.”

Have you asked God for something, and it seemed that He was silent? God’s silence hurts like no other, because it seems to be apathy or indifference on His part. Beyond that, there is perhaps something worse: when God answers us and says “no.”

That is when faith comes into play. Paul understood that God’s “no” was a “yes.” Then he strengthened his dependence on the Lord, became strong in his weakness, and began to accept his weakness gladly. This turned into a blessing for him, and he was able to bless many through his own experience.

Some say that “the one who hopes despairs.” It does not have to be like that if we trust in the One who is in control, God Himself. His silences, His “noes,” and His time are always the most opportune and the best.

Let us look at life with other lenses, the same ones
the apostle had to use to understand and strengthen himself
in God’s will, and accept it. “Christ connects fallen man
in his weakness and helplessness with the Source
of infinite power” (Steps to Christ, p. 20).

This is how a “no” from God
can be the greatest “yes” for your life.

Do you beleive? May the Lord bless you…

“Are they Christ’s servants? I sound like a madman – but
I am a better servant than they are! I have worked much harder,
I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more,
and I have been near death more often”
– 2 Corinthians 11:23 –

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul presented the record of his experiences. He seemed to be gloryfing himself, but he was actually glorifying God. To go over this service record was to show the hand of God in his ministry, and in doing so, he confronted false teachers and apostles. His desire to encourage and warn the church led him to draw up this list. That is why he spoke “like a madman,” illustrating the sufferings of a true apostolate.

• Prisoner. Clement of Rome mentioned that the apostle was imprisoned seven times.
• Whipped. Victims were punished with a leather whip with pieces of iron. He suffered the punishment of forty lashes minus one five times.
• Dangers from the Jews and the Romans. Paul received eight beatings in total: five from the Jews and three from the Romans.
• Stoned. Judaic law determined that stoning was the punishment for every blasphemer or adulterer, after judging him. However, Paul was stoned without trial, and he survived. He almost died in Lystra when the Jews stoned him.
• Shipwrecked three times. Surviving shipwrecks was a miracle since, if survivors managed to reach land, they were usually killed or taken prisoner to be enslaved. It is estimated that he made about thirty voyages by ship. He was at the mercy of the waves, clinging to wreckage from a ship, without food or water, for one day and one night.
• Many journeys. The normal distance traveled in a day was almost twenty miles. Paul walked almost one thousand miles from Jerusalem to Ephesus. He spent at least three months travelling, making stops to keep the Sabbath and visit the churchers along the way. He traveled from Philippi to Jerusalem on foot and by ship in a span of seven weeks. Paul stayed overnight in inns, at friend’s homes, or putting up his tent in the fields. The dangers he faced were real and were both natural and from people.
• He knew constant hunger and thrist, and endured cold. Almost at the end of his life, Paul asked Timothy to bring him the cloak he had left at Carpus’s house.
• He took part in incredible escapes. One time, he was lowered from a wall in a basket.
• He carried out the burden of the churches. His concern was for the salvation of people.

“Nothing is easier than saying the words.
Nothing is harder than living according to them
day after day” – Arthur Gordon –

Paul was a “foolish” man who always had a difficult path.
His life did not have a mission; the mission had him.
Paul was constantly revived by that passion.

What does revive you today? May the Lord be with you…

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.
For I have bethroned you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”
– 2 Corinthians 11:2 –

The name of “matchmaker” is popularly given to one who makes a connection between two parties, beginning and strengthening contacts that lead a couple to join their lives in marriage. In certain cultures, it is a profession, a role that is exercised upon request. Others who are bolder offer their services; that, of course, requires the consent of those involved. Matchmakers, also called “go-betweens,” cannot resist: they are constantly introducing friends.

In the case of a well-known couple, the “matchmaker” was the groom’s brother in law, who used his influence to create conditions for making a contact, arrange meetings, and develop a friendship. Thanks to God, the couple have been blessed with forty-three years of marriage and a beautiful family. They are always deeply grateful to the brother in law, who was used by God to join their lives.

Society in Paul’s day did not consider personal preferences as the basis of a marriage covenant, so the matchmaker had to analyze the family tree and keep the social and financial positions of the bride and the groom in perspective.

Paul told the church in Corinth that he was worried about it. He saw the church in Corinth as Christ’s bride. He wanted to take it and present it to Christ as pure and chaste, a virgin commited to only one husband in love and faithfulness.

Paul used several figures to refer to the church. In that case, as well as when he wrote to the Ephesians, marriage represented the union between Christ and the church through a wedding and feast.

It is the sacrifice of Christ that creates a community of saints.

“Pride transformed angels into demons, while humility,
by accepting the merrits of Christ, transforms sinners into saints”
– Augustine of Hippo –

The apostle’s services were limited, but the Groom’s services are unlimited. Christ watches over the bride, forgives her, protects her, prepares her, and helps her to be faithful and have a missionary mind. Although there are evils in the bride, “the church in these last days is to be the light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard” (The remnant Church, p. 33).

With a matchmaker like Paul,
how could we not get married to a Bridegroom like Jesus!
Now, every day, and for eternity.

Be blessed…

“Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly – and indeed
you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.
For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you
as a chaste virgin to Christ”
– 2 Corinthians 11:1, 2 –

In 2 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul vehemently defended the gospel of Christ and was concerned for the church. Had he perhaps set a bad example for them? He did not think so (vv. 4-9). Paul behaved with dignity and humility, unlike mercenary pastors, who disguised themselves as apostles of Christ to deceive, just as the devil disguises himself to look like an angel of light (vv. 12-15).

The apostle described the extremely high cost he paid to keep active in the fulfillment of the mission: lashes, endless journeys, restless nights, attacks, and fatigue (vv. 24-28). However, Paul did not glory in any of that because in spite of all that, he understood that he was a fragile instrument of God (vv. 30, 31).

Since his encounter with Jesus, a passion intensified in Paul. What was it that made this man so passionate for the mission?

1. Fear of Christ. Fearing men is different from fearing the Lord. Fear is what Joseph felt when Potiphar’s wife tempted him, and what Moses felt in the presence of God. To be before the message is to be before God Himself. Paul surrendered himself, was consumed, and expenden himself for the cause. He was not afraid of anything before men, for he feared God in everything.
2. Love of Christ. This love left Paul no choise. However, Christ’s mission is not an imposition. Paul did not have a mission; the mission had him, tied with the common thread that runs throughout the Bible: the plan of salvation through grace.

The Jews considered themselves superior and were filled with pride because of a mark on their bodies: circumcision. Paul’s mark was not merely on one part of his body, but throughout his body. He himself was a mark for God and for mission.

“From now on, let no one cause me trouble,
for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus”
(Gal. 6:17).

In Greek, the stigmata was the brand that the castle owner put on his animals in order to recognize them as his own. This provided identity and belonging. An iron heated in the fire marked them forever.

Paul had the “stigmata of Christ” forever on his body. All of us have marks in our lives, but one, that of Christ, must be above all. We can take Paul as a great example of humility and total commitment to people and his mission.

The “stigmata of Christ”
was Paul’s mark.

What is yours? May the Lord guide you and be with you…

“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord”
– 2 Corinthians 10:17 –

The story is told of an imaginary dialogue between a lion and other animals in the jungle. The lion was doing some research by asking a very basic question: “Who is the king of the jungle?”

In each case, it would precede its question with a roar. Among the interviewees was a monkey, a zebra, a turtle, and an elephant. One by one, fearfully but showing no doubt, the answered, “The lion is the king of the jungle.” Until it was the elephant’s turn. Using its trunk, it grabbed the lion by the tail and spun it around several times before throwing it into a muddy puddle. Hurt, humiliated, and dirty, the lion got up and with a dignified look, answered, “The fact that you didn’t know the right answer doesn’t justify so much anger.”

This story is not so fictional… when human beings are involved. It would seem that we have more than enough reasons – real or imaginary – to boast about ourselves. Many people like a certain soccer team or a team from another sport. I have heard several say, “we won” and “we are champions,” when in reality, those who say that have done absolutely nothing.

Although there is no place for boasting, Paul does show us something in which we can glory: God. In that regard, Paul glories that he was the first one in reaching them with the gospel; acting as the apostle of the Gentiles.

It is acceptable to boast about doing the work entrusted by God and fulfilling His mission. It is not about glorying ourselves, but about glorifying God and His love, which transforms lives.

“Let us serve Him faithfully as our Master. Let us obey Him loyally as our King. Let us study His teachings as our Prophet. Let us work diligently after Him as our Example. Let us look anxiously for Him as our coming Redeemer” – John C. Ryle –.

But above all, let us give Him the honor He deserves as our sacrifice and let us rest completely in His death as an atonement for sin. More than any other thing that would delight us in respect to Christ, we should delight above all in His cross (Gal. 6:14).

The Lord Himself provided an example through the prophet Jeremiah:

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not this wise man glory in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man glory in his might,
nor let the rich man glory in his riches,
but let him who glories glory in this,
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,’ says the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24).

Every time you think yourself to be a lion,
remember the elephant.

May the Lord bless you today…