Friday, April 23, 2004

Upstream "rocked my face off" tonight. I got to hear a lot of really awesome testimonies and total jam out with the amazing praise band.. guys this upstream praise band is like no other.. they know how to rock out. Our section of 2 Corinthians we covered tonight was soooooooooo awesome and applicable to just me in general :)

I am so blessed. I deserve nothing that has been given to me.. my truck.. my knowledge of this world.. my family.. anything man. I deserve to be starving in Ethiopia.. facing true physical suffering.. my troubles are nothing proportionally to most of those in third world countries.. They say its hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven... guys.. if you are American.. going to college... have a house.. A CAR.. in proportion to the world's population.. man you are loaded... The entire earth is God's kingdom.

so anyhooo.. Paul is tellin the church of Corinth about a vision he had in third person starting in 2Cor12:1. He goes and meets God in the "third heaven" --

( scholar speculate that this third heaven is where God resides...
"It was certainly a very extraordinary honor done him: in some sense he was caught up into the third heaven, the heaven of the blessed, above the aerial heaven, in which the fowls fly, above the starry heaven, which is adorned with those glorious orbs: it was into the third heaven, where God most eminently manifests his glory. We are not capable of knowing all, nor is it fit we should know very much, of the particulars of that glorious place and state; it is our duty and interest to give diligence to make sure to ourselves a mansion there; and, if that be cleared up to us, then we should long to be removed thither, to abide there for ever. This third heaven is called paradise (v. 4), in allusion to the earthly paradise out of which Adam was driven for his transgression; it is called the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7), signifying to us that by Christ we are restored to all the joys and honours we lost by sin, yea, to much better. The apostle does not mention what he saw in the third heaven or paradise, but tells us that he heard unspeakable words, such as it is not possible for a man to utter-such are the sublimity of the matter and our unacquaintedness with the language of the upper world: nor was it lawful to utter those words, because, while we are here in this world, we have a more sure word of prophecy than such visions and revelations ")


after explainin his vision 14 years ago hes like.. its cool to boast about Christ within yourself as long its Him you are boasting or if you are boasting of your own weaknesses... (wow that takes boldness). He talks about how after these great revelations God has given him.. a thorn was given to him under his flesh to keep him from be conceited with the God given revelations.. He asked God to remove the thrown [3] times.. (there is that number imagery) and God said naa

"My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

wow... God wants us to lay down our wretchedness before him as one guy said tonight during his testimony... God wants you to re-fall in love with him every day you wake up. Every second you live, He wants you to worship his Goodness. His Goodness is the fact that no matter how wretchedly evil you are, He loves you. He wants you. He is in hot pursuit of your heart. He is your ultimate romancer. His Goodness is found in greater magnitudes the more wretched you lay yourself at His feet. He wants you to lie down broken at his feet so He can use His healing powers and rejuvenate your life into the most it has ever been.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong". True power is God's power.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" - God

~Forever Forward~


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