THE APOSTLE OF LOVE

The Gospel-writer John has often been nicknamed “the apostle of love.” Indeed, he wrote more than any other New Testament author about the importance of love – laying particular stress on the Christian’s love for Christ, Christ’s love for His church, and the love for one another that is supposed to be the hallmark of true believers. The theme of love flows through his writings.

But love was a quality that he learned from Christ, not something that came naturally to him. In his younger years, he was as much a Son of Thunder as James. If you imagine that John was the way he was often portrayed in medieval art -- a meek, mild, pale-skinned, effeminate person, lying around at Jesus’ shoulder looking up at Him with a dove-eyed stare -- forget that caricature. He was rugged and hard-edged, just like the rest of the fishermen-disciples. And again, he was every bit as intolerant, ambitious, zealous, and explosive as his elder brother. In fact, the one and only time the synoptic Gospel writers recorded John speaking for himself, he displayed his trademark aggressive, self-assertive, impertinent intolerance. (See Mark 9:38.)…

So it is clear from the Gospel accounts that John was capable of behaving in the most sectarian, narrow-minded, unbending, reckless, and impetuous fashion. He was brash. He was aggressive. He was passionate, zealous, personally ambitious – just like his brother James. They were cut from the same cloth.

But John aged well. Under the control of the Holy Spirit, all his liabilities were exchanged for assets. Compare the young disciple with the aged patriarch, and you’ll see that as he matured, his areas of weakness all developed into his greatest strengths. He’s an amazing example of what should happen to us as we grow in Christ -- allowing the Lord’s strengths to be made perfect in our weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9.) 

-- John MacArthur (1939-2025) in “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You”

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MARY’S SONG – Part 1 of 2

“From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me -- holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”  (Luke 1:48b–50 NIV)

There is no doubt that the holidays certainly bring with it a fair amount of stress, but have you ever considered what that first Christmas season was like for Mary and Joseph?... Look at how Mary responded to all that was uncertain, beyond her control, and beyond her ability to correct the variables. She simply sang out the following words: “for the Mighty One has done great things for me -- holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation” (Luke 1:49–50). Amid the stress and weakness found in the uncertainty, Mary proclaimed three beautiful truths.

First, she remembered that “the Mighty One has done great things for me” (v. 49a). It’s clear because of Mary’s faith that she knew the Scriptures. I wonder, as Mary sang, did the songs found in the Psalms come to mind? Perhaps Psalm 89? The psalmist declares:

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
I will declare that Your love stands firm forever,
    that You have established Your faithfulness in heaven itself…
 Who is like You, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and Your faithfulness surrounds You.” (Psalm 89:1–2, 8) 

 -- Excerpted from “Wake-Up Call” with Mark Sorensen

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EMBRACING GENTLENESS

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."  (Philippians 4:5 NIV) 

Pastor and author John Vawter once noted, “If we want to demonstrate the uncommon grace of Jesus to a world that worships power, we must set aside our combativeness to embrace gentleness.”

In a world that prizes dominance, assertiveness, and the last word, gentleness often feels like weakness. But Jesus flipped that narrative. He rode into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a donkey. He washed the feet of those who would betray Him. He spoke truth not with thunder, but with tenderness.

Gentleness is not passivity. It is strength under control. It is power under purposeful direction. It is the Spirit-led choice to respond with grace when provoked, to listen when others shout, and to love when the world demands retaliation.

Jesus’ grace is uncommon because it doesn’t play by the world’s rules. It doesn’t seek to win arguments -- it seeks to win hearts. And that kind of grace is only visible when we lay down our need to be right, to be loud, to be first and take up the Jesus way. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources

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TWELVE ORDINARY MEN – Part 2 of 4

Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.”  (Luke 9:22-24 NIV)

It was a brief but intensive schedule of discipleship. And when it was over, on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). From an earthly point of view, the training program looked like a monumental failure. It seemed the disciples had forgotten or ignored everything Christ had ever taught them about taking up the cross and following Him. In fact, their own sense of failure was so profound that they went back to their old vocations for a time. And even at that, it appeared they would fail (John 21:3-4).

But encouraged by the risen Lord, they returned to their apostolic calling. Empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they valiantly undertook the task to which Jesus called them. The work they subsequently began continues today, two thousand years later. They are living proof that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. In and of themselves they were clearly not sufficient for the task (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:16). But God led them in triumph in Christ, and through them He diffused “the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (v. 14). 

-- Excerpts from “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You” by John MacArthur

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GOD’S POWER AND SUFFICIENCY

The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)

We worship because God is worthy, not necessarily because we "feel" like it.  In the midst of a crisis, if we only do what we feel like doing, we could remain stuck in a cycle of self-pity.  But when we worship, we get our eyes off of ourselves and our sorrow or problems.  We focus them on God, and this puts our difficulties into proper perspective.

Most of us think of worship as a Sunday-morning activity in which we gather in a church, sing some songs, and listen to a preacher.  Genuine worship, though, is when what flows out of our lips and out of our lives are words and works that glorify God and honor Him for who He is and what He has done.  We worship when we reflect His Glory -- His character and likeness -- to others in the way we live.  And doesn't it seem that everyone around us is watching especially closely when tragedy strikes in our lives?

Surely our worship in the midst of pain and sorrow is particularly precious to God -- because it costs us so much.  Worship is not made easier, but it becomes all the more meaningful when offered from a heart that is hurting.

The truth is, worship during these times can be some of the most meaningful worship we ever experience.  Perhaps we are more fully equipped to worship than ever before because we are acutely aware of our desperate need for God and our own incapacitating weakness.  We have our helplessness and inadequacy in proper perspective to God's power and sufficiency. 

-- Nancy Guthrie in “Holding on to Hope”

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THE POWER OF GOD

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV)

When living in our own strength and “lofty speech,” as Paul puts it, it points people back to us. When we are owning our weakness and therefore dependence on Christ, God's power inherently points people back to Him. When Peter and John healed a lame man, and people stared in amazement, the apostles quickly redirected the credit to God. Peter asked, "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" (Acts 3:12)

When human power is displayed, it might impress people. But the gospel's call goes much deeper than mere admiration; it requires humility, amazement, and awe at a power from a divine source. Only God's power, revealed in us, can accomplish this. It liberates us from our weaknesses, equips us to do His will, strengthens us to become like Christ, and provides a powerful witness to those around us. 

“’Not by [your] might nor by [your] power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”  (Zechariah 4:6b)  

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

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MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [a thorn in the flesh] away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NIV)

There is no ideal community.  Community is made up of people with all their richness, but also with their weakness and poverty, of people who accept and forgive each other, who are vulnerable with each other.  Humility and trust are more at the foundation of community than perfection.

-- Jean Vanier in “Community and Growth” 

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DEPENDENCE – Part 3 of 3

We must transfer the burden of responsibility to the Lord and then leave it there: “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Each demand upon us is in reality a demand upon Him. Our weakness is His opportunity. The disciples’ lack of bread (to feed the thousands) did not disconcert our Lord (Matthew 15:29-39). He knew what He would do. He always does.

When we fix our eyes on God, we are less inclined to see our own frailty and feel sorry for ourselves. We see our inability not as an impediment but as the very means by which we untie the hands of the Almighty. Then we hear Him say, as He said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do… because of My mighty hand” (Exodus 6:1).

Relying on God has to begin every day before anything else is done. If you have trouble believing, ask God to help you. Growing faith, like every other virtue, is a job for God! You must ask Him to increase your measure of faith, praying as Mother Teresa prayed, “Lord, give me faith that Your work may be done.” 

-- Adapted from “A Beacon in The Darkness: Reflecting God’s Light in Today’s Word” by John Roper

#5876

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER

God works through weak and obscure instruments to do His work for Him. How often we look to the rich and famous to get the job done. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said:

“We Christians often quote ‘not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord’ (Zechariah 4:6b), and yet in practice we seem to rely on the mighty dollar and the power of the press and advertising and politics. We seem to think that our influence will depend on our technique and the program we can put forward and that it would be numbers, the largeness, the bigness that would prove effective. We seem to have forgotten that God has done most of His deeds throughout history through remnants. We seem to have forgotten the great story of Gideon, for instance, and how God insisted on reducing the 32,000 men down to 300 before He would make use of them. We have become fascinated by the idea of bigness, and we are quite convinced that if we can only stage, yes, that’s the word, stage something really big before the world, we will shake it and produce a mighty religious awakening. That seems to be the modern conception of authority.”

But as Jesus said, “What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15b). God does not look for powerful instruments but for instruments that can be wielded by His power. 

-- Adapted from “A Beacon in the Darkness: Reflecting God’s Light in Today’s World” by David Roper

#5868

A PRAYER AS WE AGE

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  (Isaiah 46:4 NIV)

All gracious God.... I am one of those called by You into old age, a call not given to all, not given to Jesus, not given to most in the world today. I humbly ask You, grace me deeply in each aspect of that struggle. As my physical eyesight weakens, may the eyes of my faith strengthen, that I may see You and Your love in everything. As my hearing fails, may the ears of my heart be more attentive to the whisper of Your gentle voice. As my legs weaken and walking becomes more difficult, may I walk more truly in Your paths, knowing all the while that I am held in the embrace of Your love. As my mind becomes less alert and memory fades may I remain peaceful in You, aware that with You there is no need for thought or word. You ask simply that I be there, with You. Amen.  

-- Sister Moya Hanlen as printed in “Weavings”

#5780

THE TEMPTATION OF POWER

“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible?  Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love.  It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life… The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led.  Those who resisted this temptation to the end and thereby give us hope are the true saints. 

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen in “In the Name of Jesus” 

#5298

CHRIST’S POWER IN OUR WEAKNESSS

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT)

That last sentence is the payoff -- the wisdom God taught Paul. God is always strong, but in our weakness that strength goes viral. The world sees that it is not about anything but Christ. At the end of me, I find strength in God that I never would have experienced otherwise…

As I’ve thought and studied over the years, I’ve changed my mind in some ways. Once I would have made the case that God works despite our weaknesses. Or God works around our weaknesses. But that’s not a strong enough statement. It’s not the real point. God doesn’t demonstrate His strength even though we’re weak -- He demonstrates it precisely through the weakness.

-- Kyle Idleman in “The End of Me”


#4586

STRENGTH IN OUR LIMITATIONS

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Limitations force us to yield, to abandon ourselves to our creator, God. And when we do, His creativity flows!

-- Joni Eareckson Tada


#3617

GOD'S POWER IN OUR WEAKNESS

[The Apostle] Paul was well aware of life's vulnerabilities.  He spoke about a "thorn in the flesh," which he had "urged the Lord three times to take it away from me." (2 Cor. 12:8, author's translation)… Paul did not get the answer he wanted, but he received one that supplied the axle around which his theology would turn: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9)…

God's power, love power, works in any human vulnerability.  That perspective is one that many in our age and culture have difficulty understanding.  We know a lot about power.  Some say that our culture is obsessed with power.  We want more power to run bigger electric generators so that we can have more comforts and conveniences or more power to put up bigger payloads into space to terrify our enemies so they will not dare to threaten us.  But our power logic, Paul would point out, is not God's power logic.  Our power logic runs, "The weak are weak.  The strong are strong.  In weakness is weakness.  In strength is strength."

God's power logic runs, "In your human weakness you may find My power."

-- E. Glenn Hinson in Spiritual Preparation for Christian Leadership


#3521

CHRIST'S POWER IN ME

"I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, My power is made perfect in you.' So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me."  (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NCV)

God has somehow placed into the Christian's insides a special something, that extra inner reservoir of power that is more than a match for the stuff life throws at us.  When in operation, phenomenal accomplishments are achieved, some things even miraculous.

--  Charles Swindoll in Come before Winter


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