My light affliction

2 Cor 4:17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Paul states our LIGHT affliction. You may not feel it is light. You may feel it is heavy, unbearable, too much, unfair etc etc. It may not feel light, if you view your affliction in the light of those not going through it. Or in the light of all that seemingly have it easy, and that seemingly are so blessed.
But Paul sees our affliction in another light. He put something else on the other side of the scale. On one side you have the affliction, that is but for a MOMENT. On the other side of the scale, you have the ETERNAL weight of Glory. Then suddenly our affliction is light. And easy. And bearable.
Remember, your trial, affliction, pain and storm is not for ever. Heaven is forever. And for the other side: Hell is forever too. This is what Jesus tried to teach, when he told the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus had his affliction for a moment. The rich man had his wealth for a moment. After death, the coin had shifted. You may ask after a hundred years, or a thousand years in the glory of heaven. Will you still state your affliction was too heavy, or was it light?

Where is your faith??

Luk 8:8 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

I once heard a preacher say this: He did not say they did not have faith. He did not say, why don’t you have faith? He simply said, WHERE is you faith? Where have you put it? In whom have you placed it?
Sometimes we tend to believe almost anything BUT the promises of God.
I heard Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionist state this about the first cell in the evolution theory. When questioned about the complexity of a single cell, and the DNA code. Where did it come from? Who wrote it? This is the answer from maybe the biggest authorities on evolution in the world today: I like to play with the thought that intelligent life from another planet came hear millions of years ago and wrote the code that started the whole thing…… So where did that life come from? the interviewer wanted to know. He said of cource they had developed from nothing too…… SO: He could believe a “little green man” from another planet wrote the DNA code, but not GOD.
I say: Dawkins have great faith. But in the wrong place. We have the capacity to belive the most incredible thing. So again: Where is your faith. Is it where it should be? In the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. In his word, and his promises?

Where is your faith?

Are you desperate?

Matt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

The word “suffers violence” means to push yourself through a crowd. I get the picture of a store having a big sale, being announced a week in advance. F ex the new I phone 7 coming out for a ridiculous low price. And only the first hundred will get it.
It is almost like Jesus is saying. I am opening up the doors of grace. Come freely, like Isiah said : Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Jesus is saying that as soon as people find out about this insane offer, they will push themselves in. They will run to get the price. Heaven rewards the hungry. Those who are desperate.  How hungry are you? How desperate do you want this offer?

Have you obeyed Jesus?

Matt 28:18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This is the last words of Jesus. His last command to us, known as the great commission. My question is: Have you obeyed the command? He commanded us to be baptized in the NAME of the Father. Question should then be: What is the name of the Father. He commanded us to be baptized in the NAME of the Holy Ghost. Question should then be: What is the name of the Holy Ghost? And likewise with the Son. We all know what the name of the Son is, but what about the Father, and the Holy Ghost?
Peter gives us the answer himself, when at the day of Pentecost, only ten days after Jesus command, stands up with the rest of the Apostles and answers the question: What shall we do?

Acts 2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Have you obeyed the last words of Jesus? Have you been baptized in his name?

Living in the overflow

Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

All he asked for was ONE DROP…

Matt 15:26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

She was only asking for ONE CRUMB…

Matt 9:20And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Just ONE TOUCH is what she needed….

Luk 7:7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

All he needed for his miracle was ONE WORD

When we see what only One drop can do, what can rivers of living water do? When we see what one crumb can do, what can the whole bread do? When we see what one touch can do, what can a deep relationship do? When we see what one word can do, what can a whole book do?

We as children of God sometimes take it for grant it, but for the outsiders, we are truly living in overflow of blessings. They are begging for a drop of the rivers we have on the inside. They are satisfied with the crumbs falling down from our table. Just a simple word from the word of life we have been given.
We are truly blessed. Let us live in the overflow.

Showers showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need:

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.