Don't lose heart

Life has kinda gone full circle in a sense. I wrote my first blog on last year's Project Timothy Bible Conference and now, I'm writing this entry, 45 posts and 11,000 words later, on this year's Project Timothy Ministry Matters Bible Conference ;)

It's interesting to note that the passage that encouraged and taught me the last Bible Conference was from 1 Cor. This time, one of the the passages was from 2 Cor ;p And it was taught by a very good and faithful Bible teacher/preacher, John Chapman. God sure has an interesting sense of humour ;)

In the days to come, I'll slowly outline the lessons I've learnt from the conference in the hope that it'll encourage anyone who reads this blog. For the first lesson though...

"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lost heart."

2 Cor 4:1 [ESV]

This verse came in at a very, very apt time for me. Discouragement in service is an easy thing to fall into. Personally, there were times where I felt alone. Alone in minisry, in service, in life. "Why, why, why?!" was the repeated question I shot up to God. However, God in all his grace and mercy, kept me sane through His Word and godly friends checking up on me. Despite all this, I guess deep down, I still felt lonely. And I definitely was losing steam in serving...

When John Chapman shared from this verse, I just sat in my seat stunned and speechless. I stared at my Bible, at this verse for a fairly long period of time. Though I was listening to what Chappo (his nickname) was preaching, this verse kept drumming through my mind... "having this minstry by the mercy of God..."

Mercy... the fact that I'm saved, that God chose me to me his servant, his instrument... thank you Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you that despite all my terrible wrongdoings, my sin, my evil, you chose me. Christ, in all his goodness, WANTS to involve me in his ministry! Hallelujah! What a miracle! Why? To me, there's no logical explanation. I mean, God can do his work himself--he's powerful enough. But yet, He chose me to get involved. And Paul the apostle says there in that verse... "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we DO NOT LOST HEART" Yes, though its only human to feel down and in the dumps, but we do not lost heart cos God saved us. God's gospel redeemed us from the pit of sin and death. And in the light of all that, we... DO NOT LOST HEART. (this set against the backdrop that Paul had every reason possible to lose heart... to know what he went through, read this).

God has given me this gospel. Saved me through it. And "his light shines in my heart to give me the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ"(2 Cor 4:6). And as a response...

"[7]But we have this treaure (look above) in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [8]We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9]persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10]always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies."

2 Cor 4:7-10 [ESV]

Amen.