Easter--"Was it not necessary?"

                                           "Was it not necessary?"
          One of the most fascinating parts of Easter is the story of the two disciples on the Emmaus Road walking and talking with Jesus for maybe two hours as they walked those seven miles together. "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us along the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:32 And one of the things that Jesus said is most striking, "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" 24:26 NAS & ESV

           "Necessary" is the literal translation from the Greek, but in what sense was it "necessary" because Jesus had said, "No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:18 So Jesus’ death was completely voluntary. But His suffering was the only way that He could accomplish eternal redemption for us. And if He had been unwilling to suffer and die, we would still be lost instead of forgiven and on our way to be with Him in the glory of heaven.

        It was also the Father’s will that He should suffer and die for us and He was following His Father’s will. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. . . . " Romans 8:31-32
He did it "for us all," to give us eternal redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. The cross was the only way that our Holy God could be both "just and the justifier of the ungodly." The "wages of sin is death" and Jesus paid the death penalty to pay for those sins–your sins and mine. And the penalty included intense suffering.

       And what motivated Jesus? why would He go through that intense suffering? And again God in His grace has made it clear. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10 God’s love and grace was why Christ suffered–and that was reason enough. Nothing good in ourselves; it was all of grace, all because of God’s grace.

         Think of what Jesus achieved in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. He defeated Satan, hell, and the grave and obtained eternal redemption for those who turn to Him in repentance and faith, trusting in His finished work on the cross.

        Now since God achieved so much through the suffering on the cross, don’t you think He is also achieving something through your much-lesser suffering in your life? He is indeed. And we can see part, but not all, of what God is accomplishing through your suffering. He is in the process of making us more like Christ! "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18

       We have another indication that God is achieving good through our sufferings in several other verses. 1) Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
           2) "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18 We see not yet all the glory that awaits us, but the present sufferings are working for us; they are doingsomething. They are accomplishingsomething eternal and glorious–though we do not see it all yet.

      We belong to Christ so we must share in His sufferings--sufferings that will come to His body, the Church. Col. 1:24 "The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children . . . seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." Rom. 8:16-17
Jesus suffered and now He has entered His glory. We, too, shall suffer in this life. Jesus told us that, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Easter is a time of great joy, but it came only after intense suffering. So be of good cheer, your suffering, too, will end and joy will come in the morning. So rejoice even in the midst of your sorrow or suffering.           
         And keep your eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. Remember the glory which is yet to come.
                                                        Love in our Lord,
                                                        Pastor Burnside

Good Friday

         Good Friday is a good day to think about death–your death and how Jesus conquered death when He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
         Listen to Charles Spurgeon commenting on Jesus’ prayer to the Father the day before He died: "That they may behold My glory"
        "We love God’s people. They are exceedingly precious. Far too often we look on their deaths as a grievous loss. If we could confer immortality, we would never let them die. But it would be cruel to deprive them of a speedy entrance into their inheritance. We want to hold them here a little longer. We find it hard to relinquish our grasp, because the saint’s departure causes us much pain. We are poorer because of the eternal enriching of the beloved, who have gone over to the majority and entered their rest."
    
       "Yet know this, while we are sorrowing, Christ is rejoicing. His prayer is, ‘Father, I desire that they also, whom You gave Me, may be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory which You have given Me’ John 17:24. In the advent of every one of His own to the skies, Jesus sees an answer to that prayer. We are grieving, but He is rejoicing. Their deaths are painful in our sight, but ‘precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’ Psalm 116:15
     
       "Tears are permitted, but they must glisten in the light of faith and hope. ‘Jesus wept’ John 11:35, but He never complained. We may weep, but not ‘as those who have no hope’ 1 Th. 4:13. There is great cause for joy in the departure of our loved ones."

       "Death itself is not precious; it is terrible. It cannot be precious to God to see the highest works of His hand torn in pieces, to see His skillful embroidery in the human body broken, defiled, and given to decay. Yet to the believer, it is not death to die. It is a departure out of this world to the Father, an entrance into the kingdom."                                                            –Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892
                                       Beside Still Waters: Words of Comfort for the Soul, p. 235
         I’ve read those beautiful comforting words many times in the past few months thinking always of my dear sweet Minnie and thankful that the Lord gave her to me for 54 years on this earth–and even more thankful that we will be together again before long. For all of you who have been separated by death from someone you love very deeply, try substituting that person’s name for some of the personal pronouns in that passage of scripture and in that devotional. Like this:
         "I love Minnie. She is exceedingly precious. Her death leaves a gaping hole in my life. I am VERY thankful for the 54 years the Lord gave us together but it seems so short to me now that it is past. But I rejoice greatly that she is with the Lord and has entered her eternal inheritance, which I will share with her ‘ere long. I find it hard to relinquish her and let her go because her departure causes me so much pain. I am so much poorer without her, but she is so enriched to be with the Lord and in glory."

            John 17:24 applies to Minnie. She is included in Jesus’ prayer and can be singled out this way: ‘Father, I desire that Minnie also, whom You gave Me, may be with Me where I am; that she may behold My glory. . . ." Minnie’s death is painful in our sight, but "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15

            For Minnie it was not death to die. She is still alive. "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. It was a departure out of this world to the Father, an entrance into His kingdom. "To depart and be with Christ is far better" and so we rejoice for her, if not for ourselves. Jesus promised, "He that believes in Me shall never die." And she didn’t. She merely passed from life through death into eternal life. It was the gate by which she entered heaven itself.

          Put your own name in all these marvelous promises that you read in scripture and realize that they are for you and not just for "other people."

          And ponder anew how Jesus conquered death by His own agonizing death on the cross on Good Friday so many years ago and His triumphant resurrection on the following Sunday. "Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise," He told the thief on the cross. And we have the same promise to look forward to. Today–this day–Minnie is actually with Jesus in paradise. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
                                                                         –Pastor Burnside

Suffering for Christ--2 Corinthians chapter 11

As we go into chapter 11, Paul "boasts" a lot, but he's "boasting" that Christ is working through Him.  So the glory is to God, not to Paul.  Paul disliked talking about himself; he wanted to talk about Jesus.  The Corinthians were in danger of making shipwreck of their lives.  And he must warn them.  You, too, occasionally face those dramatic moments in life when you must warn someone--and how to warn a not-receptive person takes wisdom from God and direction from Him as to the timing and the circumstances.  I could tell you some stories some time about how God used Minnie in that way.  Dramatic moments, directed and empowered by God, but eventually saving the person from a great mistake and bringing glory to God in the process.  She took the initiative and made the attempt to help the person only when she felt strong conviction to do so--and she did so gently and with great wisdom and insight that seems to me to have come from God.

        Paul told the Corinthians, "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."  2 Cor. 11:3 ESV  Notice the comparison to the Garden of Eden and the key words, "led astray."  Satan was cunning and so were the devil's representatives in Corinth in the 1st century and in America today.  Just as Satan appeared to Eve in a friendly, beautiful way, false teachers apprear friendly and attractive, but they contradict the Word of God and are distracted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and commitment to Him.

        When Jesus confronted Paul on the Damascus Road and brought him to faith in Christ, the Lord said to His servant Ananias, "This man is my chosen vessel. . . .  I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:16
         And in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 Paul details some of that suffering for Christ.  The list is so amazing that we know the only way any human being could have endured all that Paul suffered was through the special sustaining strengthening from the Lord.  Listen to Paul:  2 Cor. "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?" 2 Cor. 11:24-29

        Paul was joyful in the Lord and content to accept whatever came to him from the good hand of our God.  He did not "lose heart" in the midst of his great sufferings.  But he was concerned that people who loved him might be dismayed and discouraged  by his troubles.  So he wrote to the Ephesians, "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory." Eph. 3:13  As difficult as all those hardships were, God's grace was even greater for it was indeed the grace of God which carried him through those so-difficult experiences.  Christ showed Himself in all of Paul's sufferings and in the next chapter we'll see how they taught him to rely completely on Christ's strength.  "When I am weak, then

He is strong in my life."

        Paul had already written, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."  2 Cor. 4:7-9

        One of the ways that Paul authenticated his apostleship was to show the many ways and times that he had suffered for Christ.  And yet at the end of it all when he was ready for his "departure" to be with the Lord, he wrote, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 ESV

The cross comes first and then the glory of the resurrection.  First the crucifixion on Good Friday,  then Easter Sunday.  "Take up your cross and follow Me," Jesus told us.

                                                                                                                                                                      --Pastor Burnside

"Thy Way is in the Sea"--Psalm 77.19

        Psalm 77 tells us that trouble turns us to the Lord!  "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord." 77:2  And verse 3 "I . . .  was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed."

        So the Psalmist cried out to the Lord and what does God do? "He gave ear unto me." He listened to me! What a privilege for the great God who created this mighty universe and each one of us individually listens to us and answers our prayers. He doesn’t always give us the answer we would prefer, but He is the omniscient, all-wise God and we are not. He certainly demonstrates that "His grace is sufficient for us"–as you have seen in your own life.

        Have you ever had Asaph’s experience, "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. . . . I am so troubled that I cannot speak." vv.3-4 Sometimes we can simply "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Other times we feel overwhelmed with the events that are "coming down on us."

        So what does Asaph do about it?? [5] "I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search."

        He remembers God’s faithfulness in the past and the mighty deeds He did in "days of old, the years of ancient times." Then he remembers how God had put a new song in his heart, even praise unto the Lord and had given him joy and made his heart sing. He didn’t feel like singing now, but he knew he would again because "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

        Then he remembered some more things: "I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings." Notice how Asaph suddenly quits talking "about" God and begins talking directly to God Himself: "I will remember Thy wonders of old" and meditate on "thy work" and talk about "thy doings."

        We don’t always understand God’s ways, but we can see God’s Providence in our lives. "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel." Psalm 103:7  And yet Asaph, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us something of God’s ways. He says two things about them: v.13, "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders. . . ." And in v. 19, "Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known."

        We see God’s way "in the sanctuary" in the holiness of God so we know His ways are always just and right and good and best. Asaph goes into the sanctuary of God to worship Him. Worship of the Lord is our first consideration always as a way of life. Acknowledge God’s providence and thank Him for it. View everything in the light of God’s purposes and grace and wisdom, then we can see that the ends, the end results will be right. We have an immediate problem but God is accomplishing His purposes through it.

        But His way is also "in the sea" where His "footsteps are not known," they leave no tracks so we don’t always know where God is going. But we do know that His way is holy and that it is right and that one day that which is hidden will be made clear. There is mystery in life, but God is in control of that mystery. God will accomplish His purposes but the means by which He does so are often hidden from us.

        And we do know that through it all God is leading us: "Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." We are His people, the sheep of His pasture and He has obligated Himself to take care of us. And so He does and so He will. That’s why we trust Him. Notice that it was not Moses and Aaron who led the people, but it was God who led them. There is but one who is the "great shepherd of the sheep." Heb. 13:20 Focus on Him and not on your problems, "casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7

                                                                                                                                                               

"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15

Recently we studied 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 with its emphasis on giving and ministering, not out of compulsion or pressure, but with a willing heart and a kind, generous spirit.  And Jesus, as always is the example who, you remember, told us, "It is MORE blessed to give than to receive."  Acts 20:35  We were "ordained to walk in good works" Eph. 2:10 so we should live a life of good works with a willing heart, serving the Lord.

        The chapter ends with this marvelous verse of God's grace, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15  How can it be that Christ not only saves us and takes us to glory, but actually comes to live within us:  "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 1:27

"Christ liveth in me." Gal. 2:20

        Listen to John Piper, writing in Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ:

1. "Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him. . . . To know the glories of Christ is an end, not a means. Christ is not glorious so that we get wealthy or healthy. Christ is glorious so that rich or poor, sick or sound, we might be satisfied in Him.    "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9   He quenches the deepest soul thirst of all humans--that he is ultimately what all people long for."

2. The glory of who Christ IS in Himself–His excellencies, His attributes, His perfections and His beauty, e.g.  "The first particular glory that upholds all the rest is the . . . eternal existence of Christ. If we will simply ponder this as we ought, . . . Sheer existence is, perhaps, the greatest mystery of all. Ponder the absoluteness of reality. There had to be something that never came into being. Back, back, back we peer into endless ages, yet there never was nothing. Someone has the honor of being there first and always. He never became or developed. He simply was. To whom belongs this singular, absolute glory?  "The answer is Christ, the person whom the world knows as Jesus of Nazareth. . . . ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almghty" Rev. 1:8  ". . . There is no ‘before’ God and no ‘after’ God. He is absolutely there, no matter how far back or how far forward you go. He is the absolute, ultimate Reality. He has the honor of being there first and always. To Him alone belongs this unique glory. He is the Great IAM. The very name for God Yaweh is built on the verb "to be."

3. . . . Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Jesus Christ the Person, never had a beginning. He is absolute Reality. . . .He never came into being. He was eternally begotten. He is God, the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. Heb. 1:3

4. Seeing and enjoying Christ and His glory is the goal of our salvation. "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me" "which I had with you before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 To feast on this truth forever is the aim of our being created and our being redeemed."

5. Think of the works of Christeternal life. The life of joy (15:11; 16:24; 17:13) and peace (14:27; 16:33) and purposefulness (17:18; 20:21) which we have begun with him in this age will be perfected for ever and ever and ever.

6. He has given us eternal life. The life of joy (15:11; 16:24; 17:13) and peace (14:27; 16:33) and purposefulness (17:18; 20:21) which we have begun with him in this age will be perfected for ever and ever and ever.

7. Jesus removes our guilt and makes us a completely new creation.  He takes away the guilt of all who trust in him; he takes the sting out of death and offers eternal life and resurrection and everlasting glory and joy to all who believe.  He transforms fearful, greedy hearts into peaceful, loving hearts and gives us a deep-seated sincerity that we didn’t have before. He puts all relationships, especially husband-wife and parent-child relations, on a new, solid footing; and  He satisfies our deepest longing for beauty and wonder."

 

         "I appeal to your own self-knowledge. Does not your heart instruct you that if your inner self is the end point and measuring rod for all authenticity and purpose, apart from anything ultimate, life is meaningless? If there is no ultimate reference point by which you can gain your bearings in the world, then your inner life is a pointless bubble on the ocean no matter how much harmony there is with your outer life. Is it not true that the authenticity you desire is to fit perfectly with some ultimate reality? Isn't what we long for that our inner life not drift and float and be tossed and blown, but that it have a genuine, permanent identity, by virtue of being rooted in and formed by some ultimate reality. The great irony of secular humanism is that it can never satisfy the human heart. For it is written on our hearts that we are inauthentic until what we are within corresponds to the eternal reality that gives meaning to all things."  And that eternal reality is Jesus Christ.

–in Creation, in human history, in His providence in your life.

Every Thought in Obedience to Christ

Every Thought in Obedience to Christ

         Our home Bible study recently was on 2 Corinthians 10:5 ". . . bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
         Thinking is involved in all of life. Man’s Reason is not autonomous from God, but it is one of the greatest gifts God has given us and demonstrates the fact that we were created in God’s image.

1. The ORDER of events in life is always the same: first the idea in someone’s mind. You want to cook dinner or write a letter or build a house or organize a school or start in church in a neighboring town. Or marry your sweetheart. It all begins with an idea in someone’s mind.
2. Then the plan to carry out the idea: choice is involved here (the human will) and so is thinking and reasoning.
3. The third step is the outward action: your idea finds expression in the external world outside of yourself.
The INTERNAL world of thought and will and emotion leads into the EXTERNAL world outside of your body–thought, decision, planning, action. Actions is last!
 4. As a man THINKS in his heart so IS he.
5. Out of the mind and heart proceed all sorts of things–a good man brings forth good treasure; a wicked man produces evil. This is what Jesus clearly taught. And you have seen the same thing in your experience.
Either God’s Word will shape your thinking and understanding of life or you will ignore it, distort it, or disobey it. When you see truth in scripture, change your thinking to conform to the Word of God–don’t ignore it or pretend like it’s not there.

Several kinds of thinking:
1. "Musing"–nowhere in particular ("sometimes I sits and thinks; and sometimes I just sits"! is an old Arkansas expression.)
2. Meditation–thinking deeply–consider: "Meditate on His Word day and night." Psalm 1
3. Reasoning
4. Persuasion
5. Talking–conversing--usually requires some thought
6. Temptation–it comes into the thought life first, affects your attitude and plans, and then into your actions external to yourself in the world.
Covetousness - lust - hatred - jealousy - meanness - desire to hurt others - selfish ambitions - lust for power - revenge–seeking to "get even"
Mt. 5:28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
"As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." Prov. 23:7
7. Anxious thoughts: "in the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts, thy comforts delighted my soul." Psalm 94:19
8. Accusing thoughts
a. external: you accuse others of wrong actions, attitudes, or wrong motives
b. internal: your conscience either accuses or excuses you
Romans 2:15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
9. Worship Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ["spiritual service of worship" NAS]
[2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
10. Memory word study: in remembrance: this is part of our thought life
11. Affections–love for God and desire for Him as the deer thirsts for streams of water so our soul thirsts for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before Him? "Heart" includes thinking, the will, the affections–the whole person
Col. 3–set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth
12. World view a form of thinking.

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." 2 Tim. 2:7
"Consider" means to focus your complete attention, fix your thoughts on.
"Consider the lilies of the field," Jesus said. Matthew 6:28-29
"Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ] If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Luke 12:24-27 ESV

　
　

Criticism--How do you deal with it?--2nd Corinthians chapter 10

Life would be more pleasant if everyone followed the admonition to have "a critical mind without a critical spirit."   But many don't, so you're going to be criticized.  Sometimes the criticism is valid and if it is, pay attention to it.   ". . . reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge."  Proverbs 19:25 

        But there are also people who would tear down rather than build up.  So how do you deal with unjust criticism?

        1. Ignore it if you can.  Don't jump to your own defense. 

        2. Overlook others' faults.  "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Col. 3:13 ESV

        3. Do not reciprocate.  Follow Jesus' example:  "when they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23 NIV

        In the 10th chapter of 2nd Corinthians the Apostle Paul is dealing with false teachers who were trying to take the Corinthian church away from the pure gospel of Christ and to teach them worldly wisdom.  He had to have firmness against them because the issues were great and he appealed to the Corinthians to listen to the truth of the Word of God instead of to false teachings.  When others criticized him for being weak and not eloquent of speech, he agreed with them.  And since so many people had come to Christ in the Corinthian church, that just pointed out that it was the power of God and not Paul's ability that was building the church.  God uses "the weak things of the world to confound the wise."  Paul was aware that he was totally dependent upon the power of God and not on his own persuasiveness.

        What were Paul's characteristics as a man of God, a man greatly used by God, a vessel fit for the Master's use?

        1. He did not use the world's methods.  2 Cor. 10:3-5  "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. . . .bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."  1 Cor. 2:1-5  "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God."  He never manipulated others or tried to "out-psych" them nor did he seek "political power" within the church.

        2. Paul was a man of integrity.  His life backed up his words.  He lived what he taught.

        3. God showed His approval of Paul.  "He is my chosen vessel," God told the prophet Ananias in Acts 9.  And the Holy Spirit attested to the truth Paul was teaching by  His Presence in power.

        4. Paul was humble.  10:12-18  "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

        5. He was unwilling to compare himself with others.  10:12

        6. He was willing to minister wherever God led him.  And we'll see where that took him in chapter 11!

        7. Paul did not seek to take credit for himself but sought only the Lord's glory.  2 Cor. 10:17  "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."  1 Cor. 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."