What We Have Seen and Heard
II Corinthians 12:1–10
“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the LORD. Inknow a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the LORD to take it 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. 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.”
The Apostle Paul models for us a form of witnessing. It is taking godly encounters of ourselves and others and sharing them. The Gospel, the Good News, the Best News Ever is meant to be shared as we experience it in our lives, Ps Lawrence Khong has always said why wouldn’t we share something we thinks is great? The Apostle John wrote, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ (I John 1:3).” I guess this is what witnessing is about, gathering our experiences of God together, taking a good look at our lives, our past, our present circumstances and noting our strengths, especially our weaknesses and how God empowers us and encounters us in our deep needs for God’s glory! And for the purpose of getting people to know Him and experience Him as we have. St. Paul not only tells us of God’s power and the heights to which God can take us, but also shows us God’s grace in the depths, in the valleys of his weakness and hurt (vv. 7–9); God is there with us in our pain, and when He doesn’t take the cup away from us, He comforts, encourages, and tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness (v. 9).” All this is paved for is that we may ‘boast’/share Christ, that we may tell others, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him (Psa 37:8)” Today, I pray with the Living Life writer: “LORD, I am weak but You are strong. I desire to boast in my weaknesses so that people will see Your power and grace. May You receive all the glory. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.” In the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke shares with us how wonderful it is to pursue God’s great cause, the Great Commission, how they just cannot help but speak of the Best News Ever, “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened (Acts 4:18–21).”
“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the LORD. Inknow a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the LORD to take it 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. 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.”
The Apostle Paul models for us a form of witnessing. It is taking godly encounters of ourselves and others and sharing them. The Gospel, the Good News, the Best News Ever is meant to be shared as we experience it in our lives, Ps Lawrence Khong has always said why wouldn’t we share something we thinks is great? The Apostle John wrote, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ (I John 1:3).” I guess this is what witnessing is about, gathering our experiences of God together, taking a good look at our lives, our past, our present circumstances and noting our strengths, especially our weaknesses and how God empowers us and encounters us in our deep needs for God’s glory! And for the purpose of getting people to know Him and experience Him as we have. St. Paul not only tells us of God’s power and the heights to which God can take us, but also shows us God’s grace in the depths, in the valleys of his weakness and hurt (vv. 7–9); God is there with us in our pain, and when He doesn’t take the cup away from us, He comforts, encourages, and tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness (v. 9).” All this is paved for is that we may ‘boast’/share Christ, that we may tell others, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him (Psa 37:8)” Today, I pray with the Living Life writer: “LORD, I am weak but You are strong. I desire to boast in my weaknesses so that people will see Your power and grace. May You receive all the glory. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.” In the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke shares with us how wonderful it is to pursue God’s great cause, the Great Commission, how they just cannot help but speak of the Best News Ever, “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened (Acts 4:18–21).”
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