WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PERPLEXED - 07/05/17 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm."   - Robert Louis Stevenson PERPLEX - to cause someone to feel completely baffled; to complicate or confuse a matter. From the Latin perplexus or entangled, it means bewildered or interwoven. Baffled implies a situation so complex yet nonsensical, that it ridicules or mocks you, with the intent to cheat or deceive. One definition of baffle is a material that was used to prevent the spreading of sound or light in a particular direction.  Have you ever had something said or done confuse you to the point of disorientation? Bewilder means to thoroughly lead or go astray. You're lost, and you're not sure what to do.  The Apostle Paul, was very frank about the duality of his ministry experiences. Though graced by God with an immense call and responsibility, he was painfully aware of his humble beginnings on the Damascus Road (Acts 9, 26) and called himself "the least of the apostles," stating that he did not deserve to be an apostle because he persecuted the Church of God. (1 Cor. 15:29) He declared, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst." (1 TIm. 1:15) Paul had to go through his paces for the other leaders and parishioners to trust and follow him as he followed Christ. (1 Cor 1:11) Some compared him to Apollos, another leader, and found him wanting. (1 Cor 3:4)   He had to defend his ministry to the church of Corinth, "For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." (2 Cor. 10:10) For the sake of the Gospel, Paul was challenged, transformed, imprisoned, run out of town, shipwrecked, and endured much hostility and degradation:  8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. (2 Cor. 4:8-12)   Your pastor or leader probably won't tell you, but at times we are perplexed beyond measure, and we have NO CLUE what to do. You thought we had that Holy Spirit pipeline on every issue all the time. Sorry to disappoint, sometimes the Heavens are as brass for us too. It's comforting to know that someone that great and close to God, who had visions and revelation no one would believe (2 Cor. 12) could also at times be utterly stumped. Paul said this perplexity could bring me to the point of hopelessness and despair. The situations I face could have me feeling rejected and abandoned by God. They have the potential to destroy me, but none of that is happening. My suffering is allowing me to live the life of the Cross. When I'm willing to share in Christ's sufferings by dying to myself, dying to having all the answers, dying to being overcome by stress, dying to the challenges, opinions and comparisons of others, and dying even to the thought that God has forsaken me...then I say that I NEED HIM and I open myself to the life that comes from Christ through me, which transforms not just me, but those I lead.

SUNDAY Worship

11:00 AM Worship
The Great Room Sunday Class
9:30 AM Youth Room Basement
at Wyoming Presbyterian
225 Wyoming Ave., 45215
For information 513-212-1131