God's Gift of Thorns
Dr. Ernest L. Easley
2 Corinthians 12.1-10
Now for a few minutes tonight .. join me in the book of 2 Corinthians ... chapter 12. I suppose all of us enjoy receiving gifts. But I want to show you a gift from God tonight that you may not enjoy. And while this gift may not be pleasant . . . you're going to find that it is productive.
We're thinking tonight about . . . God's Gift of Thorns!
2 Corinthians 12.1-10 Some say this is a thorny passage. But it's not if you stick to the point! And the point is that God allowed Paul to have a look into Heaven. Paul called it in verse 2 the ''third Heaven.''
You say, ''How many Heavens are there?'' Well .. at least three. The first Heaven is the atmosphere around the earth where the clouds are and the birds fly. The second Heaven is where the stars and the sun and the moon are. The third Heaven is where God is. That's where our loved ones are tonight who loved the Lord Jesus. Paul calls it Paradise in verse 4.
Look at verse 4, ''how he was caught up (rapture) into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.'' Can you imagine what would happen today if somebody was caught up in Paradise for awhile? The first thing we'd do would to put them on the speaking tour! My .. they would be speaking at every conference and convention across America and selling videos for $30.00 a pop!
But you don't find one word from Paul about what he saw or heard! In fact . . . he kept quiet about it for fourteen years! I don't know anything worse than spiritual pride. Thinking you're better than somebody else because you've experienced something spiritually that somebody else has not.
Well .. if there was ever a man who was tempted to possess spiritual pride .. it was Paul! But as you're going to see . . . God kept Paul useable through a thorn in his flesh. And it's that thorn we're thinking about tonight because some of you have experi ...
Dr. Ernest L. Easley
2 Corinthians 12.1-10
Now for a few minutes tonight .. join me in the book of 2 Corinthians ... chapter 12. I suppose all of us enjoy receiving gifts. But I want to show you a gift from God tonight that you may not enjoy. And while this gift may not be pleasant . . . you're going to find that it is productive.
We're thinking tonight about . . . God's Gift of Thorns!
2 Corinthians 12.1-10 Some say this is a thorny passage. But it's not if you stick to the point! And the point is that God allowed Paul to have a look into Heaven. Paul called it in verse 2 the ''third Heaven.''
You say, ''How many Heavens are there?'' Well .. at least three. The first Heaven is the atmosphere around the earth where the clouds are and the birds fly. The second Heaven is where the stars and the sun and the moon are. The third Heaven is where God is. That's where our loved ones are tonight who loved the Lord Jesus. Paul calls it Paradise in verse 4.
Look at verse 4, ''how he was caught up (rapture) into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.'' Can you imagine what would happen today if somebody was caught up in Paradise for awhile? The first thing we'd do would to put them on the speaking tour! My .. they would be speaking at every conference and convention across America and selling videos for $30.00 a pop!
But you don't find one word from Paul about what he saw or heard! In fact . . . he kept quiet about it for fourteen years! I don't know anything worse than spiritual pride. Thinking you're better than somebody else because you've experienced something spiritually that somebody else has not.
Well .. if there was ever a man who was tempted to possess spiritual pride .. it was Paul! But as you're going to see . . . God kept Paul useable through a thorn in his flesh. And it's that thorn we're thinking about tonight because some of you have experi ...
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