why should we rejoice?

Life is difficult.

Accidents

Aging

Heartache

Headaches

Poor Choices

Following Jesus might at first seem to make life easier.

Thanks, Jesus!

But if you keep following him your life might become a lot

more difficult.

Jesus sends us to be and bring healing and hope wherever it’s needed most.

EBCLA’s Japan Relief Team 2014

Even if it means coming back burdened with other people’s pain and problems.

If life is already difficult, why make it even harder?

The Conversion of Our Imaginations

God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” He made his light shine in our hearts. It shows us the light of God’s glory in the face of Christ. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:6

God is love

Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn’t come from us. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:7

We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn’t make us lose hope. Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Apostle Paul in prison

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9

Life was difficult.

PersecutedShipwrecked

Imprisoned Slandered

Single & CelibateSelf-supporting

Abandoned Confronted

Martyred Beaten

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. 2 Cor 12:9b-10

We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies. We who are alive are always in danger of death because we are serving Jesus. So his life can be shown in our earthly bodies. Death is at work in us. But life is at work in you. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Saint Jerome

It is written, “I believed, and so I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe. And we also speak. We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. He will bring us with you to God in heaven. All of that is for your benefit. God’s grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God.(NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:13-15

We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

b i b l i c a l r e c o n c i l i a t i o nafflicting the comfortable and comforting the affl icted

So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. What can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever. (NIVR)

2 Corinthians 4:18

Paul went from making life difficult for Christians to making a new life in Christ for himself that was decidedly difficult.Why?

How changed are my ambitions! Now I long to know Christ and the power shown by his resurrection:

now I long to share his sufferings, even to die as he died, so that I may perhaps attain as he did, the

resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11