God is giving me much strength in an area I am so weak in.
Recently,I found myself asking God to take away a specific thorn in my flesh. I was also asking Him to make me into someone who is not affected by such a thorn.
Neither prayer was being answered and the enemy continued to torment me.
The Lord started speaking to me through the following Scripture:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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. 10That 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.
Now my prayer to the Lord has changed:
Lord, I thank you for this thorn in my flesh. I know it has been put in my life to make me more like you. I no longer ask you to make it go away or make it so it doesn't affect me. Instead I thank you for it and ask you to use it to make me more Christ like than I could ever imagine being.
I know there is power found in the cross and your grace is more than sufficient for me. For this weakness brings me joy, for I know your power will rest on me.
Lord, your grace is sufficient for me. May your power be made perfect in my weakness. When I am weak, then through you I am made strong.
Have your way with me Lord. Do the work in me that is needed and use me how you see fit. Please give me the strength to bear this thorn and keep me safe from the enemies lies and torment.
I love you father God.
Thank you.
In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
TAKE IT ALL LORD!!!!!!!
Take it all Lord- Take it ALL.
Take my faults, take my pain
Take my thoughts, take my shame
Im desperate to be more like YOU!
Im cryin out Lord! It's all I can DO!
Lord I can't make myself more sanctified-
I've fallen on my face all the times that I've tried-
I'm leaning on the teachings you gave in your word-
To make me more like you is a promise you have secured.
For me to believe the devils lies would simply be absurd.
He tells me I'll never have victory
He tells me to stay down in misery
He's a liar and a thief
Trying to steal my joy and replace it with grief
He whispers in my ear that I'll never be more like You.
He makes me believe that my old self is stuck to me like glue.
I know its all false
I know its aint true!
Your will is my sanctification and to grow in the likeness of You!
I believe that a work was completed through your Son...
Paul makes it clear in Romans 8 verses 29 thru 31-
those you predestined you also called
those you called,you also justified;
those you justified, you also glorified.
Those are powerful truths that can not be DENIED!!!!
What, then, shall we say in response to all this?
If God is for us................. Who can be against US?
No one! Not even Satan- God has promised us thisss!
Take my faults, take my pain
Take my thoughts, take my shame
Im desperate to be more like YOU!
Im cryin out Lord! It's all I can DO!
Lord I can't make myself more sanctified-
I've fallen on my face all the times that I've tried-
I'm leaning on the teachings you gave in your word-
To make me more like you is a promise you have secured.
For me to believe the devils lies would simply be absurd.
He tells me I'll never have victory
He tells me to stay down in misery
He's a liar and a thief
Trying to steal my joy and replace it with grief
He whispers in my ear that I'll never be more like You.
He makes me believe that my old self is stuck to me like glue.
I know its all false
I know its aint true!
Your will is my sanctification and to grow in the likeness of You!
I believe that a work was completed through your Son...
Paul makes it clear in Romans 8 verses 29 thru 31-
those you predestined you also called
those you called,you also justified;
those you justified, you also glorified.
Those are powerful truths that can not be DENIED!!!!
What, then, shall we say in response to all this?
If God is for us................. Who can be against US?
No one! Not even Satan- God has promised us thisss!
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Captain of the Lords Army- Joshua 5: 13-15
In chapter 5 Joshua was approaching Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua asked him, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" The man replied, "Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for my servant?" The commander replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
So what was Joshua doing approaching Jericho?
He was surveying the situation and preparing his attack. He was planning how he would go about overtaking the city.....
What happened next?
Joshua was confronted by the Commander of the Lord's army. When Joshua asked him who he was and if he was on his side or the side of his enemies, the Commander replied, I am the commander of the army of the LORD."
When Joshua heard this he fell to the ground in reverence and asked him, "What does the Lord command from me?"
So whose battle was this really? Was it Joshua's battle or was it the LORDS!?
Clearly we see that the battle belonged to the Lord.
Joshua, like you or me, was taking the battle into his own hands. The captain of the Lords army had to set him straight and remind him that the Lord was the one fighting this battle.
How many times in our own lives do we try to plan out how we are going to overcome a battle? Sure we ask God for help but we already have a plan of attack in our heads. What we see here from Joshua is the same thing. He was going about planning his attack and course of action without surrendering it over to the Lord.
Once he had the encounter with the captain of the Lord's army, he realised his mistake and fell to the ground in reverence and asked him what the Lord wanted him to do. Then he took off his sandals as a sign of respect and submission to the Lord.
When we face a battle or a trial what is the first thing we do? Do we right away try to figure out why and then come up with a plan of attack? Or do we look past the battle to the Lord?
What we must do is first recognise who the battle really belongs too, submit and surrender it over to the Lord and then ask him what he wants us to do.
This passage has shown me that I must look past the battle or trial at hand, look up and see the Captain of the Lord of Hosts and remove my sandals (surrender).
As a soldier in the Lord's army there is one thing we can always remember to do.......
Ephesians 6: 10-18.... Be ready- PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD!!
Lets also look at this passage in light of the Gospel.........
As fallen depraved man we face a battle against sin and God's wrath.
Due to our sinful nature we are all lawbreakers and separated from a Holy God.
For example, we have all lied, coveted, looked with lust and broke many others of God's Holy Laws. By doing so, we will stand guilty before a Holy God, in lies our battle.
Now many times when one comes to realize they are facing a battle against sin, they try to get right with God on their own. They say things like, "Man I got to get right and go back to church." or I" have to get my sins together before I can get with God."
In thinking that, we are trying to fight this battle against sin on our own which is impossible. We can't "get right" because we are already guilty.
The Good news is, the battle against sin belongs to the Lord and has already been won! We can't fight this battle, Christ already did 2000 years ago...
God, became a man Jesus Christ. Lived a perfect life and kept all of God's laws. He then willing went to the cross to take the penalty for our sins. Then on the 3rd day He rose again, defeating death! He defeated sin and God's wrath was fulfilled on His Son.
So, what do we need to do in response?
Same thing as Joshua......
-Look past what we can do to fight this battle
-See ourselves standing before a Holy God
-Fall in reverence
-Surrender completely to Him
The battle against sin belongs to Jesus Christ, He deserves all the Glory. We can't get right or defeat sin on our own. We can only surrender to Him and put our trust in what he did for us on the cross. We broke God's laws but Jesus paid our fine in His life's blood. If we repent (turn from sin) and put our trust in Jesus Christ. Our sins will be forgiven and God will grant us eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD. Romans 6;23
The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel! Mark 3:15
So what was Joshua doing approaching Jericho?
He was surveying the situation and preparing his attack. He was planning how he would go about overtaking the city.....
What happened next?
Joshua was confronted by the Commander of the Lord's army. When Joshua asked him who he was and if he was on his side or the side of his enemies, the Commander replied, I am the commander of the army of the LORD."
When Joshua heard this he fell to the ground in reverence and asked him, "What does the Lord command from me?"
So whose battle was this really? Was it Joshua's battle or was it the LORDS!?
Clearly we see that the battle belonged to the Lord.
Joshua, like you or me, was taking the battle into his own hands. The captain of the Lords army had to set him straight and remind him that the Lord was the one fighting this battle.
How many times in our own lives do we try to plan out how we are going to overcome a battle? Sure we ask God for help but we already have a plan of attack in our heads. What we see here from Joshua is the same thing. He was going about planning his attack and course of action without surrendering it over to the Lord.
Once he had the encounter with the captain of the Lord's army, he realised his mistake and fell to the ground in reverence and asked him what the Lord wanted him to do. Then he took off his sandals as a sign of respect and submission to the Lord.
When we face a battle or a trial what is the first thing we do? Do we right away try to figure out why and then come up with a plan of attack? Or do we look past the battle to the Lord?
What we must do is first recognise who the battle really belongs too, submit and surrender it over to the Lord and then ask him what he wants us to do.
This passage has shown me that I must look past the battle or trial at hand, look up and see the Captain of the Lord of Hosts and remove my sandals (surrender).
As a soldier in the Lord's army there is one thing we can always remember to do.......
Ephesians 6: 10-18.... Be ready- PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD!!
Lets also look at this passage in light of the Gospel.........
As fallen depraved man we face a battle against sin and God's wrath.
Due to our sinful nature we are all lawbreakers and separated from a Holy God.
For example, we have all lied, coveted, looked with lust and broke many others of God's Holy Laws. By doing so, we will stand guilty before a Holy God, in lies our battle.
Now many times when one comes to realize they are facing a battle against sin, they try to get right with God on their own. They say things like, "Man I got to get right and go back to church." or I" have to get my sins together before I can get with God."
In thinking that, we are trying to fight this battle against sin on our own which is impossible. We can't "get right" because we are already guilty.
The Good news is, the battle against sin belongs to the Lord and has already been won! We can't fight this battle, Christ already did 2000 years ago...
God, became a man Jesus Christ. Lived a perfect life and kept all of God's laws. He then willing went to the cross to take the penalty for our sins. Then on the 3rd day He rose again, defeating death! He defeated sin and God's wrath was fulfilled on His Son.
So, what do we need to do in response?
Same thing as Joshua......
-Look past what we can do to fight this battle
-See ourselves standing before a Holy God
-Fall in reverence
-Surrender completely to Him
The battle against sin belongs to Jesus Christ, He deserves all the Glory. We can't get right or defeat sin on our own. We can only surrender to Him and put our trust in what he did for us on the cross. We broke God's laws but Jesus paid our fine in His life's blood. If we repent (turn from sin) and put our trust in Jesus Christ. Our sins will be forgiven and God will grant us eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD. Romans 6;23
The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel! Mark 3:15
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Romans 14: Casting Judgement on weaker brothers
Romans 14 clearly tells us to refrain from casting judgement on weaker brothers and sisters. This chapter really convicted me this morning. I have fallen into the trap of judging a fellow believer in an unfair and unrighteous way.
I recently had a conversation with a fellow believer and found out they chose to refrain from a couple of things in their life. My first reaction was to think... "This person is being legalistic and feels they are high and above other believers because they refrain from such things." I felt like I was being judged by this person because of something I brought up. God showed me this morning that I was the one in the wrong. In my head I was passing unfair judgement on this person. After reading Romans 14 I was really convicted. I realized how unloving I was being. I was also being a total stumbling block to this person by pushing certain things. In light of Romans chapter 14 I was able to see that I was completely guilty of judging a weaker believer. This person doesn't refrain from such things because they think they are high and above, it is because of their weaknesses that they chose to refrain. I should take a lesson from this person and be encouraged by the discernment, wisdom and discipline God has given them. I had to repent and ask God to forgive me of unfairly judging and being a stumbling block to a fellow believer. I thank God for correcting me. His word has shown me that I must not pass judgement on weaker brothers but instead show love to them and do what I can to help keep them from stumbling. I also should examine myself and ask God to show me in what areas I am weak.
I recently had a conversation with a fellow believer and found out they chose to refrain from a couple of things in their life. My first reaction was to think... "This person is being legalistic and feels they are high and above other believers because they refrain from such things." I felt like I was being judged by this person because of something I brought up. God showed me this morning that I was the one in the wrong. In my head I was passing unfair judgement on this person. After reading Romans 14 I was really convicted. I realized how unloving I was being. I was also being a total stumbling block to this person by pushing certain things. In light of Romans chapter 14 I was able to see that I was completely guilty of judging a weaker believer. This person doesn't refrain from such things because they think they are high and above, it is because of their weaknesses that they chose to refrain. I should take a lesson from this person and be encouraged by the discernment, wisdom and discipline God has given them. I had to repent and ask God to forgive me of unfairly judging and being a stumbling block to a fellow believer. I thank God for correcting me. His word has shown me that I must not pass judgement on weaker brothers but instead show love to them and do what I can to help keep them from stumbling. I also should examine myself and ask God to show me in what areas I am weak.
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