A Thorn in The Flesh
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
" Humbleness is one aspect of Christianity and one thing required by God to the followers of His Son Jesus.
We suffer reproach, which doesn't mean that we are by any means weak.
We suffer for Christ sake, taking reproach and hatred by others as a sign that we are being used by the Lord to enlighten others in the coming judgment.
As ambassadors of Christ we are to spread the word of a great salvation that only comes through Christ and His sacrifice.
We were all at one time or another in chains and fetters but through Christ we have been set free.
We have been given liberty but we are not to use our liberty as an occasion to sin, for once we have died out to sin we can no longer live in it.
The Christian life is sometimes filled with thorns in the flesh and pricks to the heart, that the Lord knows of but still allows, things that are not meant to harm an individual but to strengthen their resolve in following Christ and His commandments.
The Lord has promised us that the burdens that we will bear will not become so substantial that we would fall.
He puts limits on our suffering and burdens.
Some times its a family member, a co-worker, neighbour or a stranger.
These are the messengers of Satan, who will test and try you, they will steal your goods, verbally abuse you, lie and cast suspicion upon your good name, but remember it is not the person but the evil spirit that has been allowed to control their actions, that causes them to aggravate you.
The Bible tells us that we, as Christians, do as the Father does, and those that are still lost and those that have refused to follow Christ, do as their father, Satan, does.
We all follow someone, it is up to us to choose to whom we owe our allegiance.
Even those who say there is no God, follow after Satan, for their works prove their allegiance, for this world runs, and is based upon, two things, the spirit of good and the spirit of evil.
We must all remember that it is not only the stranger that will try your patience but also your immediate family, for the Bible tells us that your worst enemies shall be those of your own household.
For I am come to set a man at variance (a state of dissension or controversy.
) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
These divisions among family members and neighbors are not the result of personal differences concerning the flesh, but because of the stand you have taken for righteousness and the word of God.
When a man, who was once friend to the world and all of its vices becomes a follower of Christ, the world will rebel against that man, morality will take a back seat and the accusations will fly.
This is proven here; "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity(in opposition to.
) with God?" whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
The words adulterers and adulteresses has two meanings, the one most people consider is the works of the flesh, the man or woman having a sexual relationship with someone of whom they are not married to, but the other meaning is that people can become one or the other against God, for the Bible tells us that Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church is His bride.
That's one reason that when anyone stands up for Biblical principles today many take it as a threat to their way of life, the verbal and physical abuse will soon follow.
Satan loves to remind you of your past, the lies you told, the things you've stolen, the fowl language you once enjoyed to use and the pleasures of the flesh that you once indulged in.
He will get others to remind you that you were once like them and condemn you for not following after them as you once did.
When men remind you of your past, we remind them that we have been forgiven, yes we were once lost and unruly, yes, we were once a friend to the world and its unrighteousness and yes we once enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh, but we have died out to sin, our old ways are gone and the darkness that we once lived in has been replaced by the light of wisdom and knowledge, the old man has died and the Lord has given us a new body, a new creature was created the moment that we accepted that we were lost, we remind them that they may remember what we once were, but forgiveness from God has erased all of our past.
Remember that Satan is a defeated enemy, he cannot be at more than one place at a time, for God is omnipresent and Satan is not.
When we rebuke Satan, most times its his messengers that we rebuke.
We do not have to defeat Satan, only resist him.
"For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
I speak as concerning reproach, (To upbraid; to suggest blame for any thing.
) as though we had been weak.
Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
" To suffer; To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind.
If a man bring you into bondage; subjection to sin and corrupt passions.
If a man devour you, To consume wealth and substance by fraud, oppression, or illegal actions.
If a man take of you, To lay hold of; to get into one's power for keeping.
If a man exalt himself, To raise with pride; to make undue pretensions to power, rank or estimation; to elevate too high or above others.
If a man smite you on the face.
To afflict; to chasten; to punish.
In these end days, Satan knows that his time is short, the messengers of Satan shall come at the believer with more intensity.
We must be bold in our testimony, resist the temptation to follow after unrighteousness and totally depend upon the Lord.
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
" Humbleness is one aspect of Christianity and one thing required by God to the followers of His Son Jesus.
We suffer reproach, which doesn't mean that we are by any means weak.
We suffer for Christ sake, taking reproach and hatred by others as a sign that we are being used by the Lord to enlighten others in the coming judgment.
As ambassadors of Christ we are to spread the word of a great salvation that only comes through Christ and His sacrifice.
We were all at one time or another in chains and fetters but through Christ we have been set free.
We have been given liberty but we are not to use our liberty as an occasion to sin, for once we have died out to sin we can no longer live in it.
The Christian life is sometimes filled with thorns in the flesh and pricks to the heart, that the Lord knows of but still allows, things that are not meant to harm an individual but to strengthen their resolve in following Christ and His commandments.
The Lord has promised us that the burdens that we will bear will not become so substantial that we would fall.
He puts limits on our suffering and burdens.
Some times its a family member, a co-worker, neighbour or a stranger.
These are the messengers of Satan, who will test and try you, they will steal your goods, verbally abuse you, lie and cast suspicion upon your good name, but remember it is not the person but the evil spirit that has been allowed to control their actions, that causes them to aggravate you.
The Bible tells us that we, as Christians, do as the Father does, and those that are still lost and those that have refused to follow Christ, do as their father, Satan, does.
We all follow someone, it is up to us to choose to whom we owe our allegiance.
Even those who say there is no God, follow after Satan, for their works prove their allegiance, for this world runs, and is based upon, two things, the spirit of good and the spirit of evil.
We must all remember that it is not only the stranger that will try your patience but also your immediate family, for the Bible tells us that your worst enemies shall be those of your own household.
For I am come to set a man at variance (a state of dissension or controversy.
) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
These divisions among family members and neighbors are not the result of personal differences concerning the flesh, but because of the stand you have taken for righteousness and the word of God.
When a man, who was once friend to the world and all of its vices becomes a follower of Christ, the world will rebel against that man, morality will take a back seat and the accusations will fly.
This is proven here; "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity(in opposition to.
) with God?" whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
The words adulterers and adulteresses has two meanings, the one most people consider is the works of the flesh, the man or woman having a sexual relationship with someone of whom they are not married to, but the other meaning is that people can become one or the other against God, for the Bible tells us that Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church is His bride.
That's one reason that when anyone stands up for Biblical principles today many take it as a threat to their way of life, the verbal and physical abuse will soon follow.
Satan loves to remind you of your past, the lies you told, the things you've stolen, the fowl language you once enjoyed to use and the pleasures of the flesh that you once indulged in.
He will get others to remind you that you were once like them and condemn you for not following after them as you once did.
When men remind you of your past, we remind them that we have been forgiven, yes we were once lost and unruly, yes, we were once a friend to the world and its unrighteousness and yes we once enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh, but we have died out to sin, our old ways are gone and the darkness that we once lived in has been replaced by the light of wisdom and knowledge, the old man has died and the Lord has given us a new body, a new creature was created the moment that we accepted that we were lost, we remind them that they may remember what we once were, but forgiveness from God has erased all of our past.
Remember that Satan is a defeated enemy, he cannot be at more than one place at a time, for God is omnipresent and Satan is not.
When we rebuke Satan, most times its his messengers that we rebuke.
We do not have to defeat Satan, only resist him.
"For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
I speak as concerning reproach, (To upbraid; to suggest blame for any thing.
) as though we had been weak.
Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
" To suffer; To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind.
If a man bring you into bondage; subjection to sin and corrupt passions.
If a man devour you, To consume wealth and substance by fraud, oppression, or illegal actions.
If a man take of you, To lay hold of; to get into one's power for keeping.
If a man exalt himself, To raise with pride; to make undue pretensions to power, rank or estimation; to elevate too high or above others.
If a man smite you on the face.
To afflict; to chasten; to punish.
In these end days, Satan knows that his time is short, the messengers of Satan shall come at the believer with more intensity.
We must be bold in our testimony, resist the temptation to follow after unrighteousness and totally depend upon the Lord.
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.