Victory Through Weaknesses
King
James Bible Study Devotional
Message
Title:
Victory
Through Weaknesses
For:
Tuesday November 30, 2010
Chapters:
II Corinthians 9-13
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Here to Read Them or Go to:
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Details
of Today's Chapters:
Sowing and reaping, thanksgiving, Paul's spiritual authority, false
teachers, Paul recollects his afflictions, the thorn in his side, and
reprobates.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word infirmity is
defined as a physical
or moral
weakness,
or failing at something. We all have infirmities of some sort and
while they may make us feel as though we are a failure God sees them
as victories. The Bible says, “For
though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power
of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by
the power of God toward you.”
- II Corinthians 13:4. Weakness brings us closer to God, it not only
gives us His power to overcome our infirmities, it also brings life
to us. Think about it. When you feel as though you have failed you
feel awful and kind of dead inside and do not want to do anything,
but when you succeed you feel great and lively inside and as though
you can do anything. You can do anything, through Christ that is. “I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
- Philippians 4:13.
So, how do we overcome our infirmities?
First, we need to give ourselves over to God, the more we do for God,
the more we are strengthen to overcome our infirmities. “But
this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and
he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God
is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:..Being
enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through
us thanksgiving to God.”
- II Corinthians 9:6-8,11. The Bible teaches us that we are to tithe
ten percent of our income to God (our home church), but giving to God
is more than just tithe, it is also giving your time. So, if we were
to give ten percent of our time to God that would be two hours and
forty minutes a day. Can you give two hours and forty minutes to God
each day? It only needs to start with one and before you know it
everything you do puts God on your mind.
Why is it so
important? We are fighting a war, a spiritual war against God and
Satan, “For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And
having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.”
- II Corinthians 10:3-6. The more time we give to God the harder it
is for Satan to corrupt us and Satan will do anything, including
twist God's Word a little bit to get us to question the truth.
Paul
continues to warn us to avoid things that corrupt our thinking, “But
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that
is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we
have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might
well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very
chiefest apostles...For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
- II Corinthians 11:3-5,13..
A couple of weeks ago I had
someone say to me, I agree with you about Jesus, but you should read
the Quran. Now, people are free to follow whatever book they want,
but the only book I follow is the Bible, it is the only true Word of
God. Since I am a missionary and a teacher of God's Word I have to do
a lot of research to back up what I teach. I have to be careful not
to allow myself to be corrupted by what I research, my only guard is
remaining in God's Word. Only God's Word can prepare us, armor us to
fight the battle. “Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
- Ephesians 6:16,17.
There is only one book that contains
the Word of God, every other so called holy book written was written
by a person paraphrasing the Bible. Incidentally, the Quran was
written by one man named Muhammad,
said to have been given to him by archangel Gabriel. Islamic people
are descendents
of Ishmael, the illegitimate child of Abraham
and his wife's handmaid, Hagar. However, the Bible was written
through forty men who God spoke to Himself through the Holy Spirit.
God's people are descendents of Isaac, the blessed child of Abraham
and Sarah. “And
God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt
call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for
Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make
him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall
he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I
establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set
time in the next year.”
- Genesis 17:19-21. Notice the similarities between Ishmael's people
and God's people, this is how people can get corrupted.
Our
only victory through infirmities is Christ, the only way to know the
truth for yourself is to know Christ yourself, which can only happen
if you ask Him to come into your heart. If you know Christ and give
yourself to Him you will have the power to overcome any physical or
moral weakness. If you are questioning your faith think about what
Paul said, “Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know
ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not
reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should
appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though
we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for
the truth.”
- II Corinthians 13:5-8.
The word reprobate means a person
rejected
by
God
and
beyond
hope
of
salvation.
While God wants to see everyone in heaven with Him, He knows that
there are some that are too wicked and will never see salvation. He
also knows who are His and the amazing thing is that our greatest
victory over anything that Satan will corrupt us with is being one of
God's people. Praise God! “He
that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and
he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- Revelation 21:7,8.
Be blessed, enjoy the rest of your
day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for
you,
Christina
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