Further considerations of the "thorn in the flesh".

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7-10‬ ESV)

We immediately assume that this thorn was given to Paul after he received the revelations from Christ. But looking at verse 10, we can see what Paul considers to be the product of the thorn's presence that causes God's strength to become perfect in us; weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; these are indeed the products of the messengers of Satan. They are everything inherent to all human nature since the Spiritual separation from God in Garden.

Dying To Self

There is a sense of unworthiness that accompanies the spirit of the poor, and in contrast brings a response of arrogance from those more fortunate. The innate selfishness of humanity always recognizes opportunities to take advantage of their less fortunate neighbor quite naturally.

This is the undeniable relationship between the prosperous and the oppressed that exists in the micro and the macro. It is simply the world we live in. Governments, doctors, theologians, and the rest are constantly trying to formulize guidelines for the masses to follow. The effort is to teach everyone how to treat one another for the cause of social peace while maintaining personal integrity in the process. It is the simple wisdom of humans entertaining the fantasy of psychology, trying to perfect what is innately imperfect.

The Color Of My Temple

I am not a white Christian. I am a Christian whose temple happens to be painted white. 

If I behave as a white Christian, my faith would be established first by an allegiance to my culture and country (James 4:4) and I would certainly have to manipulate God's word in order to persuade others that my efforts are righteous and godly. (2 Timothy 3:5) In reality, though, I am acting out of my own human nature. 
(Philippians 2:21) 

But if I submit my temple to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), I should then deal with everyone and everything in the Spiritual realm. (Galatians 5:24-25) I will regard no one in the flesh, as I don't even regard my former self. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) 

I have this treasure in a jar of clay so that everyone will know, including myself, that this surpassing power belongs to God and not to me. 

(2 Corinthians 4:7)

PJR

"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." 

(Colossians 3:9-11)

Point By Point

I was driving to work one morning when this scripture came to mind:

"They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, 'If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.'" (Mark 9:33-35)

Immediately after pondering this, another scripture came to mind.

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'" ( Luke 10:38-42)

This seemed to contradict the first scripture. Wasn't the act of serving the focal point of what Jesus just spoke about in the first story?

At this point my attention was diverted to the traffic around me, and I became frustrated with all the inconsiderate drivers on the road; especially those that affected my path.

I struggled to get back into my meditation after that. Then this scripture came to mind:

"Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?' So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'" (John 21:20-22)

Just then, it was impressed upon me the relevance of these three scenarios. They have one thing in common; worrying about others. When I am consumed with the behavior of others around me, my Spiritual intimacy quickly dissipates and I become very self-absorbed.

Point made. I am humbled.

PJR

"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice." (James 3:14-16)

The Humility Of Faith

True faith expresses itself when we are obedient to God's word regardless of the consequences. Surrender will be our first course of action before catering to the insatiable human desire to address a situation from our own logic and resourcefulness for the sake of self preservation. This will, however, create within our mind's understanding, a great defeat as we forfeit our energies, humbling every fiber of our own strength that by default, desires to rationalize our emotions. We have now welcomed the work of the Holy Spirit within us, that He may also work through us toward others involved as well.

The burden of this responsibility is then effectively removed from us, and in time, we will discover that our humility is all that God has desired of us. Though fears and anxieties are inevitable due to the foreign body we've been clothed with, this begins the walk of faith that ultimately discovers the peace that Jesus speaks of, as we submit to Him.

Our surrender by no means discounts our participation with the truths we discern during this time. They are for the purpose of bringing us to an awareness of the work that God desires to accomplish; exposing those things which compete for our intimacy with Jesus and prepares our heart for the Holy Spirit to address them, thus affording a deeper understanding in which to pray more effectively through them.

PJR

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  (John 14:27)

Thorns

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me."
(2Corinthians 12:7,8)

The enemy's effort, in this opportunity, is to draw our attention away from God, causing us to focus on ourselves instead. If interpreted wisely though, we recognize this as a tool of humility used to prevent us from 'thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought'. Our minds can very quickly forget we are nothing without the Cross and subsequent life of the Spirit. Every moment of our life finds us walking precariously close to becoming our own god. As the Spirit is willing but the flesh being weak, God's grace is sufficient and He will administer affliction so that we may know what it means to carry our own cross daily.

PJR

"But 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)

The Lonely Saint

If you ever get to a place in your walk where you find yourself neglected, rejected, or avoided by others in the faith, five possibilities exist for your situation.

1. You are pompous, self absorbed and absent of love & compassion toward others.

2. You are fantastical, and live a religion of your own, disregarding the Spirit of truth.

3. You are zealous, eager to share Christ, but lacking refinement in your own identity.

4. You are boisterous, void of the life in Christ, worldly in your dealings with others.

5. You are humble, charitable, empty of yourself and available to God, full of the Holy Spirit.

In the first case, you will find it difficult to relate to others as you incessantly portray yourself as 'one over others in the Lord'. Lacking the spirit of love, you disregard the personal interests of others, and concentrate more on elevating yourself. As a narcissist, your main concern is your own image, and an empty witness will be your sign.

Rebuke from others will most likely accompany the second scenario; their recognition of your wayward walk, should they themselves be knowledgeable of the truth. If they are constantly correcting you about your theology, you are most likely to be lacking the true grace and knowledge of Jesus and have vigorously strained to be a separated and unique 'saint'. You have an insatiable desire to impress the church with your godliness. They will not be impressed, and your indignation towards them will be your sign.

As a zealot, arguments and disagreements will arise frequently as you force your experiences upon others. The blatant commands of your mouth appear no less than a demand for others to get right with God, all the while struggling with your own sanctification. You will receive much aggression and frustration will be your sign.

 Fourth; you are eager to experience the pleasures of life, consumed with the wisdom of the world. Surrounded by those in the faith, they recognize the absence of your being 'born again from above', and the presence of your affections for everything the world enjoys. You do not understand why everyone has to be so spiritual, and your exclusion of service in the church will be your sign.

Silence will accompany the last; a result of the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon others through you, should they be void of a life in Christ. If you find your attempts to socialize with others difficult, due to their eschewing of your desires to fellowship, you are most likely so enlightened by the Holy Spirit that they don't find much in common with you. They sense convictions through you without you even having to speak. You will experience personal sorrow, and your continued love and desire towards them will be your sign.

In any case, you are left alone. Carefully examine the responses of the children of God around you and be humble enough to accept the truth that is being revealed to you.

PJR

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."
(Philippians 2:3,4)

Holy Maturation Of Human Deprivation

Before God called me, going to church was not an option for me. I mocked God and His church. I felt religion was a crutch for losers who needed a life. This was my understanding because I was ignorant. This is why Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing.

After my calling, the only confidence I had in going to church was that I had read the entire Bible, but with open eyes and ears. I did not have the human luxury of friends and family joining with me to assist in my confidence. God had written all I had read onto the tablets of my heart. So I went to church with true (though not complete) understanding and full confidence in what I had read. What I witnessed through the years was a lot of church goers without a clue as to how they should live, according to what they claimed as their faith. Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof. I was amazed at how dead the church is. An intimate knowledge of their savior was absent.

 When I would engage others in fellowship with the Lord, I would get three different responses. Indignation, from those who would not admit they were void of a relationship with Him; joy from the Spirit filled believer; and amazement, from those that recognized intimacy was possible. For the sake of enduring, God had placed me among the latter at first.

Another struggle I dealt with was how my humanity continues throughout my walk. Those who are indignant toward me are quick to point this out, though sometimes not with actual words. Those who actively pursue their higher calling understand this dilemma and are humbled by the presence of their own humanity.

Fellowship doesn't belong to people who gather on Sunday morning or other church functions and catch up on their life's latest news and accomplishments. These are merely acquaintances. True fellowship exists between the children of God who realize His Holy Spirit that resides in a wretched body. What a ludicrous combination! But children of the light can't help but to glorify God and praise the risen Lord, in spite of this imperfect vessel we trod the path in, and this to the indignation of the devil. Within or without the body of Christ, we are human. The difference is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus himself tells us that the Father will lavish us with his Spirit if we would but ask. Sounds simple enough, but if that is indeed the promise, I venture to conclude not many are asking. Like the weeds, life's cares tend to choke out His word. I find the biggest fear in praying for His Spirit is the realization of having to give ourselves up to gain Him. May I encourage you, nothing will be taken from you. Only when He has shown you the pitiful condition of the here and now compared to the eternity to come, you discover you actually give up nothing, but gain all.

Practicing simple obedience (Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commands."), gives your faith a foundation for God to build on. It is important not to look too far down your path...this only leads to assumptions and unfounded fears of what's to come. As a child grows into an adult, the process is undetectable on a daily basis. Maturity appears gradually. Only looking back on the road we traveled do we understand fully, as we are fully understood. Thus, faith has its exercise as we focus on taking only the next step with unwavering commitment.

As we begin to lean, not on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our ways, we begin to put away our old selves, and He creates the new, by the power of the Holy Spirit He gives as we call upon Him. Accepting that it is not by our own strength, but by His Spirit, we are then able to humble ourselves to the knowledge of who we really are; fallen humanity saved not of our own devices...it is the gift of God.

PJR

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." (Philippians 3:12)

Basic Christianity

Basic Christianity, grounded in the purity of relationship with Jesus will confound and turn the heads of the lost world unlike any crafted religious doctrine theologians could possibly hope to design by their own intelligence based on biblical knowledge alone. The power of God works through the simplest of His children, meek and humble, while the most astute theologian may look on with indignation, mentally concluding that such simplicity could never make a dynamic and lasting impact on the lost.

Since a relationship with the Father is based on the manifestation of His Spirit embraced by those He loves, then the fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of that intimacy. For it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit, through those whom He knows and is well pleased with. Through them, will be displayed the only life changing power that will pierce and expose the depths of the underlying darkness of humanity that keeps the world bound in depravity. It is the only power that makes a decisive and permanent change in a person's life.

Doctrine is crucial, but it can not be merely learned. It must be lived.

PJR

"At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.'" (Matthew 11:25, 26)