Enemy's Weakspot- Part 2!

The Lord keeps bringing me back to this topic. I have been sharing with my family 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 and just this morning we shared our weaknesses. But instead of the typical poor me/pity party we boasted by faith that God's strength would be made perfect in these our weaknesses. As I have moved into this revelation I have been shocked to realize how much time, energy, money, and other resources I have put into managing my weaknesses. Not having a father most of my life, being isolated and alone for much of my childhood, and not being your man's man has taken a lot of my resources to try to overcome. Ultimately I just failed because God was looking to do way beyond what I could do and that is that I would glory in and boast in my weaknesses. It is sad to admit how much time I have spent crying over the loss of not having a dad. It is a significant loss but compared to the riches in His glorious inheritance in the saints. No comparison. I challenge you to boast in your weaknesses by faith, as we glory in these we see God's power manifest. The revelation to Paul is opening up a window into Heaven, that we don't have to only pray to get rid of our weakness but instead delight in the revelation of God in the midst. As one speaker said it is not that reality on earth is not reality, it is that Heaven is a superior reality. We desire to see Heaven manifest on earth, this is truly God being glorified through us. I believe according to the Word that joy is part of the activation of God working in a situation and in us. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. Jesus had the grace (empowerment) to go through the cross because of that joy. God give us a revelation of the joy set before us, whatever we are going through right now. According to Ephesians 1:19 it is God's resurrection power that is at work within us. I pray His resurrection power into your circumstance, weakness, insult, or persecution.

In His Amazing Grace,
Bret

The Enemy's Weak Spot

I will continue talking about Receiving and Sowing but the Lord has put this on my heart. It was spoken to me many years ago that God would reveal the weak places of the Enemy. I have not forgotten this but in the midst of life it was lesser priority. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit being the One that brings things to rememberance (John 14:26). I was in the midst of feeling some burnout, emptiness, weariness, and lack of love. I know that teaching, counseling, and sharing grace means I should never experience these but I am as human as you are. I hit a proverbial wall, my own sense of being responsible for raising support put me over the edge. It is in the midst of this that God began to reveal a principal from His Word that has given me a whole new perspective. We are all familiar with Paul's thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 but God showed me something that had not come into full view before. Paul has had temendous revelation but then he was given a thorn in the flesh to buffet him (messenger of Satan), Paul like all of us prays to get out of pain three times (probably more). When I have a hardship it still seems my first response is to try to get out of it, if it is a temptation then we are to look for an escape but this is different. God's response to Paul's prayer is probably not what we want to hear, "My grace is sufficient for you, for the power is perfected in weakness." The world is constantly giving us ways to be strong, together, self-sufficient, and maintain a good image but this is not God's way. God says His power is perfected in your weakness. Paul gets this revelation because he says "Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me". Paul goes on seemingly like a mad-man, who is well content in weakness, with insults, etc.. What is the secret? Grace is revealed in our weakness or inability. The secret weapon is to run to your weakness with the joy of God being revealed in the midst of your powerlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness. The problem is we do not realize that this is where God's glory is going to be manifest, so we agree with the world's assessment and hide our weakness. As I was experiencing my own utter weakness and seeing that some of it was connected to not experiencing the revelation of the Father's Heart (my earthly father wounds), I began to hide in shame. As God began to reveal this new secret, I realized that this is a wonderful opportunity for God to manifest His glory. I am in the process of setting time aside to receive ministry that in my weakness I may experience a revelation of the Father's love. I am running towards my weakness in anticipation not of the pain but of the glory. As we get a revelation of this truth in the Word I believe then we will be able to delight in our weaknesses, instead of seeing them from our distorted perspective.

In His Amazing Grace,
Bret