It’s always encouraging when things I have learned and shared are confirmed by the Lord from a separate source.
As I’ve written in the past, if we search the scriptures for ourselves, and trust the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, then Lord will bring either correction or confirmation of what we’ve discovered through other Spirit filled believers.
The Holy Spirit will NOT reveal something to one person and something totally contradictory to another.
The following video, is a wonderful confirmation to me, referring to many of the things I wrote about a couple of days ago, even referencing the same bible verses and making the same points I made I my post here. A post in which I included scriptural support for each point made through links to BibleGateway.
A very insightful and informative article from Art Thomas about the “guilt by association” accusations that have been levelled against his ministry and others.
I thank the Lord for it.
I know that a few weeks ago I probably would have eagerly dismissed and cautioned against ministries like that of Art Thomas and Todd White, not because of anything inherently wrong with the work or the message, but because of alleged associations with others.
Lord, I repent of that attitude and the broad-brush condemnation that it fuelled.
What is the New Apostolic Reformation?
by Art Thomas
What is the New Apostolic Reformation? Why is it such a big deal to so many people? And what threat does the New Apostolic Reformation pose to the Church?
I want to offer a balanced response to these three questions and hopefully clear up some of the rhetoric and confusion that’s out there. My primary goal here is to give the Body of Christ a reasoned look at a complex topic so that we can be discerning and loving in how we interact on the subject. My secondary goal is to call out false teachers, slanderers, and children of the devil who have built their audiences out of innocent people whose itching ears are eager to hear what they want to hear.
Today I’m going to expose some wolves in sheep’s clothing, prominent theological errors, and divisive lies that are tearing apart the Church.
But it’s probably not going to look like what you expect.
In my best attempt to be like Jesus, I intend to love and defend the innocent while not pulling punches against those who have sown lies, discord, and false doctrine in the Church.
Paul’s thorn in the flesh continues to be raised as an argument against it always being God’s desire to heal.
I share the following video from David Servant and follow up with a repost of an article I wrote back in 2013, where I suggest that God’s response was not a “no” answer to Paul’s prayer for the thorn to be removed, but a revelation of its purpose, pointing Paul to the way he needed to deal with it – through obtaining and applying grace (which is given to the humble).
Finally, I include an audio version of F.F Bosworth’s chapter on the subject from his book Christ the Healer
(My article from 2013)
A few thoughts about Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”.
Despite common assumptions, there is no indication that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a health issue – the scriptures describe it as a messenger (angel) from Satan sent to buffet Paul.
Paul had the understanding that God COULD remove it and would possibly be willing to remove it and therefore was able to ask for it to be removed. Then Paul was open enough to God’s Spirit to seek and hear God’s reason for the non-removal. He didn’t merely assume God wasn’t in the thorn-removal business.
2 Cor 12 spells out the nature of this “thorn in the flesh” and God’s revealed reason for not removing it:
“…because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations [given to Paul], 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.”
Paul’s thorn wasn’t removed because it prevented him from becoming conceited (proud) due to the revelation he’d been given.
God told Paul that His grace was sufficient, but sufficient for what? Sufficient for Paul to endure, or sufficient for Paul to personally resist that messenger from Satan?
An interesting parallel dealing with similar issues of pride, humility and Satanic harassment can be found in James 4:6-7
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
I find a comparison between the two scripture passages suggests a viable answer to my question above about sufficiency.
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A reading of F.F. Bosworth’s chapter on Paul’s thorn in the flesh from his book Christ the Healer.
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
The LORD protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.
In the New Testament writings there are a variety of blessings promised for the poor, the weak, the less well-off in society.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth
And
Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
But the first line of Psalm 41 announces a blessing on those who give consideration for the weak or the poor.
And then the following lines contain a promise that has a certain amount of ambiguity.
Do those following lines refer to the weak? Or to the one having regard for the weak?
Or both?
Reading those lines brings to my mind a statement in Matthew 10
He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward
While the Lord has special promises for the weak, the poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, and those who weep… The ones who give special regard to people in those categories could be be similarly blessed.
