Podcasts about our weakness

Today, we gathered to celebrate the transforming power of God, especially as we witnessed many in our church family taking the step of baptism—a visible sign of moving from spiritual death to life. Life often delivers unexpected blows, and sometimes we find ourselves in seasons of darkness, confusion, or pain. The story of Captain Scotty Smiley, who lost his sight and faced deep spiritual and emotional darkness, reminds us that even in our most broken places, God meets us. Scotty's journey shows that we have a choice: to remain in bitterness or to invite Jesus into our pain, allowing Him to forge something new and redemptive from our suffering.We are all pressed and crushed by life's circumstances at times, much like an orange in a press. The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, knew this firsthand. He experienced overwhelming pressure, persecution, and even despair. Yet, he teaches us that God is the source of all comfort, and that comfort is not just for us—it's meant to be shared with others. Paul's honesty about his struggles, his anxiety, and his moments of weakness is a powerful reminder that even the strongest among us are human and in need of God's strength.Paul's example also challenges us to praise God in the midst of our pressure. Praise is not a casual act; it is spiritual warfare, a declaration of trust in God's character even when circumstances are hard. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to surrender control, to admit that things are beyond our ability, and to trust God to work in and through our trials. We are also reminded not to let tomorrow's worries rob us of being present with the people God has placed in our lives today. Our pain and comfort are not wasted; God desires to use them to encourage and comfort others.No matter how long the night feels, morning is coming. God's comfort is real, and He often brings it through the presence and encouragement of others. As we receive His comfort, we are called to pour it out into the lives of those around us, becoming vessels of hope and healing in a hurting world.Chapters[00:00] - Welcome[01:00] - Celebrating Baptisms and New Life[02:13] - Scotty Smiley's Story: From Darkness to Hope[05:45] - Meeting God in Brokenness[08:06] - Life After the Fire: New Vision and Purpose[10:14] - The Orange Press: Pressed but Not Destroyed[12:14] - Paul's Letter to Corinth: Comfort in Crushing Times[17:06] - Corinth's Importance and Paul's Investment[19:28] - Hard Conversations and Church Conflict[25:16] - The Power of Praise in Pressure[31:53] - Paul's Crushing Trials in Asia[35:47] - Surrendering Control and Admitting Need[38:08] - Missed God-Moments: The Cost of Worry[43:12] - Being Present with People Today[48:02] - Paul's Humanity and Our Weakness[52:48] - Waiting for Morning: Hope in the Dark[55:39] - Comfort Shared: Pouring Into Others[57:18] - Invitation to Faith and Prayer[59:22] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

His Power is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

What did Paul know about life in Jesus that made him boast gladly about his weaknesses? Wayne and Kyle landed... The post Boasting in Our Weakness (#973) first appeared on The God Journey.

2024-12-29 Marten Hanna 2 Corinthians 12.7-10 The Power of Christ in Our Weakness by Calvary Chapel Sydney

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In this episode of "Rhythms That Restore," host Cherisse Hixson and guest Jennifer Brunson discuss themes of confidence, imperfection, and waiting on God while we are in seasons in life that the next steps unknown.   Jennifer, who also hosts the podcast "Real Confidence," shares her struggles with doubt and the importance of spiritual confidence. That our confidence does not come in our own strength, abilities and even gifting. But that truly our confidence comes from being rooted in Gods word and our weaknesses. It is in our weakness that HIS Glory is truly on display.  They reflect on personal growth in the area of learning to surrender, learning to lean into difficulty and lean into what is uncomfortable and the significance of bringing feelings of discouragement, fear, unbelief, not being good enough, not equipped for what is ahead to God. The conversation emphasizes the value of waiting for God's timing. How to seek His face and how to glean wisdom from Gods word while we walk in times of uncertainty and the unknown.   Jennifer shares insights from her personal journey, encouraging listeners to trust in God's plan and find peace in their authentic selves. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timestamps and Topics from the Podcast Episode The Artist's Masterpiece (00:19:36) God's work in us takes time, akin to creating a masterpiece. The Purpose of Waiting (00:19:59) Waiting on God can be for protection, provision, or preparation. Parenting and Divine Timing (00:20:51) The disconnect between our desires and God's timing, similar to parenting scenarios. Microwave Culture (00:21:43) Discussion on how modern culture fosters impatience and a desire for instant gratification. The Jar of Beans Analogy (00:22:16) Visual analogy illustrating that God provides uniquely for each individual. Contentment in God's Provision (00:24:26) Learning to focus on what God has given rather than comparing with others. Community Support in Waiting (00:27:03) Importance of having a supportive community during seasons of waiting. Learning to Pause (00:28:11) The challenge of being still and learning to embrace solitude. The Power of Silence (00:29:41) Experiencing God's presence in silence during retreats and the lessons learned. God's Sovereignty in Our Weakness (00:32:01) Understanding that God's grace is sufficient and works through our weaknesses. Divine Timing and Open Doors (00:34:32) Recognizing God's timing in opening doors for opportunities and ministry. Choosing Joy in Gifts (00:36:37) Embracing the gifts God has given and choosing paths that bring joy. Encouragement in Seasons of Waiting (00:37:59) God's guidance is like a GPS; silence doesn't mean absence, but a time for growth. Waiting on God's Timing (00:38:40) Jennifer shares her experience of trusting God's timing and hearing His guidance in her life. Wisdom for My Ten-Year-Old Self (00:39:23) The speakers reflect on what advice Jennifer would give to her younger self about confidence and self-acceptance. Embracing Quirky Qualities (00:40:42) Jennifer discusses the importance of embracing individuality and encouraging her daughters to be themselves. Surrounding Yourself with Support (00:41:32) The conversation highlights the significance of having a supportive community that uplifts and affirms one's identity. Connecting with Jennifer's Podcast (00:42:14) Jennifer shares how listeners can find her podcast, "Real Confidence," and connect with her online. Closing Thoughts and Encouragement (00:43:03) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Connect with Jennifer via email: jennifer.brunsonkd@gmail.com  Listen to her Podcast: Real Confidence with Jennifer Brunson  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Cherisse & Join our Podcast Community  Join our "Rhythms that Restore" Community: Click below and pull up a chair with us and walk through life IN COMMUNITY and beside others who are learning and putting these new Rhythms in place. Click: https://www.facebook.com/groups/339272845793051/ -------------------------------------- Follow "Rhythms that Restore Podcast" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhythmsthatrestorepodcast?igsh=Z3lmY2UzcXZzMTlq&utm_source=qr -------------------------------------------- Tune In- Subscribe, Rate, and Share: If you found value in this episode, be be sure to subscribe, rate, and share with "Rhythms that Restore" Podcast with a friend who can be encouraged through the message. Help us share this incredible transformative message of Gods word through the beautiful act of "ceasing to strive" and learning to "simply BE". ------------------------------------ Connect more with me on Instagram, Facebook and Email: Lets Chat: cherissehixson@hotmail.com  Facebook: Cherisse Mathias Hixson  DM on Instagram: @cherissehixson01  https://www.instagram.com/cherissehixson01?igsh=dDY4ZWNrcWowb2Vx&utm_source=qr The host thanks Jennifer for her insights and encourages listeners to embrace their true selves.

Suffering in Ministry: 2024 FIRE N.E. Regional Conference (Session 1) ------------------------ Sermon Outline------------------------------ I. When Calamity Strikes (a personal testimony of suffering) A. The Story Begins on Christmas Eve of 2015 II. Principles for Life and Ministry A. Seven Principles: 1. The Principle of Necessity: Expect to Suffer 2. The Principle of Example: We Are Role Models of Suffering 3. The Principle of Brokenness: God is Glorified in Our Weakness 4. The Principle of Conformity: Suffering Makes Us More Like the Chief Shepherd 5. The Principle of Providence: We Take Comfort in God's Sovereignty 6. The Principle of Temporality: Hold the Things of This World Loosely 7. The Principle of Eternity: Suffering will give way to Eternal Glory

Caleb Smith's sermon from Psalm 8 at the Scotiabank Theatre The post His Strength, Our Weakness appeared first on | Grace Fellowship | Saskatoon Church | Warman Church.

Jun. 9, 2024 - God's Kindess in Our Weakness - cpcspokane.org

Mufti Tariq Masood 8th Bayan in America - at (1st Bayan in Panama)Topic: 1: Logon Ki Wah Wah Tazkia Main Rukawat. 2: Electronic Media Is The Need OF Hour In Spreading Islam.Venue: Panama(0:08) Beautiful Intro By Host (4:21) Khutba (4:33) Qur'ani Aayat (4:45) Personality VS Work? (7:16) Attraction Of Islam = US Bayanat Main Rush Ki Waja (9:28) Jadeed Wasaail: Daur e Hazir Ki Zarurat (11:13) Good Step Of Panama Nationals (14:10) Chicago VS Karachi (14:44) Jannat = Allah Ki Bnai Hui Khoobsurat (15:43) Mufti Sb Ko Panama Kaisa Lga? (16:12) Sab Qabristan Aik Se (16:39) Tazkia K Asool (19:00) Dawat K Asool (19:57) USA, Japan, Panama Ki Ghalti, Dawat K Kaam Main? (24:12) Planning Policy? (25:13) Jamiatur Rasheed Ki Kavish (25:43) Why Pakistan at Down? (26:23) Good Education With This Intention (26:33) Panama Government Ki Khoobi? (27:07) Our Weakness? (28:22) Muslims, Spreading Negativity?(29:20) Manfi Ta'anay (31:31) Pakistan K Madaris (31:57) Mufti Sahab Pr Aetraz (32:42) Mufti Sahab Ny Kis Shaikh Se Faiz Hasil Kiya? (33:30) Kisi Ki Skill Ki Tarif Krna (36:58) Utube Pr Molviyon Ko Bura Bhala Kehny Waly (37:23) Hamara Mizaj (38:50) Pakistani Ta'anay (39:21) Jamiatur Rasheed Ki Taaleem; Mtm's Suggestion (40:58) Dawood Aur Sulaiman AS Ki Wja e Badshahat? (44:10) Yusuf (AS): Good Finance Minister? (47:17) Tableegh Ki Saoobatain (49:25) Gharailu Khawateen Ka Tabligh Main Jana? (50:40) Nabi ﷺ The One and Only Hero in and Outside the House (50:55) Zidd Ka Rishta? (52:01) Molana Ilyas RA K Liye Dua (52:20) Khawateen Ka Masjid Na Aany Ka Nuqsan? (54:09) Showbiz Vs Real Life (55:02) Drama Dialogue Vs Real Love (55:56) Mufti Tariq Masood's Suggestion In USA (58:32) Mufti Sb K World Tours Ka Nachorr? (59:18) Secularism Vs Batil Ki Sazishain (1:03:17) US Nationals Should Adopt This Style (1:04:23) Islam Ki Taqat (1:07:00) Allah Ki Wazni Bat Aur Mulki Qanoon (1:09:25) US / Panama Main Sharab Illegal Kiyun Nahi? (1:11:01) Zindagi Ko Jannat Bnany Ka Wahid Rasta? (1:12:25) Khulasa (1:14:03) DuaCredit for the timestamps goes to @mrs.masroor8476 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor John Hall and Cody Kitchen sit down and review Sunday's Message and take a deeper dive into the message titled, "God's Strength Displayed in Our Weakness" looking at 2 Corinthians 4:7-15.

Our Weakness in Leadershiphttps://www.audacy.com/989word The Charlie James Show Listen on Spotify : https://spoti.fi/3MXOvGP Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-charlie-james-show-podcast/id1547262821 Follow us on Social Media Join our Live Stream Weekdays - 3pm to 7pm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/989word Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2031096 X: https://twitter.com/989word Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/989word/ "Red Meat, Greenville." 10/12/23

580 We Can Deal Gently With Each Other Due to Our Weakness,  A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews 5:1-4 with the Recenter With Christ app   The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Hebrews 5  1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. NASB 1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is clothed in weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins for himself, as well as for the people. 4 And no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just as Aaron also was. Meditation: In the Old Testament the High Priest was the person who officiated in the tabernacle and the temple. He was the spiritual leader of the people. Yet despite the fact that he was chosen by God to lead the people and even enter the Holy of Holies once a year which represented the presence of God, despite all that the High Priest was a human. He still had sins and flaws.  In some ways it seems like this is a problem. How can someone with sun lead the people? Here Hebrews states that this human weakness becomes a strenth. Weakness allows us to understand each other. Even those who believe in Christ or those who lead are still people and have weakness and sin.  As we confront the weakness in others this is not a testament that the plan of God is flawed. God has only had imperfect people to do His work. Except for Jesus Christ everyone has human weakness, God gives us weakness to make us humble and draw close to Him. We should let our weakness bring us to him and then he will make us strong in Him Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Updates:  Final Question:  Final Thought:   FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod    

Pastor Alexander continues the series on the Life of Abraham, a FRIEND of God and the father of FAITH, as our EXAMPLE of “How to WALK with God.” As Abraham was walking in obedience, he encountered several situations where he FEARED for his own life. His response in those times was not what we would look to as a great example of FAITH, but rather demonstrated the FAILURE of depending on the flesh. Yet in spite of his own failures God intervened and turned his failure into blessing. Our weaknesses and failures do not disqualify us from God plan and purpose in our lives! God’s GRACE and MERCY is greater than OUR WEAKNESS!

Welcome to Day 2191 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 42 – Our Weakness...His Strength – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 01/08/2023 The Gospel of John – Part 5: Vindication Of The Word – Our Weakness…His Strength Last week, we continued in our series of messages of the Good News according to John the Apostle, and we looked at the “Reactions to the Resurrected Lord.” The question we finished with is, what is my reaction to the resurrected Lord? Now that the disciples are convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, today we see the struggle they faced with this new reality, which is quite different from their Messiah establishing His kingdom immediately on earth. Our scripture for today is John 21:1-23, starting on page 1687 in the Pew Bible.  Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish 21 Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I'm going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We'll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven't you any fish?” “No,” they answered. 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask...

Christ's Power in Our Weakness

His Strength is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

Join Nicole and Sharon and a host of others as we share our own journey toward a podcast totally run and fueled by God because of our own weaknesses. This one is personal. And short. Because after our sharing, come interviews with followers and friends plus the people behind the scenes at WORD Radio. This is our last episode of Season Seven and it's full of celebration, giving glory to the One who gives strength when we are weak. Continue reading Episode 110 - His Strength in Our Weakness. 100th Episode Celebration at Sweet Selah Ministries.

God Will Lead and Empower the Weak (Audio) David Eells - 4/16/23 A Coming Age of Change Samuel Fire - 3/19/23 (David's notes in red)   I sought The Lord regarding what period of time we are in. “What point in time are we in?”  What I heard Him say, “There is a coming age of change soon. Get ready”. (I felt there is something very serious to be the priority, the life of Christ in us. There is a short time frame left to be completely on His side. No fence-sitting! Get away from the fence and come into the flock of the Shepherd.) I then saw a seed sprouting. I saw it from a side point of view, and I could see partway into the soil. It was planted at the correct depth and the soil looked rich, fertile, and well-watered. The seed had only just broken open and a first shoot sprouted and started to take root. (I felt this was the beginning of the next phase of the Father's perfect plan, where the birth of the Man-Child is to come forth.) I then heard Him say, “That is the time we are in”.  (Well, then we are at the beginning of the Tribulation as the new time period of change.) Rev 12:1-6 And a great sign was seen in the heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing, and in pain to be delivered. 3 And another sign was seen in the heaven: and lo, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.  4 And his tail draweth the third of the stars of the heaven, and he cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman about to be delivered, that when she is delivered, he may devour her child. 5 And she was delivered of a son, a male, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath there a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred threescore days.  Being near the beginning of the first 3 ½ years in Samuel's revelation above, confirms very well the next two revelations.   America: A 10-Year Prophetic Word Prophet Ken Dewey - 10/22/20 (David's notes in red) According to Ken Dewey, the most current 10-year prophetic cycle, begins with January 2021. We will start with a previous 10-year period. As we will see, I have made some educated guesses with his time periods which seem to fit. The LORD said I could write this commentary of End Time Events. The ten years is ending, [spoken in 10/22/20] and another begun! The LORD has been speaking to me now in 10-year periods of time. Events in my life have been involved, then He has taken up the coming years and included prophetic 10-year periods. I have known it now for a long time. Personally, I have been moving in those time periods and hearing Him talk to me about what is happening and what is coming.  Just to bring it forward, I had a Word from The LORD back in the middle of 2009 that said God had determined 10 years upon America, beginning with January 1, 2010. That prophecy did come true, and I saw the whole ten years, and much the LORD said about the 10 years. We are now [in 2020] coming to that end....I then heard The LORD speak about another 10 years, beginning with January 2021, after the first 10 year passed by. He said there would be another ten years in America, after 2020, ending in 2030. The LORD said there would be a great revival like never before after January 2021. And the thing I have heard is that it would be during a time of darkness, yet light. In other words, the world will still be reeling from the events happening. (I believe following the coming election time, when U.S. President Donald J. Trump is going to win!) (He did win, and it is going to be proven.) I am saying to you, this has been a Prophetic Word for ‘America', for I am an American prophet.  I have heard The LORD talk about Obama and why he became president, and I have heard about President Donald Trump, and why he was elected. I have been through all of this... and The LORD has told me what was happening. I am but one who has been told, and I am blessed to hear. I must be only His Voice and speak only what He says. There will be a great War breaking out of Civil Unrest in America in the coming 10 years. (This fits with all we've seen after the Man-child comes, the red horse of war comes in Rev. 6:4.) But just know that this will work in favor of the Revival...because God will use this backdrop of Civil War to awaken many people in America. The Church is awakening and will awake to new life as we move into this coming time. The Church in America has been sleeping for some time, but The LORD said to me, the Church will awaken and rise up, even as the children of Israel in Egypt rose up and walked out of Egypt [and into the Tribulation]. What I have been hearing in 10-year increments is about America. I have not heard that it is for all the world, but what happens in America will affect all the world, because of the prominence of America in the world. What happens to America will definitely affect the other nations. the LORD did not... I repeat ...did not.... say at the end of 2030 He was coming back. As a matter of fact, He has never told me anything about that...except that there will not be a ‘traditional rapture,' but that there would be a hiding of many people on the earth for protection. (There is no pre-trib rapture, but Father will hide “those who are alive and remain” in the secret place of the Most High.)…He is not telling anyone when He is coming back again. He said to me: “Only My Father knows the time.” But I will say this: He has talked to me about there being more time to work than men think. He said that there would be time to build my assignment in the desert. He talked much about the coming Kingdom of Heaven coming down and him setting up a 1000-year Kingdom on this earth that He would rule over. The building of Desert Zion is tied to that prophetically because He talked about how he would need thrones set up over the world, from where He would rule in the Kingdom. (There is more than one Zion.) He said to me, “I will walk right into Desert Zion in those days!” He said He wanted it to be a beautiful place, and He has said, “Do not build anything, except My Way.” He has not let me put up anything like temporary buildings [such as metal buildings or shipping containers or trailer houses.] He has given me a small 16-foot-long trailer [an old 1965 Forrester], but He said it is only a place “to rest while you build.” I wait every day, hoping to get “the go ahead” on building in Desert Zion, but I hear Him keep talking about not building until something happens out there, (I believe underground), which will change the whole area. (We have heard the same thing, earthquakes.) This is one reason for waiting, and I have pressed into building, but it keeps moving out in the future....I cannot write this Commentary of Prophetic Events without talking about what God is doing with me personally, and with Desert Zion, and the messages He is giving me for the End Time days.  There is definitely coming a Kingdom, and with it, a King —The King of kings and LORD of lords. I believe some here now will watch it come, and they/we [God willing, and we are worthy] will rule with Him in that Kingdom. This day in which we live is right now... dovetailing into that coming Kingdom and all the Tribulation will precede its coming. We are living at the threshold of the Tribulation now, and after that time of seven years, His Kingdom will begin on earth. Right now, we are just waiting for the events to happen. (At that time His kingdom will rule over those in physical bodies.)    Go to Set My People Free!  Prophet Ken Dewey - 12/01/22 (David's notes in red)   Desert Zion What The LORD said to me about being now (12/01/22) almost 80 years old… Back in 2007 I was talking with The LORD out in the remote desert, and I heard Him say to me: “You KD will be my “Moses man” and you will go to set my people free!” (That would be a Man-child) I told him then, “LORD, but I am not Moses, and is it but vain to think I ever can be”. But He insisted, and then proceeded to tell me I would do certain things to help his people be free from bondage. Now it is years later, and I heard him talking about Moses and his age, and Moses' call. He said, “Moses was born and raised in Egypt, and he lived there for 40 years before he fled Egypt to go into the desert. (Moses didn't set the people free until after his 40 year trial.) Moses landed upon a desert place called Median, and there he became a common sheep herder. He lived in Median until he was some 80 years old, then he saw the Burning Bush and heard God say, “I will send you, Moses, to set my people free who are in bondage in Egypt.” At the time The LORD told me the above about Moses, I ask Him, “But LORD, I am a washed-out preacher, living on the backside of the desert, and I have no means to go to set anyone free?” He said, “Nevertheless, you will go for Me, so I AM telling you now, so you will know. Just plan on going! Do as I tell you, and I will show you what to do, even as I did Moses!” I asked The LORD, (just the other day, or a few days ago) “LORD, are you now going to wait for me to turn 80 (in Feb. of 2023) to help me go set the people free? Is this what I am waiting for?  Will I have to be 80 to fully see again “Egypt land” from which I came out here into this desert from?” I heard Him saying, “Yes!  When you turn 80, you will be sent with great power and blessings, and you will see the work accomplished that I AM sending you to do.” Oh LORD.. But I will be 80!  Am I not too old to build in the desert? “No!” He said… “You are only as old as you think you are!  Just move forward and I will bless you, even as I did Moses with good health.” He then said to me, “You know Moses lived to be 120?” “Oh LORD” I said, “Am I going to live that long?” He said, “I AM that I AM, and I can do whatever I want with My People.” I know this sounds like a very personal Word. Some here may even think I am being vain. But believe me, I have no intention of that. I want to only share what God has said to me, and I want to walk out on His Word by Faith, believing. I want to tell you, on February 28, 2023, next year, which is only 90 days away. — I will turn 80. (So, we have a time period here from Feb. 28th of 2023 – Feb. 27th of 2024 when He can become a “Moses”.) I have been living here in this desert land of New Mexico for some 35 years and counting. This personal Word is mine, and I now walk out on it. I am believing that God is going to help me with supernatural health, strength, and all in accomplishing the building of Desert Zion in this desert. I am believing God, that He will set His People free from bondage, and they will go out to serve the LORD! Even if I am old and 80!   Waiting For Our Wilderness Assignments Tiannah Fire - 2/5/23 (David's notes in red)   I dreamt that Samuel and I, and many brethren were living together in a building that was like a motel. It had separate bedrooms but had a joint kitchen, a lounge room, and other main areas. In the dream we were waiting for David Eells to come to where we were. (This represents communal living as in the original Church in Acts).  Each of us could individually contact David personally anytime, however we wouldn't leave this place without David being here with us or without specific instruction from him. (David represents the Man-child David reformers who will lead the Body through the wilderness Tribulation.) Rev. 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath there a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child/Moses) may nourish her a thousand two hundred threescore days.  I would message and call with David for advice anytime and he would always answer, and other brethren did the same. We all kept asking David when he will come, and he always said he will come soon. So, we all kept seeking The Lord each day, awaiting patiently for him to come. We were desiring David to come so much, and we battled impatience for we were excited for him to come and for us to be sent out and used for God's work. All of us were so eager to go out but we knew we couldn't go unless David was here and unless he said for us to. (The Man-child will come first and the Woman will be ready to follow.) David came to where we were when we least expected it and we were all so excited that he was now here with us. Mat 24:44 Therefore be YE also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.   David said that we needed to get food, so all of us together drove to the grocery store in three cars. (The food representing the Word). We were all packed in close together as there was so many of us. I kept asking David many questions about the future and what's going to happen and what we are going to do. He assured me that God has the perfect plan, and we need to trust Him and in His perfect timing. When we arrived at the grocery store there was nobody there, although the doors were open and unlocked, but the lights were off. When we walked inside the lights turned on and David said for us to get what we want and need and it's all free because he owns it. (Yes, we give our spiritual food away for free like Jesus commanded.) We all went and grabbed everything we needed and wanted. We didn't get more than we needed but what was good for this time, not for the future. Exo 16:18-19 And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the morning.   We all went back to the motel with David, and we all tarried for a few weeks, seeking the Lord together. Then David started assigning specific tasks to couples or small groups of people. David told each of them where they will be going and what they will be used for, and he was assigning them their tasks. It was made known that no one was going to stay here now but that we were all being sent out to different areas, but we will be together again one day, and we can each contact David anytime. We had all this time together but now God wanted to use us all apart. Some people were sent to other first world countries, some to communist countries but few stayed in our home country. Mat 5:14-16 YE are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but upon the lampstand and it shineth unto all those in the house. 16 Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens. (Too much salt in one area is bad for the earth and for food. In the book of Acts brethren were scattered. Jesus sent people into different areas.) Most brethren had now left to fulfill their mission in the areas they were told. Some went in groups of threes, some twos, and some fours. David called Samuel and I to him and I noticed that Samuel was much shorter in the dream than he is in real life. (Representing humility) David told us that we are being sent to other countries to share The Real Word as missionaries. I said, “That makes sense because I always preferred the people in third world countries and their simple living, rather than western countries.”  We weren't told which country we were being sent to first but were told we were being relocated to a new motel in the desert (Wilderness) where we would await instruction on when to go to the other countries. I felt this was the start of something big, but we were being trained and seeking the Lord. The next thing I remember was, we were in a small brick motel in a desert and there were no other people around except a few brethren that were also staying in the motel. David called us and said he would visit soon but we are to wait for him. Then I woke up.    He Leads Me Beside Still Waters Marie Kelton - 2/10/23 During the worship at the meeting, the Lord spoke to me and said, "I will lead you to green pastures, and still waters for I am the Good Shepherd.” I had a vision while the Lord was speaking of a grassland. I saw Jesus as a shepherd with a Shepard's staff and a sheep walking beside Him. I saw other sheep coming up behind Him and following Him. The Lord then came to a creek and sat down with His staff and the sheep came up close to Him.  These verses came to my mind: Psa. 23:1-2, Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want . He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters And John 10:11, I am the  good shepherd: the  good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep .   A Bigger Supply of Living Waters Eve Brast - 4/11/23 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was back down in Texas on a sunny day standing on Calendar Rd. in front of the property with the two mobile homes that my dad (representing the Father) had given me for an inheritance. (Texas means, “house of friends”. The sunny day represents the light of the Son/sun shining down upon the just and the unjust. Calendar Rd. represents a time frame in which God is currently working, as we will see. The land for an inheritance was what God promised Abraham and his faithful seed.) On the front 1/4 acre was an old, dingy, off-white double wide that was quite dilapidated. (This dilapidated house represents the apostate church that has fallen away from God.) It was over grown with shrubbery and vines and there was an old hillbilly family standing out on the front deck with their arms folded glaring with resentment and disapproval at what was going on around the ditch at the front of the land. (In real life my dad had sold that portion of our land to an old widow that belonged to our church, and she moved her double wide trailer onto it. She and my dad did not get along and were in a subtle feud for many years afterward. He told me when he was still alive that he had always regretted selling it to her.) (The apostate church has been in a feud with true Christianity for centuries and they have made themselves enemies of God. They like their dead religions and resent the true living waters of the "sum of His Word.") I was watching a construction crew with safety vests and hard hats using a backhoe to dig out the old water pipes that had been feeding the property and they were laying down much larger water pipes to service the land now. (This represents more power of the living waters for revival and miracles, signs, and wonders. The latter and former rain anointings.) They were having to tunnel underneath the dilapidated double wide at the front of the property in order to by-pass it and provide a much larger quantity of water to my dad's land. (The apostate church will miss out on what God is doing in these last days if they don't repent of their waterless doctrines and come out of her [meaning, the Harlot].) This was one of the reasons they were unhappy, because they were no longer going to have any water connection. (God will take away what anointing they do have.) Then I woke up.   The Heavenly Golden Fluid Train  Claire Pienaar - 1/31/23 (David's notes in red)  I had a quick dream. I saw Riaan and I in a train with many cars. (In this dream, I represent the Bride because my name means “brilliant” and the Bride's garments are bright and pure like in, Rev. 19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Riaan represents the Man-Child as his name means “little lion king”. Riaan: Trains only go on tracks that have already been laid out before them. Representing the predestined, called and elect traveling the narrow way laid out for us by following Christ. This train however is traveling in the heavenlies. It's a spiritual journey.)  It was traveling above the air, there were no wheels. (Riaan: Thus, it is not works, but by faith that this train moves). It had a golden glow that intensified the higher up it went (Riaan: Representing purified gold). We were collecting others along the way. It was a fluid train, not rigid. I would say it was a spiritual train. I saw some being left behind, but I saw others, brand new to the gospel, come in and journey with us. (“Let no man take thy crown.”)    Holy Spirit Prayers Bring Power Matthew Stewart - 2/1/23  When I had this dream, I was in that area where you are half-asleep and half-awake.  In the dream, this thought popped into my head, “How powerful it is to be on your knees.” As soon as I thought this, I immediately saw a vision in the dream of a man and this man was going onto his knees. When his knees got to about four inches above the ground, my vision zoomed in to watch his knees slowly go to the ground, until they touched the ground. And when his knees touched the ground, I immediately felt the power of the Holy Spirit in my physical body while I was sleeping. While this man was on his knees, he was praising and praying to the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then I woke up.    The Fire of the Holy Spirit Surrounds Us Tiannah Fire - 2/13/23 I felt to write this testimony down of what I have seen to encourage others that the Lord uses us even when we don't think He is, and He gets all Glory, and everything is about Him. I have seen this in the Spirit a few times when driving and today when I was walking out in public. I saw in spirit hot and bright fire everywhere where we were standing and driving, everywhere behind us where we walked. As we walked along, the fire followed and left a trail of sparks from the fire. The fire would cleanse and sanctify the area and unclean spirits would flee, and the fire would leave a cleaner presence. I felt strongholds breaking in the area around us just because of the presence of Jesus in us. In spirit I saw the fallen angels and principalities of the area look and see the fire in the spiritual realm. I believe the fire is Jesus or The Holy Spirit and I believe this happens with all us brethren and all that have Jesus living in them. When praying in Holy Tongues or speaking The Word in Spirit the fire burns brighter and has a more powerful affect on the area we walk on and the area around us. But even when not praying the presence is still there. I felt the fire or presence pushing back the darkness and the evil spirits roaming about can see it and so can the evil spirits inside of people. Also, when we are around people in public, I can see how the fallen angels inside people know who Jesus in us is and that the Holy Spirit is in us without us doing anything but standing there. The human soul can see it too and either people completely reject the light and can't look at us, or they start manifesting demons or avoiding us.  Some people don't understand the light but are interested and I believe they are the people that God is drawing. Sometimes there are people that are so attracted to the light that they come up to us to speak with us, wanting to know about the light that we have. We have had times when children come up to us and stared at us or talked to us as they don't understand that it is Jesus, but they can sense it spiritually. Sometimes their parents want nothing to do with the light. There have been times when people involved in new age, or illegally accessing the spiritual realm, have seen the light in us, but I don't think they quite understand that the light is Jesus. Even if we don't say or do anything, just the presence of Jesus and The Holy Spirit in us, is working and affecting the area around us, breaking strongholds, and bringing peace.   This One Thing I have Learned About God  Prophet Ken Dewey – 4-9-23 (David's notes in red) In all my life of learning, mostly the hard way in the “School of The LORD” or the “Dear School of Hard knocks”, it is this: The LORD has His Own way of doing things! The things The LORD does are, for men, past finding out, because He is God, and God is not limited to man's ideas or notions. No, the Knowledge of God is all consuming, for He knows everything!  The LORD knows both the beginning and He knows the end..  and, I might add, He knows all the things in between… God is not even a man. The Scriptures tell us in Num. 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” So, we should not be amazed to the “Ways of God” when it comes to doing things. God can take all before him and make it work for his Glory and for his Good. God can. He is more than able — and nothing is impossible for Him. God can do it all, and when it is finished, He will say [along with] everyone else who stands by and see's what he has done, “It is finished and it is good!” Men look at the present troubles that are happening right now in this world around us and wonder what or how can it all be changed? Men may think they know the answers, only to find out later their ideas fall far short of solving of all the problems! The ways of God are higher than the heaven above men's heads! Men, left in their own understanding, are told: The natural man cannot even know or understand spiritual things, or earthly things. The fact that men today are in perplexity, not even knowing what sex they are! Is this a small matter? I think not, because all any person must know is how to identify the sex, … by looking between their legs. Well, dumb and ignorant men try to even understand God, but they cannot even understand themselves! Our text today says or describes God in Isa. 55:8-11 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”    And this goes for what goes on in the Nation. Men cannot even understand how to govern men, for they are ignorant and unlearned in the way of righteousness. We conclude that men can think and even say they know the answers…. but we all know they really don't. They are as lost as a ball in high weeds!   Our Weakness is the Way to God's Power David Eells   To all those who have struggled to please the Lord and do His Will, this will be good news. It will be a rest and refreshing, a casting down of the burden of salvation, in all its many facets, by self-works. It is not in us to do these things but in Him. Personal strength and determination will not be enough. As a matter of fact, it will get in our way and His. He will wait until we give up so that He may give the free gift through faith that He also supplies the benefit.  Gideon was faced with an army that was “like locusts for multitude.” He gathered together all the manpower at his disposal. All of this human strength stood in the Lord's way of doing a miracle for His glory. Man would certainly take the credit and then others would not see the true source of our physical and spiritual salvation. (Jdg.7:2) And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.  At this point, the Lord proceeded to chose only 300 men and then gave them trumpets for weapons. In the natural, there was none weaker than this army. Now the Lord could show that His “power is made perfect in weakness.”  And what of David, who was naturally the youngest, smallest, and weakest of Jesse's sons? When Samuel anointed him with the power of the Spirit, he went on to slay Goliath with a sling. How often is this scenario repeated throughout the scriptures so that we might know that personal weakness is a true strength, and it qualifies us for the Lord's power. We should refuse to size up the opposition, knowing that when the “odds” are against us they are in our favor. Our victory is assured by the fact that it was accomplished already at the cross. What we each must do is become as a child because we can walk with the Lord if we become as a child. The thing about grown-ups is they're self-confident, self-sufficient, independent. All those traits the world thinks of as being positive, but in the Kingdom, they're not considered so by God. The Lord says the only way you can enter the Kingdom is to be as a child. Jesus said, “suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God (Mar.10:14). Forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God, is what it said in the original. (15) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. (16) And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.”  Now we tend to think of the Kingdom as some place that we're going to, so that we can enter into it, but actually we're entering into the Kingdom here. In reality, the Kingdom is every place in your life. Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within you (Luk.17:21). The Kingdom is every place in your life where God is able to rule. God is not able to rule until you're in agreement with Him. To be a child is to be confident in your Father, not self-confident. It's to be dependent upon your Father, not self-dependent. This is valuable to God. As He said, “my righteous one shall live by (“from” in the Numeric) faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him” (Heb.10:38).  What pleases God is that we live from faith, that we do not live from our self-confidence, or our self-sufficiency, or our own ability, or the strength of the arm of the flesh, but that we put our trust in God and walk with Him like a little child walks with his father. In other words, there's no other way to enter the Kingdom. We must give up being grown-ups. We must become as children. For God to be able to rule everywhere in our lives, we must become as children. (Mat.18:1) In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (2) And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, (3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. These were His disciples that He was telling this to. These were not the apostate Pharisees; these were the disciples of Jesus, those who were learning from and following Him.  He said you will not enter in unless you turn and become as little children. The process of the Christian life is this process of turning and becoming as little children and becoming God-dependent, God-sufficient and God-confident. (Mat.18:4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. You see, Jesus was like a little child. That's Who He was. He says, if you receive one of these little children, you receive Me. That's somebody who is in His likeness.  He wasn't a grownup in the ways of the world, in the ways of confidence in the world, the strength of the world. Grown-ups are known for making their own way, making their own living, being self-sufficient, being great providers, but the Lord wants to wash all that out of us. He wants us to put all our confidence and our trust in Him and become as little children. If you receive one such little child, you receive Jesus. That's the way He was. He was confident in His Father. The best way we can help ourselves is by walking by faith in God's Word. You've probably heard the old saying, “God helps those who help themselves,” but that's not found in the Bible. That saying is credited to Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard's Almanac.  No, the best way to help yourself is walking in faith in God's Word. (Rom.14:22) The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. That's what the Bible says. You can help yourself to everything that God has for you through faith in His Word. (Luk.10:21) In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. (Those considered wise and understanding in the ways of the world can not receive this, as a matter of fact, they scoff at it.) What was He talking about? Reveal what things to the babes? Well, the disciples had just come back from being sent out by the Lord to take authority over the works of the devil. They came back rejoicing that God had given them authority over the power of the devil and that they had done the works of Jesus, and they saw that the spirits were subject unto them. But why did Jesus call them babes? Well, it was babes who received this revelation of the authority of Jesus, and it was babes who received this revelation of how to use the authority of Jesus.  Let's back up a little in this chapter. (Luk.10:3) Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. (4) Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. So, we see they were babes because Jesus sent them out totally dependent upon the Lord. (5) And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house. (6) And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. And so, he said, “salute no man on the way” because you really don't know people, but you find out later who people are.  We're going to find out before the end of the tribulation who people really are and who His children are. God sent these disciples out as children, as totally dependent upon the Lord, not self-sufficient, not able to take care of themselves. He deliberately took away their ability to take care of themselves when He sent them by not letting them take any kind of provision with them. … He can do all things. He'll cause you to meet people whom He has put there specifically to supply your needs if you go by faith and be obedient to Him. If you go as a child, just trusting in your Father.  Everybody in America wants to insulate themselves against anything that could happen, as though they don't believe in a sovereign God. The Bible says, “A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven” (Joh.3:27). God, Who is Sovereign, will make sure that He blesses you, if you go by faith in Him. Believe me, the time is coming when everybody is going to have to go by faith in God because He's going to take away all the things that people have insulated themselves with from the things that might happen in the world. But God is God. He never goes to sleep. He's never fallen off the throne. He's there always. He is going to make sure that His Word comes true and we can be just like little children.  We can cast ourselves on His mercy. Children never even think about where the next meal is going to come from. Little children don't worry about those things; they just know that it's Mom and Dad's responsibility; they'll take care of that. And you know, that's the way God is with us. He wants that kind of relationship with us. God's not happy with anything less. (Heb.10:38) My righteous one shall live from faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. God doesn't have pleasure in self-sufficient people. He has pleasure in people who walk by faith, talk by faith, live by faith. And it is a pleasure to live by faith.  I don't yet know all of what living by faith is; God's only shown me the little parts, but I would love to live by faith in every direction. …There isn't anything God won't do for those who put their trust in Him. There is nothing that God can't do and won't do for those who put their trust in Him. I believe this is the reason that He said He revealed these things unto babes. God reveals the authority of God and God reveals the power of His name to people who will become children, people who will cast care to the wind and put themselves in His Hands, just trusting in Him, believing in Him. (Eph. 3:20) God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.  God loves it when we are weak but, we don't see it that way. We like to be strong, and we do our best to make sure that we're strong in every situation that we can get in. As I said, we do our best to insulate ourselves from any possible mishap, but that doesn't please God. It doesn't please God that we put our trust in the gods of this world, the saviors of this world. The apostle Paul learned that lesson. He was caught up to paradise and he said, “On behalf of such a one (the man who was caught up to paradise) will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses” (2Co.12:5).  The King James Version translates that word “weaknesses” there as “infirmities” because they had the idea that the apostle Paul had some kind of sickness or infirmities, but a closer look at this reveals that's not the case at all. Those translators believed the apostle Paul had an eye disease or something like that and that God said, “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2Co.12:9), meaning, “You just keep that because you need that; you need that to be an overcomer; you need that to humble you.” But obviously that would be contrary to a lot of the rest of the Word. The Bible says, “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Pe.2:24).  It doesn't say that we're healed only when we really need it, and it doesn't say that we're healed only sometimes. You were healed all the time. (2Co.12:6) For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forebear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me [to be,] or heareth from me. (7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. So, we see that he said what the “thorn in the flesh” was. He said it was a messenger of Satan, an angelos.  The word there is angelos, which is translated 181 times in the New Testament as “angel” and the other few times as “messenger,” but it means the same thing. It's the same Greek word, angelos. Here was an angel of Satan that was sent to buffet Paul so that he wouldn't be proud. Paul didn't say it was a sickness that was sent to buffet him. And, by the way, to “buffet” is not just one blow, like a sickness. It's to beat over and over and over. It's many blows. But a thorn in the flesh, in this case, was an angel of Satan that was sent to buffet Paul.  In the Old Testament, for every verse that talks about a thorn in the flesh, not once, is it ever a sickness. It was always referring to the enemies of God's people that came against them. …(2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. The King James here has this word as “weakness,” but this word and the word up in verse five are the same Greek word, so one of them can't be “infirmity” and the other one “weakness.”  They must both be the same thing and the truth is they are because using the same Greek word in talking about Jesus. The Bible says, “for he was crucified through weakness” (2Co.13:4). Now, nobody would have put “infirmity” there. Jesus wasn't crucified through infirmity, so they had to put the truth there and the King James did use “weakness” in that case. (4) For he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you.  See, when you are weak in Christ, you're going to live through the power of God. It's when you are not able. It's being weak in the ability to save yourself, being weak in the ability to deliver yourself, being weak in the ability to heal yourself. He says when you're in that condition, then God's power is going to be with you. This is the same thing Paul said back in 2 Corinthians 12:9. I'm pointing out this verse because in the King James they used the word “weakness” here and it could not be possibly put in as “infirmity” because we can't read anywhere in the Scriptures that Jesus was infirm, nor was He crucified because He was infirm.  Now, that's the same word that's being used over here and over in 2 Corinthians 12:9. He said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.” You know, if we will be weak as a little child, God's power will be there. Most often, God's power is not there because we refuse to be weak. We want to be strong in a circumstance. We see what we think needs to be done and we run to do it, and we are not ceasing from our works. We are not entering into the Sabbath (Hebrews 4:11). If we will refuse to be strong and we will put our trust in God, we will see His power every time.  … Man's extremity is God's opportunity. God's not ready to move until we cease from our works because we have faith. Every time you have faith, you can stop, you can cease from your work, you can cease from your struggling, you can cease from trying to save yourself because the Bible says you are saved. It doesn't say He will save you. If it said that, you'd wonder what method He wanted to use, but since His method is past tense and you believe it, you must stop, you must cease. And so, God's power is made perfect in our weakness. Paul said, “most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses (not “infirmities” because it's the exact same Greek word), that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2Co.12:9).  …That's the way a child is. They have all the power of Daddy because he is the provider, he is the deliverer, he is the savior. He takes care of it all and they don't think it should be any other way and we should be that way, too. We've been trained-up to think otherwise, to be grown-ups, but we shouldn't be thinking in any other terms than the way a child thinks. This is the way God wants it. Well, I think that we can see by now that the ‘verse,' “God helps those who help themselves,” is not Godly at all; it's antichrist. It will never allow you to enter the power of God. It will never allow the Spirit and the power of Christ to rest upon you. So, Paul says he glories in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon him.  …Yes, we take pleasure in weaknesses. It's great to be weak. It's great to not have the ability to deliver yourself because then you get to see the miracle of God. And he went on to say, in “injuries,” but the word there is “insults,” according to the ancient manuscripts and the Received Text and several others; not necessarily “injuries.” You don't take pleasure in injuries, but “in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2Co.12:10). … He's talking about the places where he was weak to save himself.  When we get into places where we don't see any possibility of saving ourselves, that's wonderful because we get to see the power of God. If we walk by faith in those places, then we get to see the miracles of God. That's what God wants to teach us. He brings us into those places. Remember, God was the One Who sent this angel of Satan to humble Paul. Why do we need humbling? We need humbling because we're grown-ups and we need to become children. We need to be humble. We need to not be self-sufficient; we need to be God-sufficient. We need to be trusting in our Lord because His promises are in the Word to save us in all these situations.  So, God brings us into these places and Satan's angel brings us into these places where we're weak, where we need the power of God. If we will be weak, we will see the power of God. Many times, we want to look for man's help, man's way, man's wisdom. … Being weak is not a time to be anxious or worried; this is a time when you should expect to see the power of God. It's God's purpose to bring us to weakness for us to see His power. This is His plan. Don't ever be cast down because of what you see because what you see is the places that tempt you to be strong in the flesh. It's God's plan for you when you get into these places that you put your trust in Him and that you see His power. This is the place where God's power rests upon you. This place of weakness, the place of your own inability to save yourself or deliver yourself, is the place you can look for the promise of God and trust in Him. … Thank God for the places that He brings us to where we're weak to self! That's the only place we ever see miracles. Do you realize that? It's the only place we ever see miracles and yet that is the place we're most tempted to throw up our hands and be anxious, worried, or troubled. That is the place where all miracles are given, right there, in a place of weakness, the place where you're unable and you must lean on God.  Now, if you have the mind of a child and you get in that place, you just expect Father to take over from then on. This is something that He normally does. God normally supplies your need, like in the teaching Jesus gave about the birds and the flowers. He said they don't labor, and they don't toil to clothe and to feed themselves (Matthew 6:26,28). The Lord is saying you don't have to work to bring about this clothing and feeding. You don't have to toil. It's so clear. He knew that we'd get ourselves into situations and He even ordained these situations to come, where we wouldn't be able to provide for ourselves.  And He said, “are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father (Mat.10:29). (30) But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. (31) Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Not even a hair falls out of your head that God doesn't know it! He knows us so intimately that not one hair can fall out of our head without Him knowing it. I mean, our hairs are always falling out and growing back. How can He number the hairs of your head? That is an intimate God Who can number the hairs of your head.  He knows a lot, so how could we possibly get into a situation that He doesn't know about and hasn't planned for? He is our Jehovah-jireh, the Lord our Provider. (Php.4:19) And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. You can't get so far out that God can't reach you. You can't get in such an impossible situation that He can't take care of it. He can pay your taxes out of a fish's mouth (Matthew 17:27). Think about some of the things that God has done in the Scriptures and He really did do them. He stopped the solar system for a day so Joshua could defeat his enemies. God can do anything and the great thing about it is He's “the same yesterday, and to-day, [yea] and for ever” (Heb.13:8). He is the same. He will still do anything to meet your needs if you will be weak and have faith.   Now, the time when you ought to have faith is when you're weak because God doesn't need to meet your needs when you don't have needs. You don't need a miracle until you need a miracle. Don't think that you can avoid a trial of your faith by receiving the miracle before you need it. No. God tries your faith. The miracle doesn't come till the miracle's needed. Trust in Him between here and there because He will be there. He will do what you need. Be confident in Him. Be children in Him. This is what we need to learn and it's not an easy lesson. It demands the death of self, but religion has trained us up with the mind of the beast because religion has taught that God helps those who help themselves and it trains us to take care of these situations.  Religion trains us to trust in the arm of the flesh. They even changed God into a god which He has never been so that they can trust in the arm of the flesh. Apostates limit God's ability to heal by Doctors who don't know God or medicine which is pharmakeia. “Now, God does it this way,” they say, as if Jesus doesn't heal the same way He always healed, by laying hands on the sick or by speaking the word of faith. That's the same way He's always healed, and He still does it that way but, you see, they've changed God so that you can trust in the arm of the flesh, so that you can be strong. You can run out and get the strength of the world, make your alliances with the world, get your insurance from the world. They'll change God and go to any extent to let the flesh live. Now those who trusted in their preachers and doctors and took the vaccine are sick or dead. What a rebuke to their doctrine. Suddenly, their god makes so many mistakes. But we must become as a child, otherwise, Jesus says, you're not entering into the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 18:17). To become as a child is entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is where God rules, God reigns, God saves, God delivers. He hasn't changed. We have attempted to change Him. God put us here in this weak position. He planned for us always to be in a weak position, so that He could be our Savior. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure (the treasure Paul is talking about is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God) in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. God put this treasure, this knowledge of God, in such a weak vessel so that when anything happened, it would have to bring glory to Him and not to us.  He could have put us in a strong vessel. He could have put us in a very knowledgeable, very wise, very strong, very healthy vessel and we wouldn't have needed His help. He wouldn't have needed to be God, would He? We would have been our own gods. If we watch all the children's superhero shows, we'll notice the thing that's super about them is they're their own gods. They do what they want to do. They are able. That's not what God ever wanted. God didn't choose us because we are able. He chose us because we're not able. He wanted to give us freely His ability through grace and that's unmerited. You can't earn it, you can't pay for it. He wanted to give it to us freely.  When you get yourself in an impossible situation, think about it. God put you there and He put you there so that you could see how great He is. So God put this wonderful treasure in an earthen vessel, a very weak vessel. (2Co.4:8) We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; (9) pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; (10) always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus (which is the death of self), so that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. God wants Jesus to live through us, but we must be weak for Him to do that. The power of Christ will rest upon those who are weak. We're powerful only because we have faith in God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) but He doesn't strengthen until you're weak, you see. 2Co 12:19 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. We must cease before He will start. We must keep the spiritual Sabbath, cease from our works, and enter into His works through faith. God not only put us in a world that was bigger than us and with an enemy that was a lot bigger than us, but He also put us in a vessel that was weak to begin with, so that when the salvation came, we would know it was from Him and not from ourselves. We think we're so great and we've been trained to be self-sufficient. Mommas and Daddies train up their children to be self-sufficient. That's not what God wants. He wants a child. He's always chosen the weak (1 Corinthians 26-29).  Never has He chosen the strong and this gives you hope that when you get in impossible situations. God planned for you to be there so that He could show you His power, so that He could show you His deliverance and His salvation. This is God's plan. It's been His plan from the beginning, and He's done it over and over. (Deu.7:6) For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. And did you know that God still does that? God has still chosen you above all the peoples that are upon the face of the earth. If He chose you, He chose you above someone else, but He didn't choose you because you're wiser or smarter or more able or mighty because “not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]”. 1Co.1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  26 For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory before God. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 31 that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. God chose the weak and God called the weak “above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deu.7:7) The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples. And it's still that way, isn't it? God chose “the fewest of all peoples.” Why did He do that? Certainly, if He was fighting battles with all the Canaanites, He would want the greatest number, wouldn't He? No, because when the battle was won, He didn't want anybody to say, “Look what we did!” And when the battle is won in our lives, He doesn't want anybody to be able to say, “Look what we did!” “Look how powerful we are!” “Look how wise we are!” Or “Oh, we were smart enough to follow God.”  …No. God said He didn't choose us because we were the mightiest but because we were the fewest. It's still that way today. The true Christians are few. Don't think that the Christians in this country are the many. What do they call them? The “moral majority.” That is just totally ridiculous! The proof of that is to look at the people we have in elected office. If there was a moral majority, believe me, you would always have a government that was moral and good because that's the way democracy works. There's no moral majority. Never was.  God chose us because we were the fewest of all peoples. (Deu.7:8) But because the Lord loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he swear unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, and from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (17) If thou shalt say in thy heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? (18) thou shalt not be afraid of them: thou shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt.  (19) the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid. And so shall the Lord thy God do to all of the curse that you come against, and to all of the flesh that you have to conquer, and to all the principalities and powers that you have to conquer. They are made strong and you are made weak for a purpose, so that you can see the power of God move against them.  … God's in the humbling process with us. He wants to deliver us from trusting in the arm of the flesh. In almost every battle that Israel won, they were outnumbered. Isn't it amazing that God demanded that they be outnumbered before He would give them the victory? For example, in Judges we're told that the Israelites had an army coming against them that the Bible says were as the sands of the sea for multitude (Judges 7:12). The Midianites, the Amalekites and the children of the east were coming against them and all the men of Israel who could be gathered together weren't enough to do the job and they knew it.  At first they were counting on their own ability and the numbers that they had but they were ridiculously outnumbered. (Jdg.7:2) And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. Well, that was just the beginning of God whittling down the people and those people who are fearful will not be the ones who have the victory over the enemy.  Being weak is one thing but being fearful is quite another. Being fearful is not trusting in the power that God has given us to come against our enemy. Being fearful is judging by your own ability. It's looking at your own ability or your own inability, but that's where God is putting us on purpose. This is God's plan to put us in a position of weakness, to make our enemy look big. He sent the Israelites into a promised land where the enemies were giants, and they were vastly outnumbered. It was God's plan for it to look like an unfair contest. In every trial that we go into, it's going to look that way so that when we get the victory, we know it's God's power, not our own. SERVICES Ubbs Outreach Friday Night Worship CONTACT Share Your Testimony Request Prayer Technical Support Questions   SUPPORT US We are a non-profit organisation based in United States. Our goal is to empower and equip people to discover more about Christianity and point them to a life of happiness, peace and purpose. Donate

Romans 8:26-30 The post Romans 8:26-30 – Help in Our Weakness appeared first on Christ the King Presbyterian Church.

God' Power is Perfected in Our Weakness! Thank you for listening to another Encouraging Moment with Bobby Williams!   Be sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review!

A new MP3 sermon from Harrison Hills Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: God's Glory in Our Weakness Speaker: Casey Croy Broadcaster: Harrison Hills Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 12/4/2022 Bible: Judges 3:31 Length: 41 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Harrison Hills Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: God's Glory in Our Weakness Speaker: Casey Croy Broadcaster: Harrison Hills Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 12/4/2022 Bible: Judges 3:31 Length: 41 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Harrison Hills Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: God's Glory in Our Weakness Speaker: Casey Croy Broadcaster: Harrison Hills Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 12/4/2022 Bible: Judges 3:31 Length: 41 min.

Our Weakness is Our Strength is a stand alone message from Revelation 3:7-13.

God's Power in Our Weakness (2) by King's Church

Pastor Zack Flipse shares a message from Mark 9:14-29, “God's Power Made Perfect in Our Weakness.” —————————— More from Oostburg CRC Sermons: https://www.firstcrcoostburg.org/sermons Bible Study Resources: https://www.firstcrcoostburg.org/resources Original Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/4P7JbJlHzabPNW8GpdxKcB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJSouYxM1rwWZ4cYAvTIqVA

A new MP3 sermon from Larne Evangelical Reformed Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: God's Power and Our Weakness Subtitle: Living in a Pagan World Speaker: Rev. Derek J. S. Petrie Broadcaster: Larne Evangelical Reformed Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 8/28/2022 Bible: 2 Corinthians 4 Length: 58 min.

Weakness is a defining feature of our humanity but we seldom, if ever, acknowledge or recognize this reality. The Apostle Paul recognized this when he stated in 2 Corinthians 12:9…" when I'm weak, that's when I'm strong." The answer in the Bible for our weaknesses is to call on the Lord for strength, and there are reminders all over His Word to do just that. The book of Psalms is one of the best sources of biblical encouragement and calls for divine help. Join us as we journey with David, the man after God's heart, as we discover principles and precepts from his life in the book of Psalms obtaining " Strength for Our Weakness." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dr-gregory-l-cruell/support

Shaped for Serving God Part 7 God’s Power in Our Weakness by Pastor Ryan Kaylor

Jesus in Our Weakness by Redeemer Church Podcast

Dr. Tim Johnson concludes the series, Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, by speaking with the Central Asia team and others about their experiences. 

 Dr. Tim Johnson continues the series, Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, by looking at the life of Samson. Samson was called by and set aside by God to lead in a time of great need. However, failing to guard his heart, at the end of his life was blind and imprisoned. Respond:Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/30718-living-with-no-regretsLiving With No RegretsYour past does not have to define your future. Using God's word, you can silence the voice of regret, experience peace, make a fresh start and learn how to live a life with no regrets! 

Dr. Tim Johnson continues the series, Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, by looking at the life of Paul (formerly Saul). Formerly a persecuter of followers of The Way, Saul had an unexpected encounter with Jesus that transformed his life despite all of the things that he had done. Likewise, we are not regulated to what we might be currently or were or in the past. It can be used by God. Response: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/11494-who-is-jesusWho Is Jesus?This five-day reading plan taps into the pivotal question asked and debated for generations: Who Is Jesus? During this devotional journey, Pastor Louie Giglio invites you to meet God in both your intellect and heart by uncovering what history and Scripture have to say about Jesus.  

In this message of the series Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, Dr. Tim Johnson looks at the story of Ruth and how sometimes God leads you where you didn't plan to go in order to produce in you what you couldn't achieve on your own; embrace vertical faith not horizontal. 

 Troy Heller, Pastor of Family Ministries, in this message of the series Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, by looking at Joseph.  Joseph was wronged by a number of people but continued to keep his focus on God and to let His light shine through our imperfections

Troy Heller, Pastor of Family Ministries, in this message of the series Jars of Clay: God's Power in Our Weakness, by looking at the life of David. God plucked him out of where he was to lead Israel. God noticed him, looked at his heart and told him that he was not disconnected. God wanted David to show these things in order to let Jesus shine through. 

A new MP3 sermon from Dr David C. Mackereth is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Our Weakness and God's Strength Subtitle: Calvin Deuteronomy Speaker: John Calvin Broadcaster: Dr David C. Mackereth Event: Midweek Service Date: 4/12/2022 Bible: Deuteronomy 3:1-11 Length: 49 min.

The Holy Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness.

Christ Commands Us To Pray In Light of On-going Temptation 1. Our Weakness 2. His StrengthTime:AfternoonMinister:Rev. M. RamkissoonTexts:Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 521 Corinthians 10:1–13

When faced with our weakness over against the sinfulness of the world, we can become overwhelmed! But from Christ we receive the courage to live!

Today we shift our focus from Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount to Jesus' overwhelming displays of power as we study Matthew 8-9:35. In Kingdom Living Here and Now Part 5 we learn that “Our Weakness is God's Power Play”. We will...

This episode was originally recorded inside our Christian Book Academy group as live videos. However, we wanted to share these teachings with you. Today's topic is: God Uses Underdogs and Our Weakness for His Glory God uses underdogs. He's in that process of using our weaknesses for His strength and glory. We are blessed when we realize and embrace our places of weaknesses and brokenness where we need God. We hope this episode encourages and inspires. We have a free gift for you. One of the most important foundational things is to have in place as a Kingdom Writer is a business meeting with God to seek His strategy for marketing your books. We have free training for you on how to get started! In this training, you will learn the steps we recommend when having a weekly business meeting with God. The members of Christian Book Academy LOVE it and we want to share it with you too! Just click the link below to watch my short video and download the PDF: http://www.trainingauthors.com/businessmeeting/ This series is sponsored by Christian Book Academy where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom Writers here: http://christianbookacademy.com

Jon and Justin have a conversation about our weakness, sex, and the gospel. (Parents: There is nothing graphic, but please be aware.) Our culture tells us all kinds of things about sex. The church hasn't always helped. What has God said in his Word? The post Our Weakness, Sex, and the Gospel appeared first on Theocast - Reformed Theology.

Jon and Justin have a conversation about our weakness, sex, and the gospel. (Parents: There is nothing graphic, but please be aware.) Our culture tells us all kinds of things about sex. The church hasn't always helped. What has God said in his Word? The post Our Weakness, Sex, and the Gospel appeared first on Theocast - Reformed Theology.

Shannon talks about how the world's chaos will tear us apart while Jesus Christ can bind us together. Main Text is Colossians 1 and Isaiah 40. Great sermon!Support the show (http://DupreeBaptistChurch.weebly.com)

Main Point: Union with Christ provides us salvation, and that salvation unites us in community… 1. United by (Our) Weakness (vs. 6-9) 2. United by (His) Strength (vs. 10-11) Track: Release #142 'Sleepwalking' Artist: Ikson Download: https://bit.ly/2GnzDmy

Last week I promised to share something God showed me that helped me see the gift of salvation in a whole new light as we finish this series on Resting in Our Weakness. It comes from the end of our passage in Matthew 11; in verse 30, Jesus says “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” At first glance, I have to admit that I didn’t really see much difference between those two statements. But in writing this series, I finally saw what He meant and how He saved us from what each of these statements represents. Let's... The post Resting in Our Salvation appeared first on Loving Theology.

It is our pleasure to bring to you this special episode outside of our regular cycle of discussions with our Faculty. --This past month we had 2nd and 3rd-year students arrive on campus before the second semester officially kicked off to take an intensive interim class. There's a new class offered each year, and this January happened to be one on Advanced Preaching, specifically on -Communicating God's Voice in Our Weakness.- It's a class that seeks to teach advanced principles for communicating God's word with a primary focus upon the preached sermon. --Here to elaborate more on that, and joining us here on campus to teach this interim class, is Rev. Greg Bylsma, an alumnus of 2005, and pastor of Living Water Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario.

It is our pleasure to bring to you this special episode outside of our regular cycle of discussions with our Faculty. This past month we had 2nd and 3rd-year students arrive on campus before the second semester officially kicked off to take an intensive interim class. There's a new class offered each year, and this January happened to be one on Advanced Preaching, specifically on "Communicating God's Voice in Our Weakness." It's a class that seeks to teach advanced principles for communicating God's word with a primary focus upon the preached sermon. Here to elaborate more on that, and joining us here on campus to teach this interim class, is Rev. Greg Bylsma, an alumnus of 2005, and pastor of Living Water Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario.

Messiah is referred to in Isaiah 9:6 as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."In this podcast, Pastor Joe shares a message entitled "Finding Christ in Our Weakness."He reminds us that Jesus didn't come to establish an earthly government. He came to battle the powers of darkness and evil, and as Christians, we are doing the same. But God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, which raised Christ from the dead, to make us mighty in our weakness. To help us to fight the power of sin and darkness.

God's Fitting Plan Hebrews 2:10-18 I. Jesus Welcomes Us into His Family (vv. 10-13) II. Jesus Sets Us Free from the Power of Sin and Death (vv. 14-16) III. Jesus Sympathetically Ministers to Us in Our Weakness (vv. 17-18)

We relive our first year of podcasting together and share some insights and behind the scene stories.  We also get some input from all of our lovely listeners.  Let's preserve our first year of podcasting! (00:29) Greetings (02:09) Episode Synopsis (03:06) Why Start a Podcast? (09:20) Most Difficult Aspect of Podcasting (11:03) Audio vs Content vs Chemistry (15:19) Least Favorite Moment (18:55) Annoying Brother (21:22) What Do We Need to do Better (23:37) Our Weakness (26:02) Blooper Reel? (27:11) Best and Worst Host (29:00) Inside Boy and Journey Co-Host a Podcast (29:32) Challenging/Easy Episode? (31:06) Favorite Moment of The Podcast? (38:12) Listener Rankings/Suggestions (38:52) WarTex (40:37) Justin (42:22) Bryor on Fire (43:37 Mewnu (45:47) Kevy Boy (46:17) Ben the Bearded (47:08) Mike's Backlog suggestion (47:57) Jacob Left Behind GameClub (49:50) Wrap-up Two brothers, Larry and Michael, are on a journey to preserve video game memories. Each month a single video game is broken into 3 episodes. Available the first three Sundays along with their Backlog Butcher journey throughout the year and some additional side content episodes. Two brothers, Larry and Michael, are on a journey to preserve video game memories. Each month a single video game is broken into 3 episodes. Available the first three Sundays along with their Backlog Butcher journey throughout the year and some additional side content episodes. Social Media: Games Gone Twitter Larry's Twitter: MatterofLarry Michael's Twitter: MatterofMichael Reddit: r/gamesgone Facebook Instagram: @gamesgone   Music is provided by PlayOnLoop.com from composer Flippo Vicarelli.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. The theme of our study in 2 Corinthians has been "Christ's Power in Our Weakness." Today Pastor Gary Barber is preaching on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, "Christ's Power in My Weaknesses." We are going to see how our weakness becomes a portal to God's power for us. Be sure to download the sermon notes by clicking "Download PDF" so you may follow along with Pastor Gary. They will open in a new window where you may print or save them.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. The theme of our study in 2 Corinthians has been "Christ's Power in Our Weakness." Today Pastor Gary Barber is preaching on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, "Christ's Power in My Weaknesses." We are going to see how our weakness becomes a portal to God's power for us. Be sure to download the sermon notes by clicking "Download PDF" so you may follow along with Pastor Gary. They will open in a new window where you may print or save them.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. The theme of our study in 2 Corinthians has been "Christ's Power in Our Weakness." Today Pastor Gary Barber is preaching on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, "Christ's Power in My Weaknesses." We are going to see how our weakness becomes a portal to God's power for us. Be sure to download the sermon notes by clicking "Download PDF" so you may follow along with Pastor Gary. They will open in a new window where you may print or save them.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. This morning we are beginning a study of 2 Corinthians - Christ's Power in Our Weakness. Pastor Nate Watson is preaching on 2 Corinthians 1, "The Secret to Suffering Well." We all are going to suffer in this life, but "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God," (2 Cor 1:3-4). May this message today be a comfort to you! Be sure to download the sermon notes before watching the video so you can follow along with Pastor Nate. Click "Download PDF" and the notes will open in a new windows where you may print or save them.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. This morning we are beginning a study of 2 Corinthians - Christ's Power in Our Weakness. Pastor Nate Watson is preaching on 2 Corinthians 1, "The Secret to Suffering Well." We all are going to suffer in this life, but "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God," (2 Cor 1:3-4). May this message today be a comfort to you! Be sure to download the sermon notes before watching the video so you can follow along with Pastor Nate. Click "Download PDF" and the notes will open in a new windows where you may print or save them.

Welcome to our Sunday morning worship service. This morning we are beginning a study of 2 Corinthians - Christ's Power in Our Weakness. Pastor Nate Watson is preaching on 2 Corinthians 1, "The Secret to Suffering Well." We all are going to suffer in this life, but "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God," (2 Cor 1:3-4). May this message today be a comfort to you! Be sure to download the sermon notes before watching the video so you can follow along with Pastor Nate. Click "Download PDF" and the notes will open in a new windows where you may print or save them.

Thank you for downloading God’s Power in Our Weakness by Pastor Jojo Gonsalves Find all information about our churches and services at DreamingRevival.com Here's Pastor Jojo sharing the word on our Saturday Night service on how God's power works in our weakness to glorify Him. Listen to the audio of the sermon and be blessed. To extend an Invite to Pastor Priji or the leadership team with us, click here, Thank you!

Our Weakness is His Strength (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This week on the podcast, join Andrew as he delves into several passages focused around "Tools in His Hands: God's Strength in Our Weakness." We'll look at the lives of Moses, Gideon, Samson, and many others whom the Lord used mightily for His glory. We'll also discuss becoming "new creations" in Christ, as well as begin the final countdown to Episode 100! All that and more, on this episode of the Sharpening Character Podcast!

Weekly JourneywithJesus.net postings, read by Daniel B. Clendenin. Essay: *The Gospel of Our Weakness*, guest essay by Dan Lewis for Sunday 9 July 2006; book review: *Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq* by Stephen Kinzer (2006); film review: *Wheel of Time* (2003); poem review: *My Papa's Waltz* by Theodore Roethke; music review: *Mission of My Soul: The Best of Peter Himmelman* by Peter Himmelman.

The Extraordinary Prayer Life of John Hyde Please take your Bibles and open to Romans 8:26-27. We heard those two powerful verses read for us earlier. Today we are going to talk about the mystery of prayer, and specifically how the Holy Spirit helps us in prayer. When I was in seminary I learned about a man named John Hyde, a missionary to India and one of the greatest men of faith and prayer that this world has ever seen. And when he went as a missionary to India, he was soon, as you can well imagine in that populous nation, overwhelmed by the needs that he saw. Being a man of God and being a missionary and a preacher of the Word, he understood that the most significant needs of the people were spiritual. They did not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. And he began to be burdened. And he was not satisfied with the progress that they were making. He was not satisfied with the Word going out and not coming back with conversions. He wanted to see people saved. And so he began to pray. And God led him in a significant way to begin to trust Him for one soul a day. That he would have the privilege of leading one person to Christ every day. And God answered that prayer. And it wasn't long before he added another and started praying for two a day, that he might have the privilege of leading two people to Christ every day. By the time he was finished with his missionary work he was up to four people a day. Trusting God for their salvation, and seeing repeated answers to prayer. So that's what he prayed for, but it doesn't touch how he prayed. And I have an account here of a way that this man prayed related by Dr. Wilber Chapman who wrote about it to a friend. Now Dr. Chapman was an English preacher, and they were having a revival service. And this is what he wrote. "I have learned some great lessons concerning prayer. At one of our missions in England the audience was exceedingly small, but I received a note saying that an American missionary was going to pray for God's blessing down on our work. He was known as 'praying Hyde.' [That was his nickname, 'praying Hyde']. Almost instantly the tide turned, the hall became packed. And at my first invitation 50 men accepted Christ as their Savior. As we were leaving I said, 'Mr. Hyde I want you to pray for me.' He came to my room, turned the key in the door and dropped on his knees and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart thumping and his beating. I felt hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then with upturned face, while the tears were still streaming, he said, 'Oh God.' And then for five minutes again, at least, he was still. And then when he knew he was talking with God, there came from the depth of his heart such petitions for me as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was. We believe that prayer is mighty and we believe it as we never did before." Now that's a prayer meeting. Have you ever prayed like that? I really can't say that I have. I've had times in which God has lifted me up and I've prayed in a more significant, in a more Spirit-filled way, but never like that. And I think to myself, all of us feel our weakness, especially in prayer, don't we? Don't you feel your weakness when it comes to prayer? Can any of you testify and say, "I am a hundred percent satisfied with my prayer life? It's everything that I want it to be." Can you say that? I can't. And so I feel my weakness. And it's a beautiful thing that this passage on prayer and specifically on the Holy Spirit's ministry to us in prayer begins with a testimony to our weakness. Look what it says in verse 26, it says, "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness." Do you feel your weakness today? Do you feel the weakness of your faith? Do you feel your weakness in prayer? I. The Promise and Fulfillment of Prayer Well, I want you to know that God has made promises concerning prayer, lavish promises. I think he means to fulfill them in you individually and in us corporately through the power of the Holy Spirit. And only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we pray as God intends. It says in Zechariah 12:10, this is an old Testament promise, an ancient promise, and this is what it says, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me the one they have pierced." That's a powerful testimony isn't it. A promise that God will pour out on the Jews a spirit of grace and supplication. What is supplication? It is prayer. And not just any prayer, but prayer from the heart. And I will pour out on them a spirit of prayer. We receive these promises, this promise given to the Jews. We receive it by extension, we who are Gentiles, we've come in to all the promises of God, they are yes and amen in Christ. And so we also receive the Spirit of supplication. And this Spirit is fulfilled even in our text. In Romans 8:15 it reads, "You have received the spirit of sonship, and by Him we cry out, 'Abba Father."' We cry out to God Abba Father. What is that, but prayer? It's a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 for us who are Gentiles. Every Christian, the moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are given the spirit of supplication, the Holy Spirit. And immediately as a child of God, a newborn child of God you begin to breathe prayers to God. You begin to speak to Him and call him Abba Father. but yet God is calling us (I believe) to a deeper a fuller and a richer prayer life than we've ever experienced before. Jesus Christ commanded lavishly in Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Lavish promises, and a command to pray. John 16:23-24 it says the same thing. "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. Until now you've not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Jesus said that if you believe, you'll receive whatever you ask for in prayer. These are lavish promises and commands aren't they, for prayer? And we have throughout Church history many examples of those who have believed these promises. Not just praying Hyde, we've talked earlier about George Müller. This man trusted God for over 10,000 orphans; on his knees every day praying for daily bread, and for the needs of these people. 10,000 orphans. Prayed for them daily, and in good Prussian style kept a careful record of all of his prayers. Every single one of them and all that had been answered. Wouldn't it be great to go through those notebooks and see what God did? The details and how strong was his faith at the end of his life. David Brainerd, the missionary to Indians during the 1700s poured out his heart daily in longing for Heaven. "Oh that I might not loiter in my Heavenly journey" he would say. He was praying that his heart would be wrapped up, so wrapped up in Heaven that he would care nothing for the things of this world. That was David Brainerd. Then there was Martin Luther who said he was so overwhelmed with all the work and the business of a certain day that he had to pray twice as long that day. What would we do? Pray half as long if at all. But he believed in prayer and he lavished prayer on God and God lavished answers back. And then there was William Carey who had a world vision in prayer. Many examples of those who have taken these promises. What about you? Where's your prayer life? What about me? Where is mine? As we look at the Apostle Paul, he also is an example of this. Put your finger here in Romans 8, and look back at Romans 1:9-10. And this is a tendency I've seen in the Apostle Paul and confirmed in numerous places. Actually beginning at verse 8 it says "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world." Isn't that marvelous? What does he thank God for? The faith of the Romans. "Thank you God that they're believers, and not only that but their reputation is spreading all over the world. Thank you God for that." But he goes on. He says "God whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the Gospel of His Son as my witness, how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times, and I pray that now at last by God's will, the way may be open for me to come to you." And so Paul is praying constantly for the Roman Christians. Now, look over at Roman's 15:30 and following. Romans 15:30 "I urge you brothers," he says there "By our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you, be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen." What is he doing there? He's saying "Please pray for me. Pray for my mission, pray for my work. Pray that I might be delivered and rescued from those who would attack me." And so at the beginning of his letter to Romans, he says "I pray for you all the time," at the end of his letter, he says "Please pray for me." He does the same thing in many other epistles, he says "I pray for you." He asked, "Will you pray for me?" And so he is dependent on prayer as he is also faithful in prayer. II. Our Weakness and Prayer But my question is, "What is prayer? Or why are we so weak in it? And, specifically from this text in Romans 8:26-27, what is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us in prayer?" Let's look first at our weakness and prayer in verse 26, it says "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness." Well what weakness are we talking about? Well you have to understand the phrase, "In the same way." He's connecting this to what we have just talked about. What did we just talk about? Well in Romans 8:18-25, it talks about our physical bodies and how they're breaking apart, and how the physical world around us is groaning. We ourselves groan and the creation around us groans. And so we learn here in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit groans with us. Do you see how that works? We're in a time of groaning. We're in this present age of suffering and physical trial and death. This is a hard world for a believer. And so we're in a time of present weakness and our enemies, which are arrayed around us, are too strong for us. They're too mighty. And so we have indwelling sin, and we have external enemies that are fighting us. And so it's a time of weakness, but it's also weakness for ourselves in prayer. He goes on to say "We do not know what we ought to pray for." And so we have a weakness, we're ignorant, we don't know what to pray for, we're weak in terms of our desire to pray, we don't want to pray. We're weak in every way and so the Spirit has come to help us in our weakness. Now, prayer is part of the work that the Holy Spirit does in us to assure us that we are Christians, right? The whole chapter, Romans chapter 8 is given that we may know with a full certainty of faith, a full assurance that we're going to heaven. God wants you to live that way. And as a matter of fact, if you really understood the reality is what we're talking about heaven and hell, eternity in heaven, or eternity in hell, and you had no assurance of salvation, how would you live? Everything would be different. All of your good works would ultimately be self-focused, I believe. And so God wants to give you assurance of salvation and then send you out to do the good works in a whole different way. And so He's working assurance of salvation in us. Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:39 says that nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No condemnation all the way to no separation. I've repeated that about five or six times, but you get it. Romans chapter 8, it's assurance. It's giving a message of assurance and right in the middle of it is this issue of prayer. And so a healthy Spirit-led, Spirit-endowed prayer life is great assurance for the Christian. Is it not? But what's remarkable to me here is that it doesn't tell us to pray. Have you noticed that? As with much of what Paul does, is there any command in here that we should pray? He's just telling us what is... He's telling us what the Holy Spirit does. He's not telling you to pray, he's telling you actually you're weak in prayer, and so the Holy Spirit is given to help. We have a weakness in prayer. Jonathan Edwards, preaching a sermon in the 1700s, entitled it, "Hypocrites Deficient in Private Prayer." That's a potent title, isn't it? What's a hypocrite? Somebody who claims to be a Christian, but they're really not. And what is he saying? He's saying, there's no secret or private prayer. They don't go into their room, close the door and pray to their Father who's unseen. That's not part of their life. They may pray publicly, they may pray at dinner, they may pray when called upon, but there's no secret private prayer. It's not a part of their lives. But I began thinking about that title, and I said, "Hypocrites Deficient in Private Prayer," who isn't deficient in private prayer? Isn't that all of us? Aren't we all deficient to some degree in our private prayer lives? And so we must understand again, the ministry of the Holy Spirit given to strengthen us in our prayers. How are we weak? Well, first of all, we don't pray. In James 4:2 it says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God." How many things come along in your life and you realize later, I never prayed about that? Whether it be a financial situation or a health issue, or a friend had a problem, you've even perhaps promised to pray and then you realize later you didn't pray. I've tried to get it in the habit of praying immediately for needs that are given me because of this problem that I have. I've sometimes kept a little notebook with me in my pocket to write them down immediately because I feel so ashamed when I see the person later and that situation has been resolved and they thank you for praying and you think, "Gee I hope somebody prayed because I didn't." James 4:2. Oh no, I'm a pastor, this is on tape, isn't it? Sometimes I don't pray the way I should. You don't have because you don't ask God. We also don't pray for the right things. "When you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures," said James. So not only do we not pray, we also don't pray for the right things. We're weak in prayer. He says it here in verse 26, "we do not know what we ought to pray for." We don't pray in the right way, we don't pray in faith believing, we don't pray in humility, recognizing that we're not the king of the world. We don't pray with boldness, the boldness of a child of God, and we don't pray with thankfulness, we don't pray as we ought to. And more than that, we don't persevere in prayer. We pray for a little while and then fizzle out, and so we're weak in prayer. I guess, as we look at it, we have trouble both in the matter and in the manner of prayer. In the matter of prayer, whether we pray at all or what we should pray for and in the manner of prayer, mainly how we go about praying, and in this way, the Holy Spirit has been sent to help us. III. The Holy Spirit Helps Us in Prayer Now, the Holy Spirit helps us in prayer, but I think to be honest with you, the burden of this text is not how He assists us to pray better. The burden of this text is how He just prays for us. Look at it again in verse 26-27, "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we are to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Do you see that? It's almost by contrast, we don't pray well, but the Spirit does, do you see that? The Spirit does, He prays for us and He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. So really to some degree, it's a little bit trickery for me to be talking anything at all about your prayer life here. I'm really talking primarily about the Spirit's intercession for you, because that's what the text talks about. But I want to talk about your prayer life because the Spirit does help you to pray. We are commanded elsewhere to pray in the Spirit, and so I think this is a vital text for understanding that. Jesus Christ has not left us as orphans, He says that in John 14, the night before He died. He was about to die, the disciples were about to see their Savior dead on the cross, and they didn't understand what was going on. They were filled with grief, they were filled with struggle, and Jesus is so compassionate for them. In John, He spends time with them, He teaches them, He gets them ready. He said in John 13:19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He." And so he's getting them ready, and one of the things He does is talks to them about the Counselor, the Comforter that He's going to send. He says, "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you." Do you realize you have the indwelling Holy Spirit in you as a result of prayer? Jesus prayed for you. And the Father sent the Counselor, the Comforter, to you as a response to Jesus' prayer for you. "I will ask the Father and He will send the Comforter." Do you see the confidence that Jesus has? I will ask and He will send. That's the confidence that Jesus has in prayer. "…the Spirit of truth, the world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him or knows Him but you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." Neither has He left us as orphans in our prayer life either. We have fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit and in prayer and so the Spirit prays for us constantly. "The Spirit," it says in Verse 26, "intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." And it says again in verse 27, "The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Well, who does He intercede to? Well, He who searches our hearts is God the Father. He intercedes to God the Father for you. The Holy Spirit is speaking to God the Father for you. He's interceding right now that you will listen to the Word. He's praying for you right now, the Spirit is interceding to God the Father for you and what power is there in God, the Father. He is Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is king of the universe and the Spirit has free access right into His throne and He prays in accordance with God's will. There's a perfect intercession here. In the NIV it says "in accordance with God's will…" But literally in verse 27 it really just says "in accordance with God." The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God. What does that mean? I think probably two things. Number one is that He was appointed to that task. The Spirit was given the work to do. He's assigned the task. He's given the place, the position of prayer for you and so He's praying for you. It's His place to do so and He's going to be faithful to do that work until the end comes. But in accordance with God also means what He prays for. He knows what to pray for. He prays for you in accordance with God's will for you. What does that mean? Well, in 1 John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that if He hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of Him." What is that saying? If you pray according to God's will, what do you get? You get a yes. A yes and Amen. I will give it to you. I've thought often about this. I love sports. What is my batting average in prayer? How often do I get the things that I asked for? I don't know. I'm not George Muller. I'm not a Prussian. I don't keep careful records of all my prayer requests. I wonder what it would be, what my batting average is. How about you? What is your batting average in prayer? How many times do you get the thing you ask for? Now, let me turn it around. What is the Holy Spirit's average in prayer? How often does He get what He asks for? Answer: every single time without fail. And why? Because He prays according to God. In accordance with the will of God, He prays for you. That's how He prays a perfect intercession and He's praying according to God's will. Well, what is God's will? Big picture. Understand what is the big picture of God's will. Read verses 28-30. We're going to look at it more carefully next week, but look, this is the will of God. This is what He's doing. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brothers." I'll read that again. "That He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined He also called and those He called He also justified and those He justified He also glorified." So the end of verse 29 and the end of verse 30 are the same thing. You being conformed to Jesus perfectly and you being glorified are the same thing and that's what the Spirit is praying for ultimately for you and not just for you but for all the chosen of God. We'll talk about that next week but that's what he's working toward. And He gets what He asks for. He prays for you in accordance with God's will that you may be glorified and He knows that there are steps along the way. He knows every step of the journey and He knows not only the big picture but all of the minor pictures along the way and he prays for everything in accordance with God's will. But it's also intimate intercession. It says "He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." There's a searching of the mind. The spirit moves through the mind of God and the Spirit moves through our minds and brings them together in a marvelous and mysterious way. There's an intimate intercession. The Spirit knows the Father's thoughts completely. The Spirit brings the Father's thoughts to you. The Spirit takes your thoughts and brings them to God. There's an intimate intercession. It's also a spiritual intercession. Look at verse 26. "…the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." The word here in the Greek is usually translated mute. What is someone who is mute? They cannot speak words. There aren't no words when the Spirit intercedes. You say, "How can He do that for millions of people praying for absolutely everything we need, big picture and in details for everybody all over the world that He's praying for? How could He do it? They're just isn't time in the day." Our thoughts of God are too small. I am speaking to you in words now, I'm speaking English, that's the only language I'm fluent in and I used to speak Japanese. If I were to speak some Japanese here you would get nothing out of my sermon. I know because I sat through two years of Japanese sermons and got nothing out of them because I couldn't understand a word. And what do we do? We take truth and we encode it in words, nouns, and verbs and adjectives. And it's like a train, like a freight train, and it pulls into the depot of your mind and dumps its truth in there, word by word, line by line. It's so pedantic, It's so human. The Holy Spirit doesn't need it. He just intercedes for you. Just like that. Do you understand? Just like that, everything you need has been prayed for. Completely. You don't need words, you don't need nouns and verbs and adjectives to talk to the Father. That's our thing. He can speak that in 1 Corinthians 2:9-14, I urge you to look at it. It's a parallel passage to one we're looking at today. It says that, it has not entered in the mind what God has planned. Eyes not seen, ears not heard. Neither has it entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. Read the next part, "These things God has revealed it to us through His spirit." And He who searches them, the mind brings the truth of God to our minds directly. Do You see what I'm talking about? So he can speak English words to us. He can do that. Sometimes He speaks to your mind directly without words. Just boom and you get the truth. But He can speak words and he can put spiritual truth into spiritual words so that we understand. So it's a spiritual intercession as well and it's also a passionate intercession. He groans with you. Do you understand what that means? He's groaning with you. He's feeling your passions. He is a passionate being. The Holy Spirit is not a force. He's a person and He has passion and His intercession for you is passionate. Do you understand what I'm saying? There's a passion there. He rejoices over your successes. He grieves over your disobediences and He prays accordingly based on what you need. Now later in this chapter, not today, we are going to be talking also about Christ's intercession for us. Look down at verse 34. "Christ Jesus, who died, more than that who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Do you see that? So you have the Holy Spirit praying for you and you have the Son of God praying for you. Are you not covered in this chapter with prayer? You are just prayed for. You are thoroughly prayed for. Now we as children of God should pray for each other, but you are well prayed for all the time. The Spirit prays for you and the Son prays for you and they do not fail. IV. The Spirit’s Help in the Matter of Prayer Well, that's the center of this message, but I want to talk a little about how He helps you in your prayers too. The Spirit prays for you but the Spirit also assists you in your prayer and He helps you in the matter of prayer. What do I mean by that? Well, I mean what to pray for and whether we should even pray at all. He helps us there. Verse 26, "We do not know what we ought to pray for." We don't have the sense of the purpose of God, do we? The big picture? What is God doing in the world? We don't have that. Nor do we have the detailed understanding step by step of how to get there. We also don't believe or don't understand, or even know the promises of God. So we don't pray according to the promises of God. We don't know the procedures along the way. Those minor things and we don't look to the source the way we should. Now what is the source of information? How do we know what to pray for? Two things; number one, the Spirit instructs us through the Scripture. As you read the Scripture and saturate your mind in the Bible, you will know what to pray for. William Gurnall said, "The mightier anyone is in the Word, the mightier he will be in prayer." Some believe, and I think it's true, we should only pray those things revealed in Scripture or in accordance with what's revealed in Scripture. Christopher Nice put it this way, "Where God has not a mouth to speak, men must not have a tongue to ask." I believe that. I think we should pray according to the promises and the purposes of God as revealed in Scripture. But secondly, the Spirit also directly communicates to you what to pray for sometimes. In Acts 13 it says, "In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers," and it lists them and then it says, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" And so after fasting and praying, they sent them out. Don't you think after the Spirit spoke that. They prayed differently than they had been before that, They started praying for Paul and Barnabas' first missionary journey. You understand? So the Spirit communicates and navigates through history as new things come up, we start to pray according to the Spirit. We pray in the Spirit as He leads. So He helps us in the matter of prayer, namely what we should pray for, but even more He helps us in the inclination to pray. What does that mean? He helps you to want the things God wants. He helps you to be hungry for what God's hungry for. He helps you to yearn for what God is yearning for. How does He do that? By changing you and moving in you, by working in you. He gives you, as one black preacher put, I love this. "You gotta have the 'want to.'" Do you have the want to? Do you want to pray? When given a choice of the way to spend the afternoon, do you spend it in prayer or something else? Do you have the want to? The Spirit gives you the want to. He gives you the inclination and to want the things that God wants. And I think that's why we need to pray. We are not done yet, are we? We were not finished in our salvation. Do you want what God wants for you? Or do you want something else? The Holy Spirit moves in you to want what the He wants for you and to give you the inclination to pray. V. The Spirit’s Help in the Manner of Prayer Well, the Holy Spirit also helps us in the manner of prayer. Not only do we not know what to pray for and not only are we not inclined to pray at all but when we pray our prayers are weak and lifeless, they lack zeal. What is the model of our prayer? Is it not Jesus, how did Jesus pray in Gethsemane? You remember that? In Luke chapter 22 it says and being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Hebrews chapter 5 says during the days of Jesus' life on earth He offered prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death and He was heard because of His reverent submission. And so He prayed fervently. James 5:16 says in the King James Version "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Are your prayers effectual and fervent? Are they prayers on fire? Do you pray in the manner of the Spirit? Well the Spirit helps us, He gives us empowerment. Our prayers are weak because they are faithless. We don't believe that God will answer and so we don't receive answers. Thomas Watson said this, "Prayer that is faithless is fruitless." If your prayer life is fruitless, could it be that you don't believe that it's going to do anything? The Spirit works faith in us. Jude 20, "But you dear friends," write that one down. That's such a great verse Jude 20. "But you dear friends build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." Do you hear that? I think build yourselves up in the faith means read the Scripture. And then pray accordingly. Pray in the Spirit. He gives us faith. He also gives us endurance, He works endurance in us. Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you that you may be matured and fully assured." He's wrestling, would you like to have an Epaphras praying for you? He's wrestling in prayer for you. Images of Jacob wrestling with the angel, wrestling, he's not giving up, he's going to keep at it, he's going to keep praying. How's your endurance in prayer? Is it good? The Holy Spirit can work endurance in you. The Holy Spirit can also work passion in you. He impassions you in prayer. Cold and lifeless prayers are unwelcome in heaven. Thomas Brooks said this, "Cold players always freeze before they reach heaven." I love that. We don't need cold players, we need prayers on fire, prayers like John Hyde prayed. Praying passionately. Hudson Taylor looked at a map of China and he knew that all the missions were along the coast, just along the coast and they were vast inland regions of China that had never been touched with the gospel and he just fell on his knees before the map and he said "God give me China or I die." Give me China or I die. Do you pray for anything like that? Maybe if your child had a dread disease or your spouse you might, but we could pray for the things of God that way too, Hudson Taylor did and John Hyde did as well. In passion. And then finally the Holy Spirit works integrity in us. God does not listen to the prayers of people who choose sin. I'll say that again, God does not hear prayers from people who choose sin. And I'm not talking about stumbling, the Scripture says we all stumble in many ways, James says that. And this is how David put it in Psalm 66:18,"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have heard my prayer." Do you hear that? If I cherish sin, if there's some pet sin, something I'm holding on to, God will not hear your prayers. Your prayers are ineffective. Isaiah 59:1-2, "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save nor is ear too dull to hear but your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." And so if you want a healthy strong fruitful prayer life, you must have integrity, you must be a consistent spirit-filled Christian following the Holy Spirit putting sin to death in your life and God will see that you receive answers in prayer. 1 Peter 4:7, "The end of all things is near, therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." Turn it around, if you're not clear minded and self-controlled you will not be able to pray. John Bunyan put it this way, "Prayer drives sin out or sin drives prayer out." They're mutually incompatible. Has sin driven prayer out of your life? Ask the Lord by the power of the Spirit to bring it back and then chase sin out of your life. Today we've looked at what the Holy Spirit does for us in prayer, He prays for us according to God, He also moves in us that we may pray according to God's will as well. He instructs us what to pray for, He gives us an inclination to pray, that's the matter of prayer, and in the manner He gives us empowerment through faith, building our faith. He gives endurance to stay with it and pray daily sometimes for years. He gives us impassioned prayers, not cold prayers and He gives us a life of integrity so that God will hear our prayers. VI. Application Now I've given you some applications on your bulletin, you can look at them when you get home, but we're coming now to a time with the Lord's Supper. And this is a good time for you to humble yourself before God, to just bow down right in the pew where you are, and to take advantage of some quiet moments to allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart. To allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you, about your life, about your prayer life, yes but about everything. And that you might be clean through confession of sin and ready to receive the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is for Christians, it's for people who have been baptized, who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, welcome at the Lord's Supper. It's for sinners, but sinners who have been forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. But we must come and eat in a manner worthy of the Lord. Take advantage of these few minutes or a few moments to allow the Holy Spirit to search you, that you might be prepared to take the supper of the Lord. And then after a little while, I'll lead us into the Lord's supper.

Boasting in Our Weakness