Why Do You Have That Thorn

I have a “thorn in the flesh.” I do like it. I often wish I didn’t have it. At times I’m exasperated by it. It makes everything harder, it weakens me. I often feel I would be more effective and fruitful without it. I have pleaded to God, sometimes in tears, for it to be removed or for more power to over come it. But it remains.

No, I’m not going to explain what it is. The details aren’t important to the point I want to make, and I think it would actually make this post less helpful. Because you may have your own thorn in the flesh. Yours will be different than mine, but it’s purpose will be similar. We are given thorns that significantly weaken us in order to make us stronger.

The Most Famous Thorn

We get the term “thorn in the flesh” from the Apostle Paul:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

2 Corinthians 12:7

The most redemptive gift of pain in history was given to us through the most evil means.

Paul’s thorn is among the most famous afflictions in history, and we don’t even know what is was. There’s been a lot of speculation over the years. Some say his thorn was a messages of Satan who tormented him. Maybe from the persecutions or hardships Paul faced. Other’s say it could have been a physical affliction such as an eye disease, or all the physical violence and deprivation he endured.

The fact that we really don’t know what Paul’s thorn was turns out to be both merciful and instructive to us. It’s merciful because, given the possibilities, we can all identify with Paul to some degree in our afflictions. It’s instructive because what Paul’s thorn was isn’t the point. The point is what God’s purpose was for the thorn.

Sent From God’s Hand

Paul makes two amazing, and somewhat initially disturbing, statements about his painful thorn – in the same sentence:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me.

2 Corinthians 12:7

The first amazing claim Paul makes is that God gave him his thorn. It’s clear from the context that Paul identified God as his thorn giver, not Satan. And he understood that God’s purpose was to keep Paul humble and dependent on Christ’s power ( 2 Corinthians 12:9).

God disciplines His children with affliction in order to protect them from having their joy destroyed by pride.

Most of us can identify with the sorts of revelations Paul was given, and when we read the kind’s of suffering Paul experienced (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), it’s probably safe to say our thorns don’t pierce as deeply as his did. But God’s purpose in our thorns as similar.

Pride, in all its manifestations, is our most pervasive sin and most dangerous to us spiritually. Anything God gives us to keep us humble and prayerfully dependent on Him is a great gift – even when that gift causes pain.

Pain can protect us from pain; redemptive pain can protect us from destructive pain.

Who Is The Antichrist?

The antichrist is one of the most famous characters in the Bible, and lots of people like to speculate about who is the antichrist will be. But what does the Bible actually say about the antichrist?

All of my life I have heard people focus on Jesus his return. People would look up the events happening in the world and try to see how they fit in the prophetic calendar. They expected Jesus to come at any moment; many believed it would happen during that time.

One aspect of Bible prophecy which people especially focus on is trying to figure out who the Antichrist was. There are all kinds of rationality speculation about who he could be. It’s easy to get caught up in some of the speculations. But we should not spend our time looking for the coming of the antichrist. We should look for and be ready for the coming of Christ.

The word antichrist means either against Christ or instead of Christ. This word only appeared in scripture four times. However, the antichrist gets defined by other names. The Bible speaks about a period of time on earth known as the tribulation. During this period, the antichrist becomes a dominant figure on the Earth.

I want to make a distinction because when we learn about the antichrist, there are two aspects you must consider. The Bible refers to the spirit of the antichrist and the person of the antichrist. As we go forward I will clarify this distinction.

Why Does John Say There Have Been Many Antichrists?

1 John 2:18 helps us understand the spirit of the antichrist and the person of the antichrist. John says the antichrist is coming, which points to a person. However, he says mini antichrist how come, which points to the spirit. Before the antichrist’s arrival the spirit of being against Christ or instead of Christ will be present on the Earth. It is present now. This has been happening since Christ came. Many carry the spirit with them. They are not the antichrist as in the person. However, they are against Christ and look for ways to remove or replace Christ. This spirit is present in our age and write what we mean even after the person of the antichrist is revealed.

Where Else Does The Bible Mention the Antichrist?

Here are a few verses where the Bible distinguishes between the spirit and the person of the antichrist

The Spirit Of The Antichrist

Dear friends, do you not believe every spirit, but has the spirit to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now it’s already in the world.

1 John 4:1-3

Who is the liar? It is whoever do you know that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist – denying the Father and the Son.

1 Joh. 2:22

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ how many in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is a deceiver and the antichrist

2 John 1:7

The Person Of The Antichrist

You can find information about the person of the antichrist in Daniel. Among other things, Daniel describes the antichrist creating alliances, and “at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

There are two passages I want to refer to – one in 2 Thessalonians and the other in Revelation.

Second Thessalonians 2 gives us insight into the person known as the antichrist. I encourage you to read the chapter, but here are two verses I want to highlight.

Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will uphold and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sent himself up in gods temple proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

In the End Time prophecyit it is believed the antichrist will be revealed after the church’s rapture of the church. In this passage, the antichrist is referred to as a man of lawlessness or the man of sin, which again speaks to him being a person. He will be revealed or released during this time of tribulation. He will bring destruction while also being the subject to destruction. His reign will be short, during this time, he will exalt himself and set himself up as God to be worshiped. He will be empowered by Satan and do his bidding, which means he will come to deceive and destroy. He will most likely be a leader who comes out of relative obscurity and presents himself as the world’s hope. No he will present himself as a savior, he will operate in deception. He will use counterfeit displays of power, signs, wonders, and miracles. The purpose of the signs and wonders will be to DC people and causes them to follow him. Read the full second chapter of 2 Thessalonians for more about these details.

What Do We Know About The Antichrist in Revelation?

The Bible also refers to the person of the antichrist in Revelation 13. Revelation 13:3-4 describes the antichrist as a beast that comes out of the sea. The sea represent a place of evil, wickedness, kale, and resisting God. It also represents the Gentiles. The antichrist will be an evil, wicked, Gentile leader who Santa resistant God. Satan will empower him, and he will even seem to have been killed and risen to life again, prompting many to follow him. His goal is for people who follow him instead of Christ, leading to their destruction along with his own. Read Revelation 13:1-10 for full details on the antichrist.

Final Thoughts About The antichrist

When you think about the world today, one who cries and hopes for world peace. The world is right and ready for a leader to step on stage and bring peace. The person who had apparently you that would immediately rise in stature. When the time is right, the person on the earth will be the antichrist. Though we know the true hope for the world is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. But many will be deceived by the antichrist.

While it is good to know information about the antichrist we are not hard to look for him. Don’t spend your time trying to figure out who he is or will be. Instead, let’s get busy doing our Father’s business (Luke 12:42-43, with our eyes fixed and hearts ready for Christ’s return.

How Spiritually Affects Your Mental Health

The idea of spirituality needs different things for different people. The variety of spiritual beliefs and customs are a very distant people who practice them. One thing they all have in common is the range of affects they can have on our mental help. Spirituality affects our mental health in a variety of ways.

Spirituality is your belief or sense of purpose and meaning. It is what gives you a sense of value or worth in your life. Contrary to what many people might think, spirituality and religion are not the same. But they are linked. You can be spiritual without belonging to a specific religion. Religious people follow up or kick your faith and may be connected to specific groups

Impact Of Spirituality On Mental Health

Spirituality influences many decisions that people make. Encouraged people to have a better relationship with themselves, others, and the unknown. Spirituality and help you deal with stress by giving you a sense of peace, purpose, and forgiveness. Often becomes more important in times of emotional stress or illness.

Positive Impacts Of Spirituality

There are several ways that spirituality and support your mental health:

  • You may feel a higher sense of purpose, peace, hope, and meaning.
  • You may experience better confidence, self-esteem, and self-control.
  • It can help you make sense of your experiences in life.
  • When you are I’ll, it can help you feel a inner strength and results in faster recovery.
  • Those in a spiritual community may have more support.

Negative Impacts Of Spirituality

Some people take advantage of emotionally vulnerable people while pretending to support you. If you are emotionally vulnerable, you can be more easily convinced to take part in unhealthy activities.

Improving Spiritual Health

Are you taking measures to support a healthy mental state, it’s important to make sure you also take care of your spiritual health. Different approaches work differently or different people. You should do what makes you most comfortable and happy. Some ideas to improve your spiritual health include:

  • Find out what makes you feel peaceful, loved, strong, and connected.
  • Dedicate part of your day helping people.
  • Read inspirational books.
  • Try meditating.
  • Take a walk outdoors.
  • Prayeither alone or with a group.
  • Dedicate quiet time to yourself.

Mental Health And Spiritual Health

A spiritual health assessment is sometimes necessary as part of a mental health assessment. Mental issues like depression, or substance abuse can be a sign of a spiritual void in your life. Understanding the difference between a spiritual crisis and a mental illness it’s important to get to the root of the problem.

Free To Be Who God Created You To Be

It seems like we have a epidemic of insecure people in society today.People are having an identity crisis because they can’t come to grip with who they are. They are trying to find their identity with who they associate with, their position at work, their academics degrees, what they own, the clothing they wear… the list can go on and on.

Insecurities involve our thoughts and tends to show up in a way we think and feel about ourselves. I want to ask you a question: What do you think about yourself? How do you feel about yourself? Do you compare yourself to others and feel belittled or threatened around people who can do things you can’t do or have things you don’t have?

It’s not God’s way for us to live in fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out all fear…” God love you and wants you to learn who you are in Christ. Because when you know who you are in Christ, you will be secure in your worth as a child of God.

For over 6 years, I have telling people God’s Word. He has put in my heart to help people by sharing my experiences and the Gospel and showing people how to grow in their faith in Christ, He gave me a gift of being a writer and a messenger for God.

If I ever stop writing and bring a messenger. I’ll still have value because I am a child of God.

The truth is, our worth, or value, is not based on what we do. We find our value in knowing we’re created by God to be His children, knowing Christ, having Him as our Savior, and living in a relationship with God, secure in His love for us.

We cannot earn God’s love; it’s a gift He offers that we receive by faith. And He wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us because He loves us. Every person is equally valuable to God, and when we trust His loves for us, we can be free of insecurity and live with confidence in Him.

Replacing Our Priorities

Have you ever started for prioritizing your time, relationships, money in a God honoring way, only to have those new priority begin to slip away years, month, and weeks later?

For many of us our priorities seem to have a way of becoming less and less important over time. So what is it that keeps pouring at us and causes our priority to get out of whack?

Jesus says there’s a singular root cause of misplaced priorities. And that problem is materialism.

What is materialism? I actually have a little or nothing to do with what we have. It’s a disease of the rich and poor and everyone in between.

Materialism is a condition of the heart where we’re trusting or even believing that are outward props of things, money, status and power provides the ability to achieve for us inward peace, happiness,and satisfaction in life.

Material things are not evil in and of themselves. For instance, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a nice car Or even having a lot of money We just aren’t supposed to put our hope and trust in those things.

If there’s one scripture that helps me on all financial issues in life, it is a verse written by Paul.

Instructor those who are rich in this present world not to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but to God, who richly supply us with all things to enjoy.

1 Timothy 6:18

In Matthew 6 Jesus warns us about materialism and keep yourself how to get to it’s root so that we can get to the root of our own misplaced priorities.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth; but if you’re up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is so will your heart be.

Matthew 6:19-21

Our treasure is always greatest, clearest, and truest revealer of our hearts.

If our Kroger is our money, time, energy, and resources, and we are putting our trust in temporal things.

Matthew 6:24 Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate no one and love it ever, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The battle of our priority boils down to this: Either we have faith in God and His promises are we have faith in things and money and in their power to deliver our life.Although we can have both material things and God, we can only serve one

What I come to realize is that materialism has less to do with things or money and more to do with our heart and our faith in God.

Now, perhaps you’re thinking, this all sounds great but how do you expect me to live in a material world without becoming materialistic? I still have to pay bills, make house payment and buy food right?

God knows that we need things such as food, clothing and housing, but He doesn’t want us to worry or fixate on them.

Jesus tells us:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you’ll eat or drink, or about your body or what will you wear. Look at the birds in the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in Barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:25-27

In the scripture, what Jesus is really saying to us is this“ do you trust me to come through for you? Don’t you know that you were significant and valuable to me? If you prioritize your life my way, I’m going to give you the deepest thing you long or in your heart because I love you.