THE NECESSITY of WEAKNESS I Bring Christmas Greetings to You, by Carter Conlon Mighty Warrior! “And I, Brethren, When I Came to Strong-Willed, and Successful
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“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9). tscnyc.org VOL XII / ISSUE 12 / DECEMBER 2016 Dear Friend, THE NECESSITY OF WEAKNESS I bring Christmas greetings to you, by Carter Conlon mighty warrior! “And I, brethren, when I came to strong-willed, and successful. Right now you’re thinking, “Wow. you, did not come with excellence And so we ask ourselves the Did this ever get mailed to the wrong of speech or of wisdom declaring question: Why, then, when adding address! If they only knew who and to you the testimony of God. For I Christ to all of this, would he now what I am.” determined not to know anything consider himself weak? And why among you except Jesus Christ would he prefer weakness to his Well, perhaps I know more than and Him crucified. I was with you former state? you think. When God is about to do in weakness, in fear, and in much something mighty, He characteristically trembling. And my speech and my n BOASTING IN WEAKNESS searches for vessels who know their preaching were not with persuasive In the book of Second Corinthians, own weaknesses. Those who are strong words of human wisdom, but in Paul speaks of a time when he was in themselves always find that battles demonstration of the Spirit and of caught up to the third heaven—a which can be won only in the Spirit power, that your faith should not place where he heard utterances are beyond the scope of their highest be in the wisdom of men but in the that he could not even put into abilities. That’s what this newsletter power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5). words (see 2 Corinthians 12:2–4). is all about. “And lest I should be exalted above By his own testimony, the Apostle measure by the abundance of the Why don’t you give yourself a great Paul stood among the people in revelations, a thorn in the flesh Christmas present this year by simply weakness. Yet it is arguable that was given to me, a messenger of believing what it will speak to your prior to meeting Christ, in his Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted heart. Remember today that even own natural ability he had stood above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Jesus cried out, “My God, my as the strongest among his peers. In other words, lest it become all God, why have You forsaken me?” He described his former life as about me; lest I become proud in (Mark 15:34). That was on the day very strict—taught by the best my own strength. After all, that of the greatest victory humankind minds of his day, bypassing others is the human condition. The has ever known! It was in His who were striving to advance fallen nature of man wants to weakness that hell bent its knee themselves religiously in the boast in itself. and we were released from its grasp. same way that he was (see Acts And it is through your weakness 22:3, Galatians 1:14). Paul even There is that others will find their Savior said of himself, “Concerning the and freedom in the days ahead. righteousness which is in the law, a strength blameless” (Philippians 3:6). A very, very Merry Christmas to What a phenomenal boast on available in Christ you, indeed! his part! It would be the same that human as somebody without Christ With you in weakness, today claiming, “To the best of my intellect or effort knowledge, I have thought no evil, cannot even Pastor Carter Conlon spoken no evil, and seen no evil. I have done everything the way I begin to touch. believe God would have me do it.” The Bible tells us that this thorn Before his conversion, Paul in his flesh was so grievous to obviously was very determined, Paul that he pleaded with God to THE NECESSITY OF WEAKNESS tscnyc.org take it away. Yet the Lord replied, the simplicity of faith and wanted to began searching for holes in the “‘My grace is sufficient for you, follow something more visible. They rocks to hide in. They were a type for My strength is made perfect wanted something human that they of Christians in our generation who in weakness.’ Therefore most could take pride in, so they went to find themselves unable to go forward. gladly I [Paul] will rather boast Samuel and essentially said, “We Many are thinking about finding a in my infirmities, that the power of want a king like the other nations safe place to hide where they can Christ may rest upon me. Therefore around us. We have had the divine, ride out the coming storm. “How can I take pleasure in infirmities, in but we want human leadership now. I get by without being persecuted in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, We want to worship something that the marketplace? How can I avoid in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For is visible” (see 1 Samuel 8:4–5). being vilified or fired because I when I am weak, then I am strong” believe in traditional marriage and (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Whenever it the sanctity of life?” Paul learned to boast in everything looks as if the All the while, this mammoth, big- that was allowed to come into his people of God mouthed giant was coming out every life that kept him entirely dependent morning and challenging the armies upon God. At one point, he even are up against of Israel, saying, “You are going to testified that “when we were in serve us. There is no chance that Asia we were pressed above strength an enemy they you are going to win this fight!” to the point that we despaired of life” cannot defeat, the (see 1 Samuel 17:8–9). And that (2 Corinthians 1:8). In other words, was true...in the physical realm. we thought we were not going to strength of God is Nobody in his own strength could make it. It was so difficult! revealed through match the power that was standing on the other side of that valley. Perhaps life feels just like that for weakness. Likewise, if you and I try to fight the you these days. It is hard going to darkness of this hour with human the same job and listening to the And so God gave them a king named reasoning and human zeal, we will same gossiping voices all around you. Saul. He was handsome, standing discover that we are no match for it. It is hard coming home to the same head and shoulders above everyone, empty apartment or fighting for the and everybody rejoiced. However, semblance of family that you have what they got was a strategist, not It is not about left. Everything is just so difficult. a seeker. Although Saul started what we can But that is why we must learn, as out with a marginal acceptance of Paul did, that there is a strength spiritual things, ultimately he was a do for God, it available in Christ that human thinker—a self-made man who led is about what God intellect or effort cannot even predominantly by his own reasoning. begin to touch. It is not available can do for Himself to the proud, for “God resists the Of course, Saul did manage to win through us to proud and gives grace to the humble” many great victories. He defeated (see James 4:6). If you are ever going the Amalekites; he had an army that glorify His be used of God, you must first was well-trained. Everything seemed discover this truth. to be going fine until suddenly the own name! Israelites were confronted with n NO MATCH FOR THE ENEMY Goliath—a power that everyone, n THE STRENGTH OF GOD REVEALED Unfortunately, humankind typically including Saul, knew they could The good news is that whenever despises weakness. Throughout not defeat in their own strength. things finally come to the point where history, we see the tendency to it looks as if the people of God are up shun the simplicity of faith and I can just picture the Israelites with against an enemy they cannot defeat, gravitate toward something more all their armor, looking to their king the strength of God is revealed tangible and self-satisfying. standing a foot or so taller than the through weakness. In the case of rest—representing their confidence Saul and his army, the strength of For example, we see that in the in human strength and ingenuity God was revealed through a teenage Old Testament, God Himself was to lead them. However, Saul could boy. One day, young David showed leading the Israelites. Nevertheless, do nothing but tremble with the up in the Israelite camp, sent by his the people got tired of walking in rest of them. Eventually, the people father with some cakes and cheese to tscnyc.org THE NECESSITY OF WEAKNESS give to his brothers. Now David came own. You could not have escaped strength and our confidence will no as one who had been walking with the prison that you were in; your longer be in ourselves. We see this God—one with incredible passion marriage was dead until you began hold true throughout Paul’s journey. for the honor of His name. That to pray. You could not have endured For example, it was in weakness is what you and I need more than the trial that came into your life had that Paul, in the midst of a storm, anything else! Remember, it is not you not trusted God! was relegated to the belly of the ship about what we can do for God, it is among the slaves and prisoners.