GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH

[Grace777x70]

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[TD="width: 100%, align: left"]Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [/TD]
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[TD="colspan: 3, align: left"] When you say, “I can manage this problem by myself, Lord,” God says, “Okay, you do it then.” But when you say, “Help me, Lord! I need You. I cannot do this on my own,” God says, “Good, I have been waiting for you to say that. You cannot, but I can. Now, watch Me!” That is how God is—He loves it when you depend on Him.

You see, when you think that you are strong and don’t need God, He cannot help you. But when you need Him and look to Him, He will not leave you weak and helpless. He comes and becomes the strength of your life. He becomes the breakthrough that you need.

A church member with a smoking habit came to me one day and said, “Pastor, please pray that God will help me. I want to stop my smoking habit.”

I told him simply, “You cannot, but God can.”

He replied, “Yes, I know that I can’t. But with God’s help, I will discipline myself and try my best to quit the habit.”

I told him, “No, you cannot, but God can.” I repeated this to him a few times until he realized that it was not his self-discipline or willpower that would help him overcome his smoking habit, but the power of God. He finally understood that true deliverance from this destructive habit would not come by his own strength, but by “[being] strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”.

When I saw him again a few weeks later, he said, “Pastor, since that day, I didn’t even try to stop myself from smoking. But each time I lit up, I told God, ‘I cannot, but You can.’ Then one day, the craving was gone! Jesus has completely delivered me from my bondage to nicotine!” This man experienced true deliverance, not just an outward form of discipline and willpower.

So when you say, “I can do something about it,” you are still relying on your human strength. But when you say to God, “I cannot, but You can,” you have just tapped into the real source of your strength—Jesus. And as you rest in His strength, you will see His power manifesting in your life!

Grace Inspirations Joseph Prince Ministries
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[1ofthem]

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[TD="align: left"]Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [/TD]
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[TD="colspan: 3, align: left"] When you say, “I can manage this problem by myself, Lord,” God says, “Okay, you do it then.” But when you say, “Help me, Lord! I need You. I cannot do this on my own,” God says, “Good, I have been waiting for you to say that. You cannot, but I can. Now, watch Me!” That is how God is—He loves it when you depend on Him.

You see, when you think that you are strong and don’t need God, He cannot help you. But when you need Him and look to Him, He will not leave you weak and helpless. He comes and becomes the strength of your life. He becomes the breakthrough that you need.

A church member with a smoking habit came to me one day and said, “Pastor, please pray that God will help me. I want to stop my smoking habit.”

I told him simply, “You cannot, but God can.”

He replied, “Yes, I know that I can’t. But with God’s help, I will discipline myself and try my best to quit the habit.”

I told him, “No, you cannot, but God can.” I repeated this to him a few times until he realized that it was not his self-discipline or willpower that would help him overcome his smoking habit, but the power of God. He finally understood that true deliverance from this destructive habit would not come by his own strength, but by “[being] strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”.

When I saw him again a few weeks later, he said, “Pastor, since that day, I didn’t even try to stop myself from smoking. But each time I lit up, I told God, ‘I cannot, but You can.’ Then one day, the craving was gone! Jesus has completely delivered me from my bondage to nicotine!” This man experienced true deliverance, not just an outward form of discipline and willpower.

So when you say, “I can do something about it,” you are still relying on your human strength. But when you say to God, “I cannot, but You can,” you have just tapped into the real source of your strength—Jesus. And as you rest in His strength, you will see His power manifesting in your life!

Grace Inspirations Joseph Prince Ministries[/TD]
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That was an awesome post with such a good message. Thanks for posting that. I really needed that message today. I having been struggling with different things in my life and have felt like such a failure. You're post encouraged me to just give it over to God and let him fix it. I can't do anything in myself but God can do all things.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Some people are weak, some people are strong. For those who don't have the will power to stop smoking, then their only hope is for GOD to intervene somehow. For those with a strong enough will, that intervention is not necessary. Same result.

 

[roaringkitten]

Good topic friend!

Some verses that come to mind:

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isa 40:28-31

 

[Grace777x70]

That was an awesome post with such a good message. Thanks for posting that. I really needed that message today. I having been struggling with different things in my life and have felt like such a failure. You're post encouraged me to just give it over to God and let him fix it. I can't do anything in myself but God can do all things.

I'm glad that it was a blessing to you. The sign of the prideful and self-sufficient ones is that they can do things themselves and then if they need God - they will hope in Him.

Some people rely on themselves and "their" strength and others rely on the Lord. It's a beautiful and freeing day when we know without Him we can do nothing.

Galatians 3:3 (NASB)
[SUP]3 [/SUP] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The Lord takes no pleasure in those that depend on their own strength - in those that walk in their own will-power and strength. We need Him for everything for we have died and our real life is hidden in Christ with God. ( Col 3:3 )

Psalm 147:10 (NASB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.

The Lord is with us when we humble ourselves to depend on Him alone for life and strength. All is well with you....

 

[FreeNChrist]

"No one can ever be to weak for Christ to work in them and through them, but they can be too strong. No one can ever be too simple, but they can be too clever. No one can be too poor, but they can be too rich. It is as God exposes to us our weakness that we will be ready to trust in Him for strength that is not our own. " - Charles W. Price

 

[roaringkitten]

"No one can ever be to weak for Christ to work in them and through them, but they can be too strong. No one can ever be too simple, but they can be too clever. No one can be too poor, but they can be too rich. It is as God exposes to us our weakness that we will be ready to trust in Him for strength that is not our own. " - Charles W. Price

The apostle Paul:

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Cor 12:7-9

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

I'm glad that it was a blessing to you. The sign of the prideful and self-sufficient ones is that they can do things themselves and then if they need God - they will hope in Him.

Some people rely on themselves and "their" strength and others rely on the Lord. It's a beautiful and freeing day when we know without Him we can do nothing.

And then some people rely on the witness of scripture and the ability that GOD gives them through the new covenant to overcome sin. As it is written:

And they overcame [satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their witness, and they loved not their lives unto death. Revelation 12:11​

 

[1ofthem]

Some people are weak, some people are strong. For those who don't have the will power to stop smoking, then their only hope is for GOD to intervene somehow. For those with a strong enough will, that intervention is not necessary. Same result.

I'm not talking about smoking here. I just feel that I am weak in many things. I am weak, but I know that God is strong. Grace777's post help to remind me of that fact. I try to take a lot of things on myself and fix them but I always fall under the burden when I rely on myself and not God.

With me the will is present, but I just cant perform it on my own. I think that is what Paul was talking about in Romans 7.
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

 

[Grace777x70]

Philippians 4:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

The "old man" died on the cross with Jesus..this is why people don't understand the difference between spirit which is the inner man of the heart......there is still the flesh left which has the power of sin in it.

If we don't "know" that the old man is dead...we will never understand the new creation in Christ..created in righteousness and holiness....then the natural mind cannot understand this spiritual principal....This is the problem with some.

Romans 6:5-8 (NASB)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
[SUP]6[/SUP] knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
[SUP]7 [/SUP] for he who has died is freed from sin.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,


Galatians 2:20 (KJV)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

am crucified with Christ = perfect passive = a done deal ...an action done in the past with a result being continuously in the present

 

[1ofthem]

Thanks again...It was such a good message and very uplifting and encouraging...It is good to be put in remembrance that I can do nothing by myself but I can do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens me. Thanks for the encouraging words. I hope you and everyone here have a blessed day!

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

I'm not talking about smoking here. I just feel that I am weak in many things. I am weak, but I know that God is strong. Grace777's post help to remind me of that fact. I try to take a lot of things on myself and fix them but I always fall under the burden when I rely on myself and not God.

With me the will is present, but I just cant perform it on my own. I think that is what Paul was talking about in Romans 7.
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

You are blessed to be able to put your confidence in GOD. Nothing wrong with weakness, and strength doesn't make us righteous.

 

[Grace777x70]

I'm not talking about smoking here. I just feel that I am weak in many things. I am weak, but I know that God is strong. Grace777's post help to remind me of that fact. I try to take a lot of things on myself and fix them but I always fall under the burden when I rely on myself and not God.

With me the will is present, but I just cant perform it on my own. I think that is what Paul was talking about in Romans 7.
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

You are ok.......don't listen to people that try to compare you with themselves and call you weak. It's a good thing to be weak within ourselves but our life and trust is in the Lord only - never in ourselves but only in what He has already done for us.

 

[1ofthem]

Thanks, you have really helped me today. I used to go to a Holiness/Pentecostal church and I always felt like I was probably one of the least or weakest people there. I know people encouraged me at times, but sometimes the message seemed so discouraging especially when some would get up and judge others and brag on their own selves. Instead of trying to encourage it sometimes felt like some people wanted to kick you when you were down. I know that I am supposed to keep my eyes on God and not look to other people, but sometimes it is hard to do that.

Anyhow, thanks again...I thank God for the encouragement I have gotten from your message today.

 

[FreeNChrist]

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him." 1 Cor. 1:26-29

 

[Grace777x70]

Thanks, you have really helped me today. I used to go to a Holiness/Pentecostal church and I always felt like I was probably one of the least or weakest people there. I know people encouraged me at times, but sometimes the message seemed so discouraging especially when some would get up and judge others and brag on their own selves. Instead of trying to encourage it sometimes felt like some people wanted to kick you when you were down. I know that I am supposed to keep my eyes on God and not look to other people, but sometimes it is hard to do that.

Anyhow, thanks again...I thank God for the encouragement I have gotten from your message today.

I hear what you are saying. Self-willed people tend to look down on others that don't have "their" will-power in certain areas like they do. It's a sign of self-righteousness and pride but we did not learn Christ this way. I encourage you to listen to messages on the grace and unconditional love of God for us. This D.I.Y. self-effort/righteousness/holiness mindset is of the flesh only. It's the life of Christ in us as we depend on Him only is what really transforms us.


Have a great weekend!....

 

[Joidevivre]

This thread is a wonderful one, yet I experienced being strong in a different way. I prayed and prayed and relied on God's strength for years to give up smoking. One day I felt Him asking me, "Would you deny yourself this (idol - God of comfort) out of love for me? Would you be willing to go through even withdrawal pains for me? Would you put to death this craving?"

It was because of those questions that I had the strength to say YES and no to smoking, it was out of love for Him. I learned at that time that when the life of Christ indwells you, you do have the ability and purpose to deny yourself, and I only grew stronger in self-discipline because of that. Self discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but we can either let it lie there dormant or use that fruit and cause it to flourish in our lives.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

I hear what you are saying. Self-willed people tend to look down on others that don't have "their" will-power in certain areas like they do. It's a sign of self-righteousness and pride but we did not learn Christ this way. I encourage you to listen to messages on the grace and unconditional love of God for us. This D.I.Y. self-effort/righteousness/holiness mindset is of the flesh only. It's the life of Christ in us as we depend on Him only is what really transforms us.


Have a great weekend!....

Quit confusing the issue to this person with your own smug self-righteousness for following your formula for salvation. Self-will and self-effort are not self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is taking pride in what one does. Those in the holiness church who made this person feel discouraged were looking to their own need to feel justified and look good to other people rather than looking at her need to be lifted up, comforted and encouraged.

Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2​

 

[Grace777x70]

This thread is a wonderful one, yet I experienced being strong in a different way. I prayed and prayed and relied on God's strength for years to give up smoking. One day I felt Him asking me, "Would you deny yourself this (idol - God of comfort) out of love for me? Would you be willing to go through even withdrawal pains for me? Would you put to death this craving?"

It was because of those questions that I had the strength to say YES and no to smoking, it was out of love for Him. I learned at that time that when the life of Christ indwells you, you do have the ability and purpose to deny yourself, and I only grew stronger in self-discipline because of that. Self discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but we can either let it lie there dormant or use that fruit and cause it to flourish in our lives.

Amen...self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. We must be willing to do what He has for us to do. This is where extreme grace ( as it is called but it is not grace at all ) goes wrong. They think grace will cover all things for them no matter what they do. There are natural consequences to what we do here on this earth. Real grace transforms us and empowers us to be who we really are in Christ as we behold Christ. This stems from our spirit and not our own flesh and self reliance.

Great testimony of living from our inner person created in Christ as we have died with Christ and recognizing Him for who He really is - transforms us.

 

[1ofthem]

Quit confusing the issue to this person with your own smug self-righteousness for following your formula for salvation. Self-will and self-effort are not self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is taking pride in what one does. Those in the holiness church who made this person feel discouraged were looking to their own need to feel justified and look good to other people rather than looking at her need to be lifted up, comforted and encouraged.

Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2​

I'm sorry if I made that sound like I was talking about everyone in the Holiness church. I wasn't I love Holiness people and all people regardless of denomination. I was raised in what you could call a split denomination. My Grandfather was Baptist and Grandmother was holiness. I went to a Baptist church 1 time a week and holiness 2 times a week. I remember being very confused as a child and starting at the age of about 9, I began to pray that the Lord would guide me and teach me his ways and not let me follow the traditions of men.

The Baptist talked about the Holiness the Holiness talked about the Baptist and I began going to other denominations, Church of God, Methodist and so on...And it just seemed that everyone thought that their church was the only right church. I just couldn't understand why they all couldn't just love one another and get along. I decided that I did not want to affiliate with one denomination over the other so I am non-denominational. I can worship God with anyone who is following him with their whole heart. I think that there are good people in each denomination.