What is the difference between a spirit of infirmity and a messenger of satan (called a thorn in the flesh)
Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
Luke 13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
Then Paul
2 Cr 12:7 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.
Whereas Jesus loosed the woman from this spirit of infirmity, Paul said,
2 Cr 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2 Cr 12:9 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.
2 Cr 12:10 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.
I think I heard them all, but there does seem to be similarities between them.
Oh, and my back
What the real question that needs to be asked
is not what is the difference between the two
but rather This , DO WE TRULY LOVE the TRUTH , GOD , CHRIST .
Or do we , you , me or anyone ask questions because we desire and love something else .
That may seem a heavy question but its so simple a question i could ask it to a child .
WHY do we do as we do . THAT QUESTION i ask is for believers only .
WHY do we do as we do . THE real question i ask all today is this .
AND DO NOT answer this question . PRAY ABOUT IT .
WHY would reading the bible not be joyous .
WHY can we not just enjoy it , read it , be so edified by what we read .
WHY do we truly seek , and why would we truly seek
a different answer to what we read in plain english . VERY rare and rare indeed
is this done out of genuine lack of understanding
OFTEN and mostly its done , cause what we read , CONTRADICTED what we WANTED TO BELIEVE was TRUTH .
MAN i just summed up something so simple and the very reason why we often have had
SO many different teachings . THE BIBLE IS PRETTY clearly written .
Most all places in those letters that paul wrote to churches , that peter wrote , that jude
wrote , that the gospels said , that acts said , NOT to include revelation cause that can be bit harder
but the message to the seven churches IS VERY SIMPLE .
WHY would anyone heed anyone who twists doctrine . And the answer is
THEY DIDNT WANT TO BELIEVE what was written cause it got in the way of what THEY DESIRED to beleive was the truth .
That is the case in a very very high percentage . Some have general questions . AND as i wrote
and said MOST places , NOT ALL places , in the letters are quite simple.
SO lets ask ourselves at least this question today and tonight . HOW COME I DONT READ the bible
for myself . HOW COME i dont just read the letters and enjoy them for myself .
IF one asks this and generally truly desires to know the answer , OH IT WILL BE REVEALED . and the fault wont be ON GOD
it will have been on us . WHY do we read the bible maybe one or twice
and then hardly read it again .
AND WHY does this lamb LOVE TO READ IT DAILY and have done so for hours for over eighteen years .
THE LAST SENTENCE is not to boast in me , IT IS TO SAY , THIS IS POSSIBLE . AND i know it is .
AND I KNOW i aint the ONLY ONE that loves to read that bible so . ITS LIKE when we are in it
WE can read anything , and just LOVE and EMBRACE IT . SO WHY is that so hard for the many .