2 Corinthians 12:9

NIV - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.


NLT - Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.


ISV - but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.


is sufficient - arkei - provided

• the grace has already been provided by Jesus himself for "If righteousness could be obtained through law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21) because grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17)

power - dunamis - power for performing miracles; power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, or hosts

• He is the army for the armor of God is quite simply the characteristics that define Christ himself

weakness - astheneia - to restrain corrupt desires; to do things great and glorious; to bear trials and troubles

• Weakness is not only bearing trials, it is the actual restraint of those corrupt desires. It is not only restraining corrupt desires, it is doing great and glorious things out of that! If we believe this verse and that His power is made perfect in our weakness, then we can certainly agree that weakness is great and glorious!

perfected - teleitai - to perform, execute, complete, fulfill; to pay

• His power is completed in our weakness; our weakness shows his power like a child who has gotten a scrap and is in need of a band-aid - when the mother provides it, her true motherhood is shown.

gladly - ēdista - most sweetly; emphasizing an action done with full gladness (no regret or reservation)

• teleitai gladness, not only telitai power.

May rest upon me - episkēnōsē - to pitch a tent upon; and then to dwell in or upon.

• Once the work is done to pop the tent, it is dwelled it (def: to live or stay as a permanent resident; to reside)

Sorry, Self that I Can't Feed You More Sin

Self pity is a hole with a pile of leaves over it. It seems to be sturdy - who cares if you step on it? It wont hurt you - everyone else jumps in leaf piles. The colors and comfort of the leaves will make you feel better, right? But you never saw the hole. You jumped in, expecting comfort and peace but were left with lack of escape and an even bigger problem than you started with. You need someone to pull you out. They pull you out with a rope. Not with words that are going to feed your pride - words can't get you out of a hole. Not with a words telling you how great you are or how you deserve better - words can't get you out of a hole. They throw you a rope saying, "Come on up. We don't want you to suffer down their." Suffering. You suffer in self pity. It's not comforting. It's not going to make other people want to tell you awesome things about you. Its simply selfishness wrapped in pride and sugar coated with gluttony.

Jesus, when walking to the cross, did NOT say, "Oh, why me? I shouldn't have to do this. These people around me get every good thing and all the riches, and I get nothing. No one cares about me." He said things such as these: Phillipians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.", Colossians 3:11 " Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.", John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth".

Isaiah 40:3

Why do we treat evangelism like it's a "when-convenient" scenario, when it's actually a "now-or-never" scenario? We need to wake up because not only are the "people around the world" perishing, the people in front of our faces are perishing. The "Now just isn't a good time" excuse doesn't work. Guess what: we serve the Author of time - every time is a good time. We serve the God in whom all things are good - every time is a good time. We serve a God who is never changing - every time is a good time.

Today, time stood still as my car spun out of control. I could have died. What did I think about during these moments? Did I think, "Now is just not a good time, God." ? No. In these few seconds, I thought to myself as my passenger yelled "Jesus, Jesus!", "Jesus, keep me here. I haven't told all of your  name and proclaimed 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' Keep me for I have been stagnant - I'm ready, now, to move."

Now IS a good time for Jesus said, "Go!"

Matthew 28:18-20

Our great commission is the God-breathed, huge transition to provide ultimate ammunition after complete sin abolition calling for the full - out extradition and removal of opposition to the Spirit's inhibition of you're flesh's precondition saying Christ was sipmly a logian and never an actual patrician, therefore, requiring no submission to remove this malnutrition yet He chose the acquisition of your life, because its very definition lies within the proposition that is called the great commission.

God Reigns

Freedom reigns because God is freedom, and God reigns.
Love reigns because God is love, and God reigns.
Grace reigns because God is grace, and God reigns.
Salvation reigns because God is salvation, and God reigns.
Peace reigns because God is peace, and God reigns.
Justice reigns because God is justice, and God reigns.
Mercy reigns because God is mercy, and God reigns.
Righteousness reigns because God is righteousness, and God reigns.
Joy reigns because God is joy, and God reigns.
Kindness reigns because God is kindness, and God reigns.
Beauty reigns because God is beauty, and God reigns.
God reigns because God is God, and forever shall He reign.

God, The Father

As I cried, I had a vision. God cradled me in His arms^{1, 3} and rocked me back and forth to sooth my crying², whilst catching my tears⁴. He sang me lullibies.⁵  And I was calmed.<sup>6



1</sup> Deuteronomy 33:27 ~ The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’
² Psalm 34:15 ~ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
³ Psalm 37:23-24 ~ The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
⁴ Psalm 56:8 ~ Record my mistery; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record?
⁵ Zephaniah 3:17 ~ The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
⁶ Psalm 107:28-29 ~ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

Galatians 6:3

³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. - NIV
³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. - NLT
³ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is only fooling himself. - ISV

We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are important. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are needed. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are worthy. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are something. We, by our selves, are nothing.

He, by Himself, is importance. He, by Himself, is needed. He, by Himself, is worthy. He, by Himself, is something. Without Him we are nothing, for He, by Himself, is everything (Ecclesiastes 3:14).