How to Understand a Thorn, Part 1

To get rid of Dr. Tony Evans says those painful problems. We think of his burden may really be blessings is because he wants to show celebrating faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the alternative when life gets thorny.

Many times our only instinct is to do whatever it takes to get things back to normal. Dr. Evans explains today.

God just might have something bigger in mind, let's join him in the book of Exodus as he explains a dense fog covering seven blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of less than one glass of actual water fall, covering seven blocks so you can see even 100 feet in front of you that only has a glass of water that composes that much fall 16 droplets that are spread out particles settling back seven block area, but it can announce your ability to see things clearly. Many today are living in a spiritual fog may allow a couple of trouble, irritation, or about the day for its vision and dampen their spirits. You live in the sunshine when all you see all make no mistake about on a foggy day, but the question is such a little bit of water because all this confusion is second Corinthians chapter 12 verse seven through 10 where Paul discusses the full assembly introduces us to it. The reality of the foreign descent because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself that was given to me a thorn in the flesh of messenger of Satan to buffet me that's not birthday me to trouble me to torment me to irritate me to exacerbate me or put in everyday contemporary colloquial language to get on my last nerve Greek word for foreign report splints a needle of some kind that you we bought a needle on or splints from war to get things done what so irritate us. It could be you that the fish piercing. It's it's skin which you can shake itself, not every making things worse: anything that irritates your life on a continuous basis for this irritate exacerbate strength your life all knowingly you can shake it down. Paul says that was given to me in the flesh, something irritate me now you can read commentaries of the law.

You have a lot of guesswork as to what Paul was. For example, Paul talks about how when he was trying to like the charges he had trouble seeing that he had any amanuensis a recorder who would like for him and so son José. Well, it was his problem was that others will say well it was always being told that this group called the Judaizers undermining his ministry and so they were irritation to him.

Maybe it was that Paul speaks of being lonely. He says everyone is safe to me. Some say it was loneliness but the Bible never says what historians and that's good. If you can put your foot on the anything that nags frustrated, exacerbates one continuous level of verse 10.

He said it could be insults distresses persecutions more difficult.

Some of you all having to deal with emotional thing that have to do with your feelings. You are you are lonely you perhaps have been single for an important amount of time and you are simply tired of being alone and it clicks you nags you irritates you, since depression that keep popping up.

You can't shake it and its memories or regrets.

When you look back over your life. You wish you could've done things differently, but you can't because that's history. Now you've not been able to shake it's an emotional others have relational forms people get on your nerves.

They always pop up at the wrong time, which is anytime they show up.

This could be the person living in an unhappy marriage. They have no biblical grounds for divorce. Spiritually, they are unhappy and it becomes an irritation to relational kind of others have financial colons a long time trying to find a job for the right job and it's not coming through, or perhaps you'll stop happy work situation looks like every time you try to get when you think you made it so Mills breaks down something else shows up and you can't shake this financial situation. I guess one of the worst dogs. There is a physical disabilities chronic illnesses headaches that won't go away. Things that are wrong with your body that are not supported.

Please notice this phrase in verse seven that was given beautiful we could spend an hour on as long what the gift will pink you don't get back to me bad that God is giving away forms you about this too much today. Dear Baha'i given blessed money, how to given thoughts that was given in the flash humanity you Satan let me go on and deliver it to work to be given to me by every service. While the Messenger of the relational somebody in your life you weigh nothing but the devil well you are right, but the gift came from God what God is leading the charge. Nothing happens and maybe not being that there is not by God.

He made it happen. By God, he located happening third category like a look on Shay's faith words that ought not be part of any serious Christian vocabulary because I have a lot to deny sovereignty. You can have an omniscient God knows everything and some by this I would be if that was not what you God had okay there's a great example of that in Scripture that Dr. Evans will tell us about it when he comes back in a moment with more of this lesson from his current series freedom through forgiveness is a look at the connection between release and relief when we experience the mercy of God, and pass along to others and would like to pass along a copy of this six lesson collection to you as our thank you gift when you support Tony's ministry with a contribution along with it will include his companion booklet 30 days to victory through forgiveness.

It explains how in a single month. You can learn to let go of the pain that others have caused you, or that you've caused yourself to resources, both designed to help you break the cycle of old hurts but keep causing new herds both yours with our thanks for your contribution. This offer is only available for a short time to visit us right away@tonyevans.org or call our 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 for details before time runs out. I have her contact information again for you a little later on after part two of today's lesson and this thing about serving an infinite God is that no matter how much you know there's always more to learn so brand-new to Scripture or an experienced ministry professional.

There's something for you with Tony Evans training will find online courses covering core concepts working at your own pace and schedule digging deep into the historical context of the book uncover the key teachings and learn how to apply them in real situations. There's lots of exclusive content from Dr. Evans to keep you interested and motivated, and an online form where you can ask questions and answers can collaborate with other students. The more you learn, the more you want to give it a try Tony of and strings discovered in time, anywhere. Job's life is when you read John chapter 1 God's thoughts.

God says to the devil. Job 1 considered my servant Job says what could you bless piquant lessons he will serving in the God. Tell the devil go right.

I'm going to get Joel on and you can deliver it if it's messing with you. God located first grade creature that he created the devil the ability of God. Especially when you allow the answer is in the question. The devil is not the devil.

The devil is… He operates by permission. You know what you're facing is virtually concerning this entry to the Lord three times that it might depart from me, if this will irritate you in getting on your nerves you about it, not anything about it – a full and by God: sticking you.

Many of us are trying to get rid of some God doing some limited it was given to me about getting rid of this will be right know will you help me printed up and got serious Christian serious prayer and his phone irritate you and God not take. That's because he is not finished with the gift because it's a gift for the gift. It was given to me. Why would God give me a gift like something that nags me in perpetuity, something that won't go away.

Day after day week after week, month, year after year. God and God is good all the time and all the time God is good God, give me something to me like this. I don't deserve this. I deserve better back over seven there are two reasons God gives you a full number one because of the surpassing greatness of the Revelation. The first thing the first reason this is very important that you all if he wants to show you some new things. Let's look at Paul's Revelation.

This chapter verse two I know a man in Christ. But himself.

The third person who 14 years ago, whether in the body I do not know how the body I do not know God, no such member to the third heaven and I know how such a man, whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know God knows what in the paradise and heard the words which a man is not permitted to speak what is the history always got to see heaven to come back to discuss. He says he went to the heavens. There is the atmospheric habit where the clouds are oxygen is there is the stellar habit installs the planets in the solar system. There is the flow of God paradise.

The place where every believer goes when they die, was taken to paradise. I like what he says. He says I don't know. It was a dimension not familiar with it what it was that experience that is unlike any experience at sea can't fully explain happen to because it operates in another did mention itis explained by state.

I'm not sure articulated, but that's what you know what put words together to formulate because it inexpressibly one of the reasons God gives you is because he wants to show you some things that go beyond what's normal for you things that go beyond what's average for you.

So many Christians off to get complaining about all asking what God is and before part of the Revelation would not give you all you have something new, something you may God is going to express your anointing when he increases your phone… Something you want to get all if you get from God should never devil. The devil has got something in store. Dr. Tony Evans explaining why things that make us uncomfortable also make us grow in a message he calls how to understand a thorn it's just one part of her current series of six lesson collection called freedom through forgiveness, which include some bonus material. We won't have time to present on the year.

This time around. As I mentioned earlier, you can get this six lesson collection is our gift to make a contribution to help keep Tony's teaching on the station along with the companion booklet 30 days to victory through forgiveness. As you've heard the urban alternative is celebrating 40 years of ministry this year so your support is an investment in an organization with some deep roots. Those roots sink even deeper back into Dr. Evans early life and ministry. Here's what he told me recently about an important person and events from his undergrad days at Carver Bible College that shaped who he would become John McNeil was a great influencer in my life in college and I would spend a lot of time talking with him. His house was on campus, so I would go over and I would do work for him in his house. This little odds and ends kinds of things but that gave me a lot of time to spend his wife would always give me ice cream for doing work and there was a lot of affirmation that came from him as we were trying to deal with because I'm now in Atlanta and the civil rights thing is you hot and heavy coming out of Lenox and so there was a lot of tension in the air, so we will always wrestling theologically, practically with the whole issue of race in the Bible.

It was while it was in Atlanta that I was denied to go to a white church. There simply because they did not want to have a black person in the church and the church split over so there were dual tracks. I was always operating on even when I went to college there was a dual track because it was conservative theology, even though it was in a context of social change. So that was another crises in my life that also help prepare me for an emphasis on racial reconciliation even to today spreading the message of biblical reconciliation is just one of the outreaches you make possible. When you support the urban alternative. So again, contact us today at 1-800-800-3222.

Let us say thanks for your help sending you the special to resource package freedom through forgiveness and 30 days to victory through forgiveness. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222, or make the arrangements online at Tony have in stock or when you do take a moment to click on the link that says Jesus there you get a clear picture of who God is, how much he loves you and how the light of his love can drive all the darkness out of your life. Tony will talk about how the Lord's death on the cross paid the price for everything you and I have ever done wrong and made it possible for us to have a real personal relationship with God. Starting now and continuing through eternity. The Bible says there's no other way to make this happen so visit Tony Avenue and start or today to find out more again that's Tony and just.org will tomorrow. More from Dr. Evans on what our God-given thorns can teach us how to deal with the discomfort they cause. Along the way. I hope you will be with the alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you