Limping Toward Heaven: Why Your Thorn Might Be a Blessing

You ready for something new , something that will challenge your thinking and heart ? Are you willing and ready to unlearn in order to learn , willing to tear down so God can rebuild ? Good , let's get up and go . People are waiting for us . Let's go fishing .

I was in a place where I was actually working in some legal areas and around five o'clock , god just said stop for a minute , I got something to share with you . This was yesterday , y'all . So that tells you . It's not going to be a deep word , but it is a profound word . And God just had me

think about something . How can I put it where ? I'm not putting you guys in a weird position here , you know . So we all have our weaknesses , we all have our proclivities , we all have our situations where we're not at our best . We have weaknesses , we have things in our lives that are sin .

We have things in our life that are not pleasing to God and we struggle with it . And , as you remember I said before , struggling is not always a negative thing . I mean , the best is that we not have the struggle at all , but the fact that we have the struggle means we haven't surrendered to the thing that God does not like in us .

He loves us but he doesn't like what that proclivity , what that issue is in us . And you know , I know some people I always say this , but I know some people are so hungry for tea . I know I say this , but I know some people are so hungry for tea .

But I'm not going to get into my particular issues or issue , because some people rather have tea than pray .

And so you know , when you've been in church as long as I have , when you've been in the body of Christ for a couple of seasons , you know you come to realize that you can't share everything with everyone , because some people , even though they say I'm praying for you , they're really talking about you and there are some truly sincere people who are actually

praying for you . Thank God for those people . But you know what is that buzzing sound ? Anyway , I go by the assumption that there are just some people who just are into other things . No issues , no problems . I just prefer to share where I'm at and also to encourage people who may have the same challenges which , if we're being honest , all of us do .

However , let's get into it . I want to talk about something that got laid on my heart yesterday , and I don't have a theme per se . I don't want to put a title on it because I never know what a title is until afterwards .

But I want to talk about that holy handicap you have , or that thorn you have in your life , or thorns , and you know to some people , and I want to preface this by saying this you know , we've grown up in a society , we've grown up in a world where people see imperfections or flaws as negative things . I've grown up with that .

I've grown up with that , you've grown up with that . We've come to strive to be perfect before people , trying to please people . And if you've gone long enough , you realize that it's not worth even trying to please people , because people aren't God . The only person we seek to please , even though we still try to please people , is we should seek to please God .

The only person we seek to please , even though we still try to please people , is we should seek to please God . And the way we please God is by being obedient to his word in our perfections and imperfections Amen . But I want to share with you a different aspect . Take another look at your thorn . Take another look at your flaws , at your imperfections .

I want to start with something . Let's start with looking at Genesis 32 . Today I'm going to spend time in the ESV version or the English Standard version . I particularly love the King James Version and the Amplified , sometimes the CSB version even .

But I wanted to use different versions to help people understand different things , because I know some people that follow this podcast aren't necessarily beholden to the King James Version because it's difficult to read . I understand because I felt the same way . I love the Amplified Version , so it was my favorite .

King James doesn't have to be my first source , but I go to Amplified , I go to CSB , I go to ESV , I go to the Names of God Bible . I definitely go to the Hebrew and the Greek Interlinear Bible , especially when I have studies . But I want to spend time in ESV today . Let's look at Genesis 32 , verses 22 through 32 .

We're going to talk about Jacob , and then we're going to jump into 2 Corinthians , 12 , 1 and 10 . We're going to talk about Paul and finally we're going to end at Matthew 18 , 5 and 9 . We're going to talk about us . So Genesis 32 , 22,

. 32 reads as this the same night he rose , he being Jacob , and he took his two wives , his two female servants and his eleven children and crossed the fort of the Jabbok . He took them and sent them across the stream and everything else that he had . And Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day .

Breaking of the day , when a man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob , he touched his hip socket and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him . Then he said let me go , for the day has broken . But Jacob said I will not let you go unless you bless me . And he said to him what is your name ? And he said Jacob .

Then he said your name shall no longer be called Jacob , but Israel , for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed . And Jacob asked him Please tell me your name . But he said why is it that you ask my name ? And there he blessed him .

So Jacob called the name of the place , peniel , saying For I have seen God face to face , yet my life has been delivered . The sun rose upon him as he passed Peniel , limping because of his hip .

Therefore , to this day , the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket , because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip , on the sinew of the thigh , and the Lord had a blessing to the reading of his word . And sanctify these truths in your heart .

So , jacob , just to give you background , jacob was the son of Isaac and Leah and Jacob his name , by definition , is trickster and uh no , jacob was a trip . It was a trip Um and , and Jacob um was known for um , not necessarily being an honest person .

Just to be plain , and I think some of you can understand where that's coming from , jacob was a person who lied quite a bit . He tricked his father , isaac , into giving the blessing that actually was given to the oldest son . So you know Jacob had a brother , Esau . There was Jacob and Esau . Esau was born first , jacob was born second .

Actually , they were twins and Jacob , would you know he would engage in things that were kind of devious . So you know , jacob engage in things that were kind of devious . So you know Jacob would do things that were usually not necessarily good , I'll put it that way .

And the ultimate betrayal is stealing the birthright of Esau by tricking Isaac , his father , into believing that it was Esau who came for the blessing and I'm sorry , let me go back . You know , when I said Jacob was the son of Isaac and Leah was actually the son of Isaac and Rachel . Sorry about that . So in a long story short , jacob .

When Esau found out Jacob stole his birthright , jacob fled because he was afraid of Esau . Esau was a very rugged man , he was a very strong man , he was a man of war . So , for lack of a better word , jacob had to reap what he sowed , fled from his family and stayed with a man called Laban , who was his father-in-law .

Laban actually turned into a trickster , was a trickster himself and eventually how can I put it ? He played Jacob such that . You know , because Laban had two daughters and um , I'm sorry , I still got distracted . So jacob had to marry both of laban's daughters and um .

So in a long story short , we're at the point now where jacob is um , trying to reconcile with his brother , and so he . He had his two wives go to a different area so that he would not , if Esau decided to kill him , he wouldn't lose everything he had . So , in a sense , what happened was the night before Jacob was to meet Esau .

This event took place in Genesis 32 , 22 through 32 . And in this event , what was amazing is Jacob was away from everybody , away from everything . He was alone .

And I'm getting to this point because it's and I'm really I'm feeling this a little bit , so I'm getting to this point Jacob was left alone and it was when he was away from everything and everyone , away from all the fanfare , away from all the responsibilities , away from all the things that made him stay as a trickster , jesus , when he got away from everything

that made him stay , jacob , he came face to face with God . When he got away from everything that made him stay , jacob , he came face to face with God , who came in the form of a man who wrestled with Jacob .

Now , I don't want to speculate , but there are a lot of people who believe that God was wrestling with Jacob to have Jacob fight for what he was to become and to fight against what he is . I don't know , but I like that explanation . But the biggest thing is this Jacob , before the wrestling match was full body , no handicaps , no issues .

But after he wrestled with this man , or wrestled with God , he walked away with a limp . He walked away with a limp . He walked away with three things actually . The first thing is he walked away with a limp because God touched the socket of his hip , so he walked away with a handicap in some people's eyes , and I'll get to that later .

The second thing he walked away with was his name being changed Verse 27 your name shall no longer be called Jacob , but Israel , for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed . So there was a change in his name , but also there was a change in his character . And the third thing he walked away with was the blessing Verse 29 .

And there he blessed him . So again , jacob walked away with a limp . He walked away with a name change , no longer being defined by his name , trickster , but being defined by now , a nation . Third thing he walked away with was the blessing of God .

Beloved , you're conditioned , you're thorn To everyone else looks bad , you look imperfect to everyone else looks bad , you look imperfect . You don't look like someone who's acceptable and you probably have been rejected by other people . It's okay , because even though you may have a limp , you have been changed by God . I want to give you another witness .

Let's look at 2 Corinthians , 12 , 1 and 10 . I want to give you another

witness . Let's look at 2 Corinthians , 12 , 1 and 10 . This is the Apostle Paul . Paul says this I know a man in Christ who , 14 years ago , was caught up to the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body , I do not know , god knows . And I know that this man was caught up into paradise . I'm sorry , let me start over again . I misread that .

Let's go back to verse 3 . And I know that this man was caught up into paradise , whether in the body or out of the body , I do not know , god knows . And he heard things that cannot be told , which men may not utter . On behalf of this man I will boast , but on my own behalf I will not boast except of my weaknesses .

Will not boast except of my weaknesses , though if I should wish to boast , I would not be a fool , for I would be speaking the truth . But I refrain from it so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me .

So , to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations , a thorn was given me in the flesh , a messenger of Satan , to harass me , to keep me from becoming conceited .

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this , that he should leave me , 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 of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me . For the sake of Christ , then I am content with weaknesses , insults , hardships .

I am content with weaknesses , insults , hardships , persecutions and calamities . When I am weak , then I am strong . That whole scripture , right there could go on for a whole month of talking , but the emphasis is what Paul said in verses yeah , verse five and onward .

On behalf of this man I will boast , but on my own behalf I will not boast except of my weaknesses . I just want to stay there . This scripture blows me away sometimes because what Paul's saying is what I saw in heaven or what this man saw in paradise . I could share forever about the revelation and I could boast in that .

But no , I don't want to talk or boast about what I saw . I want to boast or talk about how weakened I was made because of what I saw . But let's also be clear . Paul said that this thorn he got look at verse 7 . A thorn was given me in the flesh , a messenger of Satan to harass me . So Paul says that this thorn I got wasn't given to me by God .

It was given to me by Satan to harass me , but God used it to keep me from being conceited . In other words , god allowed Satan to put this thought in my flesh , but God's using this very thing to keep me humble , even though in verse 8 , I asked God three times I begged and pleaded with him to take it from me .

God said no , I won't , because my grace on you is greater than the thorn on you . Jesus , I got to say that again because that blessed me . Verse 9 , god said my grace that is on you I mean my grace that is in you is greater than the thorn that is on you .

I mean my grace that is in you is greater than the thorn that is on you Because , see , my grace has my power and my power makes you perfect in your witness , god . Thank you , jesus , my grace that is in you has my power , which makes you perfect .

Even though outwardly you look weak , my power in you makes you strong , because my grace in you is greater than the thorn that's on you , because in my grace is my power that makes you strong . Even though to other people and other people who look at you you look weak , you are actually strong in my eyes because my power is stronger in you .

Going back to Jacob , the fact that you have a limp to most people will make you look weak , but to me I make , since you have to rely on me , since you have to lean on me because you have a limp , you are actually stronger than you were before you had the limp . God , that's why Paul's saying so .

Now I'm going to boast in my weaknesses because in my witness I actually have the power of Christ resting upon me . Verse 9 . Therefore , I will boast all the more gladly of my witnesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me .

Paul's saying I now understand that this thorn on me causes the power of God in me to rest stronger on me Because I'm leaning on him . I grew up in a Baptist church where we used to sing the hymns . Leaning on Jesus , leaning on Jesus , safe and secure from all alarm . Leaning on Jesus , leaning on the everlasting arms .

See my lean , my limp causes me to lean , and my lean causes his grace in me to exceed the thorn that's on me , and grace in me is causing his power to rest upon me . So , as Paul says , for the sake of Christ , I'm okay with being weak , I'm content with my weaknesses . I'm okay with being weak , I'm okay with the insults people give me .

I'm okay with the hardships I go through . I'm okay with the persecutions and calamities they face , because the weaker I am from the outward appearance , the stronger I am inwardly . My God , I hope y'all get this because it's making . It's not a feeling . I feel the presence of the Holy Ghost , matthew 18 . Thank you , lord . Matthew 18 , 5 through 9 .

And then I'm going to share my personal side of this so y'all can relate to me what I'm saying , if the scripture is the bottom line . But I'm going to share my testimony because the scripture says we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the power of our testimony . It's matthew 18 , 5 , 9 , last scripture I'm going to share with you .

It says , and this is jesus whoever receives one such child in my name receives me . Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin , it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea . Woe to the world for temptations to sin , for it is necessary that temptations come .

But woe to

the one by whom the temptation comes . And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin , cut it off and throw it away . It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire . And if your eye causes you to sin , tear it out and throw it away .

It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire . Now let me just preface this I am not encouraging you and Jesus is not encouraging you to cut off your body parts , okay . So everybody chill . This is not literal , but this is still relative to this scripture . So everybody chill .

This is not literal , but this is still relative to the scripture . And I started with verse 5 and 6 , and most versions are separate , but it's all tied together . See , verse 5 is talking about anybody who's a child in my name . Whoever receives me receives a child in my name . Whoever receives a child in my name receives me .

So , in other words , whether they're a child in my name or whoever receives a child in my name receives me . So , in other words , whether they're a babe in Christ or an actual child , when you receive them in love , you're also receiving Christ or Jesus .

But if you cause someone who is a new believer or someone who's a child in Christ or a babe in Christ , if you're the source of the temptation , and if you're the source of the temptation and if you're the source of the sin , you are in deep doo-doo . Excuse my French , you are in deep trouble . Jesus said this woe to the world , for temptation is the sin .

He says temptation is going to come . This is in verse 7 . It's necessary . He said that temptation is coming , but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes . In other words , whatever the source of the temptation is , woe unto that thing or person .

And if that person or that thing , in other words , if the source of what's tempting you is in your proximity , cut it off . If there's a person men , listen if there is a woman in your life that is causing you to get tempted to commit fornication , cut her off . Separate her from your life .

Women if there are men that are causing you to enter into temptation , cut them off . And I'm not stupid , I know some people may be tempted by people of their same gender . Men if you have another man in your life that's tempting you to enter into fornicating relationships , cut them off .

Women if you have another woman in your life that's causing you to enter into fornication , cut her off . If there are things for example , maybe there are TV shows that you watch that cause you to lust in your heart cut it off .

If there are things in your life , let's just get out of the sex part , because I know y'all are tripping every time I talk about that . Maybe there's things such as food . Maybe you have an issue with part , because I know y'all are tripping every time I talk about that . Maybe there's things such as food . Maybe you have an issue with gluttony .

I know I do . There are certain things I just have to cut off , and here are things I'm going to be honest with you . God made me cut off . I grew up in a world where my family ate pork and you know , over time pork can destroy your body and there are things I'm doing now because of consumption of pork .

But , thank god , in 1995 I developed a condition that made me have to walk away from pork and I'm telling you I haven't eaten pork since 1995 . I have one major , severe pain that felt like my foot was broken . It's called gout . No one's ever had gotten what I'm talking about . I never experienced . I never had a broken bone in my body for years .

Well , actually , I broke my hand , broke and broke some several toes , but that wasn't nearly as painful as what I experienced in 1995 . I had to go to the hospital , I couldn't walk and the doctor said you have gout , stop eating pork . That's the first thing he said .

And now if you anyone knows gout knows not only should you leave pork , you should leave red meat , you should leave seafood , any kind of shellfish , all that stuff you have to cut . Things like peas , anything high in purines , peas , um , lamb , things like that you have to walk away from because it will cause you the most severe pain you've ever experienced .

So in 1995 , when Dr Tony cut pork now come on I broke a lot of feeding ham bacon . I did that day . I ended it because the pain was not , it was not worth the pain I experienced . And so you know there was no to me the temptation ended that day because the pain was too much .

But there are things that , if you're a person that deals with struggles with weight or you struggle with eating certain things that are not good for you , there's a temptation to eat it and so , for example , maybe you will be around certain like . Like , if you go to a place that is has Chinese food , maybe you've got to have that rib tip .

You know , I used to love rib tips when we lived in Delaware , but I stopped going around to that Chinese food place because the temptation to eat rib tips , which were pork , would be too great . So what I did was I cut off going to that Chinese place altogether , find another place to eat that was more healthier .

Now again , I'm using that as an example to help y'all , because some of y'all are tripping about when I talk about other things that may be closer to your kitchen , but I believe that a little . But getting back to the point of Matthew 18 , where Jesus is saying is cut off the things that are the sources of your temptation .

I'd rather you enter into heaven with a limp than enter hell without one , because there's something holy about this . Rather , you enter into heaven with a limp and enter hell without one , because there's something holy about this handicap called your thorn , your limp . It makes you draw closer to God because you can't walk on your own power .

You have to rely and depend on God to carry you through . One of the things that was a problem with me was , you know , I was very conceited when it came to the money I made when I was younger and when God took that away from me in 2007, . We struggled from 2007 to 2015 . I shared it with that

Because a lot of times I had to redefine who I was , because I defined myself by my occupation and the money I made . I was a lawyer , I was this six figures . All that stuff was all conceded , even though I was working in the church doing all you know . I was very caught up in myself . My stuff got taken away from me . I had to rediscover myself .

I had to reintroduce myself to myself , but first of all getting mental health help , but also by repenting before God for my conceitedness , my arrogance , all of that , the way I treated some people not all people for who I thought I was . And when I went through counseling it became real real . I got .

My therapist said you get real real when you stop identifying yourself by what you think you are . And it blessed me because and I'll share this last part when you stop identifying yourself by what you think you are .

And it blessed me because and I'll share this last part I really didn't mean to go into that part because I shared that before One thing I want to share with you is this the more you embrace your weaknesses , your thorn , the more , like Paul said , you boast in your , your weaknesses . It's going to cause you to lose some people .

It's going to cause you to lose some people . I can tell you , um , there was one dear brother I had , who I was , uh , his mentor . I was his , uh , um person .

I that , um , he looked up to me a lot and when I left new Jersey and I moved down here and I was struggling , I shared with him that I was dealing with depression and I could hear a pin drop after I told him that and after that he stopped talking to me altogether . And I would imagine it is because we came from .

We both were members of a church where things had to be perfect or we had to present the image of perfection . You know , we could never be in depression because we have the holy spirit in us . But you know , when I became real and I stripped off all these titles and all these things , he couldn't handle it and , honestly , I wasn't able to handle it .

That's why I had to get mental health help . Thank god for therapists , you know , and I encourage those who may struggle with mental health . Um , I don't struggle as much , but I keep a therapist in my pocket because you know anyone who thinks they've arrived , you're probably the quickest one to get hit .

But for anyone who struggles with mental health help and I'm coming from a church community we shunned mental health help when I was growing up . But I said this to a friend of mine who I suggested to get help and I said to him I said , listen , and I hope this blesses you what I'm saying suggested to get help and I said to him .

I said listen , and I hope this blesses you what I'm saying . I said to him when you break your arm , where do you go to get your arm fixed ? Or when you , if you get cut in your arm , where do you go to get your arm patched up or stitched ? He says I go to a hospital so I can have a doctor stitch it up . I said good .

I said where do you go when your soul begins to bleed and you need stitches ? He says I go to church . I said okay . I said but isn't that for your spirit to be fed too ? He said yeah , I said . So what about when your mind begins to bleed ? Your soul , your mind , your emotions begin to bleed into your spirit or begin to bleed into your life .

He says don't you still need someone physically to touch to help you sew up those wounds ? He says I imagine I do . I said then don't you think God ordained the psyche to ordain doctors for your physical ailments ? Don't you think God ordained mental therapists for your mental ? And he said I imagine so .

I thank God for that brother because he did get the help and he's doing so much better . But anyway , I want to share this with you . Like I said , the brother that I was talking about couldn't handle it , and you will lose people when you are open and honest . And again , when you boast about your weaknesses .

Like Paul said in 2 Corinthians , when you boast about your weaknesses , you're going to lose some people because they want you to be perfect . They have a certain image of you . They created an idol of you that maybe you played a part in ,

maybe you didn't , but you're going to lose some people . But you're also going to gain some people . You're going to gain real ones , people who accept you for as you are . Let me give you a perfect example . One of the things I struggled with when I was younger was I had these keloids in the back of my head ? Um , I shared before .

My mother had a good friend whose husband was a barber , um , but he didn't clean his barber's shears one day , I was maybe about seven , and he cut my hair in his son , which we didn't know , had these keloid conditions in the back of his head and because he didn't clean his his razors , I caught the keloid issues too and they were so gross .

I mean these keloids would have pus in them . It was just and I had this condition all the way into high school college . You know it was something that wasn't acceptable in my household to certain people . Um , so they had , you know , they asked me to wear a shag over like keloids so they could cover them up , and I think they were well intentioned .

They just didn't want me to be teased , but you know as I got older . It seems like it was something that had to be accepted . Over a period of time . I went to college . My barber , mr lester I thank god for him he cut my hair and you know I didn't . I tried to have shag but he cut it such that he cut all of it off .

He kind of made me face the fact that I had these keloids and I was mad , but you know , because they were red pussy and bleeding . But he said to me something . He said if you let them be exposed , he says that over time the air will cause them to die and your skin condition will go away . This is back in the 80s .

It took years , but over time it took about I'd say about 10 years . It actually did go away . The keloids died away . Hair never grew back , but the skin returned to normal . If you looked at the back of my head now you would not know , except for maybe two spots where I thought I had . A whole back of my head was full of these big , nasty keloids .

And I went to doctors . I went to dermatologists . They could do nothing for me . I even had surgery and they found like literally a whole afro underneath the skin where the keloids were , but they could do nothing for me . But they could do nothing for me .

And there were some people that were detracted by these keloids and I thought they were friends and they weren't . I wanted them to be my friend but they were so detracted by my imperfection on my thorn , these keloids , that they pulled away from me or they insulted me and I pulled away from them .

But for every one I lost I gained two friends who were like hey , man , I don't care about that , I care about you . Your character , your person is great . And those friends were actually . They were all in my groom's party . I had some young ladies that I was in relationships with that couldn't handle the imperfection of my keloids .

I had some who were , but over time , you know , dealing with rejection more than acceptance , um , I kept the friends around who could accept me for who I was , keloids or not . But with all the rejection I went through in my relationships with , um , some really nice women . They were nice but they just couldn't handle it .

Eventually , after going through some of that rejection , I stopped even trying to find relationships . I just said let me be by myself . And then I came to a point in my junior year in college where I said , you know , after my last heartbreak with my last girlfriend of about a year , I walked away from having to do anything .

I was like , look , I just need to find who I am and I need to . You know , I wanted to really . This is the time I really reached out . You know , I was about to become a member of the Nation of Islam , fruit of Islam , and my mother said to me before you do that , give Jesus one more chance , send me a Bible .

I shared this testimony before and I read it and I started seeing that there was more to Jesus than I ever knew growing up in a church . Came home that summer 19 , I won't tell you , but 1989 , okay and I met a young woman who didn't look like any woman I would normally date .

But eventually she became my girlfriend , my fiance and now my wife of 33 years . And you know one thing she never did and , mind you , I had these keloids still in the back of my head . She never looked at me as someone imperfect with these keloids .

She didn't care one bit about them , she just loved herself as some kid and I loved her and I still love her and she still loves me Three kids later , 33 years later , we're still together . See for all the women , all the relationships I had with women that could not accept me and my imperfection .

God sent me the real one he wanted in my life , who saw my imperfection as something beautiful . I can't tell you .

There were times I went to a dermatologist , or I would try to get him treated after I got married and I would have to put medicine on it , or I would have to do things to help defray the pain from the keloids , and she would be right there with me , putting the medicine on , helping me , um , do the procedures needed to help free things .

She wasn't drawn back from anything . She was with 100% and now that they're gone , she's still with me , 100% . You know she's my wife , is such a real one . I thank God for her . I thank God for her heart and honestly , I don't know maybe I shouldn't say this , but we're so perfect together .

If I could share you the story of how not just how we met , but how we're so similar Even our middle names are the same . I'm serious . Our middle names , with the exception of three letters , are the same . We grew up . I grew up . My family lived three blocks away from her . We didn't know each other . Yet her mother and father knew my uncle Howard .

They worked together . Isn't this crazy ? I mean , she was born a year before , a few months before me , but it's just . It's such a God story . It's such a God story . But anyway , I say all that to say this it's okay if people walk out of your life because of your thorns .

Let them say all that to say this it's okay if people walk out of your life because of your thorns , let them , because god's doing , god's allowing that to happen , so you can see who's for you and who's against you . But also to replace those people with the people he intended to be in your life .

And even now I'm , I'm later in life and you know , some of those people that were okay with my imperfection are no longer . I guess you can say not in my daily life . We don't interact as much . Some have walked away , not because of my imperfection but because of life .

But God has placed other people in my life and , honestly , it doesn't mean I have the same number of friends . I have a small circle of friends , a very small circle of friends , but I still have God . I still have God and I'm telling you this Even though I don't have the keloids , I still have other thorns and I still have God .

And those thorns I have in my life make me stronger , because I don't rely on my own power . I rely on the power of God that I have through his grace in me , because his grace that's in me far exceeds and is far more powerful than the thorn that's on me .

So I boast in my imperfections , in my weaknesses , in my flaws , in my thorns , because it ain't about me , it's about he who's in me , because greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world . Amen , I pray this word was a blessing to you . If it was , let us know . Send us an email at our email at alptrinity1 at gmailcom .

Feel free to leave a review on the platform you listen to this podcast on , or feel free to hit us up on our Facebook or Instagram page , or you can go on to our website at podpage or on Buzzsprout and let us know . We'd love to hear from you . If you have any prayer requests , let us know .

And now we are going to open up the door for those who may not know Jesus as Lord and Savior or those who may have walked away from him . Come on back home For those that want to receive the infilling or the baptism of the Holy Spirit . You are welcome to this invitation too . God bless you , love you all . Hey , this is Brother Ken . I'm back .

Sorry for those who need to cut it off . Hope you enjoyed the message , but I just want to make a small correction I made a mistake I made . Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca His wife . His wives were Rachel and Leah were the daughters of Laban . So for those historians or theologians , don't trip . I apologize . I just want to make that correction .

God bless you , love you . Talk to you guys later . Thank you for listening to us at Another Look Podcast

. We come to that part in our podcast now where we offer the opportunity to you for you to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior . So I want you to repeat this after me . Dear Heavenly Father , I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ . Your word says whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved , according to your word in Acts 2.21 .

I'm calling on you and I come , surrendering my life and my will to you . I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life , according to your word in Romans 10 , 9 and 10 .

That says , if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead , you will be saved , for with the heart one believes into righteousness and with the mouth confession is made into salvation . I do that now .

I confess that Jesus is Lord of my life and I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead . Lord of my life , and I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead . I ask you , holy Spirit , to come make your home inside of me and live in me . I confess all my sins to you , lord , and ask for forgiveness for them .

Right now , in the name of Jesus , I receive you , god , that I am now reborn and a new creation . I am a Christian , a child of Almighty God and a child of the one true King . I have salvation and I am saved . Thank you , jesus .

Lord , you also said in your word If you then , being evil , know how to give good gifts to your children , how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him , according to your scripture in Luke 11 , 13 . So now , lord , I'm asking you to infill me with the Holy Spirit . Holy Spirit , rise up within me as I praise God .

I fully expect to receive a supernatural prayer language and speak in that language as you give me the utterance , according to your word in Acts 2.4 . In Jesus' name , amen , so be it . Jesus name , amen , so be it . Congratulations , beloved . If you prayed this prayer , then you were born again and now have eternal life in Christ Jesus .

All of your sins are now forgiven and the Holy Spirit now lives inside of you . The word of God says that everyone in heaven rejoices at your salvation , according to Luke 15 , 7 through 10 . So right now , guess what ? Heaven is having a party because of your decision , and God has a huge smile on his face .

If you prayed this prayer , please email us at alptrinity1 at gmailcom . Again , that's alptrinity1 at gmailcom . Again , that's alp trinity one at gmailcom , so we can hear your testimony . Please email us , pray , and we can pray for you and send you a free gift from this ministry . God bless you . Remember this always . Jesus loves you , and so do we .

God bless you and welcome home Roger zero G and .