Power in Weakness

The Kingdom of God can only be received with the humility and simplicity of a little child. Jesus reveals spiritual truth not to the self‑sufficient or intellectually proud, but to those who approach Him with childlike dependence and openness.

True strength is found in acknowledging our weakness. God’s power is displayed most clearly when we stop relying on ourselves and allow Christ to live through us.

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Power in Weakness

Keys to the Kingdom...Power in Weakness!

Weakness is the way to God's power.

That may sound a bit confusing, but we are talking about our weakness not God's weakness.

For Christ to rest on us, we have to understand this whole area of power in weakness.

"When I am weak, then I am strong."

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

You can see here how religion falls into man's ways and the arm of the flesh.

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

This speaks of trusting in the arm of man versus the arm of God.

1 Corinthians 1:29-30 That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

If you abide in Jesus, then you are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus came as the Son of Man, but He was also the Son of God.

It is very important for you to understand that He was tempted, just as we are, in all things.

However, He overcame His flesh.

Jesus had to make a way by destroying and overcoming His flesh.

1 Corinthians 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

You need to understand the mind of Man versus the mind of Christ.

In the image above, you can see on this seesaw how the pictured ball bearings are defying gravity.

One ball bearing is holding things down (God's ways), while the other six ball bearings, which represent Man's ways, are being lifted up.

It defies gravity, and that is the key message.

God's ways are opposite to the world's.

Our minds cannot comprehend that.

When you look at the diagram, it is natural to think, "Wait a minute! Those six ball bearings are heavier than the one on the other end. That side should be down while the other side should be up!"

On a seesaw in real life, if you put three kids of the same weight on one end and another kid of the same weight on the opposite end, what is going to happen?

Obviously, the side with the three kids is going to come down, and the kid on the other side will go flying off the end!

That demonstrates the law of gravity, which is a law operating in the world.

But, God's ways are opposite to the ways of the world.

That's what you have to learn how to do. You have to train your mind to come out of agreement with the world and to come into agreement with the Law of God.

The Laws of God are opposite to the Law of Gravity.

God's ways are completely different.

This is where you have your mind transformed and begin to understand that nothing is impossible with God.

Receive the Kingdom As a Little Child

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

There is a big message here.

Mark 10:15-16 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

If you want to receive this blessing from the Lord, and enter into the Kingdom of God, then you have to really understand little children.

You must become childlike.

What do little children do?

Trust.

As children trust a Father, we must also learn to trust our Father in Heaven.

When you were a little kid, did you ever worry about your parents feeding you? Did you worry about where your next meal was coming from?

If you are like most people, then you were blessed enough to have a carefree life where you didn't have the burden of worrying about heavy responsibilities.

All you had to do was trust your mother and father, and be obedient.

Everything was provided for you.

You didn't have to worry about clothing yourself. All of your clothes were provided for you.

Basically, everything was done for you until you got to a certain age and you became a man or woman.

God is saying here that in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to have the same attitude and mindset

This means that we will live by faith and not doubt.

Little children live by faith. They naturally know that all their needs are going to be provided for.

This is especially true for young babies.

Does a baby worry about whether its needs are going to be met?

Of course not.

A healthy baby's needs are all met by loving, caring parents.

That's what God is. He is a loving, caring Father who provides for all your needs.

Do you have that mindset?

Are you trusting Him like that?

Or are you, in your maturity of the world, unable to let go of things, worried, and anxious about the things of tomorrow?

The Word of God says not to worry about tomorrow.

The needs of birds and lilies are provided for by the Father. They naturally have everything supplied to them without being anxious or worried.

A lily in the field does not worry and toil. It just grows. It absorbs the sun and has life.

In the same way, you must stop being anxious and worrying. "The just shall live by faith".

Little children are teachable.

They don't question things. They just accept what they are told as truth.

How does a child learn a language so quickly?

Notice how quickly children learn language. You can't learn a language as fast as a young child does.

We must stop being wise in the world's ways but be teachable as little children. We must stop being self-sufficient and learn to become God-dependent.

The sin of independence is a terrible sin. It stops many people from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is why the Bible says not many wise or noble are chosen. Because pride and intellect stop them from trusting God.

Christians that are very analytical often have a problem receiving from God because they question everything.

They want to work everything out in their own heads.

As the Bible says, "As Heaven is high above the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways."

Stop trying to work it out, and just accept the Word.

Just believe.

Our Attitude Must Be As Little Children

Matthew 18:1-3  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Entering the Kingdom of God is really about submitting. It's about humility, surrender, and submitting to the obedience of Christ without questioning it.

A child looks with complete trust into the eyes of its mother or father.

People can indoctrinate children in any way that they like. They will believe everything. They just absorb whatever is presented as truth to them.

That's how you have to be with Christ and with your true heavenly Father.

You were created by Him for Him. That is the truth.

You've been lied to by the world. The whole world has been deceived by Satan.

Satan is the god of this world and he has brainwashed humanity.

How do you escape this?

You have to have your mind renewed and transformed through the washing of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, and through the anointed Word of God.

That is what transforms you.

The fire of the Holy Spirit.

The blood, the water, and the Spirit all agree on earth as one, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Heaven agree and are one.

Through the blood, the water, and the Spirit, you are transformed. This happens through the New Covenant, and the Law of Liberty in Christ Jesus.

It's a higher and better Law than the Law of Sin and Death.

That is what the world is under - the Law of Sin and Death.

How are you going to escape this?

By becoming like a little child.

You will by no means enter the Kingdom if you do not become like a little child.

This is why pride is such a big hurdle.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

It is so important for you to understand this.

When you become wise in your own eyes and understanding you are walking in pride and self-righteousness.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what following religion will do to you.

When you try to work things out and are being led by your own spirit or the Law rather than the Holy Spirit, then you are in trouble.

You are in trouble.

You will have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God.

The fruit of religion is to have no power.

Matthew 18:4-5 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

How awesome is that? Praise God!

It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.

If you want to know Jesus, then look at your fruit.

Are you helping other people?

Are you blessing other people?

Is that the fruit of your spirit, the spirit that is in you?

You really need to look at your fruit and examine yourself.

If you really want to become one with Christ, then you will be doing His work as He did his work.

Jesus said to me, "If you want to see the Church, then look at me."

What did Jesus do?

He went about healing, preaching, delivering, and serving others.

Jesus said, "I did not come to be served but to serve."

The fruit of the Spirit as a child of God is to serve and give to others.

That is why it says whoever humbles himself a a little child is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Your fruit has to be a blessing to others.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

By doing so, Jesus said that you would fulfill the Law.

Not by going under any other laws, but by walking in love.

Some Christians can get tripped up by this because they don't understand that the Holy Spirit is love.

He has fulfilled love for us by putting us in the perfect Covenant and relationship with Him in love.

Be a blessing.

Do His work and He will look after your problems.

One of the things that the Lord told me many years ago was this, "You look after my business, and I will look after yours."

Take your eyes off yourself and put them on Christ. He will take care of all of your business.

Be as a little child.

A little child doesn't really worry about himself. although he might get hungry.

What happens when he gets hungry? He starts crying and then what happens next?

He gets fed.

He's often fed even before he gets hungry most of the time.  Loving parents know when a child will be hungry before he even starts yelling!

He's fed. He's clothed. He doesn't run around worrying about how he is going to get money to pay for his next meal. He's not anxious about anything.

That is how your attitude has to be with God now.

You must be totally dependent on Him, trusting Him, and knowing that all of your needs have already been met.

The Kingdom is Revealed to Babes

Luke 10:21-22 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Here you can see that the truth is not revealed to the prudent, wise, noble or the world.

The Pharisees in particular did not have the truth revealed to them. That is why Jesus spoke in parables.

They had a veil over their heads and couldn't see because that veil had not been removed.

It was not given to them to see because they considered themselves to be wise and noble.

In actuality they were prideful and not becoming as little children.

Luke 10:23-24 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

If you want to hear from the Spirit of God, then this is the key.

You must realize that you must trust God as a little child.

This is the key to entering into the Kingdom.

His Strength Is Made Perfect In Our Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 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.

This passage is about Paul's thorn in the flesh. There is a lot of misunderstanding about these verses.

This word "infirmities" has actually been mistranslated in English.

There are actually two different words in Greek where English translators used the English word "infirmities". One actually means "weakness".

The translators here did not understand what Paul was actually saying.

He was explaining that it is in his weakness that Christ's power is made perfect.

If you look through the rest of the scriptures, the English translators used the words for "weakness"and "infirmity" interchangeably.

2 Corinthians 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.

In this verse, "infirmities" makes sense.

If you get sick, then you can actually praise God saying, "Hallelujah! I am going to use this sickness for God's glory believing that He is going to heal me for His own glory!"

Weakness of the Soul!  Not a Literal Infirmity

2 Corinthians 13:3-4 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Jesus was crucified in the weakness of His flesh.

His flesh became weak.

When you are weak, then you are strong.

When you are weak, then you are no longer relying on your own strength.

You hand things over to God and then God is able to work through you.

What you are in effect doing is giving up yourself.

You stop trying to work things out and solve problems yourself.

Instead, you ask the Holy Spirit and God to give you understanding, revelation, and the power to overcome the situation.

You are not going to be anxious about anything, but instead you are going to trust the Lord.

Then when you are weak, you are going to rejoice and praise God because you know that is going to release God's power.

But if you are proud, boastful, and arrogant and try to do things in your own strength, then you are going to fail.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Stop trying to save yourself in your own power.

This includes going under the Old Testament Law. When you go under the Law, that means that you are trying to do things in your own strength.

You must let Christ work through you through the perfect Law of Liberty in Him.

Stop trying to do things yourself in your own strength and start to do things in His strength and in your new identity, which is in Christ Jesus.

Your identity is no longer in the Old Man, but in the New Man.

Where is the New Man?

Seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Where is your strength coming from now?

It comes through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus.

It does not come through your own power.

This Gospel is a supernatural Gospel. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:28-29 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

Paul is questioning himself.

Indignation means anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment.

Paul was persecuted beyond belief.

He was a man who was very familiar with suffering.

He was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, tormented, shipwrecked, afflicted, and had a messenger of Satan buffeting him continually.

2 Corinthians 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

Paul was not speaking of "infirmity". He was not going to boast in his sickness, but in his "weakness".

Paul's boasting was in his weakness because when he was weak, then he was strong so that the power of Christ could rest upon him.

Paul was boasting in his weakness because God's grace and strength were made perfect.

When you lean to your own self, understanding, and strength (which is going under the Law), that's called self-justification and self-righteousness.

That is not abiding in the finished work of the Cross because Jesus fulfilled the Law for us.

When He died on the Cross, He said, "It is finished".

He said that because He fulfilled the Law for you!

He did it for you because no man was able to do it.

In your weakness, God's strength is made perfect.

When you get out of the way, you let God be God in your life.

This message is all about allowing God to be God through your weakness. It's about allowing

His strength to take over rather than relying on your own strength.

It's about your works versus Christ's works.

Even if you do get sick and have an infirmity, your boasting must be in the Lord so that in your weakness His power and strength is made perfect.

His Strength Through Our Weakness

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Now, that is very important to understand.

We are living stones and earthen vessels.

When Jesus said that He would build His church upon the rock, He was not talking about building on Peter.

Jesus's Church is built out of living stones, which we become in Him.

God has placed this treasure in us. This treasure is Jesus Christ.

He is the fullness of the Godhead.

The fullness of the Godhead dwells in each and every one of us bodily.

That is what the passage is saying. We have the treasure of Christ in our earthen vessels, which is us, the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The power of God is not religion.

The power is the dunamis, blasting power of the Holy Spirit that changes and transforms us.

It makes you alive. It casts out demons. It heals the sick. It brings people to Christ.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit.

You cannot manufacture this power. If you try then you are going to fail.

If you go under the Law, then you are going to fail.

It is not the Law, but Christ through the Holy Spirit, and his commandment to love God and your neighbor as yourself.

The Law is fulfilled in those scriptures.

The Law is now written on your heart.

You do not have to try to follow the Letter. You now obey the Spirit which is in you.

Then, you will become holy and sin will become a stench in your nostrils.

You will naturally not want to sin.

Naturally, you will overcome sin.

You are not under the Law of Sin and Death. It has no power over you any more.

You overcome.

It is in your weakness that this power is released.

When you are weak, then the power of God is released in you by faith and by you trusting in the Lord.

You enter into the Kingdom of God as a little child.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John, in the river Jordan, said this when he was baptizing others.

John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Understand that to be "born again" means to be born from above.

You are born from above spiritually now in Christ, not born from the earth.

You have been baptized into Christ.

The Old Man, the old carnal nature, the one that religion gets hold of, is earthly, sensual, and demonic.

That nature has earthly wisdom and knowledge.

But the one who comes from Heaven is above all and is not subject to the Law of this world.

That person is actually under the Law of Liberty in Christ Jesus and has been set free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

You are now no longer held captive by the Law of Sin and Death.

John 3:32-35 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John had to decrease in order to allow Jesus to increase.  

We must also decrease so that Christ may increase.

That is what becoming weak is all about.

"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

We now as little children look to our Maker, Jesus Christ, know that we do not have to worry about anything, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds through the renewing and washing of the Word in His perfect love.

Perfect love casts out all fear.

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