Before you read this study understand that we do not teach, we share and then ask all who read the following take it to God and verify it with Him. We believe a lot of the world is misled by the church of the world and religion vs the one true church. And to know the truth can only come from knowing, not just knowing of God, John 14:26, I John 2:27, Rev 3:19-22.
Many are called but few are chosen because many are misled by false teachers Matthew 7:13-15 so we help all who wants to know the truth how to find and know the truth of and by God and not of and by man.



Thorn in the Flesh

Pastor Jerry Wilhite, author

In this study we will look at three steps that each Christian needs to take after salvation.

The three steps are as follows:

  1. Hearing from God and verifying it is God from whom we are hearing.
  2. Casting down imaginations and taking into obedience of Christ every thought.
  3. Understanding Jesus did it all for us 2000 years ago and that in grace we have the power to overcome what ever comes our way, and that what comes our way is not of God but of Satan.

When we are saved (born again) we hear inwardly a call to God. We then accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and profess the same. Then we are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

Once we are saved we are only saved not yet part of the church or Christ. One of Satan's biggest lies is that we are of the church and Christ when we are saved. In getting us to believe this lie he gets us into a place where he can control us.

Satan knows better than anyone the main thing we need is to hear from God because then we can avoid a lot of the pitfalls of this life that come from Satan. Also if we stay just saved we have a tendency to back slide or worse fall away completely. Remember Satan comes to steal our salvation, kill us, and to destroy us totally in Hell.

Before you get the idea it is crazy or not scriptural to hear from God read the following verses and ask yourself this, "How can it be impossible for God to talk to us but not for us to talk to Him especially in prayer?"

The worst thing anyone can do is to count on what someone else says, or they hear, or even think themselves.

Matthew 16

15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

16. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

17. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

In verse 16 the name Peter in Greek is Petros. Petros means Peter, but mostly they both mean a "piece of the rock". The word rock is Petras or bedrock. In verse 15 Jesus tells Peter it was REVEALED knowledge of the Father about Who Jesus is as the Christ and Son of God that made him petros.

So when God reveals to you who Jesus is as the Christ and the Son of God you are then a piece of the rock or "of the church".

Now you have gone two steps in your growth here, 1st salvation through Jesus, 2nd becoming a part of the church via revealed knowledge. Remember Hosea 4:6 God said His children are destroyed due to a lack of knowledge. Are you starting to understand the importance of knowledge?

2 Corinthians 10

  1. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

You need to understand the flesh is not the same as the body. The flesh is a connection between the world system and us. The world system is Satan and all that is evil.

If you read studies such as "Who Are My Mother and Brothers" you will learn that a person is not family in the kingdom of God based on blood but based on Spirit.

4. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Not carnal (flesh) but of the soul (mind).

5. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Paul knew we all had wild imaginations or vain imaginations or at the very least an imagination. Paul also knew the imagination is controlled by our thoughts. If our thoughts were not under control imagination is not either. In time neither would our words or deeds be under control. Once our thoughts are under control so will our imagination.

What you need to understand is there are two sources and two sources only for all thoughts. One source is having it forced on us by Satan. The other is we have to seek it from God.

One of Satan's biggest tools against us was deniability, being able to deny he exists or that he forced thoughts on us, etc. Satan knows full well if we do not believe in him, that he is not real, then he can do more to us than if we know the truth. He also knows that if we know we can only get our thoughts from one of two sources and he is one of them forcing us, our realizing this dooms him. ON the same token, by our not realizing this we are doomed.

Satan is like a rapist who goes and takes what he wants and then denies he did anything or that he is who we are looking for. Satan gives no choices at all; he wants us in a self-destructive mode only. On the other hand God is a gentleman who constantly wants to give us choices, and as a gentleman he stands at the door knocking waiting for us to open the door.

You see you start by casting down any imagination or thought that does not line up with the knowledge of God. Then take the rest into obedience into Christ. By doing this in time there will be no need to cast down anymore, just continue taking thoughts into the obedience of Christ.

If you are not sure what "Christ" is, "Christ" translates to "anointing" in English. In Luke 4:18 Jesus said He is anointed with the Spirit of God. To be anointed is to be like a sponge dripping water. The sponge is anointed with water. We are to be saturated with the Spirit of God.

Satan has fulfilled his purpose well, and you should never think he would slow down or stop. He has convinced so many that being saved means one is of the church and Christ when it does not. To be saved is just that saved, but to be of the church is to be an individual with a relationship with God. Then God reveals to them whom Jesus is as the Christ and the true Son of God. As described in Matthew 16:15-18 and then they are the church. It is not attending a church congregation.

To be of Christ means the person is anointed with the Spirit of God. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in, on, and through the person.

Galatians 5

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

An apple tree produces what fruit? Apples of course, the same is true of the Spirit. If you are of the Spirit you will produce the fruit of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 10

6. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Just remember Satan will try to confuse you with thoughts and imaginations that do not line up with the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is not just reading His word but knowing Him.

John 14

26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1 John 2

27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

1 John 4

1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

What gets me is how many of us forget the problem with the original sin was not just death and sin but a lack of a relationship with God. By Adam's eating of the fruit he cut all spiritual ties with God. That is just what Jesus came to restore.

Satan's job or should I say purpose is to confuse, then to steal, and finally to destroy us all. It does not matter if you believe or not, Satan has only one purpose to destroy all God has created.

The best way to understand this is to look at the end of WWII and Japan. Around 1943 Japan started sending out suicide pilots in the Pacific (Kamikazes). These pilots in time became the number one weapons of the Japanese Empire against the Allies. Their entire purpose was to take as many of the enemy as they could with them when they died. That is just what Satan is doing; he is trying to take as many as he can with him before he is thrown into the lake of fire.

Jesus said on the cross at the end, "It is finished" meaning He had done all He could and left all we needed to continue. That is called "faith". Faith is a powerful tool as is prayer.

All Jesus did, He did based on faith, and all we can do is based on faith.

Think about this in John 4:23-24 we are told God is a Spirit and the only true way to worship Him is by the Spirit. So when Satan got people to start teaching against the Spirit and faith he was stopping us two ways. One was in our relationship (growth and worship with God) and the other was by removing faith from us. A Christian without faith is like a gun without bullets, not of much good.

There are plenty of people out there who teach that the Spirit and faith ended in the first century church. It does not matter why they do this but I can say some teach it because they tried it once or twice and it did not work for them. Even those who seem to be the nicest and do the most are not always saved. Doing is not enough; believing on the other hand is more than enough. From true belief will come actions.

The second part of this study is showing you just why reading anything other than the King James Version is not just wrong but fatal.

Remember all translations were based on the same original text, as was the King James. Most of the others took their lead from the King James and then by comittee voted on what verses stayed, went, or were changed. In the NIV the word Devil or Satan was changed to demon, as was God to Lord. It may not seem like much but in some verses it changes the entire context of the verse.

Here is a great example why I recomend the King James Bible over all others including the New King James:

5. Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (NKJV)

There is a major difference between other versions and the King James. The King James accurately states "Casting down imaginations" where others state things like:

5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (KJV)

Below is what the verse is in the Literal Bible:

5.

|3053| imaginations

|2507| demolishing,

|2532| and

|3956| every

|5313| high thing

|1869| lifting up

|9999| {itself}

|2596| against

|3588| the

|1108| knowledge

|3588| of

|2316| God,

|2532| and

|0163| bringing into captivity

|3956| every

|3540| thought

|1519| into

|3588| the

|5218| obedience

|5547| of Christ,

As you can see the problem is if you read anything except the King James you are being misled.

The worse of all is the NIV and the Living Bibles, but all have enough differences that could lead a person on the wrong path.

2 Corinthians 12

1. It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

3. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

4. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

  1. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
  2. Because in our weakness Christ is strong.

  3. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

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.

8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

First of all if God sent the messenger to keep Paul humble as some teach it would not say a messenger of Satan and then God would not reply, "My grace is sufficient."

Paul stated in verse 7 what he felt was happening, and that was since he had a revelation that could make him arrogant or not as humble as he should be he felt he had a thorn in the flesh sent to him. Satan does not send messengers to humble any of us or to keep us in line with God; if anything he does the opposite.

The answer is in verse 9 when Paul is told by God that "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

Satan sent the messenger not to humble Paul but to keep him down. If anything it was so Paul could not teach about the revelation he had because the messenger was trying to keep Paul busy or bothered by said messenger.

I understand this I have had such messengers myself not to humble me but to attack me and keep me from helping anyone else. The last thing Satan wants is for anyone to be able to help anyone else in the spiritual realm. The physical is not a major concern of Satan. It is the spiritual he is doing all he can to keep us from what we need and by which we can benefit. This is not to say he will not use anything in the physical against us, but our growing or being blessed is not what he worries about

Look at how the thorn was sent to keep Paul in line and then Paul seeks God's help to be delivered from it, but God responds that Paul has all the power he needs to overcome this attack. That power is in grace. Now if this were sent by God to keep Paul in line when Paul asked God for help, God would not respond "My grace is sufficient" God would have responded that it was to help keep Paul in line. So since God did not send it for any reason then it is as Paul said "of Satan".

Anything that is of Satan is not meant to humble us in the normal way, but in a way to keep us quiet, to keep us down, and keep us from being a blessing to others.

Example:

Let's say someone gets a revelation about God and the word and wants to share it, but then has a physical problem that is so great that they are totally absorbed with the problem. So now they do not share the revelation because the problem is so large it seems to consume the person to the point (in pain) that they can do nothing but try to handle the pain.

From past experience I can say that can consume a person 120% to the point nothing else matters.

As Paul saw it, he had an awesome revelation and then an attack (thorn) and he realized it was not of God but Satan. He then concluded it was to keep him humble and he stated this thorn was really bothering him. So he would not be 100% aware of or able to understand why it was sent.

In so many words his pain was so great he tried, as we all do, to justify why he had the thorn. There is no justifying what Satan does and when one is in pain they are not thinking straight.

Now take that with what Paul wrote in II Cor 10:5 about how we have to be careful of what we think or else Satan will plant his own thoughts in us and make us believe they are our own. When one is in pain that becomes almost impossible to do and makes it easy for Satan to mess with us.

I started hearing from God in 1995 and by 2002 I was hearing so much that it was no longer seeking his voice, but had become part of me. During the following 2 years many revelations came and with each attacks. Some could be considered thorns in the flesh, but none were of God or to keep me humble. If anything they were of Satan to keep me down so I could not share what I had learned. The point is His grace is sufficient for us in any battles, attacks, or thorns we have in our life.

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.

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.

7.

|2532| and

|5236| by surpassing

|0602| revelations,

|2443| that

|3361| not

|5229| I be made haughty,

|1325| was given

|3427| to me

|4647| a thorn

|3588| in the

|4561| flesh,

|0032| a messenger (angel since it is from Satan a fallen angel or demon)

|4567| of Satan,

|2443| so that

|3165| me

|2852| he could buffet,

|2443| lest

|3363| -

|5229| I be made arrogant.

Strong's Ref. # 32

Romanized aggelos

Pronounced ang'-el-os

from aggello [probably derived from GSN0071; compare GSN0034] (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:

KJV--angel, messenger.

Strong's Ref. # 2852

Romanized kolaphizo

Pronounced kol-af-id'-zo

from a derivative of the base of GSN2849; to rap with the fist:

KJV--buffet.

8.

|5228| As to

|5127| this

|5151| thrice

|3588| the

|2962| Lord

|3870| I besought,

|2443| that it

|0868| depart

|0575| from

|1700| me.

9.

|2532| And

|2046| He said

|3427| to me,

|0714| Enough

|4671| for you

|9999| {is}

|3588| the

|5485| gracious love

|3450| of Me.

|3588| the

|1063| For

|1411| power

|1722| in

|0769| weaknesses

|5048| is perfected.

|2236| gladly

10.

|3756| Therefore,

|3123| rather

|2744| I will boast

|1722| in

|3588| the

|0769| weaknesses

|3450| of me,

|2443| that

|1981| may overshadow

|1909| -

|1691| me

|3588| the

|1411| power

|5547| of Christ.

|1352| Therefore,

|2106| I am pleased

|1722| in

|0769| weaknesses,

|1722| in

|5196| insults,

|1722| in

|0318| dire deeds,

|1722| in

|1375| persecutions,

|1722| in

|4730| distresses,

|5228| for the sake

|5547| of Christ.

|3752| when

|1063| For

|0770| I may be weak,

|5119| then

|1415| powerful

|1510| I am.

Here are some problems one has by not having full knowledge of God:

Hosea 4

6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

(read Revelation 1:6 to learn you are a priest)

When we do not hear from God we hear from man, and no one truly knows the heart or mind of another no matter how they may appear.

1 John 2

27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

(Christ means anointing)

When we do not know that Satan is forcing his thoughts on us we then have a chance of taking the thoughts we have as our own and acting on them and this could explain why there are so many violent people and evil itself.

Not realizing that we have to hear from God, cast down imaginations that go against the knowledge of God, and take our thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ can set us up for a big fall especially in the last day.

Here it is in an overview:

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