From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Struggling with Weaknesses Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:30:19 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_01C62588.30146220" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C62588.30146220 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable STRUGGLING WITH WEAKNESSES By "Rebekah" the Bride (Rom.4:15; 6:15; 7:6,15-24; 8:1-4; 2 Cor.12:9-10 Gal.3:10-13; 5:13; Jn.1:17; 1 Cor.15:56) *** I met a friend the other day Who told me=97with lament=97 A problem she was struggling with; And this is how it went: She said it really bothered her, Her selfishness to see; "I=92m so self-centered and I hate To see this trait in me!" *** This woman is a child of God, A precious one for years; And now this struggle with herself Was bringing her to tears. She didn=92t want to be that way; She wanted to be free From that great weakness of the flesh, That plagued her constantly. *** I didn=92t think to tell her then, It later came to me, To glory in her weaknesses; Like Saint Paul she could be. For Paul had weaknesses like hers With which he struggled so; And he lamented over them, At least, at first, you know. *** Paul said, "I don=92t do what I should; Instead, I do what=92s wrong. The way I know I shouldn=92t be, Just grips me, oh, so strong." He cried, "Oh, wretched man I am! Who will deliver me?" And then the Light came on inside, And God's truth he did see. *** Paul saw that if he wasn=92t weak, His need, he=92d never know, For Jesus Christ to be his strength As through his life he=92d go. When he was weak, he=92d look to Christ, And say, "What would I do, If You had not died on the cross; I=92d be lost without You!" *** So when I see my weaknesses, I have a choice to make. I can lament, condemn myself, Or choose this road to take: The road that looks away from self, And looks to Christ within; And say, "What would I do if Christ Had not died for my sin?" *** The last way I=92ve described to you, If you will pick that way, You=92ll "walk after the spirit"; That is what the Scriptures say. The way my friend was walking, Just condemning herself so, Was "walking after the flesh"; And was not the way to go. *** She walked in the Old Covenant; Under the law was she. She found she could not keep the law; She=92d failed so miserably. But then she walked after the flesh, Condemned herself within; Instead of looking unto Christ, Who died for all her sin. *** She was so weak, she could not keep the law, There was no way! Her standard of behavior,=20 She fell short of day by day. But Christ fulfilled the law FOR her; He kept it perfectly. He broke the curse of broken laws By death at Calvary. *** We struggle so with weaknesses, But now it=92s time we see, That under the Old Covenant, There is no victory. The law condemns us and it shows Our every little flaw. Get under the New Covenant, And be free from the law! *** Not freedom to be lawless, God forbid! that=92s not the way; But free from condemnation, As we walk in grace each day. If weakness causes us to look at Christ,=20 Then we'll be strong. Not in ourselves, but strong in Him; And that's where we belong. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C62588.30146220 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
STRUGGLING  WITH=20  WEAKNESSES
 
By "Rebekah" the = Bride
 
(Rom.4:15; 6:15; 7:6,15-24; 8:1-4; 2=20 Cor.12:9-10
 Gal.3:10-13; 5:13; Jn.1:17; 1=20 Cor.15:56)
 
***
I met a friend the other day
Who told me=97with lament=97
A problem she was struggling with;
And this is how it went:
She said it really bothered her,
Her selfishness to see;
"I=92m so self-centered and I hate
To see this trait in me!"
***
This woman is a child of God,
A precious one for years;
And now this struggle with herself
Was bringing her to tears.
She didn=92t want to be that way;
She wanted to be free
From that great weakness of the flesh,
That plagued her constantly.
***
I didn=92t think to tell her then,
It later came to me,
To glory in her weaknesses;
Like Saint Paul she could be.
For Paul had weaknesses like hers
With which he struggled so;
And he lamented over them,
At least, at first, you know.
***
Paul said, "I don=92t do what I should;
Instead, I do what=92s wrong.
The way I know I shouldn=92t be,
Just grips me, oh, so strong."
He cried, "Oh, wretched man I am!
Who will deliver me?"
And then the Light came on inside,
And God's truth he did see.
***
Paul saw that if he wasn=92t weak,
His need, he=92d never know,
For Jesus Christ to be his strength
As through his life he=92d go.
When he was weak, he=92d look to Christ,
And say, "What would I do,
If You had not died on the cross;
I=92d be lost without You!"
***
So when I see my weaknesses,
I have a choice to make.
I can lament, condemn myself,
Or choose this road to take:
The road that looks away from self,
And looks to Christ within;
And say, "What would I do if Christ
Had not died for my sin?"
***
The last way I=92ve described to you,
If you will pick that way,
You=92ll "walk after the spirit";
That is what the Scriptures say.
The way my friend was walking,
Just condemning herself so,
Was "walking after the flesh";
And was not the way to go.
***
She walked in the Old Covenant;
Under the law was she.
She found she could not keep the law;
She=92d failed so miserably.
But then she walked after the flesh,
Condemned herself within;
Instead of looking unto Christ,
Who died for all her sin.
***
She was so weak, she could not keep the law,
There was no way!
Her standard of behavior,
She fell short of day by day.
But Christ fulfilled the law FOR her;
He kept it perfectly.
He broke the curse of broken laws
By death at Calvary.
***
We struggle so with weaknesses,
But now it=92s time we see,
That under the Old Covenant,
There is no victory.
The law condemns us and it shows
Our every little flaw.
Get under the New Covenant,
And be free from the law!
***
Not freedom to be lawless,
God forbid! that=92s not the way;
But free from condemnation,
As we walk in grace each day.
If weakness causes us to look at Christ,
Then we'll be strong.
Not in ourselves, but strong in Him;
And that's where we belong.
 
 
 
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