Are You a Weight Lifter?
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing,” James 1:2-4 (KJV).
People who lift weights do it to build strength. In like manner, there are spiritual ways to build strength in Him.
The Bible says, “The Joy of the Lord is your Strength,” Nehemiah 8:10b.
This year I purchased an exercise bike. Anytime you start a new exercise program it is difficult to begin and stay with it, but if you do you will attain the results you are looking for.
In the beginning, you may even wonder why you ever decided to do it in the first place because it is difficult.
I started riding my bike only 10 minutes every other day, and because I had not been exercising before that, I had to make up my mind to follow through with the routine and keep going, knowing it would get easier as time passed and I got stronger.
Now I am up to 30 minutes a day and I feel great. Practicing joy will strengthen your faith and contribute to the abundant life He has promised.
Romans 15:13 says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Our God is a God of hope and He wants you to be overflowing with hope, and as you believe He will give you joy and peace by His Spirit.
A great way to act in joy is to lift up your voice and sing praises to His name, take time to be thankful to Him, and “build yourself up on your most holy faith by praying in the Spirit.”
Praying in the Spirit brings peace and revelation knowledge, and the devil cannot tap into it.
One of the hardest times to find joy can be during trials and temptations, but if you will be obedient and follow the instruction of the LORD, you will rise up in victory for He is on your side.
He tells you right off to consider (or count) it all joy. How much? ALL! Yes, even trials and tribulations.
Joy here means gladness and cheerfulness. You may be asking, how do I do that when so much seems to be going wrong?
It is time to believe that God has the answer for you. Learn to look past the adversity, knowing God is working all things together for good for you because you love Him and are called according to His purpose.
He is doing an eternal work to bring forth the fruit of a mature man in Christ, the very fruit of the Spirit.
This trial you are going through, according to 1 Peter 1:7 “Is more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
So, what is this fruit He is bringing to maturity? In James 1:3 it says, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
This patience is cheerful endurance; it is constancy and patient continuance in Christ. It is standing and resting in Him.
Yes, you will be tried and tested in your faith. So, don’t let the enemy stop you, choose to go on to perfection.
Yes, the devil will try every trick in the book to take your eyes off God because He comes as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
Keep your eyes on Jesus my friend. Trouble flies up like sparks for everyone, the word says, and how you react, what you say and do, will determine the outcome of the test of your faith and your very destiny.
Is it an enduring faith?
Will you submit yourself to God and resist the devil when things are not going your way?
How do you act under pressure?
Beloved, He will not give you more than you can bear, and in the bearing will give you a way of escape.
What is the way of escape? JOY! JOY! And more JOY!
God is trying to help you right now to rise up in your situation and be more than an overcomer. The devil can’t hang around when you’re joyful. You can rejoice always!
God is looking for the breed apart, the one who when trouble comes, remains unaffected by it and casts his cares upon the One who will carry them away.
When you do, an exchange occurs, and He gives you His yoke that is light and easy because He cares for you.
And, as you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh to walk contrary to His perfect will.
Lastly, let’s look at John 15:4-8:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
His truth is like a two-edged sword, cutting and removing the old and building new fresh faith.
Let it reveal sin, repent and allow Him to refresh your spirit as He leads you in what to do.
This work He is doing will mature you so you can stand in faith no matter what happens around you or to you, but you cannot do it alone.
The secret is abiding in Him.
To abide here means to stay in a given place, to continue, dwell, and remain in Him.
Stay in continual fellowship with Him, stay believing God loves you and the answer and solution is coming forth, and stay in joy. Don’t move from your post.
The fruit of patient endurance cannot come forth without abiding in Him.
John 15:10-11 says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.“
You see, abiding in Him and joy to the full work hand in hand.
Are you lacking in joy today, finding yourself in the middle of a trial?
It’s time to ask Him for the JOY! If you are abiding in Him you can ask what you will and it shall be done.
What a promise! Cry out for the joy of the LORD, for it is your strength!
Cry out for laughter in the face of the enemy when your situation seems impossible!
Cry out to Him, for He is the lifter of your head!
Do it by faith today, even if you don’t feel like it or see how it could help, and increase your joy level to full!
God Bless You, you are in my prayers
~ Celeste Dewey
Wonderful Message!
Thank you.
“Praying in the Spirit brings peace and revelation knowledge, and the devil cannot tap into it.”
It is only perfect obedience which will makes the devil flee from us, but before that can happen one must have a spiritual revelation of that the devil (and Satan) is inside ourselves and not outside us and therefore it is important that the devil must ‘hear’ what is spoken before he can flee from us.
And indeed, the devil(s) in our own mind needs to both hear and understand God’s Word speak inside us so we can be transformed enough so our thoughts, speech and acts will drive him out from us.
Jesus gave the example of this when He was tempted at the mountain when he had resisted the devil’s all temptations he fled from Him and first THEN, He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
This is why John 2:23-25 says that Jesus by Himself (because of the devil in himself) knew what also is in man.
The traditional religious doctrine of the speaking in (unknown) tounges says that the unknown tounge is an evidence of the Baptizm in the Holy Spirit.
But Acts 5:32 clearly says: “the Holy Spirit, has God given to (ONLY) those who obey him.”
Obedience to the Lord comes only through many trials, tests and temptations.
Despite this does many ‘receive’ this unknown tongue by just walking to an altar call for to ‘receive Jesus as their saviour’ or by others (whom have received this tongue speaking the same way) laying hands on them and without having gone through any tests or trials or temptations(which follows the obedient servant through the whole life).
And without any kind of evidence of that the spirit of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, has entered their mind they begin to speak a not understandable speech, and then they claim – still contrary to the Word of God- that this is the sign of the Holy Spirit (!)
If God’s Spirit would speak into our own mind and at the same time not let the devil in us ‘understand’ what He says then our minds will – no matter how ‘godly’ we appears – stay unrenewed and the devil will continue hide inside us and never flee and we will continue into deeper deception.
The Lord spoke and still speaks understandable words to the devil inside His disciples: “Jesus turned and said (to Peter) Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Matt.16:23
Next was said when the disciples asked if they should call ‘down fire’ which is the same as to call down a spirit which also the Antichrist spirit is able to do (Rev.13:13), which is an evidence of that also those who walks inside the body of Christ and even hear the Lord can (if they don’t guard themselves) be led by a false spirit: ” He turned and rebuked them (the disciples) and said, You do not know what kind of spirit you are of. Luke 9:55
I don’t share these things with the motivation to offend my sisters and brothers in Christ, but one have to be observant in that God in this late hour has began to expose things in His Word which has until now and because of false teachers, has kept His people captive in false doctrines.
“the one who prophesies (contrary to the one who speaks in an unknown tongue) speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort 1 Cor. 14:3
Do not let any (NOT ANY) unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those Eph .4:29
Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, THAT will be helpful. 1 Cor 14:6