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Thursday,
November 6, 2008
A Strong Reminder
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise
profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having
promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (KJV)
Is bodily exercise totally unprofitable?
Well only if it becomes a priority, you know ahead of our spiritual
exercise program. After all what would it profit you if you got the outward
in good shape but neglected the inward? There are some that do look good on
the outward and are in good shape, but inwardly they are weak and ready to
perish. With anything in life one must find the just balance, the peaceable
realm that our Lord considers just, or justified. As we look around today
in this country we see many that have neglected their temples and have
become weak and open to unhealthy things that can attack the body because
of a lack of exercise. Spiritually the same holds true, one needs to find
and stay with a healthy spiritual regimen, learning to exercise your
spiritual senses so that you can know the difference between good and evil.
Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise
myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward
men. (KJV)
Wow, can you imagine what kind of shape
you would be in if you exercised always? I would say the word ‘strong’
comes to mind. Which, your spiritual senses are actually what you should be
exercising first and foremost to discern both good and evil. Exercise means
to train, and for those that have been renewed to the realm of the Spirit
our life from this point forward is a constant retraining program, learning
to walk more by faith, the inward, than by sight, the outward senses.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)
You know all that fear and doubt that has
been tormenting you? Well it didn’t come from God, but somewhere along the
line you let it in. Instead of renewing your mind to the truth, exercising
your spiritual senses to know the difference between good and evil, you let
the enemy paint you a picture of the worst case scenario and then you
bought into it, hook, line, and sinker, pulling you back down into the
realm of the flesh. Had you taken the time to give ear to the word of God
and keep your senses exercised, you would be much stronger in the Lord and
the power of His might knowing the love of God which was shed abroad in
your heart and moving forward in your walk with a sound mind, one free of
doubt and fear.
Hebrews 5:11-14 Of whom we have many
things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (12)
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach
you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become
such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that
useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
(14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who
by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(KJV)
How can you expect to be strong in the
Lord unless you are getting some strong doctrine, the meat of the Word that
is going to build you up? It’s your lack of hearing and exercising your
spiritual senses that causes you to be in the weakened state that you are
in. So that rather than being reminded of who you are in Christ and victory
you have in Him you stay trapped in the uncertain realm of the flesh and
unable to move forward in your walk.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that
they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that
ye may obtain. (25) And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but
we an incorruptible. (26) I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight
I, not as one that beateth the air: (27) But I keep under my body, and
bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to
others, I myself should be a castaway. (KJV)
Williams New Testament translation
of 1Corinthians 9:24-27
24. Do you not know that in a race the
runners all run, but only one can get the prize? You must run in such a way that you can
get the prize. 25. Any man who enters an athletic contest practices rigid
self-control in training, only to win a wreath that withers, but we are in
to win a wreath that never withers. 26. So that is the way I run, with no
uncertainty as to winning. That is the way I box, not like one that punches
the air. 27. But I keep on beating and bruising my body and making it my
slave, so that I, after I have summoned others to the race, may not myself
become unfit to run.
It takes some serious training if one
wishes to compete as a distance runner, let alone to win. If one doesn’t train
themselves properly to run this race, eventually they will drop out and not
make it to the finish. The same holds true with a boxer, if they are not
trained properly they will get hit and knocked unconscious, unaware any
more of what is going on. Spiritually the same holds true, many become
conscious to the spiritual realm and what it takes to contend for the
faith, but eventually end up unconscious and unaware of how to fight the
good fight of faith any longer. As with any fighter or runner one needs to
be strong in order to compete, which can only happen by exercise, knowing
and not just guessing the difference between what is good and of God, and
what is evil and coming from the enemy’s camp. By the way, nothing tires
out a fighter quicker than throwing a punch and not hitting the target;
which is how many Christians are most of the time, missing the opponent and
hitting each other.
Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take
unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand. (KJV)
With a prize fighter, the last man
standing wins. With all the Lord has provided for His people there is no
reason why you should not be standing strong in the Lord and the power of
His might. Talk about beating the air or throwing a useless punch, there is
nothing more of a waste of time than Christians getting caught back up into
the things of this world, wrestling with flesh and blood, and getting
sucker punched and knocked unconscious again. The reason this happens is
because of a lack of diligence, a lack of training, not properly taking the
time to hear the message of Christ and knowing the difference between what
He considers good and what He considers evil.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged
of no man. (16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (KJV)
Who knows the mind of Christ? You should.
And you should be operating with the same mind so that you can be strong in
the Lord, not some weakling getting sand kicked in your face by the enemy.
It’s the natural fallen man that is foolish, and so are those that stay in
that realm and do not take the time to know and discern spiritual things
that are available for our benefit. So where do you stand today, and are
you standing strong? Are you letting the Spirit of Christ bear witness with
the spirit of your mind and to be a strong reminder of who you are in Him,
or have you become weak because of a lack of spiritual exercise?
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