No More Weakness:

STRENGTH THROUGH JOY

Nehemiah 8:9-10

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I.                   JOY FACTS

1.     Joy is a choice

“…do not mourn nor weep.”

2.     Lack of Joy drains ____ strength __

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength…”

3.     Joy is Available 24/7

Galatians 5:22

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

II.                HOW TO WALK IN JOY

1.     Command your ___ Emotions.

Psalm 118:24.

²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

2.     Let Stuff Go

Romans 12:19

¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Proverbs 17:22

²² A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

“When we hold onto grudges and resentment, it’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick,” says Angela Buttimer, MS, NCC, RYT, LPC, a licensed psychotherapist at Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. “It causes us to carry negative, tense energy in our biology.”

“Living in a chronic state of tension disables your body’s repair mechanisms, increasing inflammation and the stress hormone cortisol in the body,” she explains. “Forgiveness engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps your immune system function more efficiently and makes room for feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.”

If you are tempted to dwell on an offense, remind yourself what you are doing to your body when you run the scenario in your mind again. “Your brain doesn’t know what is real and what is imagined,” says Buttimer. “When you replay in your mind an experience you had six months ago, your body reacts as if you’re having the same experience over and over again.”

3.     Keep things in Proper Perspective James 1:2-4

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

4.     Lighten Up. 

                          Psalm 131

  ¹ Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. ² Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Kurt Vonnegut once said:

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

Checklist for lightening up

When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these questions:

·                    Is it really worth getting upset over?

·                    Is it worth upsetting others?

·                    Is it that important?

·                    Is it that bad?

·                    Is the situation irreparable?

·                    Is it really your problem?

5.                                Take life one day at a time

Matthew 6:31-34

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

PERSONAL PROPHESY

I.                   THE BLESSING OF PERSONAL PROPHESY

1.     Prophecy Is Important

1 Corinthians 14:39

³⁹ Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

           

2.     We Are To Desire Prophecy

1 Corinthians  14:1

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

           

3.     Prophecy Is The Testimony Of Jesus

Revelation 19:10

¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

                        John 16:13-14

¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

4.     Accurate Prophecy Is Given For Confirmation And Encouragement

1 Corinthians  14:31

³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

5.     True Prophecy Will Build Up, Stir Up And Cheer Up

1 Corinthians 14:3

³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

6.     Real Prophecy Will Never Contradict The Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

7.     Personal Prophecy Is Not Always Designed To Give You Specific Details About Your Future

The manifestation of prophecy is not primarily designed to reveal detailed information about the future, or give specific guidance about what a person should do in a specific situation. Although this kind of specific information can occasionally be given in the manifestation of prophecy, it is usually given by those people in the Church who have the ministry of a prophet

II.                HOW TO HANDLE PERSONAL PROPHECY

1.     Test Or Judge It

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

a.     The Word of God

Prophecy will not contradict the written Word. God is not the author of confusion, and He will never confuse believers by saying one thing in His Word and another in prophecy. If you get a prophecy that blatantly contradicts the letter or spirit of the written Word of God, do not move forward in obeying it.

b.     Wisdom

Proverb 24:6

⁶ For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

c.      Witness

Romans 8:16

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Psalms 42:7

            Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves  and billows have gone over me.

2.     Pray It Through.

Take the word back to the Lord and discuss it with Him. Ask Him to show you if there are any conditions He wants you to meet, any changes He wants you to make in your life or thinking. Ask Him to show you if any parts of the word are not from Him and to confirm the parts that are from Him.

3.     Compare The Word Against Other Things God Has Spoken.

Prophesy will not usually be totally contrary to other things God has spoken in your life through prior prophecies, personal devotions, pastoral counsel, etc.

4.      Seek Counsel.

If you have any question/alarm/fear/discomfort about a particular word, run it by your pastor or a leader from your church.

5.     Do NOT Carelessly Act Without Consideration.

Don’t act on any predictive, directive or calling/gifting definition words unless you get confirmation from other sources. If this is a word from God, He will be happy to confirm it to you.

6.     Do Not "Read Into" The Word What You Want It To Say.

7.     Work It Out When Applicable

1 Timothy 1:18

¹⁸ This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.

8.     Be Careful Not To Quickly Reject A Prophecy That Does Not Seem Right To You.

9.     Just Because God Does Not Mention A Sin Does Not Mean It Is Okay With Him.

NO MORE WEAKNESS:

THE CROOKED WILL BE MADE STRAIGHT IN 2018

Luke 13:10-13

¹⁰ Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. ¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” ¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. ¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath lose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

1.     INFIRMITY IN THE SYNAGOGUE

2.     RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD (Daughter of Abraham)

3.     SABBATH DAY

(God Breaks the Rules)

4.     SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY

Daniel 7:25

²⁵ And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.  KJV

-         Judges 16:15-20

¹⁵ Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, ¹⁷ that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” ¹⁸ When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. ¹⁹ Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. ²⁰ And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

5.     SHE WAS BENT OVER

6.     SHE COULD NOT LIFT UP HERSELF

7.     SHE DIDN’T COME TO HIM; HE CAME TO HER

8.     SHE WAS FREED NEVER TO BE BOUND AGAIN