FIRST LOVE RECOVERY MINISTRIES

CASTLE OF BOOM

James 1:4-6(KJV)
"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."
Romans 8:28(KJV)
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
In the journey of destiny,there are 'places' on the road which are crucial to one's fulfillment.
Each of these 'places' is allowed by God as part of one's pilgrimage!
This 'place' is called a trial.
A trial is a trying of one's faith in God.
It is not a trying of one's natural strengths and weaknesses.
A trial is not meant to weaken and destroy one's faith,but to strengthen and perfect it.
One's faith is expressed by one's devotion to God as one's first love(Gal.5:6).
Trials come to different people in different ways at different times.
A trial is likened to 'a castle' allowed by God to be built at some point on the road to fulfilling one's destiny.
A trial can be called 'a castle of boom' or 'a castle of doom',depending on one's attitude towards it.
With a negative attitude,one will view a trial as a 'place' to be avoided and if not avoided,one will get imprisoned in 'the dungeon' of the castle!
But with a positive attitude,one will see it as a 'place' that one will get through so as to make progress in life!
Yet it is important that this positive attitude is based on the word of God.
Firstly one needs to be one of 'the brethren'.
Who are 'the brethren'?
These are members of the family of God and pilgrims on the journey of destiny.
To become a member of this distinguished family,one should receive Jesus Christ the Son of God as one's personal Lord and Saviour(John 1:12).
Upon this commitment to Christ,one becomes a pilgrim on the journey of destiny as his disciple.
Secondly,one should develop a positive attitude towards trials.
This attitude is one of joy!
This joy is in the Lord(Philippians 4:4).
This joy is one's spiritual strength(Neh.8:10).
This strength is based on knowing God intimately and experientially(Dan.11:32).
One should rejoice because one is not the only person going through a trial:-
1 Cor.10:13(KJV)
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
One should also rejoice because no trial can separate one from Christ's love:-
Rom. 8:35(KJV)
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
One should also rejoice because the Lord feels and understands what one is going through:-
Heb.4:15(KJV)
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
One should also rejoice that the Lord is making intercession for those who come to God by him:-
Heb.7:25(KJV)
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
One should also rejoice because God is with one during one's trials:-
Matt.28:20(KJV)
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
In God's presence,there is fullness of joy(Psalm 16:11).
One should also rejoice because of his deliverance:-
Psalm 34:19(KJV)
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
One should also rejoice because every trial certainly has an end:-
Psalm 30:5(KJV)
"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
As a 'castle',every trial has two doors.
The first door is the point of entry.
Many times one passes through this door suddenly without warning!
Within the 'castle',it seems to be so dark and cold.
And the voice of the devil,one's enemy mockingly lies to one that there is no way out!
It is when one listen to this voice of deceit that one gets 'grounded' in 'the dungeon'!
But in the light of God's word and with the warmth of his indwelling Spirit one realises that there is actually a second door!
This second door is the point of exit!
Thirdly,one should submit oneself to God who allowed the trial to come one's way;and resist the devil who seeks to destroy one's faith in God during trials:-
James 4:7(KJV)
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Fourthly,one needs to be a help and challenge to others during their trials,not an instrument of discouragement and accusation:-
Prov.17:17(KJV)
"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
If one has fallen into 'the dungeon' due to fear,doubt,and discouragement during any trial,there is still help from the Lord today:-
Psalm 37:23-24(KJV)
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way."
"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."
As 'a castle of boom',a trial is designed by God to boost one's faith,and subsequently one's progress towards fulfillment of one's destiny.
In this context,a 'boom' is a period of growth in one's inner man.
Everyone who victoriously passes through a trial as 'a castle of boom' is progressing as an overcomer in the steps of Christ our Lord on the journey of destiny.
As an overcomer,one not only becomes more Christ-like;one also becomes more of whom one really is in God according to one's divine destiny.
James 1:12(KJV)
"Blessed is the man that endure th temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

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