He will Give You Beauty for Ashes

The Bible says that he will give us beauty for ashes.  In Bible times it was the custom for the people of that day to in great times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes.  Just think about that. You’ve got a problem in your life and you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes.

But the scripture says he is going to take your difficult, disgusting, depressing and horrible situation and give you beauty.   He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.

The Hebrew word for ashes is epher and the Hebrew word for beauty is pheer.  Just move the e and you have a new word.  And just as quickly as it takes for you to move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy.  He speaks and it is already done.

Isaiah said he will give you beauty for ashes.  God knew you would be burnt by life’s experiences. But he also knew he could replace that burnt out mess with something beautiful.

Whatever God’s hands touch becomes beautiful.  All you need tonight is a touch from the master’s hand.

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

When Job was burnt by life he burnt the devil because he fell down and praised God.

Daniel, lions den – he prayed and thanked God

Abraham, sacrifice his son – I and the lad will go and worship

Hannah, the day she gave Samuel back to God – My heart rejoiceth in the Lord.

Paul, in prison – rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice

Oil of Joy for mourning.  Oil was used to apply to the face to make the face shine, instead of mourning which disfigures the face and the countenance and makes it unlovely.  When in mourning no oil would be applied to the face so that people would know that person was in mourning.

The oil of joy is the Holy Ghost.  Like a well of living water Joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Even in hard times – JOY.

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Let’s talk about this spirit of heaviness. It includes:

Heaviness
Inner hurts
Depression
Despair
Dejection
Hopelessness
Broken hearted
Suicidal tendencies
Self pity
Excessive mourning
Insomnia
Sorrow or grief

The root of this spirit of heaviness can at times come from:

A lack of praise
Bitterness
Being unthankful

The spirit of heaviness will attempt to steal your JOY.

Without joy we have the tendency to move into self pity.

The devil wants you to feel sorry for yourself. He wants you to feel alone and depressed. But don’t let him lead you down that pathway. For the Bible says:

(Romans 8:28)  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.

King Saul was affected by depression. He called for David to play and sing the anointed Psalms.

(Isaiah 59:19)  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

You can give into depression or resist it.

(Romans 6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?


Don’t give into the spirit of heaviness – but use the word of God like a sword.

When the devil says your no good remind him of  (2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When the devil says your not saved just tell him I know I’m saved because I was there when it happened.

When the devil says to worry, just remind him that God said don’t worry about anything

When the devil says be sick just tell him by his stripes I am healed

When he says be afraid remind him God said my peace I give to you.

When he says be defeated you say we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

We are all going to face adversity.  Even Paul did.  (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)

Binding (Matthew 18:18)  - Satan, in the name of Jesus, I bind your spirit of heaviness.   According to Matthew 18:8.   I recognize that you have taken advantage of me.  Now I resist you in Jesus name. James 4:7 says “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Go in the name of Jesus and don’t bother coming back again.

Loose the Holy Ghost, oil of joy, praise.

Praise silences the devil

(Psalms 8:1-2)   O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.   Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

That you might still – that you make the devil shut up!

In Matthew, Jesus said thou hast perfected praise – he was interpreting the scripture not misquoting.

Praise is a garment of the spirit.  Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

We must literally cloth ourselves in praise.  We must put it on.

Every morning we decide what to wear.  In the same way we must decide to put on the garment of praise.

In the Hebrew the word used for garment was more than something draped around the shoulders but it literally teaches us to wrap or cover ourselves in praise.  The garment of praise is to leave no openings or holes which hostile spirits can penetrate.

When you are – then put on praise:

Under heaviness
Depressed
In despair
Dejected
Have inner hurts
Hopelessness
Broken hearted

It’s a matter of our will!!

Praise prepares us for miracles

JONAH - (Jonah 2:9-10)  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.   And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Something in Jonah’s prayer got the attention of God – "praise".

Paul and Silas -  (Acts 16:25)   And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Put on the garments of Praise

The Hebrew word – "tehillah" – to sing praise.

It is used in Psalm 22:3 where it says God inhabits the praise of his people.  God manifested himself in the midst of exuberant singing.

2  Chron. 20:22 – God sent ambushments.

(Psalm 34:1) I will bless the Lord at all times his PRAISE shall …(Psalm 40:1-3) (Psalm 66:1-2)

There is protocol to see:

Pope
President
Queen of England

And there is a protocol for seeing the King of Kings

(Isaiah 60:18)…but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

God is surrounded in a city, by a wall called salvation. The way to get into that city is through the gate of praise.

We don’t gain access to his presence by needs and petitions but by praise.

~Bits and Pieces of the sermon by Thomas Dibble

The Call to Deliver

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.  (Galatians 6:1-3)

This passage directs qualified believers to be available to minister restoration to fellow believers who have fallen aside or been trapped or bound by sin.  John 11:44, illustrates this principle of restorativity freeing the bound/trapped/fallen.  Following Lazarus's being raised from the dead, he is still encumbered with his grave clothes...a man with a new lease on life, still needing release from the trappings of the past (the linen strips--grave clothes).

Note that Jesus told His disciples to, "loose him and let him go," entrusting the completion of the miracle He began to the and ministry of those He assigned.  Today, Jesus Christ still entrusts the reborn/forgiven soul to the ministry of caring disciples wherever or whenever bondage's residual to an individuals past threaten his or her growth in the family of God.  In one's new life, forgiveness of all sin is secured instantly through justification by faith in Christ, but additional ministry is often needed to help with breaking old sin patterns.

The Greek word for restore (katartizo) was used to secular Greek for setting broken bones, and in Matt. 4:21 for "mending" nets.

Considering yourself:  See 1 Corinthians 10:12

If we believe we are too spiritually mature to fall, we should beware!  The Bible portrays the sins of past spiritual leaders as a warning to us to remain humble and open to correction.  We each need to reassess our personal walk with God in honesty before Him. Each of us will be held responsible for our actions and attitudes.

Be sober in your self-assessment.  Employ only Jesus' life and the teachings as your standard for judgment not the performance of others.

New Spirit Filled Life Bible

Father, help me not to focus on the mistakes or deeds of the people in contact with me.  Rather, let me have a heart to forgive people and not judge them.   For those who are down, I pray I will encourage and lift them up.  I know that I am what I am, by your grace and your grace alone.  I also pray that my actions will bring honour to you.  Let me be sensitive to your Spirit.  I pray in Jesus name. Amen 

Seven Sacred Pillars

Paul lists seven wonderful truths declaring that each is “one of a kind”. The whole body of our Christian doctrine is embodied in these seven sacred pillars. In each of the supporting scriptural references the subject is always referred to in the singular form.

I. “ONE BODY” signifying one true church.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:15-16 (NKJV)

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18 (NKJV)

II. “ONE SPIRIT” refers to the Holy Spirit whom Jesus said that the Father would send.

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NASB)

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16 (NKJV)

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)

III. “ONE HOPE” signifying that outside of Christ there is no hope.

“The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26-27 (NKJV)

IV. “ONE LORD” signifying the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.” Colossians 1:19 (NKJV)

V. “ONE FAITH” signifying one body of truth.

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 1:3 (NKJV)

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:41-42 (NKJV)

VI. “ONE BAPTISM”: the baptism of the believer by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.

 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV). This scripture clearly sets forth that the Holy Spirit as the One baptizing.

With this thought in mind, consider Galatians 3:26-28.

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28 (NKJV)

VII. “ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL”

“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” Malachi 2:10 (NKJV)
“I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 45:5 (NKJV)
“Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:29-30 (NKJV)

Bits & Pieces of Sermon by Kenneth Trent