Friends' Favorites - Body Building

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Acts 14:21-22 NIV

If you were going to join a gym with the purpose of building your muscles and strengthening your body, who would you listen to - Woody Allen or Dwayne Johnson? My obvious point being that you'd be more likely to listen to someone who actually has muscles and strength, yes? 

Paul was just such a man. He had been stoned and dragged out of the city of Lystra, left for dead just a few verses before today's chosen passage, but he had gotten up and gone right back into the city!

It was Jews from Iconium and Antioch who had incited the crowd in Lystra to attack Paul, and yet, here we find him traveling back through those same cities to strengthen the ones who had been converted to Christ on his previous visit. What a powerful testimony and witness to the new disciples! 

The Message Bible reads, "putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy..."  Jesus Himself had said it wouldn't be easy (John 16:33).

If you were in the gym to build muscle and sinew, you would probably hear more than once, No pain - No gain. It's part of Body Building 101. The same is true with Paul. He warns them it's going to be hard. However, Paul takes it to a much higher level - the body he has chosen to strengthen is the Body of Christ. 

That is serious body-building.

Prayer:

Father,
          We want to build the Body and strengthen them with Your Good News. Just like Isaiah said, to strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. We will be able to say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear" because You, O God, are coming to deliver us and save us. Give us divine appointments, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen