Just Shake Off The Beast

Shake off the beast, show forth His Glory and they will soon change their story when the shame becomes HiStory.

Do you know that the fact that you face ups and downs in life is a reflection that you are still alive? Just visit an intensive care unit and watch the monitors on a critically ill patient; when the graph becomes one horizontal line, it's a reflection that life has ebbed out of that person. The seemingly dramatic rising and falling on the graph, shows that the patient is still alive and something are going on in the background though they are not outwardly visible. Dear Jewel regardless of how critical your situation, something is going on in the background. Suddenly, your story will change and all those who gave you names based on a temporary predicament will be forced to find another name for you.

Such was the story of Paul in a Acts 27 & 28. He had been through so much, escaped the storm and ship wreck as well as the soldiers that had orders to kill him and fellow prisoners and finally he arrived at Melita, in Acts 28, a place of refuge a place of honey (sweetness).
Acts 28:1-6
"And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. (Acts 28:1-6 KJV)

How many times have we being through really challenging situations and just when we thought we were over the worst, and we have come to a place of rest concerning the situation, something deadly literarily crawls out of the heat to give us yet another challenge to contend with?

Take heart dear child of God, the battles are all part of what makes you who you are in Christ. James says we should "count it all joy ..."James 1:2-4
Let the situation perfect your patience as you wait; so that your formation might be perfect without any deficiency or malformation.

Whatever the adverse situation, it's a beast, shake it off, 'shake off the beast'! Shake off that beast!

Even while the enemy is waiting to see you crumble in that trouble, stand tall in faith, be bent only in your prayer, and shake off the beast!

Whereas they called you a sinner;
you will now be called a believer,
Whereas they called you a pauper,
they will be there to watch you prosper.
The ones that called you barren
will see you carry your many children.
Where you labeled a failure?
Your success will be one to savour.
Are they referring to you as being sick? Soon they'll wonder what makes you tick
Are you currently the one called lonely
Soon we'll find your abode homely
Once you were numbered among the impotent.
Soon you'll be displaying the glory of the blessed and only potentate.

Shake of the beast! Shake it into the fire of your prayer! Shake it off firmly and authoritatively. That thing that was supposed to finish you off completely will soon be the reference point for your uplifting!

Rahab was called a Harlot, she shook that label off by being a blessing to strangers, her and her household were saved from destruction and she booked her place in Christ genealogy. Keep on being a blessing.

All it took was contact with Jesus for the woman with the issue of blood and the mad man in Mark 5; Stay connected. They both lost their names to their situation, but when they had contact with Jesus and circumstances of the evil label were no longer present, the names had to change. That is what happened to Paul in Acts Chapter 28:5-6 "he is a murderer" and then suddenly " he is a god" also to 'the man who was blind from birth' suddenly became 'the man who had been blind' John 9:13

It does not matter how long the issue has been lingering that beast will fall off, your story will change and so will your name and location just like the man by the beautiful gate in Acts 3 and the man by the pool of Bethesda in John 5 you will no longer be numbered among impotent folk.

Very soon we will hear your praise report and rejoice with you, but first you must shake off that beast! Call yourself your new name in faith even before the negative situation changes. Don't accept the negative label. Learn from the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 who refused to settle for the status quo and thereby changed the course of history by shaking off the beast of an unfair tradition.

Shake off the beast!

By sis Adetutu