477. Celebrating God's Grace, Beat the Heat

As the hot days of summer, so can the trying of our faith cause us to feel the heat of the fire. Learn how to Beat the Heat, and be Sweet!

***

Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, A Women World Leader’s Podcast, I’m your host Robin Kirby-

Gatto.

Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God’s grace, in our lives, in our ministry, and around the

world.

Today’s Title: Beat the Heat!

6 “[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, 7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 AMPC

There are core scriptures that are resolute within my soul, having the Word of Truth operate on me like a surgeon’s scalpel to get to the intents and motives of my heart. I learned a long time ago that when the Word operates on you, then it is operative in you. For me, 1 Peter 1:6-7 has been a core scripture for decades.

One of the greatest joys we have in life, is seeing our faith go from glory to glory, as we’re being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus. If anyone knew this well, it was Peter.

About a decade ago, I was forever changed, when the Lord showed me something that I hadn’t considered, when it came to Peter’s testing. Jesus warned Simon Peter in Luke 22:31-34 that satan had asked permission to sift all of him like grain, but that Christ had already prayed that when Peter returned, he would strengthen the brethren. If anything is a token of grace, the refining of our faith surely is such a demonstration.

Peter thought he would follow Jesus to prison and death, if need be, but he didn’t know what was in his own heart. Jesus informed Peter that he would deny Him after the cock crowed three times. It was then that the sifting came to prepare Peter for the greater, which was PENTECOST! Had Peter not been sifted then he wouldn’t be the vessel of mercy to be used of God’s glory for the message of Pentecost prophesied in Joel 2 of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

God showed me that satan’s message that sifted Peter was to compare him to Judas. Judas was the betrayer of Christ, who sold Him out for 30 coins of silver to the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls the son of perdition. I’ve never considered at all, how the devil might have sifted Peter, but surely if there’s any means by which to harass a saint of God, it is to make them think they’re bad or evil. When God gave me this revelation I was blown away, thinking, oh my goodness, Peter thought he might have even been the son of perdition.

Jesus warned Peter that the sifting would be so intense, that he would leave the ministry and eventually return. (Luke 22:32) Therefore, I have no doubt at all that when Peter wrote about the joy we’re to have when we experience fiery trials and the testing of our faith, he knew the glorious outcome for each saint.

Peter states, “BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD!” The Greek word used for having this exceeding gladness is agalliáō pronounced ag-al-lee-ah'-o meaning, “to jump for joy, be exceeding glad, with exceeding joy, greatly rejoice.” [i]  This comes from the Greek word hállomai pronounced hal'-lom-ahee meaning, “to leap, spring up, to gush, and jump.” [ii] I couldn’t help but see the Greek word from which exceeding gladness is derived and see HALL O MY by the way its spelled H.A.L.L.O.M.A.I.!

Having been a football cheerleader in junior high and high school, I cannot help but be God’s cheerleader for His people, encouraging them in the midst of their fiery trial. For many years while preaching, when using 1 Peter 1:6-7 I’ve used a visual like that of a hall. I would tell people to imagine if at the end of a sermon, instead of an altar call, people lined up to give cheers of joy for those who were experiencing fiery trials.

Can you imagine if you were at church and people were lined up on two sides to welcome those who were going through fiery trials in their life, saying, “Woo Hoo! Glory to God! You are blessed!” It would be a totally different perspective for God’s people, with everyone being excited at the working of the saint’s faith.

Our faith is tested by pure fire. The Greek word for fire is pŷr pronounced poor meaning, “fire and fiery.” [iii] The pronunciation of the Greek word for fire, sounds like poor, and gives an entire new meaning to Joel 3:10 “let the poor say I am rich!”

The last few weeks it’s been so hot here in Birmingham, Alabama that my husband, Rich, and I have been making protein shakes and salads mostly, for dinner. The temperature index is in the 100s and with all the humidity, it feels like a brick oven when walking outside. In addition to the hot temperatures, I just recently experienced some symptoms of perimenopause, and for the first time in my female life, understand what a hot flash is. I told my husband, who works at a cemetery and has to go outside at times, to imagine how he feels going out to the cemetery in this heat and sweating, telling him that’s how I feel internally, all throughout the day, with 50 are more hot flashes a day, and 20 or so night sweats each night. Man oh man, I have more sympathy than before, for women going through perimenopause, because the only way I can describe my experience, is that it feels like I’m in hell banging on the door to get out.

Fortunately, not all women experience the severity of the symptoms that I have. But with these symptoms, it compelled me pray for lost souls, thinking if this is anything close to how people will experience hell, I don’t want them to go there.

Without a doubt at the present time, while I wait for my doctor to put me on hormone treatment in order to get relief, I can surely appreciate 1 Peter 1:6-7, and the refining of our faith.

One thing I noticed with the increase of the heat this summer, that people are driving more crazy than usual. Just the other day while driving to the store and back, 3 different drivers were driving recklessly and nearly ran into me. I asked God, what in the world was going on. It was then that He brought to my mind “Robin, you have to Beat the Heat!”

I rejoiced in the fact that although I’m in the most uncomfortable time physically in my entire life, I’ve had such a gracious mood by the Holy Spirit. It has been God’s grace that has kept me joyful, not taking my own personal physical struggle out on others, with the many stories you hear from women, who’ve dealt with hormonal imbalance. Going through this change in life personally, and getting the necessary education to equip me in navigating through this time of my life with grace, has made me all the more passionate to give women the important information to beat the heat of menopause and perimenopause issues in their life, with joy and grace.

Now think of these different examples. One is an internal fire going on physically, and with the reckless drivers, people acting crazy in their own fire around you. This is what it’s like when you’re in a fiery trial, there are fears within and fighting without that you are overcoming as in 2 Corinthians 7:5.

You must be at rest, knowing the peace of God, so that Jesus in you, is revealed. What does this mean. Your character is more like Christ.

My favorite barbecue sauce on ribs or a pulled pork sandwich is SWEET HEAT BARBECUE SAUCE. Think about the combination of those words. I can just imagine smacking on some good ole ribs right now with some of that sweet heat barbecue sauce. I don’t mind even if I make a mess and get it all over my hands because it tastes so good. That’s how we need to be in our trials, the Word of God tastes so good, that spiritually its like that sweet heat barbecue sauce.

Women of God, are you in the heat of a fiery trial? Beat the Heat and be Sweet and watch how good God’s Word tastes to your soul, as Christ is revealed.

God Bless!

Robin Kirby-Gatto

[i] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 21 “exceeding joy”

[ii] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 242 “jump”

[iii] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 4442

As the hot days of summer, so can the trying of our faith cause us to feel the heat of the fire. Learn how to Beat the Heat, and be Sweet!

***

Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, A Women World Leader’s Podcast, I’m your host Robin Kirby-

Gatto.

Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God’s grace, in our lives, in our ministry, and around the

world.

Today’s Title: Beat the Heat!

6 “[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, 7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 AMPC

There are core scriptures that are resolute within my soul, having the Word of Truth operate on me like a surgeon’s scalpel to get to the intents and motives of my heart. I learned a long time ago that when the Word operates on you, then it is operative in you. For me, 1 Peter 1:6-7 has been a core scripture for decades.

One of the greatest joys we have in life, is seeing our faith go from glory to glory, as we’re being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus. If anyone knew this well, it was Peter.

About a decade ago, I was forever changed, when the Lord showed me something that I hadn’t considered, when it came to Peter’s testing. Jesus warned Simon Peter in Luke 22:31-34 that satan had asked permission to sift all of him like grain, but that Christ had already prayed that when Peter returned, he would strengthen the brethren. If anything is a token of grace, the refining of our faith surely is such a demonstration.

Peter thought he would follow Jesus to prison and death, if need be, but he didn’t know what was in his own heart. Jesus informed Peter that he would deny Him after the cock crowed three times. It was then that the sifting came to prepare Peter for the greater, which was PENTECOST! Had Peter not been sifted then he wouldn’t be the vessel of mercy to be used of God’s glory for the message of Pentecost prophesied in Joel 2 of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

God showed me that satan’s message that sifted Peter was to compare him to Judas. Judas was the betrayer of Christ, who sold Him out for 30 coins of silver to the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls the son of perdition. I’ve never considered at all, how the devil might have sifted Peter, but surely if there’s any means by which to harass a saint of God, it is to make them think they’re bad or evil. When God gave me this revelation I was blown away, thinking, oh my goodness, Peter thought he might have even been the son of perdition.

Jesus warned Peter that the sifting would be so intense, that he would leave the ministry and eventually return. (Luke 22:32) Therefore, I have no doubt at all that when Peter wrote about the joy we’re to have when we experience fiery trials and the testing of our faith, he knew the glorious outcome for each saint.

Peter states, “BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD!” The Greek word used for having this exceeding gladness is agalliáō pronounced ag-al-lee-ah'-o meaning, “to jump for joy, be exceeding glad, with exceeding joy, greatly rejoice.” [i]  This comes from the Greek word hállomai pronounced hal'-lom-ahee meaning, “to leap, spring up, to gush, and jump.” [ii] I couldn’t help but see the Greek word from which exceeding gladness is derived and see HALL O MY by the way its spelled H.A.L.L.O.M.A.I.!

Having been a football cheerleader in junior high and high school, I cannot help but be God’s cheerleader for His people, encouraging them in the midst of their fiery trial. For many years while preaching, when using 1 Peter 1:6-7 I’ve used a visual like that of a hall. I would tell people to imagine if at the end of a sermon, instead of an altar call, people lined up to give cheers of joy for those who were experiencing fiery trials.

Can you imagine if you were at church and people were lined up on two sides to welcome those who were going through fiery trials in their life, saying, “Woo Hoo! Glory to God! You are blessed!” It would be a totally different perspective for God’s people, with everyone being excited at the working of the saint’s faith.

Our faith is tested by pure fire. The Greek word for fire is pŷr pronounced poor meaning, “fire and fiery.” [iii] The pronunciation of the Greek word for fire, sounds like poor, and gives an entire new meaning to Joel 3:10 “let the poor say I am rich!”

The last few weeks it’s been so hot here in Birmingham, Alabama that my husband, Rich, and I have been making protein shakes and salads mostly, for dinner. The temperature index is in the 100s and with all the humidity, it feels like a brick oven when walking outside. In addition to the hot temperatures, I just recently experienced some symptoms of perimenopause, and for the first time in my female life, understand what a hot flash is. I told my husband, who works at a cemetery and has to go outside at times, to imagine how he feels going out to the cemetery in this heat and sweating, telling him that’s how I feel internally, all throughout the day, with 50 are more hot flashes a day, and 20 or so night sweats each night. Man oh man, I have more sympathy than before, for women going through perimenopause, because the only way I can describe my experience, is that it feels like I’m in hell banging on the door to get out.

Fortunately, not all women experience the severity of the symptoms that I have. But with these symptoms, it compelled me pray for lost souls, thinking if this is anything close to how people will experience hell, I don’t want them to go there.

Without a doubt at the present time, while I wait for my doctor to put me on hormone treatment in order to get relief, I can surely appreciate 1 Peter 1:6-7, and the refining of our faith.

One thing I noticed with the increase of the heat this summer, that people are driving more crazy than usual. Just the other day while driving to the store and back, 3 different drivers were driving recklessly and nearly ran into me. I asked God, what in the world was going on. It was then that He brought to my mind “Robin, you have to Beat the Heat!”

I rejoiced in the fact that although I’m in the most uncomfortable time physically in my entire life, I’ve had such a gracious mood by the Holy Spirit. It has been God’s grace that has kept me joyful, not taking my own personal physical struggle out on others, with the many stories you hear from women, who’ve dealt with hormonal imbalance. Going through this change in life personally, and getting the necessary education to equip me in navigating through this time of my life with grace, has made me all the more passionate to give women the important information to beat the heat of menopause and perimenopause issues in their life, with joy and grace.

Now think of these different examples. One is an internal fire going on physically, and with the reckless drivers, people acting crazy in their own fire around you. This is what it’s like when you’re in a fiery trial, there are fears within and fighting without that you are overcoming as in 2 Corinthians 7:5.

You must be at rest, knowing the peace of God, so that Jesus in you, is revealed. What does this mean. Your character is more like Christ.

My favorite barbecue sauce on ribs or a pulled pork sandwich is SWEET HEAT BARBECUE SAUCE. Think about the combination of those words. I can just imagine smacking on some good ole ribs right now with some of that sweet heat barbecue sauce. I don’t mind even if I make a mess and get it all over my hands because it tastes so good. That’s how we need to be in our trials, the Word of God tastes so good, that spiritually its like that sweet heat barbecue sauce.

Women of God, are you in the heat of a fiery trial? Beat the Heat and be Sweet and watch how good God’s Word tastes to your soul, as Christ is revealed.

God Bless!

Robin Kirby-Gatto

[i] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 21 “exceeding joy”

[ii] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 242 “jump”

[iii] Strong’s Concordance Greek word # 4442