Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He dispenses Joy to those who came to Him in humility and obedience. He bestows His Joy on those who seek to worship Him and serve Him, with their lives. The shepherds received Joy at the presence of Jesus. The Wise men received Joy at the sight of Jesus. In Nehemiah 8, we read, "The Joy of the Lord is my strength". Jesus is gives His Joy to those abide in Him.
Joy and happiness are not synonymous. Happiness is temporal; it is lasts only for a short moment in time. Joy is eternal. Happiness is fleeting; it passes swiftly. Joy is enduring. Happiness depends on circumstances. It usually revolves around luck or good fortune. Joy is rooted and grounded in Jesus and our personal, continuous relationship with Him. Joy is victorious over all circumstances; it is strengthened through trials. Happiness turns to depression, sadness, and sorrow when things do not go our way.
It was because His joy was rooted in Jesus that the Apostle Paul could testify in II Corinthians 7:4-7, “I am overjoyed in all our affliction. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—disputes without and fears within. But God, Who consoles the downcast, consoled us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was consoled about you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.” Paul repeatedly suffered afflictions. Despite sleepless, restless nights, a worn out body, disputes with others, fears, and anxieties, he was filled with joy because his trust and confidence were grounded in His Lord who “consoles the downcast.”
That’s the joy the coming of Jesus brought to the shepherds; that same joy rooted and grounded in Jesus sustained Paul, and it is that same joy rooted and grounded in Jesus that will console you and me no matter what affliction we may face. This is the same joy that Paul witnessed in the lives of the Christians at Thessalonica when he commended them in I Thessalonians 1:6-7 by saying, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” The Thessalonian Christians remained joyful in the midst of persecution because they imitated the Lord Jesus. They looked to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith who, as the writer to the Hebrews reminds us, “. . .for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Then this same writer to the Hebrews reminds his readers in chapter ten, verses 32-34 to “recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.” In times of suffering, abuse, persecution, and plundering of our worldly possessions, we live in joy because in looking to Jesus we know that we “possess something better and more lasting.” The Holy Spirit focuses our hearts beyond our crosses to remember the glory that awaits us in heaven. He sets eternal joy before us, and we realize that all our sufferings are only momentary and fleeting; “they too shall pass.”
Tim Hansel is a Christian author who suffered a severe climbing accident in 1974. Many times since then doctors have given up hope for his continued survival, but Tim has kept looking to Jesus. He confidently asserts, “Happiness is a feeling. Joy is an attitude.” As we continue to look to Jesus, we do live not by the feeling of happiness but in the attitude of joy.
Dwight L. Moody also says it well, “Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. The Lord gives His people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to Him.” [SOURCE: Dwight Lyman Moody as quoted by Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 6529.] This is our key. Continuous joy is the result of our constant obedience to Jesus as Lord of our lives.
In Luke 2:20 we are reminded,, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” In Matthew 2:10 the similar joy the Magi experienced: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” The shepherds returned to their daily routine “glorifying and praising God,” because they had found their source of joy, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Glorifying and praising God” because we are “overjoyed” is the way God wants you and me to live each day in 2008 regardless of our situations, problems, circumstances, or trials that may come our way. Let the Holy Spirit conceive and nurture in you the attitude of joy. May the One Who left His throne in glory to be born in a humble stable and endured the cross, despising its shame strengthen you to live in His joy through times of persecution and opposition. As you keep looking to Him, the Holy Spirit will empower you to glorify and praise God regardless of the circumstances that may come your way, for “the joy of the Lord will always be your strength.”
In His Joy,
Brown
Prayer Needs:
Hi Pastor,
Once again I come asking to put Harvey on your prayer list. As you know he has been successfully treated for Bipolar Disorder for over a year how. However, its possible those meds that have managed this disorder have caused him to have seizures. It's going to take a while to sort all this out. He was in the hospital after collapsing at church Sunday but came home last night. He has to see a neurologist for an EEG and his doctors will be working to change his meds in an effort to manage this new issue.
I ask for prayer that God will guide the doctors as they go through this very tricky process.
God bless, Nancy
Pray For:
Jean W. recovering from knee surgery, Jack B, severe back pain , Jack H.,
Judy P. going in for surgery on Feb. 5. ( This is her 10th surgery). Kim S., mother of 4 young children - Scheduled mastectomy; Kristie , in Rehab; Allison B., in Attending University in Spain; Vin and Sherri R, who lost their house to the fire a few days ago; the family of Richard Babcock. ( Richard went to be with the Lord on the tenth of this month. He entered the Joy of His Master.
Continue to pray for the Christians who are facing severe persecution and violence in Orissa, India
Dear Friends,
Tomorrow at 5:30 am I will be setting out for Windhoek with two volunteers and seven children for medical work and school. We will be returning Muny and Milinga back to the school on the 16th or 17th where they attend the hearing impaired and we ask that this year they will be able to pick up more sign language so they will be more equip to excel in their academics.
Elisa is temporarily set-up for surgery for her eyes, Engela has had severe problems with her vision which includes that she is seeing things "through plastic or they get dark". Simeon has a cyst that is painful in his jaw and most probably will need to be removed. Lisedi has a very unusual tooth coming in and it will require an x-ray before deciding what to pull. Anna has some other problems which she needs to see a specialist about.
So, we could possibly have two surgeries four different doctors and take the boys to school as well as pick up many items while we are in the capital. Please pray for driving safety and wisdom for all the doctors and myself, Nancy and Jessica who will be helping out in this large endeavor.
In His Hands,
Rebecca ( Africa)
When was the last time you laughed for the sheer joy of your salvation? People are not attracted to somber doctrines. There is no persuasive power in a gloomy and morbid religion. Let the world see your joy and you won't be able to keep them away. To be filled with God is to be filled with joy.
Anonymous
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There's nothing more contradictory than an unenthusiastic Christian. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much, in fact, that God gave his only son so that all who believe in him will have everlasting life. Nothing not even death can separate us from God's love! If we really believe that, we can't help but overflow with joy!
Ronald Newhouse
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One of the great blessings of church, for all of its imperfections, is the gift of a genuine laughter - a laughter shared and bequeathed to us by our perfect Father. This is a laughter that we will share in even greater measure when all the sorrow is gone and every tear is wiped from our eyes. One day, like the captives many years ago said, we too will sing, "We are like those who dream. Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. It is said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:2-3 - Phillip Ware
"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance." Reflections on the Psalms
(Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis
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It is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord, His joy in ransoming us, His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and Power for fruitbearing and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength. Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no change.
James Hudson Taylor
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Where others see but the dawn coming over the hill, I see the soul of God shouting for joy.
William Blake
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There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other.
Augustine
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