THE SPIRIT OF JOY (PART 5)

ALWAYS BE JOYFUL

(1 Thessalonians 5:16 - CEV)

We rely on laws and rules to govern behaviour, but everyone knows they can't govern the human heart. External forces can't command internal responses. Still God works into His Word several unexpected instructions: to love Him with all our hearts, to have no anxiety, and to be joyful. How is this possible? How can an outward command be imposed on inward attitudes? How can an untameable heart be tamed by words?
It takes more than words, of course. In a command to "be joyful," self-discipline isn't the goal. It isn't an effective response or even a realistic one. We can't change our hearts simply by telling them to change. We can however, realize that our attitudes are off-kilter and ask Him to supernaturally change them. He holds our hearts in His hand; He can certainly sway them with His thoughts and fill them with His Spirit. If we are going to be people who are always joyful, this is how it has to be. We can't follow this instruction in the midst of trying circumstances unless we have a radical change of perspective and supernatural help. Biblical commands to rejoice - especially in suffering, persecution, and intense trials of life - can only be fulfilled when we  depend on Him.
Hear His heart: "I designed you for JOY. I sent My Son to you so your JOY might be full, abundant, overflowing. I didn't create you for JOY only on pleasant days but for deep abiding JOY in any circumstances. Yes, this seems unrealistic to you. And yes, you can't simply flip a switch and rejoice. But you can focus on Me, change your perspective, and ask for My heart to fill you. I will gladly give you if you ask."
(An extract from: Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen)

Prayer: Father I'm asking, I want JOY - Your JOY, the kind I was designed to have and that Jesus promised. Pleased let me experience it, even in my most trying circumstances. I want the JOY that overcomes all obstacles and runs deeper than any pain. In Jesus' amen!"

PRAISING UNCONDITIONALLY

Why do we praise God? Do we desire to honour Him and make Him glad? Or do we feel that praise puts God under obligation to grant the earthly longings we bring to Him in prayer? Will God do whatever we ask simply because we praise Him?

God is not a heavenly machine into which we insert the coin of praise, press the right button, and get whatever we want. Nor praise is a magical incantation that forces God to fulfill our wishes. Many of us would not consciously try to manipulate God. But when we praise Him in the midst of a trial, we can be tempted to secretly bargain with Him, feeling in some recess of our heart, "I'm praising You, Lord. Now You owe it to me to work out this situation the way I want."

1) TRUSTING REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS
True praise imposes no conditions on God. It chooses to believe Him regardless of the situation and its outcome. It accepts the circumstances He has permitted, without insisting that He change them. Such praise begins with the attitude that says, "Father I'm going to keep trusting You even though everything is dark and confusing." As we continue to praise, we reach the place where we can say, "Father, thank You that You are working in me to beautify my character. Change me in anyway You see fit."
One majot purpose of trials is to strengthen our faith and transform our attitudes. Therefore choosing an attitude of trust and praise sometimes ends a trial with surprising speed. But even if it does not, we find ourselves enriched and strengthened to endure.

2) DEMOSTRATE OUR TRUST

Through praise each of us can demostrate trust in God to work in the present as He has in past centuries. In the final chapters of Genesis we see how God brought far-reaching benefits through all the events that had happened to Joseph - the cruel betrayal by his brothers, the agonies of his soul, the slavery, the false accusations, the long years of imprisonment, and the forgetfulness of the butler he had befriended, with the extra years of confinement that resulted.

We read in Psalm 105:17 that God Himself had sent Joseph to Egypt, intending to bring good out of his trials. He used them to prepare this youth to be prime minister of the greatest nation on earth. Through Joseph's trials, God arranged to have him in the right place at the right time to save the lives of hundreds of thousands during severe famine. Joseph's long years of suffering resulted in his own life being saved, as well as his entire family, and through it, the ancestors of Jesus.

Joseph showed his confidence in God's loving sovereignty in Genesis 50:20-21. When his brothers feared retribution, Joseph told them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preseve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid." As we offer praise, we show that we believe that Joseph's God is alive and at work today, even in the bleakest of circumstances.

3) A MAJOR STRESS REDUCER

Praise and thanksgiving do not insulate us from problems and pressures. But as we couple them with honest prayer, they do serve as a major stress reducer. They help us from the self-imposed stresses of our negative attitudes, opening our hearts to the soothing power of God's peace, which surpasses all understanding. And they do more than soothe. They also infuse us with vitality. God's Word says, "Strength and joy are in His dwelling place ... The joy of the LORD is your strength." (1 Chronicles 16:27, Nehemiah 8:10)

Praise and thanksgiving usher us into God's presence, where we can partake of His joy and quietly absorb strength, strength for every need - spiritual, emotional, or physical. By helping us view our situation through God-coloured glasses, praise gives our threatening or depressing circumstances a new look. It helps us relax our bungling efforts to change other people so that life will be easier for us. It tunes us in to God's wisdom so that we know when to take wise, loving action and when to simply trust Him to act. We begin to exert a creative, uplifting influence on others, because as we change, people tend to react to us in new ways. Although God does not promise fewer trials if we praise, praise often brings a multitude of external benefits as well as relaxed-yet-invigorated spirit.

Our unconditional praise deepens our trust and joy in God. It increases our spiritual impact on people. These and other benefits come not as our due for praising the Lord but simply as added reasons to praise Him for His undeserved favour. They come not because we manipulate God to do what we want, but because we center our thoughts and expectations in Him.

Our motive in genuine praise is to bring joy and glory to God. we are here to do His will, not to obligate Him to do ours.

(An extract from PRAISE - A Door To God's Presence by Warren & Ruth Myers)

Praise The Lord!

TPWC

THE JOY OF THE LORD

"Be joyful always ...

give thanks in all circumstances

for this is God's will for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There is a great difference between JOY & HAPPINESS. Joy is the realm of the spirit whereas happiness is related to our emotions and circumstances. When things are going well, we have happiness. It is good to have happiness, but we cannot have it all the time.

To illustrate: If I lost my wallet, I would be very happy when the founder returned it to me. After a few days, I would no longer have the feeling of happiness although my wallet is still with me. What I have actually lost is the feeling of happiness at the time of finding it.

Joy on the other hand, is not dependent on feelings or circumstances. There is only one source of Joy and that is God - God Himself! That is why it is possible to "Rejoice in the Lord always!" In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul actually commands the Philippians to "Rejoice in the Lord always "(verse 4) and they are able to do so because "the Lord is near" (verse 5). You will note that while submitting they are also encouraged to submit their petitions; their prayers include the spirit of thanksgiving. (verse 6) And the resultance is having "the peace of God" (verse 7) in midst of whatever circumstances.

Therefore, when our circumstances cause us nothing but grief, fears, doubts, anger, depression ... we can still rejoice because our joy is not based on fluctuating circumstances, but has it's source in the One Who loves us and is the object of our love. Beloved, if we but exercise our faith and choice to "rejoice in the Lord", in the midst of our adverse circumstances, these negative feelings of grief, fears, doubts anger and depressions will just melt away!

Why It Is Important For A Christian To Have JOY OF THE LORD?

1) The JOY of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)
2) Without it we could have lost the JOY of our salvation. (Psalm 51:12) As a child of God, JOY is our Christian testimony to reflect to the depressed world that in any situation, God is good all the time.
3) A healthy Christian is one that is JOYFUL because he is actively connected to "The Vine and bearing fruits." (John 15:5 & Galatians 5:23)
4) A JOYFUL believer is one that has his prayers answered. (John 16:24)
5) We are commanded to "Rejoice In The Lord Always!" (Philippians 4:4)
6) It is God's will to be JOYFUL! (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
7) JOY is one of the key to God's presence! (Psalm 100:4)
8) JOY is the evidence of one who is living in a Victorious Abundant Life. (John 10:10)

Apostle John in 1 John 1:4 - "We write this to make our JOY full."
This verse shows that:

a) We need to read, mediatate and be a doer of the Word so that we do not leak. Some Christians may be walking with either half tank or worst still with an empty tank without JOY! We let the emeny rob (like a thief - John 10:10) us of our JOY through the circumstances and pressures of life. The key to a JOYFUL and abundant life is to stay connected to The Vine (John 15:5). Only then we can "Count it all joy even when we fall into divers trials or testings" (James 1:2) because it is "The Joy of the Lord" which is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) that will carry us through.

REJOICE!\0/\0/\0/
TPWC

A DEEPER GRATITUDE

Be Thankful
Colossians 3:15

Does joyful gratitude characterize our life? Does our hearts dwell in a culture of thankfulness? It should. When was the last time we were so overjoyed with God's work in our life that our praise began flowing spontaneously?If we have a hard time answering that question, ask ourself why? Is it because God has not blessed us enough? Or is it because we have failed to thank Him for His blessings?
Hebrew 12:28 says that gratitude is an acceptable offering to God. Why? Because it acknowledges Who He is better than any other attitude. It recognizes that He is a Blesser, a Giver, a Redeemer of incomparable worth. Gratitude sees God as He is. Here are four statements about thankfulness - requirement, really - from four different Epistles of apostle Paul:

1) Colossians 3:15-17

"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. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Be thankful - that is not a suggestion; it is a command. In ALL that we do we need to be guided by two principles: doing it "in the name of the Lord Jesus" and "giving thanks to God through Him"
2) Ephesians 5:19
"... speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
When you are full of the Holy Spirit you will continually give God thanks. In fact, you can measure the fullness of the Spirit within you partly by the spirit of a thankful heart. When you cease to do so, it is one sure indication you are beginning to leak out
3) 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"... in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
What is the will of God in Christ Jesus? To give thanks in everything. So if you are not giving thanks, as we have already see, you are actually out of the will of God.
4) Philippians 4:6
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Never bring a request to God without thanksgiving. There is nothing wrong with petitioning God for His help, but there is something tragically wrong with failing to thank Him often. Cultivate in your life a culture of gratitude.

The essentials of a Grateful Heart:
- It provides access to God's presence (Psalm 100:4)
- It unlocks the supernatural miracle power of God (John 6:11-12 the feeding of the five thousand)
- It ascribes glory to God by acknowledging His goodness (Psalm 107:1)
- It testifies to His character in the eyes of the world (Exodus 34:6-7; Colossians 3:17)
- It keeps us in His will (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Gratitude is an attitude that if it isn't flowing naturally now, should be cultivated zealously. Practice it often, and it will soon become as natural as breathing.

Give Thanks!
TPWC