Joy Re-Loaded


Some Christians live unhappy lives.  They need to discover the JOY that God promised.

One Christian found another one day and asked him if had the "Joy of the Lord" in him.  The second man replied "Yes, he did".  To which the first man said, "Well tell your face, because it looks miserable."

Here are a few tips on living a Joy-filled life:

1. Develop a thankful heart. Thank God often throughout the day for the big and small blessing that you enjoy.  The Bible speaks about "Giving thanks to God"  (in some form)  over 80 times.  Paul commands us to "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:16-18


2. Enjoy legitimate physical pleasures.  Some Christians think that all physical pleasure is evil.  This is a lie from the enemy.  In the Old Testament, God gave the Jews over 10 different festivals (or feasts). Not all were yearly festivals, but they all included the worship of God and all but one (Day of Atonement) included feasting on the best food of the land. In Nehemiah's day the exiles celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.  "From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great." Nehemiah 8:17

3. Worship God every day.  God is the author of joy and gives it freely to those who willingly come into his presence.  David said: "In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalms 16:11 NAS

Rejoice!!!

Popular posts from this blog

Humility

Prov 12:1 says "he who hates correction is stupid." As I read this verse this morning I was reminded of the new series we are preaching on at the Rock: "Greatness - The Way Up is Down". Jesus said "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-44 So if we want God to exalt us and be men and women of influence, we must humble ourselves (bring ourselves low) in our relationship to God and others. Prov 18:12 reads "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." What does a humble man look like? At a minimum a humble man: is Teachable (allows others to mold his life) is a Servant (serves others both physically and spiritually) is Submissive (submits to proper authority - both divine and human) Puts Others First (doesn't grab the biggest and best slice of pizza first) Seeks Advice (doesn't think or act like he's a "
Read more

Bad Shepherds

Do you know what bad shepherds do? They beat their sheep, they neglect the needs of their sheep, they don't even care when the sheep wander off. They are too concerned about themselves to care for their sheep. Now why do I care about shepherds and sheep? Because God compares spiritual leadership with shepherding sheep. In fact before his final ascension Jesus told Peter three times in various ways "Feed my sheep" in John 21. As I read Ezekiel 34:1-10 this morning I was reminded of just what kind of leader God wants me to be: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the s
Read more

God's Looking for a Few Good Men

As I was reading through Job this morning I began to realize how deep this man's character was. His integrity and uprightness came from the core of his inner being - and he knew it. When his friends misdiagnosed his suffering as a result of his wickedness and secret sins he responded to their verbal accusations by saying: "I will never concede that you are right; I will defend my integrity until I die. I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live." Job 27:5-65 NLT As I kept reading I noticed the righteous character of Job (especially as seen in chapters 29 and 31). Job was a man: of compassion of justice who would not lust after women who was honest (without deceit or falsehood) who was faithful to his wife who treated his employees with dignity and fairness who helped the poor, the widow, and the fatherless who trusted God for his security and not his wealth who did not worship any other god who did not hold grudges nor
Read more