Every time, I put pen on paper, I engage the enemy in a fierce battle. Especially in this series where everlasting doors are opening. Doors of Joy are flinging wide open this year and the devil is mad for nothing. I rejoice to see this piece on the web. I have experienced resistance from the devil in this particular piece in many unique ways. I am sure you want to know why.
The Holy Spirit told me that April is the Month of All Comfort. As the month progresses, my heart begins to reach out to everyone that is grieving. The examination of life has no timetable. It is such that neighbours, a couple, friends could be so close and yet be at different seasons at a time in their lives. One may be rejoicing for the good things of life and the other in deep sorrow. These two extreme worlds happen side by side all the time. For instance, I know a family who waited for their first child for six years. When the child came, who would deny them their joy? About the same period, I know a family, who lost its bread winner; who would console them? We easily forget that the bad news that permeate our media are real life events happening to real people. Every day, some one is sorrowing and in deep, deep pain. I feel like rephrasing a Scripture; 'The hearts of men are desperately sorrowful, who can feel it?' When the sun rises on you, please remember it sets on someone else. We are in our different seasons of life.
Yet I am going to talk about Joy today. Joy can not be pretended. You can not act it. I hope to deliver the Joy that will trascend the realities of our different seasons, such that whatever has happened or has not happened will no longer be the factor for your joy. Holy Spirit, help me in this. Let me talk more to those that are grieving. I have no words with the magical ability to transform your situation. I discovered when Jesus says to a weeping mother who lost a child; 'Weep not', it is because He would raise that child. (Luke 7:13-14). If you can not turn it around, you have no business trying to talk me out of it. I discovered only God can comfort a heart that grieves. Scripture said concerning Rachel; 'In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted...' (See Matthew 2:18). She would not be comforted. See, there are misfortunes that befall people and no man, nothing would comfort them. The best you could do for anyone grieving around you is to be by them. If you are so moved, weep with them; but do not even bother to say a word. I also discovered that the saying "Time heals all wounds' is not always true. There are hearts that break into particles such that even Time can not gather again. It will take something beyond Time to fix a heart who loses a loving friend.
So, if you are reading this piece at a time you are in despair, run to the Holy Spirit fast. Why am I so confident you will find succour in Him? See John 16:7; Jesus was telling His disciples how expedient it was for Him to leave them (in His physical form). It is interesting to me, that even Jesus had to leave. Who could be better than Jesus, yet He did not only leave, He left young. We hate to lose our friends and relations. It is so painful. There is a sense of finality that accompanies the news of someone's death and nobody wants to feel such pain. Why do good people die? Good or not, why do our people have to die? Well, Jesus had to go too. You might begin to rationalise and say 'Jesus' case was different, He rose and ascend to Heaven'. Is that not the same line with which we console people who are bereaved of loved ones? Anyway, Jesus could see the sorrow in their heart as He prepared to leave the earth. And He was not going to leave them without comfort. He sent to them the 'Holy Spirit'.
This is not the space to elaborate on the personality and purpose of the Holy Spirit. But let me quickly tell a believer in Jesus Christ there that the Holy Spirit is one great advantage you have over everyone else who does not believe in Jesus Christ. (See John 16:7 NKJV). Okay. At this point, Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit to the disciples as 'The Comforter'. That is so loaded. If men could not comfort you, and God could not, so where is comfort? Our God is the 'God of All Comfort' (2 Corinthians 1:3). I challenge you today, to engage the Holy Spirit in your moment of grief. Jesus left but the disciples were comforted. How did I know the disciples were comforted? Jesus departed as He said, but the zeal with which they (the disciples) carried on tells me they were comforted beyond the dictionary meaning of the word. That is a proof that you have touched Comfort. And if you are not grieving at the moment, must you wait for a moment of grief? I pray that the God of all Comfort will reach out to all hearts that grieve through His Holy Spirit today. Amen.
Now, Joy. How do I start talking about Joy, without checking Galatians 5:22-23? "The fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is ... Joy...". Joy is one very strong evident that a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit. Joy is the emotion everyone wants to have. I have a friend who once told me he was a hedonist. I asked what that means, he said he is a 'lover of pleasure'. And I asked him 'Who isn't?' Even a sadist derives pleasure from pain. We all want to be happy. People look to money, friends, sex, drugs, achievements, acquisitions and so on, to give them joy. My friend does much of these to make him feel hedonistic and I can identify with him. That momentary feeling of satisfaction swelling in our hearts when we have so much in our accounts, or when people rally around us, or when we climax in love making, or when that dose of drug gets us high, or when that appointment or promotion shows our worth, or when that article we purchase or possess gives us pride; that momentary feeling is what we seek to sustain. We seek to reach and remain in that realm where there is no care. Many people get there only to crash. I intend to show you the vehicle to take you and keep you there.
Jesus recommended the Holy Spirit for our comfort. I have studied the apostles that propelled the gospel after Jesus physically left the scene. They did all they did with so much enthusiasm. Yet the contradictions were there all the time. They were misunderstood, they were arrested, they were tortured and they suffered all kinds of persecutions, yet you could feel the joy in them. If joy is that 'feel good' thing when things are good, it is all too cheap. But Joy is that 'feel good' thing even when things are not good. This is the place where our faith has any advantage whatsoever. Nehemiah told the people in Nehemiah 8:10 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength'. Your strength as a believer is measured by your Joy Content. Jesus said '... that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full' (John 15:11). You can not have Jesus Joy and be depressed. If God sent His only Son to die for you, what in heaven and earth should hinder your joy? What else would mark you out as a redeemed person, if not the joy that radiates from inside you? Joy is an integral part of our redemption. The Kingdom of God is the Domain of Joy. Righteousness, Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost- that is the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). We are the ones to distribute Joy to the world.
I get particularly worried when I enter a congregation of morose christians. The Good News of Salvation was described by the angel as 'good tidings of great joy' (Luke 2:10). Matthew recorded that the wise men rejoiced with EXCEEDING GREAT JOY, when they saw the Star of His birth. (Matthew 2:10). Prophet Isaiah decribed the joy at Christ's coming as when 'men rejoice as they divide the spoil' (Isaiah 9:3). The Coming of Jesus Christ is the spoiling of the devil and all his forces. Just like his birth, the death of Jesus Christ should elicit unstoppable joy from a believer's heart. Paul said Christ 'disarmed principalities and power' and He made them a laughing stock (See Colosians 2:15). Scripture tells us 'He who sits in heaven shall laugh' (Psalm 2:4). God sits in heaven, and you do too! (See Ephesians 2:6). You cheat yourself a great deal if you have not learned how to laugh the devil to scorn. But even more, you grieve the Holy Spirit.
God placed a curse on a people in Deuteronomy 28:47-48; saying 'Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart... you shall serve your enemies...'. Psalm 100 gives us an idea of heaven. The Psalmist said 'Make a joyful shout to the LORD..., Serve the LORD with gladness...' (Psalm 100:1-2). Of course, we serve God with reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29). But as we revere Him, we must know how to revel in Him. Scriptures does not say in vain, that 'In Your presence there is fullness of Joy... and pleasures forevermore' (Psalm 16:11). Nehemiah knew something about serving a king. He said 'I had never been sad in his (that is, King Artaxerxes') presence before. Serving God with joy is a unique art of worship.
I am sure you do not enjoy serving your enemies. Why serve God like you would an enemy? Israel served Egypt for too long and when her deliverance came, Israel had to learn to rejoice. Moses had to compose a song which with Miriam taught the people to dance (See Exodus 15:1-21). Ezra had to instruct the people how to rejoice, for they had been under the oppression and fear of their enemies. (See Nehemiah 8:10). Sometimes, we tend to see life as a series of bad news. And that is not so far from the truth. Jesus said 'Sufficient is the day of its own evil'. Every single day is loaded with enough evil that Paul said plainly that the days are evil. But that is only one side ot it. The other side is in this Scripture 'This is the day that the LORD has made, we wil rejoice and be glad in it'. Question is; which day did the devil make? None. So everyday is your day of joy. Even today.
vbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb (My son wrote that and I feel I should leave it. I guess he meant 'vibrating'). And truly, Joy is a vibration. You respond to beats that are beyond you. The Holy Spirit inside you just can not be depressed. He will comfort you and pump joy into you and through you. He would do that over and over.
Let me wrap this up by giving three ways to allow God's joy into your life.
1. Be Born Again.
You can not skip that in God. You se, the examination of life will hit you when you least expect, and when push comes to shove, it will matter a great deal if you are saved in Christ. The point is, this does not make you exatly free from what happens to people, but you have an advantage. I had an experience once and at other times too, in my place of prayer. I was praying to God and suddenly I was caught up in the Spirit. I began to speak in tongues so fluently. A part of my heart was vibrating and it was as if my mouth was dancing to the rhythm. The part I want to tell is this; In the midst of the whole extra ordinary experience, I saw myself in tears, but I was laughing at the same time. I can not explain it. The feeling too was beyond words. And both were real, the tears and the laughter.
When you become born again (that is, saved and washed by the blood of Jesus), you have a 'shock absorber' in God. The way that laughter so cushioned whatever caused my tears, that is how pain, no matter how real can not break you. Paul asked Death where its sting was. (1 Corinthians 15:55). Like Job, you would say in the midst of the worst trials 'Though he slays me, yet will I trust Him' (Job 13:15). You could look the devil in the eye and say 'Is that your worst?'. Watch it, do not ever dare him, if you are not in God. By the time he dealt with Job, his wife advised Job to die. His friends wept for days, before they could even say a word to him.
There is such an experience called 'The Joy Of Salvation'. David knew something about it. David dreaded ever losing that joy. He cried out in Psalm 51: 12; "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation...'. Could that be the secret that saw David maintain the right spirit (call it attitude) in spite of all he went through? I say to you, what I have always said 'Accept Christ Today'. You got it. A C T. Do not wait till life tests you.
2. Engage the Holy Spirit.
I can not say too much about Him. The most undertilized weapon in our armoury as believers is the Holy Spirit. I am sure we would want to be alive in the days when Jesus walked the earth. That is exactly what we have in the Holy Spirit. He has come to fill you. While He is not a feeling, you can feel Him through joy. He is very present. He came in place of the physical Jesus. He is real. Talk to Him. Deep, deep pain in your heart, relate to Him. Share your happy moments with Him. Share your down times with Him. Carry Him along. Invite Him to meals. You sure know what I mean. Ping him often. Just keep in touch, He is your best friend.
One of the books that revolutinalized my walk with God was Benny Hinn, 'Good Morning, Holy Spirit'. Ah, you wake in the mornig, you say to Him 'Good Morning, Dear One'. You go to bed with the words 'Nice Night, Holy One'. You are broke, tell Him. You are excited, embrace Him. I am saying; get obsessed! Did you notice how Paul compared being 'filled with the Holy Spirit' with 'getting drunk to the point of dissipation or what King james call "debauchery"'? (Ephesians 5:18). Debauchery means excessive indulgence in sensality. Indulge the Holy Spirit, Keep filling in. I tried to tell my hedonistic friend that we also get drunk, don't we? (See Ephesians 5:18).
3.Practice Joy.
Make Joy and exercise. As the Holy Spirit fills you with joy, apply your consciousness to it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, we are told to 'Rejoice always'. I like to examine that word for a while. The word 'Rejoice' was mentioned twelve times in his letter to the Philippians. (Lets do the exercise; 1. and 2. in Philippians 1:18; 3. in Philippians 2:16. 4. in Philippians 2:17. 5. in Philippians 2:18. 6. in Philippians 2:28. 7. in Philippians 3:1. 8. in Philippians 3:3. 0. and 10. in Philippians 4:4. 11. in Philippians 4:10.) Did you do the exercise? So look for the twelfth time. Supply it, then. Rejoice!
Historians say Paul actually wrote that piece from the prison- or a dungeon for that matter. I already told you, you can not depress a Jesus joy. But why was Paul emphatic or why was he repeating that word to the Philippians? It is funny, but believe it, Paul was inscribing Joy into his consciousness. From the word itself 'Re-' is a prefix that suggests some effort being applied to an action to make it happen again. Recall, Remember, Regain, Repair, Retain, Re-elect... I am not about to teach language. That is what it takes from your own part to sustain your joy. Are you bereaved? Rejoice! Are you rejected? Rejoice! Are you betrayed? Rejoice! Practice Joy. Stretch your limit in joy. That is why Scriptures say 'The voice of rejoicings ... is in the tents of the righteous' (Psalm 118:15) It is not as if the righteous never sorrow, he only knows how to practice Joy. I like the last three times Paul said that word (Philippians 4;4, an 10), He added ' in the Lord'. So even that effort is not yours, really. It's all in the Lord.
As you practice rejoicing, it is like you are drawing water from a well. Drawing water from a well is some exercise, at least I know that. Isaiah said ' Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation' (Isaiah 12:3). In Salvation there are wells of water waiting to be drawn from, when we learn to rejoice. Look everyday in the eye, and declare 'This is the day my God has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it' (Psalm 118:24).
God is opening doors of Joy this year. The experience will set you on course for the rest of eternity.
Rejoice in the Lord! Again, I say to you, rejoice!
The Holy Spirit told me that April is the Month of All Comfort. As the month progresses, my heart begins to reach out to everyone that is grieving. The examination of life has no timetable. It is such that neighbours, a couple, friends could be so close and yet be at different seasons at a time in their lives. One may be rejoicing for the good things of life and the other in deep sorrow. These two extreme worlds happen side by side all the time. For instance, I know a family who waited for their first child for six years. When the child came, who would deny them their joy? About the same period, I know a family, who lost its bread winner; who would console them? We easily forget that the bad news that permeate our media are real life events happening to real people. Every day, some one is sorrowing and in deep, deep pain. I feel like rephrasing a Scripture; 'The hearts of men are desperately sorrowful, who can feel it?' When the sun rises on you, please remember it sets on someone else. We are in our different seasons of life.
Yet I am going to talk about Joy today. Joy can not be pretended. You can not act it. I hope to deliver the Joy that will trascend the realities of our different seasons, such that whatever has happened or has not happened will no longer be the factor for your joy. Holy Spirit, help me in this. Let me talk more to those that are grieving. I have no words with the magical ability to transform your situation. I discovered when Jesus says to a weeping mother who lost a child; 'Weep not', it is because He would raise that child. (Luke 7:13-14). If you can not turn it around, you have no business trying to talk me out of it. I discovered only God can comfort a heart that grieves. Scripture said concerning Rachel; 'In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted...' (See Matthew 2:18). She would not be comforted. See, there are misfortunes that befall people and no man, nothing would comfort them. The best you could do for anyone grieving around you is to be by them. If you are so moved, weep with them; but do not even bother to say a word. I also discovered that the saying "Time heals all wounds' is not always true. There are hearts that break into particles such that even Time can not gather again. It will take something beyond Time to fix a heart who loses a loving friend.
So, if you are reading this piece at a time you are in despair, run to the Holy Spirit fast. Why am I so confident you will find succour in Him? See John 16:7; Jesus was telling His disciples how expedient it was for Him to leave them (in His physical form). It is interesting to me, that even Jesus had to leave. Who could be better than Jesus, yet He did not only leave, He left young. We hate to lose our friends and relations. It is so painful. There is a sense of finality that accompanies the news of someone's death and nobody wants to feel such pain. Why do good people die? Good or not, why do our people have to die? Well, Jesus had to go too. You might begin to rationalise and say 'Jesus' case was different, He rose and ascend to Heaven'. Is that not the same line with which we console people who are bereaved of loved ones? Anyway, Jesus could see the sorrow in their heart as He prepared to leave the earth. And He was not going to leave them without comfort. He sent to them the 'Holy Spirit'.
This is not the space to elaborate on the personality and purpose of the Holy Spirit. But let me quickly tell a believer in Jesus Christ there that the Holy Spirit is one great advantage you have over everyone else who does not believe in Jesus Christ. (See John 16:7 NKJV). Okay. At this point, Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit to the disciples as 'The Comforter'. That is so loaded. If men could not comfort you, and God could not, so where is comfort? Our God is the 'God of All Comfort' (2 Corinthians 1:3). I challenge you today, to engage the Holy Spirit in your moment of grief. Jesus left but the disciples were comforted. How did I know the disciples were comforted? Jesus departed as He said, but the zeal with which they (the disciples) carried on tells me they were comforted beyond the dictionary meaning of the word. That is a proof that you have touched Comfort. And if you are not grieving at the moment, must you wait for a moment of grief? I pray that the God of all Comfort will reach out to all hearts that grieve through His Holy Spirit today. Amen.
Now, Joy. How do I start talking about Joy, without checking Galatians 5:22-23? "The fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is ... Joy...". Joy is one very strong evident that a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit. Joy is the emotion everyone wants to have. I have a friend who once told me he was a hedonist. I asked what that means, he said he is a 'lover of pleasure'. And I asked him 'Who isn't?' Even a sadist derives pleasure from pain. We all want to be happy. People look to money, friends, sex, drugs, achievements, acquisitions and so on, to give them joy. My friend does much of these to make him feel hedonistic and I can identify with him. That momentary feeling of satisfaction swelling in our hearts when we have so much in our accounts, or when people rally around us, or when we climax in love making, or when that dose of drug gets us high, or when that appointment or promotion shows our worth, or when that article we purchase or possess gives us pride; that momentary feeling is what we seek to sustain. We seek to reach and remain in that realm where there is no care. Many people get there only to crash. I intend to show you the vehicle to take you and keep you there.
Jesus recommended the Holy Spirit for our comfort. I have studied the apostles that propelled the gospel after Jesus physically left the scene. They did all they did with so much enthusiasm. Yet the contradictions were there all the time. They were misunderstood, they were arrested, they were tortured and they suffered all kinds of persecutions, yet you could feel the joy in them. If joy is that 'feel good' thing when things are good, it is all too cheap. But Joy is that 'feel good' thing even when things are not good. This is the place where our faith has any advantage whatsoever. Nehemiah told the people in Nehemiah 8:10 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength'. Your strength as a believer is measured by your Joy Content. Jesus said '... that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full' (John 15:11). You can not have Jesus Joy and be depressed. If God sent His only Son to die for you, what in heaven and earth should hinder your joy? What else would mark you out as a redeemed person, if not the joy that radiates from inside you? Joy is an integral part of our redemption. The Kingdom of God is the Domain of Joy. Righteousness, Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost- that is the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). We are the ones to distribute Joy to the world.
I get particularly worried when I enter a congregation of morose christians. The Good News of Salvation was described by the angel as 'good tidings of great joy' (Luke 2:10). Matthew recorded that the wise men rejoiced with EXCEEDING GREAT JOY, when they saw the Star of His birth. (Matthew 2:10). Prophet Isaiah decribed the joy at Christ's coming as when 'men rejoice as they divide the spoil' (Isaiah 9:3). The Coming of Jesus Christ is the spoiling of the devil and all his forces. Just like his birth, the death of Jesus Christ should elicit unstoppable joy from a believer's heart. Paul said Christ 'disarmed principalities and power' and He made them a laughing stock (See Colosians 2:15). Scripture tells us 'He who sits in heaven shall laugh' (Psalm 2:4). God sits in heaven, and you do too! (See Ephesians 2:6). You cheat yourself a great deal if you have not learned how to laugh the devil to scorn. But even more, you grieve the Holy Spirit.
God placed a curse on a people in Deuteronomy 28:47-48; saying 'Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart... you shall serve your enemies...'. Psalm 100 gives us an idea of heaven. The Psalmist said 'Make a joyful shout to the LORD..., Serve the LORD with gladness...' (Psalm 100:1-2). Of course, we serve God with reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29). But as we revere Him, we must know how to revel in Him. Scriptures does not say in vain, that 'In Your presence there is fullness of Joy... and pleasures forevermore' (Psalm 16:11). Nehemiah knew something about serving a king. He said 'I had never been sad in his (that is, King Artaxerxes') presence before. Serving God with joy is a unique art of worship.
I am sure you do not enjoy serving your enemies. Why serve God like you would an enemy? Israel served Egypt for too long and when her deliverance came, Israel had to learn to rejoice. Moses had to compose a song which with Miriam taught the people to dance (See Exodus 15:1-21). Ezra had to instruct the people how to rejoice, for they had been under the oppression and fear of their enemies. (See Nehemiah 8:10). Sometimes, we tend to see life as a series of bad news. And that is not so far from the truth. Jesus said 'Sufficient is the day of its own evil'. Every single day is loaded with enough evil that Paul said plainly that the days are evil. But that is only one side ot it. The other side is in this Scripture 'This is the day that the LORD has made, we wil rejoice and be glad in it'. Question is; which day did the devil make? None. So everyday is your day of joy. Even today.
vbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb (My son wrote that and I feel I should leave it. I guess he meant 'vibrating'). And truly, Joy is a vibration. You respond to beats that are beyond you. The Holy Spirit inside you just can not be depressed. He will comfort you and pump joy into you and through you. He would do that over and over.
Let me wrap this up by giving three ways to allow God's joy into your life.
1. Be Born Again.
You can not skip that in God. You se, the examination of life will hit you when you least expect, and when push comes to shove, it will matter a great deal if you are saved in Christ. The point is, this does not make you exatly free from what happens to people, but you have an advantage. I had an experience once and at other times too, in my place of prayer. I was praying to God and suddenly I was caught up in the Spirit. I began to speak in tongues so fluently. A part of my heart was vibrating and it was as if my mouth was dancing to the rhythm. The part I want to tell is this; In the midst of the whole extra ordinary experience, I saw myself in tears, but I was laughing at the same time. I can not explain it. The feeling too was beyond words. And both were real, the tears and the laughter.
When you become born again (that is, saved and washed by the blood of Jesus), you have a 'shock absorber' in God. The way that laughter so cushioned whatever caused my tears, that is how pain, no matter how real can not break you. Paul asked Death where its sting was. (1 Corinthians 15:55). Like Job, you would say in the midst of the worst trials 'Though he slays me, yet will I trust Him' (Job 13:15). You could look the devil in the eye and say 'Is that your worst?'. Watch it, do not ever dare him, if you are not in God. By the time he dealt with Job, his wife advised Job to die. His friends wept for days, before they could even say a word to him.
There is such an experience called 'The Joy Of Salvation'. David knew something about it. David dreaded ever losing that joy. He cried out in Psalm 51: 12; "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation...'. Could that be the secret that saw David maintain the right spirit (call it attitude) in spite of all he went through? I say to you, what I have always said 'Accept Christ Today'. You got it. A C T. Do not wait till life tests you.
2. Engage the Holy Spirit.
I can not say too much about Him. The most undertilized weapon in our armoury as believers is the Holy Spirit. I am sure we would want to be alive in the days when Jesus walked the earth. That is exactly what we have in the Holy Spirit. He has come to fill you. While He is not a feeling, you can feel Him through joy. He is very present. He came in place of the physical Jesus. He is real. Talk to Him. Deep, deep pain in your heart, relate to Him. Share your happy moments with Him. Share your down times with Him. Carry Him along. Invite Him to meals. You sure know what I mean. Ping him often. Just keep in touch, He is your best friend.
One of the books that revolutinalized my walk with God was Benny Hinn, 'Good Morning, Holy Spirit'. Ah, you wake in the mornig, you say to Him 'Good Morning, Dear One'. You go to bed with the words 'Nice Night, Holy One'. You are broke, tell Him. You are excited, embrace Him. I am saying; get obsessed! Did you notice how Paul compared being 'filled with the Holy Spirit' with 'getting drunk to the point of dissipation or what King james call "debauchery"'? (Ephesians 5:18). Debauchery means excessive indulgence in sensality. Indulge the Holy Spirit, Keep filling in. I tried to tell my hedonistic friend that we also get drunk, don't we? (See Ephesians 5:18).
3.Practice Joy.
Make Joy and exercise. As the Holy Spirit fills you with joy, apply your consciousness to it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, we are told to 'Rejoice always'. I like to examine that word for a while. The word 'Rejoice' was mentioned twelve times in his letter to the Philippians. (Lets do the exercise; 1. and 2. in Philippians 1:18; 3. in Philippians 2:16. 4. in Philippians 2:17. 5. in Philippians 2:18. 6. in Philippians 2:28. 7. in Philippians 3:1. 8. in Philippians 3:3. 0. and 10. in Philippians 4:4. 11. in Philippians 4:10.) Did you do the exercise? So look for the twelfth time. Supply it, then. Rejoice!
Historians say Paul actually wrote that piece from the prison- or a dungeon for that matter. I already told you, you can not depress a Jesus joy. But why was Paul emphatic or why was he repeating that word to the Philippians? It is funny, but believe it, Paul was inscribing Joy into his consciousness. From the word itself 'Re-' is a prefix that suggests some effort being applied to an action to make it happen again. Recall, Remember, Regain, Repair, Retain, Re-elect... I am not about to teach language. That is what it takes from your own part to sustain your joy. Are you bereaved? Rejoice! Are you rejected? Rejoice! Are you betrayed? Rejoice! Practice Joy. Stretch your limit in joy. That is why Scriptures say 'The voice of rejoicings ... is in the tents of the righteous' (Psalm 118:15) It is not as if the righteous never sorrow, he only knows how to practice Joy. I like the last three times Paul said that word (Philippians 4;4, an 10), He added ' in the Lord'. So even that effort is not yours, really. It's all in the Lord.
As you practice rejoicing, it is like you are drawing water from a well. Drawing water from a well is some exercise, at least I know that. Isaiah said ' Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation' (Isaiah 12:3). In Salvation there are wells of water waiting to be drawn from, when we learn to rejoice. Look everyday in the eye, and declare 'This is the day my God has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it' (Psalm 118:24).
God is opening doors of Joy this year. The experience will set you on course for the rest of eternity.
Rejoice in the Lord! Again, I say to you, rejoice!
