The Joy Of Your Master

^{Reading from the Book of 1 John 1:4}

I John 1:⁴ And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

It's been said that most folks are so busy trying to find happiness, they never find joy.  What is this strange little three letter word that can mean so much in your life?  What does it really mean?

Jesus spoke many times of our "joy being made full", expressing His desire that we share in His joy.  (John 15:11; 17:13)

John the Baptist found joy in being the "friend of the bridegroom", vicariously participating in the joy of Jesus in establishing His relationship with His followers.  (John 3:29)

Joy is listed as one portion of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  And we are even told to consider it joy when we are faced with trials (James 1:2-3).

John said in 1 John 1:4 that they were writing the letter so that their "joy might be made complete."  The word translated "our" might also be translated "your."  What did John mean?

The joy that the Bible talks about is a sure and certain knowledge within that you are a much-loved, chosen and adopted child of God… that He will cause all things that happen in your life to work for your good – even those that seem bad or that are bad – because you love Him and are called according to His purpose… that the trials you face come to pass, not to stay… that when things are the roughest, He is not just walking beside you, but instead, He is carrying you… that you are so important to Him that Jesus would have gone to the cross if you were the only one who needed to be saved.  That is joy.  Happiness is fleeting, but joy is permanent.  Happiness can elude you, but joy is right there in you. The joy is that of your Master.

The Side Of Power

Reading from the Book of II Timothy 1:5-7

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³  I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,  
⁴  longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.  
⁵ For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.  
⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

It seems that Timothy was getting fearful, weary, and unsure of his call. His spirit was sinking, so Paul came in with a strong word to revival him. Paul reminded him of his faith and how it came to him. He told him essence. "I remember your grandmother's faith. I remember your mother's faith. I remember when I laid my hands on you and we prayed for you to receive the gifts that are in you. Then he said, "Now stir up the gift within you."

Nobody can stir up your gift, that fire within you. Other people can stir you up, but as soon as you are alone, you can grow cold again. That is when you have to stir up yourself. Pray, worship, and praise God. Remember what He has spoken to you. Preach to yourself if you have to. Just do whatever it takes for you to stay stirred up in God.

Timidity, which is the same as fear, is not from God and that God gives us power, love, a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline and self-control. fear will never stop against us. We must learn to do what God tells us do whether we feel fear or not.

The Word says, many times, "fear not."  The way to conquer fear is to press on through it and get to the other side of it---the side of freedom, which is the side of power.

Sun-rising Victory!

Reading from the Book of Psalm 143:6-10

⁶ I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Praise the Lord in the midst of the problem. David knows the importance of praise. He lifts his hands in worship. He declares what his need truly is: He needs God. God alone can water a thirsty soul. Do not be deceived into thinking that anything else can satisfy you fully and completely. Chasing after the wrong thing will always leave you disappointed.

⁷ Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Ask for God's help. David asked for help. He is basically saying, "Hurry up, God, because I am not going to be able to hold on very much longer without You."

⁸ Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Listen to the Lord. David knows that he needs to hear from God. He needs to be assured of God's love and kindness. He needs God's attention and direction.

⁹ Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Pray for deliverance. Once again David declares that only God can help him. Please notice that throughout this discourse, he keeps his mind on God and not on the problem.

¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Seek God's wisdom, knowledge, and leadership. David has indicated that he has gotten out of the will of God and thus opened the door to the attack on his soul. He wants to be in God's will because he realizes that it is the only safe place to be.

I know it is the power of the Holy Spirit working throughout the Word of God that brings victory into our lives. But a large part of the work that needs to be done is for us to line up our thinking with God and His Word. If we refuse to do this or choose to think it is unimportant, we will never experience victory. But we will win if we discipline ourselves to meditate on the good things God has done. Experience every day, with a Sun-rising Victory in your life!

Glorious Liberty!

"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:21)


This verse contains the first of eleven occurrences of the Greek word eleutheria, "liberty," and defines the basic spiritual message of this splendid word. Because of sin, God has subjected the whole creation, animate and inanimate, to "the bondage of corruption." That is, everything is governed by a law of decay--a law of such universal scope that it is recognized as a basic law of science---stipulating that everything tends to disintegrate and die. Christ died for sin, however, and defeated death, so that He will someday deliver the whole groaning creation from its bondage into the glorious freedom from decay and death that will also be enjoyed by all who have received eternal life through faith in Christ.

This ultimate, perfect liberty can even now be appropriated in type and principle through looking into "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25), the Holy Scriptures.

When we become children of God, the Holy Spirit henceforth indwells our bodies, and "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).

Stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1).

And look forward to the Glorious Liberty of the ages to come.

Day Of Trouble

Reading from the Book of Nahum 1:7

^{Nahum 1:7} The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Do not be surprised by trouble. Jesus said that in the world we will have tribulation and trials, but we know that He will also strengthen us and enable us to do whatever we need to do in life. God is our strength, our refuge and our stronghold in the day of trouble.

God knows those that trust Him and He already has a plan for our deliverance before our trouble ever begins. In Christ we have won the battle before it ever begins, therefore, we have no reason to be afraid of anything that comes our way.

"What will you do in the day of trouble"? I believe we are wise to make up our minds ahead of time concerning what we will do when trouble comes. We need to decide to be stable before trouble comes. Decide to stay in faith and remain thankful for what God is doing in your life. When difficulties arise, keep praising Him, and do not ever give up.

God is with us in the day of trouble.

A Prisoner Of Hope

Reading from the Book of Zechariah 9:12

¹² Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that I will

 render double unto thee.

As "prisoners of hope" we must allow ourselves to be captured by and filled 

with hope.We must think hope and we must talk hope. When you face a 

seemingly hopeless situation remember that in God, you are a prisoner of 

hope. There is no way to get away from the hope that is in Him.

What is a prisoner of hope? It is someone who refuses to stop hoping in God,

no matter how bad his or her circumstances are. Abraham was such a man. 

We learn from God's Word that all human reason for hope being gone, 

Abraham hoped on in faith that God's promise would come to pass in his life.

Godly hope is not the same quality as what the world calls "hope". Usually 

when we hear people say they are hoping something will or will not happen, 

they are vaguely hoping, but clearly doubting. They speak negatively and   

complain about almost everything and then wonder why nothing works out for

them. True biblical hope is a solid foundation. It is a springboard for our faith 

to take off from and actually take hold of the promise of God.

I know this may sound simple, but I think we can say real hope is a constant 

positive attitude that no matter what is happening currently, things will change 

for the better. Satan cannot defeat a person who refuses to stop hoping in 

God. Abraham refused to give up hope, and just as God had told him, he did 

become a father when he was to old to father children. Hope is powerful. It 

opens the door for the impossible to become possible. All things are possible 

with God, but we must cooperate with Him by being hopeful and full of faith.

God promises that He will restore double what we have lost or had stolen if we 

will stay hopeful. It does no good at all to be hopeless. It only makes us 

unhappy, critical, and grouchy. Hopelessness leads to depression and many 

other problems. Be the kind of person who absolutely refuses to be negative, 

and get ready to receive a double blessing for your former trouble.

Become a "prisoner of hope".

Nuggets of Truth

Reading from the Book of 1Peter

First Peter is such an encouragement to those of us who believe because it reminds us that we always have hope in Jesus. This letter is full of practical advice for everyday living, especially in the midst of hard times, and urges us to keep the glory of our inheritance in view while we are living here on earth.

First Peter teaches us that there is such a thing as godly suffering. Some suffering is done in Christ and some is done for Him. When a believer suffers in order to do God's will, that is causing for rejoicing. 1Peter 4:13 says, "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
Saying no to self and suffering in the flesh leads to the death of selfishness, and that kind of hardship yields tremendous freedom and strength.

First Peter also calls us to develop lifestyles that are holy and pleasing to the Lord. It addresses not only our behavior, but also our intentions, and causes us to examine our hearts so we can operate from pure motives.

The words of this book also give us "nuggets of truth" to fight the spiritual war and overcome the enemy.