Rejoice and Again I Say Rejoice!

Don't you just want to rejoice and shout for joy every time you think about Jesus! I heard a sermon a few months ago about joy and at the time it didn't sink in but I had the CD and listened to it a couple of times in the last week and what a revelation I received! This, and a chapter on joy in a book I'm reading (that points you to The Word), simply put, helped me see that joy is a command. Never thought of joy as a command before. Philippians 4:4 is one place we read about joy and Paul does state his comment about joy in a commanding sort-of-way. Also in I Thessalonians 5:16 we read another command to rejoice. It simply says, "Rejoice always..." If you read on to verses 17 and 18 you see the command to "pray without ceasing" and "in everything give thanks." Maybe you have looked at those verses as a command before but I hadn't - WOW!

I don't know about you, but I'm not always rejoicing. That has changed as of right now. This CD by Mark Hankins that I was listening to took me to Leviticus and The Feast of Tabernacles. In verse 40 of chapter 23 God adds to His instructions to Moses, "...and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days." Could you imagine the difference in our world and our lives if we would just start by rejoicing for seven days?! Joy is contagious and I believe once we'd start we'd not stop for nothing because the joy of the Lord is our strength and we delight in Him!

On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being a low-level rejoicing and ten being the highest level of rejoicing, where are you on the scale? Mark Hankins says if you have trouble just smiling you are at level one. His comment for level ten? Only one He could think. That was David and he was at level 10 with joy. What did David do? He was so delighted in having the ark of the LORD brought to the City of David that he "danced before the LORD with all his might." That's a number ten joy according to Mark Hankins and I agree with Mark. David was so filled with joy and delight that his shouting and dancing and "leaping and whirling before the LORD" embarrassed Saul's daughter, Michal, to the point of her despising David in her heart. That didn't bother David. He simply put on some music and danced some more!

Let's dance!!!

II Samuel 6:1-23

Vision, Victory & Breakthrough!

Here's a new look at these three words, which I myself just learned. Actually it's a basic in our belief system of Christianity but a new way of looking at it and hearing it. It's helping me apply it!

Go after the vision (goal, dream, plan God gave you) by thinking and speaking the victory (The Word) and you will breakthrough the lie (whatever lie the devil is telling you) and get to the other side where the reward lies! This is God's promise to you and the means or how to.

II Corinthians 4:18, Hebrews 11:1, Genesis 3:1, Psalm 37:4-5, Hebrews 11:6

The Source & The Scriptures

There is only one source for all things we have in this life. We may think it's our job (I don't know why, but some do), our mom or dad or someone else in our life, or our checkbook, savings account or IRA (Lord help those who believe that); maybe even our ministry or charitable deeds, or "things" (having and getting possessions trap many), but those aren't really our source. There is only one source. We have those things because of the Source. He is the God of the Universe. The One True God of the Bible. Without Him there would be nothing. Without Him we would be nothing. How do people in the world get along without Him? I guess in my own question lies the answer. People are in the world. When you know Him as your Source you aren't in this world you are living in another world - that world? It's actually a kingdom. A kingdom set up by God and run by God and blessed by God. It's the kingdom of God we live in! It's so unlike the world. Praise the Lord for that!

With the Source comes the Word. The Scriptures are the means and the how to. They indicate, convey, represent our purpose and position in life and bring about the values and importance of what our life is all about. The Scriptures give instruction, correction and encouragement. We are to trust God as we live in His kingdom and look to the Scriptures - His Word -to know the means and the how to for life. It's as simple as that so why not move from where you are today - are you hung up in the world? - and move into the kingdom of God - where He will be your Source and the Scriptures will be your means - have you read them? Begin today to let life -His life - become your life and your truth and your way of doing your daily business. It's the God kind of life and it's what life is all about - don't miss out on it!

John 3:17, John 14:6, John 10:10

God's Perspective of Our Trials

The perspective God has of our trials found in Romans 5:2-5 and James 1:2-4 is that good come out of a trial. We trust God as we are going through the trial and He provides for us throughout the length of the trial and rewards us in the end of the trial - this is after our perseverance, patience and putting our hope in Him. God guarantees good results for His people. We simply believe Him. That's faith.

James 1:5-8, Romans 8:28, 4:20-21,

Keep Believing

Even if you don't have the answer...God does.

Influenced Dreams

Think about it. Have your dreams been influenced? From the time we are born we have had dreams spoken over us. Not always dreams, but a word or two. That word could be for the worst or best in us. Parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and others have said we should do this or we could do that or not and things like we'd be best at such and such. Of course there's our own dreams and desires to pursue. It's fortunate when our own line up with what we've been told but that's not always the case. Often we break out on our own to pursue these dreams whether they be agreed upon by those who love us or not.

Someone else has influence over our dreams. Especially the believer. Something happens to a Christian when they dream. It's not long before our dreams and desires match His. Why is this? The Word is given to instruct us in what is right and the Holy Spirit to guide us into what is right. The relationship we have with Jesus grows and as it does we find ourselves knocking, asking and seeking more. More of what? Him. As we do... find more of Him... we find our dreams... influenced dreams by the One who loves us and knows what is best for us. Following these dreams we find success of a different kind. We find a treasure beyond the world's view of success.

It's like Dorothy sang in The Wizard of Oz. Somewhere over the rainbow there lies a place... a place of dreams... a place where the pot of gold is in the streets of Heaven and the sound of music rings true to the end of this life... eternal life. May you discover your dreams in Him today.

Let God direct your dreams and those dreams will come true. He's the God of the possible.

Matthew 7:7-14, Psalm 37, Luke 1:37-38, Matthew 19:25-26

One Dream for All

What has God called us to do? We may each have our unique personality and temperaments and we may each have a specific calling in the way we are to serve God, but we are all called to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, it is our dream! Whatever desire God has placed in you and called you to, it is to share Jesus His Son with others. This is true no matter what you do or where you are or how you do it.

Matthew 25 tells us that Jesus is coming in all His glory and the holy angels with Him. When He and they come, we will all be gathered together and He is going to separate us one from another - every nation - He will separate the sheep and the goats. How will He decide this? this separating of sheep and goats?

Verses 34 to 46 give us that answer. You see, the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world..." So now you will also see where the blessings came from or rather why they came to us - we are and will be blessed in this same way we are divided on His right and left. "Come..." He says and He goes on to say, "I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." Wow, isn't that something! Do you remember the beggar? the homeless? the stranger? the widow? the orphan? the hitch-hiker? the neighbor? the member in your church? Do you remember feeding them? clothing them? visiting them? helping them? I hope so. I hope you remember them well and what you did for them. This is how God is going to determine your destiny. This is whether as a nation, as a people, as a person, you will be placed on His right or sadly on His left. Note this well for this is how we are to dream and respond to the dream - all of us - and this is how we will find our success. Live the dream for Jesus!

Speaking of Dreams

Have you found yourself thinking too much? Overwhelmed with all the circumstances and situations you are facing? Tired of trying to figure it out? Even tired of the dreams? Dreams you believe God has promised to you but because it's taking so long for them to manifest you just are down-trodden? Ready to quit?

DON'T!
DON'T QUIT!
DON'T EVER GIVE UP!

Here's why. This could possibly be the answer you've been looking for!

HEAVY BURDENS - YOU'VE BEEN CARRYING TOO HEAVY A LOAD! This is when you're too stressed out and you know it! You feel it and you're going down fast, but wait! Having too much care can come from something good. It's not always a bad thing that causes a burden. Having too much care can be when God calls you to do something that is beyond yourself and you've got overwhelmed with the heavy care of it to where it even causes fear or bitterness or anger. Get rid of it now! Not the dream. The burden!

Cast your care on Him for He cares for you! (I Peter 5:7)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke (The Word of God) upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke (My Word) is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)