His Joy!

Rejoice evermore.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 

Two simple words. Yet the weight of that command carries further than outward actions. 

For those of you who know me fairly well, you may think it ironic that one of my favorite books of the Bible is Philippians. For my readers who don't know me as well, Philippians is a book about joy, but my personality tends to run Pessimistic Sarcasm by default. In other words, a joyful life is one that requires work for me. 

I wrote a post entitled "His Joy" last year, but it didn't reach the depths that I wanted it, too. I have also been reading through a book entitled With the Master: In Fullness of Joy (Susan J. Heck) which is a Bible study on the book of Philippians. Combine that with receiving John Piper's devotional on joy this morning, as well as deciding to submit something for the next issue of a girls' newsletter (the topic just "happened" to be joy), and then reading about joy in my personal devotions this morning.  

So, in light of all that, here it is.

Paul speaks a lot about joy. As a man who endured great persecution, he is continually encouraging others to find their joy in the Lord, in other believers, and in their salvation.

Paul found his joy in the Lord.
He couldn't base it on his circumstances because they were constantly changing. Imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, wayward churches and "believers", and false teachers provided Paul with more than enough hardships to complain about. Yet, he didn't. In 2 Corinthians 7:4 he says "I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation". Paul knew where to find his joy, and because he clung to the steadfast joy of the Lord, he was able to say, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." We have the hope of a Savior who is sovereign, and not only do we have that hope, but along with that God provides joy when we believe and trust in His will. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13) God fills us with joy! We can't outwardly express joy every single minute, because some of our circumstances are truly not joyful. But that is not what determines what we feel like. The only way to be genuinely joyful is to allow Christ's joy and peace to reign in our hearts. Jesus said to His disciples "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". (John 15:11) It is the commands of Christ and the comforts of the Spirit that will fill us with joy.

Paul found his joy in other believers.
"Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all." (2 Corinthians 7:13) There should be (and often is) joy among fellow believers. We share the same faith; we encourage one another in our walks with the Lord; we rejoice with those who rejoice. Titus' "spirit was refreshed" and that caused joy for Paul and many other fellow believers. Joy is contagious; often it's a domino effect. You can't help but pick up the joyfulness of someone when they are happy. And that's a good thing. Paul also had joy in other believers because he had confidence in them. "I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things." (2 Corinthians 7:16) Paul was joyful when lifting up fellow believers from Philippi in prayer. He greatly longed to be with them in person, but his joy stemmed from pleading for them before the throne of God. "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy." (Philippians 1:4) He knew that his and their joy would once again be fulfilled when they could fellowship in person again. "And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again." (Philippians 1:25-26)

Paul found joy in his salvation.
It was from Paul's deep faith in Christ, that his joy increased. "...but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Romans 5:11) If Christ had not provided a way of salvation, then our happiness in this world would be painfully temporary. While the happiness in this life is still short-lived, we have an ever-abiding joy because of the cross. The Man of Sorrows, the one who endured the excruciating death of the cross, bore the shame of the world with joy! And He it is who is the author and finisher of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Paul found joy in seeing the steadfast faith of the Colossian believers: "...I [am] with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ." (Colossians 2:5) Watching others--maybe even people you've discipled--increase in their faith and grow in their stedfastness in the Lord is truly a joy. And you rejoice with them, because, as Matthew Henry states, "For by faith we stand firmly, and live safely and comfortable. Our strength and ability are owning to faith, and our comfort and joy must flow from faith". When you see others standing firmly for the Lord it provides great joy for the people around them. David, in his Psalm of repentance, prayed "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation..." (Psalm 51:12). Salvation carries with it the joy of forgiveness--nothing held against you in spite of continual failures. The grace and mercy freely given to us provides us with a restored vision and a humble spirit to continually press onward.

And then in conclusion, Paul commands the Thessalonian believers to "rejoice evermore". Not just through wonderful circumstances; not just on a cheerful Sunday morning; not just when the depth of salvation is so real. No, he says "evermore". Always. Continually. Never-ending. The joy of the Lord is our strength. His joy and strength never fails, and the Author and Finisher of our faith has no end, either.

Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)

When we come boldly to the throne of grace, there...only there, will we find that in His presence is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11)

Striving to please Him,
Kaleigh 

WWJS

"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:2

My Grandma was always one to use those old sayings that honestly, still prove their need in our day and age. "A penny saved is a penny earned", "life is like a bowl of cherries", "practice what you preach", and "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" were just a handful of those phrases that she would say. But though each saying deserves it's individual attention in separate posts, it'd be nice to touch base on at least one of these. 

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

This does not exclude us from telling the truth. However, though the truth is important, we should look at being tactful first. We may see a friend as being overweight and may inwardly feel that they should go on a diet; but we probably aren't going to want to walk up to them and tell them what we're thinking. We realize that this type of conversation could hurt their feelings and we would try to avoid doing that if we really cared about how they would take what we said. And this would lead us to the point that I'd really like for us to focus on in this post: WWJS. Note: you have maybe heard of "WWJD" (What Would Jesus Do), but what if we were to look at it another way and ask the question: "What Would Jesus Say"?

What if every word we said reflected the tone of voice that Jesus would use. What if every word we said reflected Christ's love for us and we were to ricochet that love on those around us? What if the words we used changed the lives of our unsaved friends or family members? or even if we planted a seed in their hearts that pointed them towards Christ? Would we make more of an effort to speak with encouraging words, use words of wisdom, to think before we speak, maybe even to pray before uttering a word? How can we use our voices to lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ, instead of tearing them down?

"The trouble with the guy who talks too fast is that he often says something he hasn't thought of yet."

Think before we speak:

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to slap my face for saying stupid things. Those are moments when I "speak first and think later". The mouth seems to keep moving, but I put the brain on pause. And to think that all that embarrassment could have been avoided if I had thought first and spoken later.

Ask ourselves if it's necessary:

If it's necessary to say something, we need to think out how we're going to say what needs to be said. It's not always about how you say them, it's what. (Although saying things in the proper tone is still vital in getting the right message across). Which leads us to... 

How will the other person take it:

When we have figured out what (or even how) we should say something, we will already be taking into consideration the feelings of the person we are addressing our words to, and respecting those feelings as that of another human being.  

Believe it's something Jesus would say:

We can't just think: "Yeah, I think Jesus would say something that way". We need to believe it. Is it loving? Is it respectful? Is it truthful? Is it necessary to bring up? Are our intentions right? By asking ourselves and thinking through our responses and statements, we will be avoiding embarrassing circumstances that we could get into by blindly opening our mouths and letting just anything come flooding out. Would what we say to someone after taking our next breath be something that we would hear Jesus say?    

Will hope spring forth from your lips? Will the things we say be blessings or curses? Do we want to make even a slight difference in someone else's life by the words we speak? 

As Christians, the world is watching us. "What Would Jesus Say?"

Sister in Christ,

Anna

Friendship: Maintaining

Therefore encourage one another 

and build one another up,

just as you are doing. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 "Compare the mink and the otter. They both have beautiful coats and are often hunted by man. They're both members of the weasel family, having sleek bodies with short legs. They're both wanderers. They eat a similar diet--mostly crayfish, frogs, and fish.

Yet in one way they aren't at all alike. They don't have the same disposition. The mink is always hostile. Often if will kill its own kind and even its own offspring. It'll slaughter a hen house full of chickens for the savage delight of it. Bred and raised in captivity for its pelt, the mink is as vicious in the barn as in the woods. It will quickly bite the hand that feeds it. 

By contrast, the otter is very friendly and incurably playful. Naturalists have seen otters frolicking in a stream or a pond for hours. When raised in captivity, the otter will make friends with all other kinds of animals, dogs included. A loving pet, it gets along well with humans and other animals alike.

Some people are like the mink, and others are like the otter. "Mink people" can't get along with others. They are often fighting, rebelling, or arguing. Others, like the otter, build and maintain right relationships."

[excerpt from Grade Seven BJU Bible Truths textbook]

I was reading through my worktexts from my high school Bible curriculum in preparation for teaching Sunday school, and I came across this lesson again. Combine that with the last couple hours before midnight and a music playlist, and you have my ideal setting for a blog post. ;) 

I immediately applied this illustration to friendships--though it was written and applies to all relationships. And so, as I often automatically do, I turned my questions and thoughts inward to my own relationships with friends. Was I building and maintaining communication with friends as I ought to? 

I don't usually have much of a problem building friendships, though it is something that grows over time--not an immediate process. But I never really thought about maintaining them. 

Maintain:

-to keep in an existing state

-to sustain against opposition or danger

-to continue or persevere in

-to support or provide for

As a relationship grows deeper, it doesn't require so much "work" to build it. Like a house is only built once and routinely updated over the years, so a friendship is built over the course of time and then stabilized by recurring interaction. The foundation for personalities, spiritual growth, and life settings, is already in place, but now it must have the continuing interaction for support. 

It is easy to get caught up in life, work, school, church, and family, and forget about everything else. Yet, a friendship cannot be kept in an existing state if there is no connection. Sometimes we just have to make time to spend time with people. If we see people as important in our lives, if we see them as men and women bearing the image of God, and if we see them as fellow soldiers for the Lord, then we will have to persevere in maintaining those friendships. When we realize the impact that we can have on a person--whether that be for 2 hours or 20 years--we will be willing to give of our time for them. Our regular duties in life often require our time, but money and college credits will not accompany us into heaven. Only the eternal souls of people will, and perhaps some of those people who will stand beside us in heaven will be the ones that we set aside time for. 

To illustrate: it's like what happens when you go away for a while and then come back and have to update everyone on your life. You feel somewhat disconnected until you've updated people on your life activities. If you never told anybody how things went while you were away, your lives would soon be distant from each other. Interaction is what sustains a relationship against danger--the danger being the possibility of losing that closeness.

In a society of constant activity and crammed schedules, sometimes we forget to just stop and remember the friends in our lives. We forget to maintain those relationships that were built. We forget to support those who have supported us. We forget to persevere and sustain the individuals that have walked along side of us. We forget that peoples' souls, emotions, and lives really do matter. 

And when we forget, we grow distant and indifference sets in. We begin to see people as only products on which to draw from for our satisfaction. We see them as just another part of life. And eventually this will lead to estranged relationships, and from that can come (as demonstrated by the mink's life) fighting, arguing, and rebelling, if we are not seeking to invest in the lives of those around us. 

There is no perfect relationship, and there never will be on this earth, but we can seek to resist the factors of life that Satan continually uses to pull people apart. We can persevere--even when our schedules are crammed--in sustaining believers around us, encouraging them and just being there for them. As demonstrated by the otter, let us build and sustain--let us maintain those friendships that God has placed in our lives. 

And one day, when we all meet together in Paradise, we will stand beside the ones who have shared in our lives. We will give glory to God as the complete body of the Church. It will not matter what fame or fortune we acquired while on earth. All that will matter is whether or not we have lived our lives on earth committed to His will--part of that being demonstrated by loving those around us in the same self-sacrificial way that Christ did, in laying down His life for His friends.

There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. Friendship and fellowship are the legal tender among believers. (J. Vernon McGee) 

Will you maintain? 

In Him,
Kaleigh

Heartfelt Prayer

"Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
                                                        -Luke 11:1

This post was supposed to be primarily because one of our followers wanted to hear our thoughts on the topic of "prayer". But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I'm also writing this because it's something I need to think about more often. So writing this makes me think of not just how it might help you, the readers, but how I can better approach our Father in heaven in the most honoring way. Jumping right into this, the first question to prayer that I would like to ask you is "why"? Why do we bother to pray when God already knows what our dreams are, what our thoughts are about, what we desire to have, or even what our pains are before we even experience them? Why do we take some time to talk to Him about things He already is aware of? After searching for the answer, we'll cover the "how" and "when" aspects of praying.

Why do we bother to pray? 
Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Really, it's not any different than talking with each other, except that prayer is on a Spiritual level. When we come to our Father in heaven, we praise Him for Who He is. We offer up thanksgiving to Him and acknowledge that He is the Giver of all that we have. We pray because we are not only told to, but because it's beneficial to us in seeking Christ and having fellowship with Him. We also pray, because we are seeking His will in a certain area(s) of our life and we would like direction (Psalm 40:8). We tend to pray because we want to ask God for healing for a health issue, guidance in making decisions, happy marriages, healthy children, satisfying careers, etc. that we believe are important in our lives (Luke 11:9-13).

Personally on some days, I feel like I'm bothering God by continuously talking to Him throughout the day. From struggling with thoughts to praying for a safe drive home from town, I find myself continually "chatting" with Him every other five minutes...or so it seems. But I've come to realize that He wants me to talk to Him and have a growing relationship. Talking with Him, keeps us on the same page and makes our relationship with Him grow stronger every day.

By praying, we are keeping that line open between Him and ourselves. We might pray for rain to help the crops grow, we might pray dad will get that job to support the family, we might even pray that we'll have a safe trip to the market and back. That's great(!), because we are told to "pray without ceasing" (1Thess. 5:17). Praying for God's protection, guidance, and care are just a few of the general things we may pray for and God loves that communication. Anytime that we open up and share what's on our minds with Him, He is overjoyed to see the commitment His children have in wanting that fellowship.


How should we pray?

In Luke 11:2-4, Jesus tells us how we should pray. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

The first part speaks of how reverent His holy name is and then jumps to His will being accomplished here on earth. Asking God for daily substances to keep us alive, and asking Him to forgive and forget our sins as we [should] do with each other. Then it's a plea for God to keeping us from Satan and the temptations that are abundant in this world. We are to enter into prayer recognizing His holiness and remembering what awesome things that He has done in the past, is doing in the present, and believe that He will do more great things in the future. We are then to be thankful for the blessings that He bestows upon us and our families. In our prayers, we ask that He will extend His merciful hand upon us and forgive us. Also that we will forgive those who have wronged us. For if we cannot forgive our fellow brothers and sisters, how then can we expect a perfect God to forgive us when we fall (Matt. 6:15)? Jesus also tells us to pray for deliverance from the evil schemes of the devil. God will protect us from him; but in a world owned by Satan, we cannot expect to go far without seeing his handiwork.

To be honest, I've often wondered how to best pray. Do I need to talk to God as if He were my Master or Father? As both. Just like with our parents, we can usually speak to them respectfully, but also as good friends. I know that I can talk to God on a comfortable level. I don't have to get all stressed out, because I'm imperfect and may say things in a "clumsy" manner. God knows that I make mistakes and that's okay. He still listens. Just as He listens to you when you truly desire to have a "one-on-one" with Him.

It doesn't matter if we're excellent orators or if we stutter a lot. It doesn't matter if our prayers are five minutes or three hours long. The only thing we need to do is approach Him in a sincere and honoring way. He won't put cotton in His ears when we start to speak to Him from our hearts.

When can we pray to God?

We can pray at any time and in any place. God is omnipresent and can hear us whether we are on top of Mount Everest or in an underground cave.

Yeah, I've often wondered where I should pray and make that my "quiet place". Do I have to enter prayer on bended knee and folded hands or can I be doing dishes and talk with Him? I believe that in any situation, no matter where we are, no matter what day of the year, we can lift up our voices and He will hear us. The quote that says: "God can hear the smallest voice" may sound familiar to you. Whether you're talking out loud, whispering, or praying silently within, no word you say will be missed by Him. God hears each and every thought you think and knows exactly what you mean to say--even if it's hard to find the words.

But if you're like me, you find it hard to find a quiet time with jobs, school, social networking, and other activities being such demanding parts of your life. I'd like to raise a tough question though. Can you prioritize things, so that God is #1 and all the other activities take 2nd place? When we really think about it, though these things are a big part of our day-to-day schedules right now, they don't amount to anything in our relationship with Christ.

Personally, I've re-evaluated my schedule time and time again. It's super hard! But if we really want to stay on the same page with God and "keep the line open", we will need to set aside a certain time to talk and listen to Him. Even when we're busy, it's great if we talk with Him on the go, too. Though you may find (or have found) it harder to concentrate if your mind is going in a million different directions. However, we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). If we multi-task, it's harder to focus our energy on Him and find it much easier to just keep working on the present project--which will most likely "drown Him out". Like in the middle of a test, I sometimes find more peace if I can just break for a couple of seconds to just ask for God's help. As I said earlier, God doesn't put a word count on prayers.

As another personal note, I find mornings to work best for a prayer/devotional time. At night, I tend to be studying/working/watching a TV show; so mornings work the best. Plus, I feel that I'm starting the day out right. :) Of course, go with what works best for you. We all have different opinions and we might all discover that certain routines work better for us than they do for others. I encourage you to look for the best schedule that works for you and to stick with it as best as you can!


I hope that you are encouraged and are able to (if you have not already) find a time to spend with God in prayer. Remember that God doesn't expect a perfect, well-rehearsed, six-hour, bedside prayer. He just wants you to be open and honest, no matter where you are.

Psalm 5:2, "Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I will pray."

Sister in Christ,
Anna