Why the Church?

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I used to think the Church was just a club of folks that got together to talk about Jesus; a place to go and hear some good advice about how to live a better life, and find out how to be a better person. Although all that is correct, the true identity and purpose of the Church is a jaw-dropper, and will shock the average person, not to mention many Christians.

If one wanted to know about the purpose of the Church, it would seem logical to go to the leader, the one who instituted the group in the first place; the one who gave the marching orders so-to-speak. Since that would be Jesus Christ, we need to know what he had to say about his followers. What did he say they were to do? And what was his vision for their future?

Jesus said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…” So Jesus’ followers are to be doing what He did – and even greater things than Jesus did! Then clearly, if we know what Jesus did, we’ll know exactly what we’re supposed to be doing.

Jesus’ disciples were with him day in and day out and witnessed first-hand His mighty works. Peter said in Acts 10:38, “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil…” Rom 11:22 says we are to continue in His goodness. Jesus went about preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God everywhere he went. As he came upon the oppressed, he touched their situation. 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” When He came upon the hungry – He fed them; when He came upon the blind – He restored their sight; when He came upon the sick – He healed them; when He came upon the dead – He raised them back to life.  Jesus’ followers are to do the same thing – and even greater things!

Right after the resurrection of Jesus, just before He was taken into heaven, He told his disciples what they were to do and how they were going to do it:

1) His followers were to preach the gospel as He did, Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”

2) Jesus said signs and wonders would accompany the preaching of this gospel, verse 17-18, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and if they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and the sick will be made well.”

So the Church is to carry on the ministry of Jesus! As He did, so are we to do. But how can this be? How can mere men carry out the work of the Living God?

The Church is Clothed with Power

As Jesus was giving instructions to His followers, He told them, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” So, just as Jesus repeatedly told the crowds, it wasn’t Him doing the works, but His Father in Heaven, so it is with the Church.  After Jesus was taken into heaven, the saints went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. In Acts 4:29-30, the disciples prayed that they would be able to preach the word with boldness, and asked that as they did God would, “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” We know from reading the remainder of the New Testament that God honored those prayers. Acts 14:3, “…for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” God performs mighty miracles to back up the gospel message. But Jesus said his followers would perform greater works than Him.

Greater Works Than These Shall They Do

Jesus was taken into Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God. He is to remain seated at the right hand of God until something very significant happens. Matt. 22:44, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Heb. 10:12-13, “…after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.” We know Jesus has already defeated Satan the devil, and has stripped him of all authority, taking the keys of hell and death from him. The next step is for Satan and his hordes to be disposed, to be trampled underfoot and made a footstool for our King. The Church, Jesus’ body on the Earth, will attend to that task!

Jesus gave His Church the authority to overcome all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). The saints are the over-comers. They are the ones who trample Satan underfoot in these last days.  The saints of the Most High God will overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony.

Rain is Coming

In several places throughout scripture, the former and latter rains are mentioned. The prophets of the Old Testament referenced those rains to be sent by the Lord. The latter rains are to be greater than the former.  The Holy Spirit poured out and made available on the day of Pentecost is the first (former) rain. There is another rain, a much greater rain, to be poured out on the Church in these last days. This great outpouring of the Holy Spirit will enable the Body of Christ to dispose of the devil – to completely trample him underfoot. Jesus’ enemies will be made His footstool. Then our Lord will stand! And that great white horse will be brought to Him.

Hallelujah! Praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The Church is to be doing exactly what Jesus did while on the Earth, covering the globe with His message, destroying the works of darkness along the way. The Church is to occupy until Jesus comes back. We are to beat down the works of darkness and trample them underfoot – making the enemies of Jesus His footstool.

Let’s be about our Father’s business. While we’re at it, let’s keep our eyes on those approaching clouds. Looks like heavy rain is heading our way.  Wait…, look!  It’s starting to sprinkle!

 

ToHimBetheGlory

 

Feeling Reckless

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While listening to a song recently, it occurred to me that it feels extremely reckless in the natural sense to fully live for the things of God. To fully live for God means to say and do things that are diametrically opposite of the way of this world.  It’s more than a little scary to put yourself out there on the line, vulnerable to ridicule and rejection. But at the same time, we’re told in scripture there is no middle road. You’re either all in, or you’re out.

Actually, the reckless thing to do is be a lukewarm Christian. First, God says He’ll spew them out of His mouth, because He says He would rather you be hot or cold – one or the other. God says in Heb. 10:38, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” Secondly, there is a devil, and Christians need to remember that he walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  Being a follower of Jesus is not something that should be done half-heartedly, because unless you’re walking in the full power and authority of Jesus, you take the risk of being eaten alive!

Jesus told his followers in Luke 17:33, “Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, the same will save it.” 11 Tim. 3:12, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Have you suffered any persecution lately? If not, then maybe you’re holding back. Jesus said he only said what he heard his father say, and did what he saw his father do.  And 1 John 4:17 says, “…as He is, so are we in this world.” We’re to walk as Jesus walked. If you start saying what you hear your Father say, and doing what you see your Father do – better be ready for all hell to come against you! You see, only those Christians who walk as Jesus walked can destroy the devil’s work. And that’s what Jesus came to do (1 John 3:8). Those are the ones Satan fears, and he’ll do whatever he can to shut them down. It definitely would be reckless to be one of those – unless you know your true identity and who’s backing you.

Those reckless Christians that dare to walk as Jesus walked, they know the devil is now a defeated foe. He’s a toothless lion. Because Jesus totally disarmed the devil! Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” The devil can only defeat you if you let him, if you don’t know who you are in Jesus. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, “I give you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” The Christians that walk in the power and authority of Jesus have nothing to fear. If they stay in the secret place of the Most High, they abide in His presence, and nothing can even touch them.

In these last days, the Church, the body of Jesus on the earth, will accomplish the plan of God – to deliver men from the power of darkness by the power of the Holy Spirit. As these seemingly reckless men and women of God yield themselves fully to the Holy Spirit, God will have the vessels needed to fully manifest Himself on the earth.

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling reckless today! I say to my Father, “Lord, use this vessel to bring glory to your Son, Jesus. Take this life and do something with it. Use my mouth, my hands, my feet – I give myself fully to you. I hold nothing back. Use this life, as part of the glorious Body of Christ, to shine the light of your gospel into the earth; to bring many souls into the Kingdom of God. Come soon Lord Jesus!”

 

2HimBeTheGlory

The Great Deception

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There is a common belief in the world that it is somehow sinful for a Christian to be prosperous and walk in the full blessing of God; to be holy, you must be poor or down trodden. This belief can be traced back to the Garden of Eden, when the first man and woman were lied to by the father of lies – Satan the devil. You can read about it in the first chapter of Genesis. But in a nutshell, Satan implied two things: God was lying and couldn’t be trusted; and God was selfish and stingy. The sad thing is, with the exception of a few, man has believed those lies ever since. But the truth of the matter is diametrically opposite to the belief system of this world. God greatly desires that His people walk in the fullness of His blessing – in every area of their lives.

Why the Deception?

The reason for the deception is pure and simple. Satan has set himself against God. Although he was once an anointed cherub (Ezekiel 28:14-17), he decided he would take over the throne of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14) and led a rebellion against God. Scripture reveals one third of the angels followed Lucifer in his attempted takeover. But Satan and his followers were cast out. In Luke 10:18, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from Heaven.”

Effects of the Deception

With the Church believing all we should expect is to endure this present fallen world until either we get to heaven, or until Christ returns to the earth to set up the Kingdom of God, Satan has had a field day. But immediately after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the church was on fire. Great miracles were the order of the day. The sick were being healed, the dead raised to life, and many were being added to the church daily. As a matter of fact, in Acts 17:6, the Church was causing such an uproar that the Jewish rulers of the city of Thessalonica became envious of the growing number of converts to Jesus and said, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too…” Now that’s some on-fire Christians! But little-by-little, the Church grew silent. What happened?

The truth of the gospel, including the power and authority that Jesus conferred to His followers, has been suppressed on a grand scale. The enemy suppressed the truth by intense persecution and sending in wicked men to infiltrate the Church, who would subvert and water down the gospel of Christ. For the most part, the Church has taken on the role of a poor, powerless, forsaken group of followers of a man called Jesus. Sure, there’ve been pockets of revival, with miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit here and there. By the mercy of God, many great things have been established by the church for the good of humanity – like hospitals and schools, etc. But for the most part, the Church has become impotent. Fast forward to the 21st Century. Instead of the Church – the body of Christ – making a difference in the world, it seems they have taken a back seat and fallen completely silent. Most members of the church are as sick and poverty stricken as the world around them, totally defeated in their own lives and unable to help anyone. Poverty and hunger are running more rampant than ever before. The threat of war on a global level is growing by the day. The persecution of Christians is becoming epidemic. Just as Jesus predicted, they will kill His followers and think they are doing God a favor.

The night is far spent, the darkness is growing darker, and it’s time for the followers of Jesus to awake from their slumber. God did not intend for the Church, the body of Jesus, to have no effect on this world. He intends for the body of Christ to allow the Light of the Holy Spirit, which lives within each member, to shine so brightly that it penetrates this present darkness. The time is now. We are not waiting on God – He is waiting on us! It’s time for TRUTH to be restored to the Body of Jesus Christ!

The Truth of the Matter

The followers of Jesus, the Saints of the Most High God, need to study their covenant – the promises made to them. Deuteronomy 28 gives a list of the blessings God will cause to come upon His people. It also has a list of curses that people bring upon themselves if they walk outside His protection – the curses we see running rampant in the world today. It’s through the sacrifice of Jesus, the shedding of his blood, that we may receive forgiveness of all past, present, and future sins – once and for all! But Jesus didn’t just come to pay the price for our eternal life. He also came to give us a better life in the here and now! He said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance to the full.”

Jesus reinstituted the Blessing on the earth! The sad state of the world around us is a result of the works of the devil – the curse. 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Everywhere Jesus went, He beat back the works of Satan; he fed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead. His followers are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. 2 Cor. 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…” David said in Psalms 68:19, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits…” 1 Tim. 6:17, “…the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” Eph. 5:12, Therefore be imitators of God….and walk in love as Christ…” 1 John 4:17, “…because as He is, so are we in this world.” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…” That’s huge! Can you imagine what it would look like if all the millions of Christ’s followers around the world did what Jesus did? And even greater things than He did?

Satan is a defeated foe; he was soundly defeated by Jesus. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven; and we are seated with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. We, the body of Christ, only need to stand in the victory! The Church is not to be sick, poor, weak or walking in defeat. The Church is Christ on the Earth! We are the victorious ones, beating back the works of darkness, allowing the light of God to shine through to the hearts of men! Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Nothing can stop us. Now we are to do what Jesus did: take the gospel to the world, feed the hungry, heal the sick, and raise the dead!

The Kingdom of God marches on! Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool. Guess who gets to do that? His body, the Church, on the earth! We know how all this turns out. In Rev. 12:11, we are told, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

Yes, Satan knows his time is short. His carefully woven web of deception is unraveling as the Church rediscovers who they are in Christ! All of heaven’s resources are available to the Church, enabling us to to be distributors of the blessing wherever we go.

No wonder the lengths Satan has gone to cover up the truth. After all, the truth will set you free! Hallelujah! What an awesome God we have!

ToHimBeTheGlory!

 

Standing on the Rock

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While listening to a song recently about Jesus Christ being the solid rock upon which we stand, a vision came to mind that I cannot get out of my head. I saw a large statute of a man with one of his arms held up, and the palm of his hand open. The entire statute was made out of solid rock. And there I stood, right in the middle of the palm of his hand.

As I stood in his hand, strong winds came and nearly knocked me off my feet. But when the winds abated, I was still standing. Then the winds came again, but this time harder than ever, and with it rain and hail. I wasn’t able to withstand the force and fell face-down on the rock. I got back up, and was knocked down again. But each time I got back up, it seemed I was stronger and able to stand for a longer period of time, withstanding a lot more force before going down again.

I sensed the rock was providing me with all I needed to stay in the palm of his hand. No matter what came against me, even if the adversity was so strong it knocked me off my feet, when I did fall – I landed on the rock. And I was still in the palm of his hand! I realized that the rock I was standing on was Jesus Christ! One by one, the promises of God began to flood my mind, and as they did, I became stronger. Soon I was immovable. The most fierce wind could no longer knock me down.

Jesus said in Mathew 7:24-25, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” We are told in scripture that Jesus is the Rock that His Church is built upon. John 10:29, Jesus said, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Peter said in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors…neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Once we become a begotten child of God, and understand who we are, and the promises given to us, nothing can defeat us. We are more than conquerors! We are told the actual armor of Almighty God is available to us, and once we put it on, WE WILL STAND in the day of adversity. Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Hallelujah, God has given us the victory through Jesus! Once we are in His hand, absolutely nothing can take us out. What an awesome God we have!

2HimBetheGlory

 

Healing

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Most people think being sick is just part of living, they accept it like it’s a normal every day thing. They not only accept it, they expect it! You’ll hear comments like, “Here comes the flu season, I better get ready, because I get it every year.” And if you look around, it would appear they are correct – sickness and disease is everywhere. It’s talked about on the TV, Internet, and we can all name someone we personally know that is experiencing some sort of illness right this minute. But our Creator didn’t make us, nor intend for us, to live a life filled with sickness and disease. Quite the contrary. When God created mankind, He pronounced blessings over him. So what went wrong, why all the suffering?

Offer Rejected

From the beginning, God offered man His blessing. He’s made offer after offer to bless our land, our produce, livestock, our health and families. But after Adam and Eve followed the devil’s plan by rejecting God and choosing to decide their own path, they connected to the law of sin and death, and Satan became the over lord of the earth. They had to leave the garden of God and the abundant provision of their Creator.  So man then went about setting up his world, patterned after the way he saw fit (influenced by you know who), and history gives us the rest of the story. The world has been plagued with horrible poverty, sickness and disease ever since. But there’ve been individuals here and there that responded to God, and were incredibly blessed in their walk with Him.

Abraham Partners With God

Abram (who’s name was later changed to Abraham) was a man that responded to God’s call on his life. In Genesis 12:2-3, God promised that if Abraham followed his instructions, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing…… and all the people on earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God then blessed Abraham. Gen. 13:2 says “And Abram was very rich….” The remainder of Genesis, and for that matter, the remainder of the Old Testament gives us the story of Abraham’s descendants. God kept His promise and Abraham’s descendants grew into a great nation – the nation of Israel. And Israel was blessed beyond comprehension up through the reign of King David and Solomon. Until they forgot the Source of all their blessings, Israel was the richest, most blessed nation on the earth.

Those blessings included the promise of God to bless their bodies and give them abundant health.In Exodus 15:26, God says, “….. I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 23:25 says, “….. and I will take sickness from your midst.” Deuteronomy 28 is what’s called the Blessing and Cursing chapter of the Bible. God gives a list of all the blessings that will come on His people if only they will hearken and follow Him. He also warned them of the consequences if they turned their backs on Him and rebelled. They would again be on their own, subject to the curse the rest of the world lives under, which is to go it alone, to eke out their own existence, and live without the protective umbrella of God’s blessing.  Chapter 30: 19 says “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” Some of the effects of the curse mentioned in Chapter 28 having to do with health are: wasting disease, fever and inflammation, tumors, madness, blindness and confusion of mind.

What’s That Got To Do With You & Me?

The main thing the Old Testament shows us is that no one is able to walk perfectly before God in their own effort and strength. Although the descendants of Abraham told God they chose life, they always fell away into sin and disobedience again. Then they would sacrifice the blood of an animal to cover the sin, crying out to God for forgiveness and deliverance. But that had to happen over and over again. Then just as it looked like all hope was lost, God’s mercy and grace showed up on the scene.

Jesus Came to Reconcile Us to the Father and Re-Institute the Blessing!

Remember when God told Abraham that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed? Well, Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham!  And it’s through the sacrifice of Jesus, the shedding of his blood, that we may receive forgiveness of all past, present, and future sins –  once and for all!  Jesus didn’t come just to pay the price for our eternal life. He also came to give us a better life in the here and now! He said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance to the full.” We know the promises, the Blessing, was given to Abraham and his seed. Galatians 3:6-16, “Consider Abraham; He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham….So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham….Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed….meaning one person, who is Christ” Verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

God’s Promises Are For ALL In Christ

It’s made very clear in scripture. Jesus has reconciled us to the Father. We have all become one in Christ. It no longer matters if you are Jew or Gentile, male or female. If you’re Christ’s then you’re Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the promise! As followers of Jesus, we may all lay claim to the Blessing – the promises of Almighty God! But in order to do that, we need to know what those promises are. So let’s look at some scriptures that deal specifically with how God desires to bless our physical health.

Healing Scriptures

In Exodus 15:26, God says, “….. I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 23:25 says, “….. and I will take sickness from your midst.” Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of Jesus’ life and crucifixion, and verse 5 says, “…. and by his wounds we are healed.”

The book of Psalms is chalked full of praises to God for being our faithful healer. Ps 103:2-5, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction….so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.”

Proverbs 4:20, “….listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.”

Jeremiah 30:17, “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds declares the Lord....”

Let’s look at how Jesus dealt with healing. In Matthew 8:2-3, When a man with leprosy approached Jesus saying that he knew Jesus could heal him if he were willing, Jesus said, “I am willing….” In verse 16-17, “….he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick……He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Mark 16:17-18, Jesus told his followers, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name…. they will place their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, His followers did just that. Acts 5:15-16, “…Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick….and all of them were healed.” We are told in James 5:13-15, if anyone is sick, they need to call for prayer in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well!

Then Why Are His Sheep So Sickly?

Although healing is included in the benefit package of God, and Jesus gave His followers authority to overcome all the power of the enemy, telling them to do as He had done; and with the word saying, “As He is so are we in this world,”  it seems many of Jesus’ followers are not following in His footsteps.  Jesus lived a life of victory in every area of life: victory over the spiritual realm – the devil, sin and death; and victory over the natural realm – sickness and disease, wind and storms.  But let’s face it, sickness and disease in the Church runs about as rampant as it does in the world.  God’s word says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….”

I believe a lot of Christians aren’t aware of the benefits of following God. They think the only benefit is that when they die, they get to go to heaven. Although Jesus acknowledged that his followers would be confronted with the same things the rest of the world deals with, He shows how we can be victorious over them. John 16:33 “.…In this world you will have tribulation, but fear not; I have overcome the world.” Jesus’ followers are to share in His victory and authority. We are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ! Ephesians 2:6, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” We are not weak, sick, poor and defeated. Christians are citizens of Heaven deployed to the earth. We are Christ’s ambassadors, and represent the Kingdom of God to everyone around us!

Jesus is The Good Shepherd

Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd, and he says we are his sheep.  Can you imagine what you’d think if you saw a shepherd leading his sheep, and the sheep were all sickly looking, malnourished, maimed, and just limping along? You wouldn’t think that shepherd was taking very good care of his flock. No, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His sheep are well nourished, strong, vibrant, nothing missing, nothing broken!

God Needs You Well!

Our loving Father has called us to live a life of victory in Jesus Christ. We represent Jesus on this earth! And Jesus has set us free from the bondage of pain and sickness, by paying the price for sin and death. So when the enemy tries to put the wages of sin on us again, we stand on the blood of Jesus and the promises of God’s Word! We walk in the power and authority of Jesus Christ on this earth, blessing all we come in contact with. When the world sees us, they see Jesus; strong, healthy, vibrant.

Rise up Church! May we allow the streams of living water to flow through us and out to this thirsty world, touching and healing everything in it’s path.  Come soon Lord Jesus!

ToHimBeTheGlory!

Spiritual Warfare (Our Stance)

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     These are dangerous times we’re living in. Wars and rumors of wars are in the news every day. There’s war and fighting between nations, within nations, in our neighborhoods, and even between family members. Despite advances in science and technology, sickness and disease still wreck havoc in many lives. There’s trouble of one sort or another on every side. Jesus warned of these troubling times in Matthew 24. He said that unless these days be shortened, there would no flesh be saved alive. It’s going to get so bad that unless God intervenes, all human life will be wiped out. The good news is, God will not allow that to happen!

     Mankind chose to believe a lie, and built a world that now teeters on the brink of destruction.  But God has provided a way of escape through His Son. A whole new system of government will soon be instituted upon the earth, bringing with it everything man has always wanted; health, prosperity, peace,  happiness; that utopian state which existed in the beginning. But until that government is set up on the earth,  Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled. In this world you will have tribulation, but fear not, I have overcome the world.” So what exactly was it in this world that He overcame?

The Source of Trouble

     When God first created mankind, He blessed him. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, to have dominion over everything created. So in essence, man was given the reins to rule on this earth. The blessing of God provided them with peace, joy, beauty, abundant health and prosperity. God gave them instructions on how to walk and remain in His blessing. They could stay in direct cummunion with God and live under His provision as long as they didn’t eat of the forbidden fruit – didn’t take to themselves the knowledge of good and evil. If they did, it would mean certain death and eternal separation from Him. But the choice was theirs to make. God didn’t force His way on them. At first, everything was wonderful. All their needs were met. There was no sickness, no poverty, no labor and toil.  Then the original liar showed up on the scene.

    Satan cast doubt on everything God had told Adam and Eve. In essence, he said, “You can’t believe everything God’s said. He’s holding out on you. You should decide for yourself.  And God knows when you do, you’ll be like God, deciding for yourself what’s good and evil – and you won’t die either!”  It all sounded great, so they made the decision to go their own way. Basically, they told God, “Thanks, but no thanks! Don’t think we need you telling us what’s good or bad for us, we’re smart enough to figure all that out. We can handle it from here.” Although the Bible says God cast them out of the garden, it was their decision that took them out. It took them out from under the protective provision and blessings of God. They gave their dominion over to Satan, whom the New Testament calls, “the god of this world.” But Satan’s way is the exact opposite of God. Instead of blessing mankind, Satan cursed mankind. The curse produces labor and toil, sickness, poverty, despair, war and death. And since the day they departed from the presence of God, and gave the reins over to Satan, this way of living has become the norm. But God has given mankind a way out of this mess, and provided the path that leads us back to Him and all His blessings.

God’s Answer to Our Trouble

     Jesus, a member of the Godhead, devested himself of his divinity, came to this earth as a human, and lived a perfect life before the Father. He gave his life, poured out His blood, as a sacrifice to pay the death penalty in our stead, to take back the rein of power from Satan, and reconcile us to the Father. Isaiah 53 is a prophecy describing the life and death of Jesus, and states, “For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Colossians 1:13 says “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” II Corinthians 5:18  “…God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…”  Jesus came to pay the penalty, to redeem us, and became the bridge back to our Father.  John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I  am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  So Jesus came to pay the penalty and reconcile us to God. He had to suceed where the first man had failed. But to do so, he had to face and defeat the devil.

     Jesus not only faced the devil, but He soundly defeated him. The first head-to-head meeting is described in Matthew 4. Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. First, the devil tried to provoke him to perform a miracle, to prove himself and satisfy his physical hunger.  But Jesus quoted scripture and said, “It is written; Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Then he tried to get Jesus to jump off a mountain, just to prove God would rescue him. But again, Jesus quoted scripture saying, “It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Then the devil pulled out his biggest gun. He offered Jesus rulership over all the kingdoms of the world if he would only bow down and serve him. Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For is is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and Him only will you serve.”  Jesus defeated Satan that day by standing on the written Word of God.  And Jesus not only defeated Satan, but displaced him as ruler over the Earth. Jesus took back the dominion Adam had given to Satan.

     Not only has Jesus taken back the authority to rule over the Earth, but Colossians 2:15 says he disarmed Satan and his hordes and made a public spectacle of them. Jesus has been given the keys to the Kingdom of God. And the most amazing thing about this is the fact that it was all done for us.  He redeemed us from the curse! Eph. 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Jesus now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father. Eph. 2: 6 states that God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms.  Eph 1:22 “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body…”  Jesus is the head of the Church, and we are His body!  Hebrews 1:13 says “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.” And chapter 10:13 says “Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.”

Our Stance

     Jesus, the head of the church, is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool. The church, Jesus’ body, though physically on the earth, is spiritually seated with Him in the heavenly realm.  All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus, and he in turn has given that same authority to his followers. Jesus said in Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”  The victory has been won! The Church’s commission is to stand in that victory until all things in heaven and earth are reconciled and made one through Christ Jesus. We’ve been given our marching orders, the commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.

     Although Satan was defeated, he hasn’t been removed from the scene yet. That will take place upon the return of Christ and the literal setting up of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Until that time, our enemy tries to stand against every advancement of the Kingdom. But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph through Christ Jesus, we have the example of Jesus himself, and thorough instructions on how to trample the enemy under foot. And best of all, we’ve been given the armor of Almighty God, not only as a defense, but as an offensive weapon to destroy the works of the devil!

     As Christians, we need to keep in mind that the battles are actually being fought in the heavenly realm. And 2 Corinthians 10:4 says “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” These strongholds have been set up by the devil, and he will come against any attempt to remove them.  Eph 6:10-18 gives battle instructions to the saints of God, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…… so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…..with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place……the shield of faith…..and with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God….”  Notice, we are to stand.  Once we do all God shows us to do, we are to STAND!  The war has already been won by Jesus, and we his soldiers are to occupy the territory until He comes. We stand against the devil’s attacks by standing on the word of God – just as Jesus did. Everything the devil brought against him was shot down by the word of God that came out of Jesus’ mouth!  It doesn’t matter what the evil one brings against us: war, sickness, financial peril – disasters of any kind;  We stand in full assurance of the truth and faithfulness of our God – and we speak that truth out of our mouth! The truth – the Word of God will destroy all the works of the devil!

     We win! You can read about it yourself at the end of the Book.  Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”  And chapter 21 describes the wonderful world that is coming. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.  The Spirit says, “Come! And let him who hears say, Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”  God is offering this wonderful life to all who will come and receive.What an awesome God we have!

2HimBeTheGlory

Heaven Will Back You!

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Don’t be afraid to speak the truth of God. We have full assurance in His Word that He’ll back us up. I often find myself holding back from speaking the truth about a matter, whether it be with friends, family, or even casual acquaintances, because I’m afraid of what they’ll think.  Every time I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to say or do something, and I back away from doing it, it’s because I know it goes against the grain of popular thinking. I’m afraid of how it’ll make me look, concerned about what people will think. We’re all concerned about our reputation. But since Christians are to be imitators of Christ, we need to know how Jesus handled this.

First of all, scripture says in Philippians 2:7, that Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant.  In John 4:34, Jesus said his mission was “….to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  Jesus wasn’t concerned about his reputation. If you read through the gospels, it’s apparent Jesus said and did things that people found odd, disagreed with, and downright thought were crazy. He was accused of being possessed of the devil, a drunkard, hanging around undesirables – you name it.  Mark 3: 21 shows that even Jesus’ own family began to think he was out of his mind. It’s obvious Jesus didn’t concern himself with what people thought. He said he only spoke and did as the Father showed him. And he said his followers are to do the same.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these……….” (John 14: 12).  And 1 John 4:17 says, “Love has been perfected amoung us in this …… because as He is, so are we in this world.”  The first century church followed the lead of the Holy Spirit, saying and doing as God led. Jesus promised that signs would follow those that believe. In Mark 16:17-20 he said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  After Jesus was taken into heaven, the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.  In Acts 4:29-30, the church asked God to enable them to speak with great boldness, to stretch out His hand and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus. And God answered that prayer. Throughout the New Testament, we are told of the great miracles that accompany the preaching of His word. Acts 14: 4 says that the Lord confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders! 

 The God of all creation says that signs shall follow those that believe! If we’ll be bold, saying and doing as the Spirit leads, God will back it up.  He’ll confirm the message of his grace. Our job is to yield to Him, allowing Him to use our hands, our feet, our mouth, to be a blessing where ever we go. Just as Jesus is, so are we to be in the earth.  We’re not to be afraid of what people think, because this world desperately needs the Word of God spoken in it as never before. Can we imagine what it would be like if the BODY of CHRIST rose up and were Jesus Christ in the earth today?  That’s our calling! That’s who lives in us! 

Let’s pray the same prayer our fellow believers prayed;  “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Lord, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Amen!

ToHimBetheGlory

 

Finish Your Race

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It amazes me how God communicates with us and shows us His heart as we go through our daily lives. If you seek Him, He is faithful to show Himself strong on your behalf, and give you a word in due season – just what you need to hear, exactly when you need to hear it.

About a year ago, I felt like I was standing on top of the mountain. After all, God had seen my husband and me through a long deep valley. The walk through that valley began in September, 2006, when I started having acute premature ventricular contractions (PVC’s), and took us through the economic perils of 2008, when we lost our business, and were both unemployed for many months. I’ve been through many trials in my life, but this was different. From health to finances, everything around us began to crash – all at the same time. But, although my  world seemed to be crumbling around me, I’ve never felt closer to God than I felt during that period in my life. Because as I leaned on Him to see us through, sitting in His presence to receive guidance and direction, He spoke things to my heart that would forever impact me.

One of the things He told me was, “Clean your house and write.” I won’t address the “Clean your house” part here, but the part about writing – I wasn’t sure what He wanted me to do. I’d been journaling off and on for some time, so I thought maybe I was to be more diligent about that. So I asked God, “What do you want me to write, and what am I to do with what is written? I’m trusting you to lead me in the right direction.” So I cast all my cares on Him, knowing He is faithful and would show me what He wanted me to do. And He did just that.

Step by step, God brought us up out of that deep valley. He healed my heart completely and opened doors that saw each of us on to new careers. The blessings were piling up. Not only had my health and finances been restored, but finally the prayers for the salvation of my family were coming to pass. One-by-one they were baptized and joined me in my walk with God. As far as the writing part, I felt God leading me to start a blog, so my son helped me set one up.

I’d just completed my first couple of posts in July, 2011, when I went to a Believer’s Convention in Ft Worth, TX. Like I said, I felt like I was standing on top of the mountain. God was blessing me in every way. I was so inspired at the convention, I felt like I was floating. All kinds of topics for the blog were coming to me at rapid-fire pace. I couldn’t wait to get back home and resume writing. But what happened next derailed that plan.

Hit By A Freight Train

Upon my return home, I was hit with what felt like a freight train from more than one direction. On my first day back at work, I was informed that a key employee was leaving the company. Because another co-worker in my department was already leaving about the same time, this translated into me working 50 and 60 hour work weeks for several months. Then in quick succession, various trials hit my friends and family members, one right after the other. Several of those I loved became disillusioned by the storms in their life, gave up on God, and walked away. Not only was I physically drained from the long hours I was putting in at work, but my heart was aching for all the loved ones going through so much suffering. I was so mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, I couldn’t even think about writing. But at the same time, I felt guilty for not doing what I knew God had told me to do. As the months passed, I started to justify not writing by asking God, “Did I take what I heard you say about writing, and misinterprete what I was supposed to do with it? Maybe you didn’t mean for me to write on a blog. I need You to show me that it’s the right direction.” After all, if writing was what I was supposed to be doing, shouldn’t God put me in a position where I could have the peace of mind to do it?

 Weeks went by, then months. My work environment gradually got back to normal. But with heavy storms still swirling in the lives of those I loved – I was so distracted and exhausted, I still couldn’t bring myself to sit down and write. But at the same time, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I knew something had to give. Either God needed to release me from this writing thing – or provide a way for me to do it. I so desperately needed some peace of mind, and kept thinking, “If only things would settle down around me, or if God would enable me to be financially set, so that I could quit working and devote myself to writing.” What happened next still blows my mind. Talk about a Word in due season!

A Needed Diversion

So there I was, mentally, physically, and spiritually drained; feeling like I was drifting through each day without purpose. But I kept thinking about the blog, whether I should just take it down. I couldn’t even bring myself to open the site and look at it. Why wouldn’t God just make it clear to me what I was supposed to do? Finally, I pretty much decided I wouldn’t do anything until I got a clear message. I told God, “If you want me to write, You’re going to have to hit me over the head with it, and show me how I’m to accomplish it with all this mess swirling around me. I need some peace and quiet.”

One day at work, a co-worker came up with this bright idea, that it would be wonderful if we participated in the OKC Memorial Marathon! She said they had a 5K available, so when three of my co-workers said they were game, I nervously agreed to participate. Two of us said we would run it, the other two decided they could at least walk the distance. The other runner and I had three months to prepare, so we downloaded the article ‘From Couch Potato to 5K’ and began training. My personal goal was to do the three miles in less than 40 minutes. I told God I would dedicate this race to Him. He’d healed me of the heart problem, and I believed somehow this was my way of giving Him glory for what He had done.

I started out mostly walking for 30 minutes, with short intervals of running, three times a week – all on my treadmill. Each week I progressed to a new level by running a little longer, with less and less walking time. The training process was very demanding, because with a deadline ahead, I had to continually press harder each week in order to gain precious ground. To progress to the next level, you can’t skip your training sessions, or you’ll loose the ground you’ve gained. I gradually got up to covering two miles, but felt like I was pushing against a brick wall to get any further than that. With only a month left until the run, I had made it up to two and a half miles in 40 minutes. Somehow, I needed to squeeze in that extra half mile, while decreasing my time. Another thing I had to consider was that running on concrete, along with the hills, twists and turns along the path, would greatly increase my level of difficulty. So at this point I adjusted my treadmill so that the running surface was as firm as possible, and increased the incline.

I finally made it to three miles! But I couldn’t seem to make it in less than 43 minutes. I’d read that, because of the adrenaline and excitement, you usually run faster during the actual race than you do in training. So I determined to do my best, hoping what I’d read was correct. But I sure wanted to beat that 40 minute mark!

Race Day

Out of the original four women that committed to participate, only three of us showed up on race day. I was so nervous standing there, waiting to begin. Never having done anything like this in my life, I really didn’t know what I might encounter. Oh, how I wished I’d trained harder. Would I even make it across the finish line? Looking past the barrier fence, I see my husband. He’s smiling and waving, but I know he’s concerned. He made me promise that if I felt the slightest irregular rhythm in my heart beat, I would stop. I wish he were running beside me……

About that time, I hear the start shot. Off we went, slowly at first, all of us pressed together like sardines. Then gradually everyone started spreading out, with the seasoned runners going on ahead. I’d been running several minutes when I see the first hill, and it looked so steep. I decide to walk the hill, feeling if I didn’t, I may not have enough energy to go the distance. Here and there throughout the run, my body kept telling me I was running out of steam and I should walk a minute – so I did that several times. And those hills, I didn’t run any of them. I just slowed down to a fast walk.

What amazed me is how lonely I felt out there. It dawned on me that I was totally on my own. This was something no one else could do for me. Although there were crowds of people along the sidelines, some of them cheering, it didn’t seem to help. Some were holding signs with their loved ones name on it, but I didn’t see any familiar faces, and felt no connection to the crowd. I remember even thinking, “Why aren’t they participating in the race?” I began to wonder why I had entered, what was the purpose? My breathing was off, my heart pounding, and I kept caving in to the feeling I needed to slow down to a walk for the hills and turns. The highlight for me was when I saw the finish line almost a quarter mile away. I encouraged myself with the fact it was almost over, and even found it within myself to encourage a few others who looked like they were in agony. I told them, “We can do this thing!”

I made it to the finish line! But it was then that I realized, although I had beaten my own record at 41 minutes, I’d failed to meet my ultimate goal of running the 5K in under 40 minutes. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. I missed my goal by only 2 minutes! I was so disappointed by my inability to discipline myself. Why had I been so intimidated by the hills, the fatigue, the loneliness of no one to cheer for me, all those silly distractions? If I had only ran those hills – instead of walking them!

God’s Answer

With the marathon over, things pretty much went back to the way it had been before my training program, except for the fact I continued running to stay in shape. With the pressure of training gone, I had begun to use my running time to praise God in prayer, and by singing along with my favorite Christian songs from my iPhone. Running was now becoming something I looked forward to, another way of getting alone with God, just the two of us.

One morning, about a month after the race, I was on the treadmill singing along to Chris Tomlin’s ‘Our God,’ praising God for all His wonders. All of a sudden, the full impact hit me, and I became overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord.  It was at that moment, the wall in front of me lit up like a television screen:

I saw a race track, and I was running on it. Straight ahead, up in the distance, there was a bright light that grew larger and brighter as I ran towards it. Now, I was no longer just watching myself run on the track, but was on the track in real time. There were bleachers lining both sides of the track filled with an innumerable crowd cheering me on. But then all of a sudden, there were things like large rocks and huge boulders coming down from the sky out of nowhere, being hurled towards me and onto the track directly in front of me. Just as I began to slow down to avoid being hit, I heard a voice say, “Look straight ahead, and keep your eyes fixed on Me. Don’t look to the right hand or to the left.” As I looked straight ahead into the light, it grew brighter. I was running full speed now, this time with all my might. In my peripheral vision, I could see most of the objects were disappearing before they even hit the track. Those that did fall in front of me, I scooped up in my arms and lifted them up to God – without even breaking my stride. They disappeared as He took them from me. Nothing could stop me now as I focused straight ahead and ran towards the light!  The light grew bigger and brighter.  End of Vision.

As I got off the treadmill, I was in awe of what God had just shown me. Our job is to run the race. The path has already been prepared and laid out by God. But once you enter the race, the evil one will throw all kinds of obstacles and distractions your way in his attempt to derail God’s plan for you. And if he can’t touch you, he’ll mess in the lives of everyone around you. He’ll brew up every storm imaginable to swirl around you, to get you to take your eyes off God and what He has called you to do. Just as I had allowed all the distractions during the 5K keep me from accomplishing my goal, so had I also allowed the distractions swirling around in my life keep me from doing what God had clearly called me to do. Do Not Look at the Storm! We are to keep our eyes looking straight ahead towards God. Those obstacles that present themselves along the way, we are to lift up to God and keep on running. He is faithful. We can trust Him to take care of everything around us. And just as Hebrews 12:1 states, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so we are never alone. All of heaven is cheering us on!

So I got my answer from God. As I stated in the beginning, He is always faithful to give us a word in due season. I’m writing again! No matter what happens, I’ll not stop unless God directs me to do something else. Now I’m running my race looking straight ahead, keeping my focus on the Light, and refusing to be distracted by the storm. I’m handing off anything that falls along my path to the One who can handle it, casting all my care on Him.

Oh, and the 5K marathon is coming up again. I think I’ll run it this year for old time’s sake. This time, I’ll be praising God and singing praises to Him along the way. And I’m pretty sure I’ll make my ‘under 40 minutes’ goal this time!

To Him be the Glory!

Dreams and Visions

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We all have dreams, and some of us have had visions. Science tells us that during our dream state, the brain is basically filing away the happenings of the day, categorizing everything – similar to the defrag and disk clean up function of our computers.  But scripture indicates there are also other reasons for dreams and visions. From the book of Genesis, all the way through to Revelation, the Bible is full of references of dreams and visions used by God to communicate with mankind.

In the Old Testament, beginning with the patriarchs of Genesis, God often times gave His promises, and revealed the future of the descendants of Abraham, through dreams and visions. And think of all the prophets of the Old Testament who received instructions or prophecy through dreams and visions, of things happening not only in their day, but future events.   Joseph was given a dream (Genesis 37:5) concerning a future time when his brothers would bow down to him.  The king of Egypt was given a dream, which God interpreted through Joseph concerning a famine to last 7 years. Because of this dream, actions were taken to store up enough food to feed Egypt and surrounding nations during that horrific famine. In the book of Daniel (Dan. 1:17 – 2:45), Daniel was given understanding of all visions and dreams. He was used by God to interprets the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar.  This dream reveals the succession of kingdoms that would reign from the Babylonian kingdom to when “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed….”  Dreams and visions are referenced throughout the Old Testament, but the New Testament also contains many such references.

The New Testament starts off in the book of Matthew with dreams given multiple times in relation to the birth of Jesus, and then to show Joseph what to do to protect the baby from those wishing to kill him. Look at the vision given to Peter, James, and John when Jesus took them up into a high mountain and was transfigured before them (Mark 9:2). Jesus told them to tell the vision to no one until after His resurrection. In addition to the time period when Jesus walked the earth, dreams and visions are referenced many times after His death, beginning in the book of Acts and continuing through the book of Revelation.

In Acts 2:17, Peter quoted the prophet Joel in explaining the miraculous events the people were witnessing – the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”   Peter reinterates what the prophets of old said – In the last days the Holy Spirit would be poured out on God’s servants. They will see dreams and visions.

Jesus told us part of what the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives would be. In John 14:26, Jesus said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  In John 15:12-15, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth…..and he will tell you what is yet to come.”  So the Holy Spirit will teach us all things, remind us of what Jesus said, guide us into all truth, and tell us what is yet to come!  And Peter’s explaination to the crowd, that what they were witnessing on the day of Pentecost, was the move of the Holy Spirit, letting everyone know that in the last days, when the Holy Spirit is poured out – they should expect miraculous events like dreams and visions, correlates exactly with what Jesus foretold. 

The Bible clearly shows God communicates with us through His Word, and sometimes that communication is through dreams and visions.  From what scripture says, the move of the Holy Spirit in these last days will produce mighty signs and wonders, and His people will dream dreams and see visions.  God is so good and merciful.  He will not let His people be caught unaware – but the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth and show us things to come. 

To Him Be the Glory!

Our Source

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This is the day The Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). The Bible tells us that the way to be joyful is to spend time in the presence of God. Psalm 16:11 says, “In His presence there is fulness of joy.” So take some time today to get alone with God, to spend time in His presence. And soak up that joy!!