THE JOY-FILLED LIFE
Part 2

"Rejoice ye in that day, and LEAP FOR JOY"
(Luke 6:22-23).

We think of being joyful when everything is going great in our lives. However, this is the opposite to the message of the Bible and the lifestyle of the early Christians. Let's look at the Scriptures that encourage us to be joyful. It's amazing to find that it's not when we are living the good life, but when things are difficult.

1. WHEN YOU ARE PERSECUTED

Matthew 5:10-12: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. REJOICE, AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD: for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Have people spoken evil things about you? Have they ridiculed you for believing in Jesus? What do they say about your being at home with your children? Homeschooling? Or having another baby? Do you get negative and sarcastic remarks? Don't get upset, dear mother. Rejoice. You are walking in truth. You are walking in the perfect will of God. Why would their remarks concern you?

I think it's time to gived up the wimpy life, don't you? Let's not get downhearted because someone says something nasty or ridicules what we do. What's a few negative words? There are millions of precious believers being tortured for their faith. Many are martyred. And all we get are some negative words. Let's stand strong, rejoice, and leap for joy! The passage in Luke 6:22-23 says: "Rejoice ye in that day, and LEAP FOR JOY."

After the apostles were beaten for their faith, Acts 5:41 tells us: "And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (JBP): "You remember how, although accepting the message meant BITTER PERSECUTION, yet you experienced the JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT."

1 Peter 3:14: "But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, HAPPY are ye: and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled."

1 Peter 4:14: "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, HAPPY are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."

2. WHEN EVERYTHING IS TAKEN FROM YOU

Habakkuk 3:17, 18: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I WILL REJOICE in the Lord, I WILL JOY in the God of my salvation."

3. WHEN ALL YOUR GOODS ARE PLUNDERED

Hebrews 10:34: "You took JOYFULLY the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."

How do you react when everything is taken from you or you lose everything by fire?

4. WHEN YOU FACE FIERY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

1 Peter 4:12, 13: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

What was Paul's testimony? "I am EXCEEDING JOYFUL in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). What is your testimony?

James 1:2: "My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various trials."

5. WHEN YOUR STRENGTH FAILS

Nehemiah 8:10: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

6. WHEN YOU GO THROUGH POVERTY

In 2 Corinthians 8:2 (NLT) Paul tells us about the Macedonians who were experiencing extreme poverty and yet at the same time they were "filled with ABUNDANT JOY, which has overflowed in rich generosity." Even in poverty, they weren't only joyful, but ABUNDANTLY JOYFUL and ABUNDANTLY GENEROUS!

What's wrong with us saints today? We complain miserably when we think we don't have enough money. They were suffering poverty worse than us and yet they rejoiced.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Dear Father God, please strengthen me to know that my life is hid with You. I do not have to be laid low by any circumstances or any hurtful words that are spoken to me. Help me to rejoice in You in all circumstances. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

My aim is to live a REJOICING LIFESTYLE!

THE JOY-FILLED LIFE
Part 1

"He maketh the barren women to keep house, and to be JOYFUL mother of children"
(Psalm 113:9).

We all know the Scripture: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice." We sing the melody with gusto, but don't always live it out.

What does it say? "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS." And to remind us when we get tired of rejoicing, it says: "AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE." We don't have much excuse, do we?

How does this apply to mothers? Do we have to be joyful all the time? Did you know that God equates motherhood with joy? And it's not an average kind of joy. It's exceeding joy.

The Hebrew word used in the above Scripture, Psalm 113:9, is sameach. It means "to be blithe and gleeful, to be merry-hearted." It's the same word used in Proverbs 14:13: "A MERRY HEART maketh a cheerful countenance." And again, in Proverbs 17:22: "A MERRY HEART doeth good like a medicine."

But there's more. It's the same word that is used when people drink wine and get happy (Isaiah 14:7). When they are "eating and drinking and making merry" (1 Kings 4:20). It's the same word that was used when Solomon was made king and the people "rejoiced with GREAT JOY, so that the earth rent with the sound of them" (1 Kings 1:40). Did you get that? The HCSB makes it clearer: "rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth split open from the sound."

This the joy of motherhood! "This is a bit over-the-top" you exclaim! Dear mothers, it's meant to be over-the-top! God is not average or ordinary in any way. He doesn't only give us life, He gives us ABUNDANT life. He not only gives us joy, but EXCEEDING joy and "JOY UNSPEAKABLE and FULL OF GLORY" (1 Peter 1:8).

So, why aren't mothers joyful? Unfortunately, most women are brainwashed against motherhood by in-laws, out-laws, the media, and the education system. They are told that motherhood is an insignificant career and they should be doing something more beneficial. Because of this they have the wrong attitude about motherhood, and if you have the wrong attitude, you're not going to be very happy.

The truth is that God created you for motherhood. Your body is created for this purpose. When God gives you children to raise in your home you are in the very perfect will of God. God does not see motherhood as insignificant. He exalts motherhood (Ezekiel 19:10,11), He glorifies motherhood (Hosea 9:11), and He enthrones motherhood (Psalm 113:9 Sugden).

We either live according to God's plan or stay in our misery. It's all in our mind and attitude. We choose! We choose joy or misery, no matter what our circumstances.

How do we get into the joy?

1. Embrace the truth. When you know the truth, it sets you free to be who you are!
2. Acknowledge that you are in the perfect will of God as you mother your children.
3. Confess the truth. It's not enough to know the truth, you must confess it. Your words determine your life. What you speak is what you become. Therefore, thank God for the joy of being a mother. Speak aloud: "I am a joyful mother," "I love being a mother," or "Motherhood is my greatest career."
4. Change your attitude. Your words and your attitude affect your life. The wrong attitude makes you miserable. The right attitude fills you with joy.
5. Purpose to be joyful. Joy has nothing to do with feelings or circumstances. Anyone can be happy when everything goes according to plan. But life isn't like that. It's full of challenges and difficulties which must be overcome. This is how we mature in life. This is how we become one of the overcomers!

Jesus Christ is filled with joy and He dwells in you if you have embraced Him into your life. Therefore, you can live His life of joy, no matter what circumstances you face or what your lying feelings are telling you. Come to the place of living by the truth rather than by your feelings or the lies that society tells you.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Thank you, dear Father, that You are the source of all joy. Thank You that I find my joy in You and not in my circumstances. I thank you that when I embrace your plan that I can be filled with joy. Help me to live your plan instead of falling into the devil's plan. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a merry-hearted mother! I am making a joyful marriage and a joyful home!

TOGETHERNESS

“They broke bread together in their homes, sharing meals with simple joy”
(Acts 2:46 JBP).

Breaking bread is not only talking about communion, but sharing a meal with someone. God loves us to eat together. I’m sure this is one of the reasons why “God sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6).

Togetherness begins personally and spreads outward.

1. TOGETHERNESS WITH CHRIST

We feast together with Christ in our personal relationship with Him (John 6:32-58; 14:23; 15:1-7 and Revelation 3:20). Without our personal relationship with Jesus Christ we have nothing of eternal value to bring to others. The corporate togetherness is where we share and overflow from our daily walk with God.

2. TOGETHERNESS AS HUSBAND AND WIFE

What a joy to share with one another the revelation we receive as we feed on Christ and His living Word. Our “heart burns within us” as He talks with us along the way (Luke 24:32) and we cannot keep it to ourselves. We love to talk and fellowship about it with each other. Do you love to do this with your husband?

Ephesians 6:25-29 tells us how the husband washes his wife with God’s Word. As He feasts on the Word, He then reads and expounds it to his wife and she is washed.

3. TOGETHERNESS AS A FAMILY

Breaking bread together as a family should be the habit of our daily lives. Many modern families no longer eat together, and we reap the negative results in our society.

A study found that children who eat dinner with their parents five or more days a week have less trouble with drugs and alcohol, eat healthier, show better academic performance, and report being closer with their parents than children who do not eat frequently with their parents. * Did you know the average American eats one in every five meals in the car?

However, I am sure you are a family that eats together. This is why we eat at a table--to see one another’s faces. Eating is not just assimilating food for the body, but for the soul and the mind. We interreact together. But there’s more. It’s also food for the spirit. This is true breaking of bread where we feed every part of our children’s lives—body, soul, and spirit. Never, ever think that preparing a nutritious and lovely meal for our family is a waste of time. It is all part of our homemaking mandate.

But we also make sure that we don’t leave the table before we read God’s Word to our children. In The Netherlands, reading God’s Word at the end of the meal is called “Finishing up the Meal.” They don’t leave the table before they feed their spirit.

A parent can have a strong relationship with Jesus, but if they don’t share it with their children, it will not affect their lives. We are to share our faith--firstly with our children. I know a mother whose faith is strong in God. But she has not imparted it to her children. She has left them to find their own way. She does not attend church or encourage her children to gather with God’s people. Three of her children do not walk with the Lord and two are in desperate lifestyle situations.

Make togetherness part of your family life—eating together, fellowshipping together, reading God’s Word together, and praying together.

4. TOGETHERNESS WITH THE SAINTS

Our Christian walk is not only personal but a togetherness with other believers. The early church showed the example. Every day they met in their homes to share food with one another and talk together of all the wonderful revelations of Christ in His Word. These Jewish believers had fulfilled the ritual of the temple sacrifices for centuries, but now, for the first time, they saw the fulfilment of Christ in it all. I am sure that every day they saw a new understanding of Christ and His death and resurrection for our sins. Their hearts would have been overflowing with joy.

They would be required to work for their living during the day, so mealtimes were the best times to get together. And the best times to share their new joys with one another. Eating is always enhanced when you feed your soul and spirit as well as your body. We know we have truly broken bread when our souls are satisfied as well as our bodies.

Are you receiving new understanding from God’s Word each day? Are you sharing God’s Word with your children? Are you opening your home in hospitality to share with other believers?

Did you notice that as the new believers met together DAILY in their homes that something else happened? “And the Lord added to the church DAILY such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47).

PRAYER:

‘Thank you, dear Father, that you did not create me to live alone, but for togetherness. Please help me to be a rich blessing to my husband, my family, and other believers as I gather them to my table. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am a gatherer—gathering my family around my table each day and gathering others to our home.

SCRIPTURES TO LOOK UP ABOUT TOGETHERNESS:
1 Corinthians 1:10; 5:4; 11:33; 14;26; Ephesians 2:5-7, 21, 22; 4:16; 3:17; Colossians 2:2, 19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; and Hebrews 10:25.

* https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction-research/reports/importance-of-family-dinners-2012

HOW DO WE CHANGE THE WORLD?

“That in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always,
so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it by life, or by death.
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
(Philippians 1:19, 20).

It is easy to live our lives in neutral, isn't it? We fit in with society. We are normal, mediocre, status quo, average, and consequently boring! But this is not an hour for complacency or compromise. We will never turn this society to Christ or back to God's ways by being middle of the road. Nor does God intend us to live this way. When we read God’s Word we notice that He doesn’t use ordinary language. He fills His Word with EXTRAVAGANT ADJECTIVES! He intends us to live ABOVE THE NORMAL!

Are you read to shift into a new gear?

Catherine Booth said these words: “If we are to better the future we are to disturb the present.”

Let’s check out our lifestyle. By the way, I have listed many Scriptures for you. I do trust you will find the time to look them up and read them. The Scriptures are much more powerful than anything I could say to you.

1. VERY COURAGEOUS

It is not enough to be courageous; God wants us to be VERY COURAGEOUS. When God told Joshua to lead the Israelites in to conquer the Promised Land, He told him to be strong and "VERY courageous" (Joshua 1:7). The word “very” is m’od and means “vehemently, wholly, diligently, exceedingly, mightily.”

2. UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS

It is not enough to be righteous; God wants us to be UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS. Proverbs 14:19 (AMP) tells us that the wicked will come to a screeching halt at the gates of the uncompromisingly righteous.

3. ABHORING EVIL

It is not enough to avoid evil; God wants us to fight, expose, abhor, and REPROVE ALL EVIL (Ephesians 5:11). It is not enough to be a flickering flame; we must be a huge flame, shining God's light on darkness, deception, and evil (Isaiah 60:1-3, Matthew 5:14-16; Romans 12:9; and Philippians 2:14-15). The word “abhor” in Romans 12:9 means to “shudder at evil.”

4. EXCEEDINGLY FRUITFUL

It is not enough to bring forth fruit; God wants us to bring forth MUCH FRUIT. Jesus said in John 15:8: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear MUCH fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." Read also Genesis 1:28; Leviticus 26:9; and Psalm 128:3).

5. WHOLE-HEARTEDLY OBEYING

It is not enough to give half-hearted obedience; God wants WHOLE-HEARTED OBEDIENCE (Deuteronomy 28:1, 15; Judges 2:1-5; 16-17; 1 Samuel 15:1-35; and John 15:14).

6. BOLDLY PROCLAIMING GOD’S TRUTH

It is not enough to speak for the Lord; God wants us to SPEAK BOLDLY (Acts 4:13, 29-31; 9:27; 14:3; 19:8; Ephesians 6:19-20; and Philippians 1:20).

7. EXCEEDINGLY REJOICING

It is not enough to rejoice; God wants us to REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY, not only when things are going great, but when we are being persecuted or going through difficult times (Habakkuk 3:17-18; Matthew 5:11-12; and 1 Peter 4:12-13).

8. ALWAYS PRESSING FORWARD

It's not enough to hold our ground; God wants us to PRESS FORWARD (Philippians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 9:24; and Hebrews 12:1-2).

9. FERVENTLY PRAYING

It is not enough to pray; God wants us to PRAY FERVENTLY Colossians 4:12 and James 5:16).
He also wants us to pray CONTINUALLY (Acts 6:4; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 1:16; 6:18; Colossians 1:3, 9; 4:2, 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; and 2 Timothy 1:3).
He also wants us to pray PERSEVERINGLY (Ephesians 6:18 and Philippians 1:4).
He also wants us to pray EARNESTLY (James 5:17).
And He wants us to pray EXCEEDINGLY (1 Thessalonians 3:10). The word “exceedingly” is the Greek word perissos and means “abundantly.” We don’t pray little prayers here and there, but we are always abundantly and exceedingly praying!

10. ABOUNDINGLY SERVING THE LORD

It is not enough to work for the Lord; God wants us to work ABOUNDINGLY 1 Corinthians 15:58 tell us to be "ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD." The word abounding is perisseuo and means "to excel, to increase, to superabound, enough and to spare, over and above.”

Do you notice that God is not content with the average and normal? He wants us to live an overcoming and extraordinary life. Are you ready for the next level?

NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, please save me from living an ordinary life when you came to give me not only life, but ABUNDANT life. Please help me to live in the fulness of Your life which dwells within in me. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

By the power of the Spirit of God who indwells me I am living exceedingly, abundantly, aboundingly, courageously, whole-heartedly, uncompromisingly, and proclaiming boldly God’s truth wherever I go.