05/11/13 Joy Bubbles

Psalm 126:2-3 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

Hebrews 1:8-9 "But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

1 Peter 1:7-9 "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

As I sit here, I was thinking about how we were created in the image of God. There are numerous times in the Bible where we see emotion coming from the Lord: Love, Compassion, Anger, Sadness, Joy. Those are emotions that I can think of right now. 

Since we were created in His image, then it would stand to reason that we would have emotions also. Some emotions we like - joy, happiness, compassion, they make us have a warm feeling inside. Other emotions some of us would rather not think about, but are also good in their own ways. Yes, I'm talking to myself also....

There's no real precedent in the Bible about laughing until your stomach hurts - which, by the way, is exercising your abs...  :)  But, the above verses say a little bit about joy. 'Mouths FILLED with laughter'; 'Being ANOINTED with the oil of joy'; 'FILLED with an INEXPRESSIBLE AND GLORIOUS joy'. Think about those words for a moment. 

If something is filled it's topped off - to the brim. I'm thinking of a cup of water, any little shake could cause it to overflow.

If God anoints us with love for others or for some other task - such as healing - we become a conduit of His power. We overflow with His anointing and those whom it's directed towards benefits from the overflow.

If we are filled with and inexpressible joy, there are no words that can describe it so, it has to come out somehow, right? He also says it 'glorious' - meaning joy is surrounded by His Presence.

Now, some may argue with me saying that it's out of place in church. Granted, there are some that operate more in the flesh than in the spirit when it comes to laughter. But if we're 'in the Spirit', such as after we've prayed for people or praised and worshiped the Lord, and we're 'in the zone' of His Presence. Sometimes we just cannot contain that inexpressible joy. So, sometimes it comes out in overwhelming laughter that really cannot be stopped. Just like dancing before the Lord. It's joy overflowing!  

Laughter is healing, just as crying is healing. The Word say, the 'joy of the Lord is our Strength'. It lifts us up - kind of God's way of saying 'You're going to be okay'. It brings glory to God, because we are so thankful for His joy that we offer praise back to Him.

Some go from laughter to crying, because sometimes the Lord uses laughter to open our hearts (if we're willing) and then He comes in to heal a specific area.

So next time we hear someone laughing in church (and it's not in mockery), let's not be that quick to judge... we really don't know what the Lord is doing in that person.

Oh, and watch out... it's contagious ;)

Joy Unspeakable - Todd Agnew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3fmmihxBtQ

05-10-13 Laughter and Songs of Joy

Psalm 126:1-3: "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

How can I write about joy and not include this passage of scripture? Well, I guess I already answered that question. I can't.

The Lord is the Restorer - the Builder. He was a carpenter in His 'younger' years. He liked to fiddle with this and that with His hands. He liked to use His hands to created, build, to restore. I'll let you in on a little secret.... He still does :)

Let's go back to the first line. "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion..." Our God is the One and Only Living God. What He did way back in the early years when the earth was still a baby, He still does now. Sure, it may look different, but He's the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 

He restores lives to what He intended originally for us. He heals body, mind, emotions. He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer (Exodus 15:26). He places the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6) -- we no longer are orphans - we are part of the Body of Christ. We have a really BIG family! Whatever we NEED, He is there to supply, it just may not be right away...

When I saw the word 'Zion' - which means Israel, Jerusalem, Land of the Jewish peoples... the Lord reminded me of another portion of scripture - Psalm  87:2-7 "He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God: “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

Those who are not of Jewish descent may be thinking - well, that's not for me.  But wait.... there's more.... it's in Romans 11 - specifically verses 11-24. Those not of Jewish descent have really good news... these verses say basically say that everyone who believes and accepts Jesus and follows His commandments is grafted in to that root system. That should bring joy alone! But be aware that branches were broken off because of unbelief of the Jewish people of the time - so humbling hold that within. It should be a cause of holy reverence to a God who loves the world.

When I come to stand before the Lord, I want to hear the words 'This one was born in Zion.' It gives me goosebumps just thinking about hearing Him say that.

Father restores us to Himself through the sacrifice of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are set free from bondage to whatever because He loves us.

When that occurs, how can we not be filled with joy. How can we not proclaim, "THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US"? And be so full of joy that if we don't do something, we feel like we'll just explode!  Come on, I believe everyone can think of at least one thing God has done that caused you joy in the past. That joy is still there. Access it. Ask the Lord to brush off the dirt and dust and let Holy Spirit revive it - revive you.

This One Was Born in Zion - Wayne Watson (one of my favorites from when I graduated high school - oops did I just date myself?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih60FK35Gw4

05-09-13 Joy in the Morning

Psalm 65:3-8 "When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."

I could have just copied the last verse, but the other ones were too good to not include. Besides, I like words...

I was running this morning - I don't know how many runners we have out there, but it was a great run. It was dark to start out, so I was wearing a light colored shirt so people could see me. The air was cool, the birds were chirping, the exhaust.... well, never mind about the exhaust ;) I was talking with Father about His beauty and repented of something he brought to mind in a ‘dream’ I had and told the enemy he had no place in me. Then prayed for people that I knew. Towards the end of my run, the Lord kept saying (well, it was almost yelling) – EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL… EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL… EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL. I looked around and darn it, He was right! The trees, the sun coming up, the people I passed, the flowers and grass….. and then I really got it, US also!

Everything…. If we don’t obtain some measure of joy from that, then we’d check our pulse…. Or look closer. We can ask the Lord to take the blinders off our eyes – we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Some people aren't morning people, like me – I know, because they want to throw stuff at me when I walk in all bright eyed and bubbly. But try it sometime, make yourself get out of bed while it’s still dark and just sit outside or go for a walk if your neighbor allows it – take in the sounds, take in the silence, take in the stillness, take in the smell, take in the sights. Okay, have a cup of coffee or tea or cola first, then do it.

God just may surprise you with joy.

Joy in the Morning - Sovereign Grace Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7Y47bonmk

05-08-13 Joy in the In-Between

Job 6:8-10 “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life! Then I would still have this consolation—my joy in unrelenting pain—that I had not denied the words of the Holy One."

John 16:21 "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world."

Okay, so I couldn't decide which to use, so the I heard a still, small voice say, "Use both of them". Fine by me, Lord ;)  You know God must have the most hilarious sense of humor around to up with me...

Yesterday I discussed joy in the midst of grief and mourning. Today, I want to talk about the transition from grief to joy. Well, it's really a transition - the joy is already there. It's still there, just covered over legitimately by sadness of loss. 

Contrary to popular belief, TIME does NOT heal all wounds - only God can do that - sometimes He even uses other people. BUT it does take time to grieve a loss. It's not something a person can rush through. Telling a person who is in grief to 'get over already' or 'haven't you been here long enough' is NOT helpful. In Biblical times they took up to a month maybe longer to grieve - and that's all they did. They didn't go to work and have to run around like we do in our fast-paced society. They dealt with the grief, until they could move into a healthy acceptance of the loss. This definitely does not come overnight, and it hurts like nothing ever hurt before. A person needs comfort, understanding, and sometimes space or just someone to be there with encouraging words that speaks LIFE and HOPE into the situation.

The stages of grief (denial - not the river, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) may pass again and again in no particular order. Sorry Type A personalities - don't worry, I'm one also ;)  That joy that is inside of us is slowly uncovered - what I'm picturing is a bright yellow light under 12 inches of dirt and as we go through those stages - sometimes skipping some - we are brushing off the dirt and joy appears once again.

It doesn't go away, there's just a time for everything and joy let's us mourn. Our hope returns and we feel the Presence of the Lord binding up our broken hearts, and as we look into His eyes - we see love eternal.  

I think that's why Job could say, even in His unrelenting pain, that he still had joy.

I think that's why a woman giving birth can have joy because she knows she's bringing forth life. 

Or for matter anyone who is preparing for something the Lord has for them to do, male or female can go through trials, temptations, pain, etc and still have joy because we know that the Lord is with us and everything He does is for our good.

So, joy returns through the mourning. 

May the joy of the Lord be upon you today.

You Are My Joy - Mike Winger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBkHAnYUylA

05-07-13 Joy in the Mourning

Jeremiah 31:11-14 "For the Lord will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the Lord."

While listening to the birds chirping outside, the title of today's writing fluttered through my mind. When I went to write it though, one little letter popped in there. The letter 'u'. I thought, 'oh boy, Lord, You're gonna have to help me with this one'.

Ecclesiastes says that there is a time to mourn and a time to dance (v.3-4).

When someone we love passes away (whether human or animal), there is a proper period of mourning, of grieving the loss. Sometimes we can even mourn over or grieve events or periods of time in our lives that we can't get back. A childhood or adult years where there was much trauma left unhealed, the loss of a job or a house or some other possession that we put a lot of time and resources into or maybe a friend who has gone astray and we miss their friendship. A beloved pet passes away in the night or is in so much pain that we have to take them to the veterinarian to be 'put down' (which can also cause guilt even though it was the 'right' thing to do). 

We can even mourn 'good' losses. Ending a professional relationship with a therapist, or a Pastor who really been there for us to listen to advise, to help be the Lord 'in body' to groom us into the person we are today. Now, they may be still there physically, but not really a part of our lives (at least for a while - as the Lord may bring them back into our lives in the future as we are healed and become healers ourselves - with the healing that God has given us).

The joy that can be found in or through our mourning is in the fact that The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit -  Psalm 34:18. Joy is also in the knowing in our spirits that it's natural to mourn a loss.  In the Lord's Presence (and also maybe with a close friend), it's okay to cry, to yell, to question, to allow our pain to surface - in fact, it must surface in order for the Lord to heal it.

Thanks be to our Living Lord who is there to comfort us by the Power of His Holy Spirit and to take our pain, guilt, heartache into His nail-scarred hands.

It's the transition between mourning and joy that we will discuss tomorrow.

By the way, I do welcome discussion :)  There's a box at the bottom where you can put your comments - and you don't have to be signed up, just do it anonymously - including your first name and where you're from if you want.  

Comfort Me - Brenton Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wm2mvoNXFM

05-06-13 Joy

Leviticus 9:22-24 "Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell face down."

So, I'm sitting in the living room after my daily reading, contemplating on what to write on this week. My mind went back to yesterday morning. Didn't really want to go to church, just wanted to stay home and rest, but I've come to a place where I can't not go to worship the Lord. My spirit won that battle over my flesh ;)  

Sometimes, we have the time to read the Word, listen to His Voice and even let Him fill us for the day. We may pray and praise Father for whatever and even sit in silence to give Him the honor due His name.  But there's something about coming together as a family and worshiping the Lord together that brings out a whole new dynamic in worship and praise. 

Now, I attribute the sometimes wildness of my 'dancing' in praise to the  Cherokee part of my roots (just picture and Indian war dance). The more free I become the more wild it becomes. Some people don't understand that I really cannot hold it in. I have to dance or I'll explode. I don't do it for recognition or in pride, I do it because I am totally enamored by the joy of the Lord. I am totally filled with the joy of the Lord. 

At the same time, we can sit or stand and clap our hands and that's our praise, that's fine with me also. Then there are times when we just sit in awe of God or, if there is something going on in our lives, we may just let the music wash over us and let it cleanse us. At other times, we may be just downright angry, but we're there. We made the effort to come together with others - and whether we feel it or not - the blesses that tenacity and courage.

Then there are times when we may kneel or lie on our backs or face down before the Lord in reverence and/or in a receiving mode. Depending on how we kneel, we could be giving Him reverence and/or He could be endowing us with strength. If we lie on my backs we're open and receptive to receiving whatever He's wanting to give... and letting Him in (as much as we dare). If we lie face down it's an act of total surrender (as much as we can totally surrender) and total reverence - not expecting anything. It's getting a glimpse of His holiness and there's just nothing else to do - no words, no anything. It just us and God.

That's why this verse struck me as sort of 'funny' this morning. The priests were beginning their ministries and offerings were going up. The Holy Fire of Father God came down and burnt up the offerings and the people were filled with joy.  Just like us, when we give up our burdens to Him or lay them aside and just praise Him, He comes down and sometimes we find our burdens as heavy as they are to us, are not too big for Him. When He takes them away as we give them to Him, we are filled with JOY. May dance around, may yell, may laugh, may do any number of things that people around us don't understand. We can just leave it to the Lord to explain it to them - the fun thing is WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK when we worship the Lord or how we worship the Lord.

Then the people in the verses above fell face down before the Lord. Seems like such a contrast.... joy then falling face down. Not really, I think they realized - not just the acceptance that Father extended towards them. No, when they let it sink down that Father God's Holy Fire burnt up the offerings, they realized the Bigness of God - the Power of God in action and were humbled enough to give Him the reverence and honor due His name. They did this by the only action they knew. We can also.

So, Joy will be our focus this week. 

May the joy of the Lord rest upon you today.

Sing for Joy - Harriet Morse (not 'recorded' artist, but good song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjeoR97-7Uw