Why is the wealth of the sinner laid up for the righteous?
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:22 (NKJV)
There is therefore coming a time when the wealth of the sinner will be transferred into the hands of the righteous. The question is, what is the purpose of the wealth transfer?
To preach the Gospel of the Kingdom
Jesus gave us the great commission to go into all the world and teach all nations the good news about the Kingdom of God before the end can come.
To go into all nations requires the calling and the anointing, but also finances. In these end times, God wants to bless His children financially so that we can use it to preach the gospel about the Kingdom, so that millions of souls can enter the Kingdom before the second coming of our Jesus Christ:
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24: 14 (KJV)
To bless the poor
Jesus said that we will always have the poor with us and He wants to use us, His children, to bless those who are in need. You cannot bless someone financially if you are also in financial need. Therefore the purpose of the wealth transfer is so that we can have enough to bless those who are in need:
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isaiah 58:7 (KJV)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please show me how to get ready for the coming wealth transfer in Jesus name.
This scripture tells us that depression is actually a symptom of something deeper, which is, anxiety. According to Anxiety UK, at present 40% of disability worldwide is due to depression and anxiety. Anxiety and depression is a problem that affects both believers and non-believers alike however as believers we know we are called to be overcomers. As believers, how can we then overcome anxiety?
Do not worry about the future
Jesus repeatedly warns us in the Scriptures that we must not worry about the future. When we are anxious, it’s often because we are worried about the future because we cannot see the end. However our Lord tells us to:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
Take one day at a time
When you take one day at a time, you feel liberated because you do not feel the need to know everything about the future. When you trust in the Lord to take care of your future it will liberate you from worry:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
Seek first the Kingdom of God
Jesus said that if we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, all the things we desire shall be given unto us:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
Prayer
Dear Lord, please help me to seek first your Kingdom and righteousness so that all the things I want shall be added unto me in Jesus name.
In the previous blog, we saw that only those whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life shall enter the promised land which is the New Jerusalem. Today we are going to look at those who the Bible says cannot enter into the promised land:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death
Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27
So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?
The fearful
This refers to Christians who do not have faith in following Jesus. They are timid and fainthearted (cowardly) and fall short in following Christ as Lord. Being a follower of Christ requires courage and anyone who is cowardly will easily give up in the face of persecution however we know that:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
Unbelieving
These are those without faith and trust in God. The unbelieving refers to those who refuse to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, (John 20:27); or those who refuse belief in the gospel, (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14), or Christians themselves who depart from the true faith, (2 Timothy 2:18), or those without trust in God:
Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”
Matthew 17:17
Abominable
Abomination or abominable is something that is detestable, unlawful or repulsive to God. There are many things that are abominable to God:
These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans,Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren
Proverbs 6:16-19
From this list, we can see that the things God detests are very close to us. How many times have we had a proud look or sowed discord and disunity among our brethren?
Click here for a full list of what the Bible says about abomination.
Murderers
A Murderer is not just one who kill someone physically. The Bible says that if you hate your brother you are also a murderer:
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him
1 John 3:15
Whoremongers
A whoremonger is a male prostitute or a fornicator, i.e. anyone engaging in sexual immorality. The Bible tells us to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18):
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
Sorcerers
Sorcery is the use of drugs, magic, spells and witchcraft:
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV)
Idolaters
An idolater is a worshipper of false gods. It can be even a Christian who participates in the worship of another god (1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 10:7). We know that anything we place before God is an idol. A covetous man who is greedy of gain is also an idolater:
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God:
Ephesians 5:5
All liars
Anyone who believes and says things that are false, deceitful, untrue, wicked are all classified as liars. We also saw earlier that lying is an abomination to God:
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man
Psalm 5:6
He that Defileth
Sin is spiritual filth and committing sin is smearing a person’s garments with spiritual filth. When Joshua the High Priest stood before the Angel, Satan stood at his right hand to oppose him because Joshua was clothed with filthy garments which represents iniquity (Zechariah 3:3). God had to command His Angels to take the filthy garments from him and God removed his iniquity and clothed him with rich robes (Zechariah 3:4). As Christians we are told to keep ourselves pure from the defilement of sin:
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
Revelation 3:4
So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?
The fearful
Unbelieving
Abominable
Murderers
Whoremongers
Sorcerers
Idolaters
All liars
He that Defileth
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help me not to do the things that will prevent me from inheriting the Kingdom of God. Please give me courage and faith to serve You. Help me to stay away from things that You detest, and not to hate my brother which is murder in Your eyes. Please help me to avoid sexual immorality and all forms of sorcery. Help me to not place anything before You and to avoid the temptation to lie. Please help me not to defile my conscience or garments with sin but to live in love and purity. All this I ask in Jesus name, amen.
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In the past few weeks we have been studying the book of Joshua and learning about how God used him to lead the children of Israel into their promised land.
We have learned that as followers of Jesus Christ, our promised land is not on this earth, but it is the New Jerusalem which is coming down out of heaven from God.
Today’s scripture tells us those who will enter into the New Jerusalem:
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Revelation 21:2, 27 (NKJV)
What is the Book of Life?
In the New Testament the Book of Life refers to God’s list of those destined for eternal life. Believers are written in the Book of Life from eternity:
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is
Revelation 17:8
Who can enter the New Jerusalem?
Only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the New Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that on the Day of Judgment everyone will stand before God, both great and small and the books will be opened. And another book will be opened, which is the Book of Life. Everyone who is not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12, 15).
How can we be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
We can only be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life when we have washed our robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb:
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb
Revelation 7:13-14
Why must we wear robes?
A robe is a long-fitting gown that is worn as a mark of dignity. A robe is worn by kings (Jonah 3:6), priests, and persons of rank: Mark 12:38; Mark 16:5; Luke 15:22; Luke 20:46; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 7:9, 13, 14. As believers in Jesus the Bible tells us that we are kings and priests before God:
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen
Revelation 1:5-6
How do we wash our robes in the Blood of The Lamb?
Firstly in order to wash our robes in the Blood of the Lamb, we must believe that while we were yet sinners Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Before we accepted Jesus, our own righteous acts were like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). Once we accept Jesus we exchange these filthy rags for the robe of righteousness as we develop a right relationship with God and we become the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour it is His Blood that cleanses us from all sin:
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin
1 John 1:7
Secondly we must repent from our sins knowing that the Kingdom of God is at hand:
Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
Matthew 3:2 (NLT)
Why white robes?
White represents purity. When we accept the death of Jesus on the Cross and repent of our sins and follow His way, it makes our garments white because our conscience is clear and our soul becomes pure:
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool”
Isaiah 1:18
To enter the Promised Land, we must do the following:
We must exchange our filthy rags for the robe of righteousness. In other words, we must have a right relationship with God which is through Jesus Christ;
We must wash our robes in the Blood of Jesus by believing that Jesus came to die in our place and that Blood cleanses us from all our sin;
We must make Jesus the Lord in our lives. Believe alone is not enough, because even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19), we must completely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and make Him Lord over our lives (Acts 16:31);
We must repent from our sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of God is near (Mark 1:15)
Prayer:
Dear Father, I come to You now in Jesus name. I want to make the New Jerusalem my eternal home. I repent of all of my sins and I know that You are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please help me to daily wash my robes and make them white in the Blood of The Lamb. Please write my name in the Book of Life and if there is anything in my life that will prevent me from inheriting eternal life please remove it with the Blood of Jesus, in Jesus name, amen.
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Joshua, son of Nun, and all the people were camped at Acacia. Joshua sent out two spies. No one knew that Joshua sent out these men. Joshua said to them, “Go and look at the land, especially the city of Jericho.”
So the men went to the city of Jericho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.
(Joshua 2:1 ERV)
When Joshua was leading the Children of Israel into the promised land, the first city they had to conquer was Jericho. Joshua, the new leader decided to send out two spies to go and assess the land, to see how best they could capture the city.
Joshua did not broadcast the news to the people that he was sending out the spies. No one knew that he had sent out these men. From this story we can learn several hallmarks about a great leader:
A Great Leader Knows When to Speak
There is a time and a season for everything, including a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). When an injustice is taking place a great leader knows that they must speak to defend the poor and the needy:
Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Help people who are in trouble. Stand up for what you know is right, and judge all people fairly. Protect the rights of the poor and those who need help.
(Proverbs 31:8-9 ERV)
A Great Leader Knows When Not to Speak
A great leader knows that there is a time to be silent. This is especially true when your enemies are mocking you, you don’t always have to defend yourself; a great leader will leave it to God to defend them.
When the Assyrians invaded Judah and Senneacherib king of Assyria sent his commander to go and talk to the three officials from Jerusalem, the commander was mocking the God of Israel and told the people of Judah not to believe Hezekiah when he said that God would deliver them.
But King Hezekiah instructed his officials and the people to be silent and not to say anything, instead they took their troubles to the Lord:
But the people were silent. They did not say a word to the commander, because King Hezekiah had commanded them, “Don’t say anything to him.”
Isaiah 36:21 (ERV)
A Great Leader Knows That You Have to Study
A great leader knows that even though God may give you an assignment, you don’t just jump into it straightaway. Like Joshua and Moses before him, you have to spy out the land, or in our modern day parlance, carry out a thorough research. Research will ensure that you know what you are going into so that you can be better prepared to carry out whatever assignment is ahead of you. God tells us to study to increase our skill:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
So What Are the Hallmarks of a Great Leader?
A great leader knows when to speak.
A great leader knows when not to speak.
A great leader knows that you have to study.
There are other hallmarks of a great leader so watch out for Part 2 as we continue our study in the Book of Joshua.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help me to be a great leader. Help me to know when to speak and when to be silent. Please help me to know when to study and when to act in Jesus name, amen.
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This week’s scripture, encourages us to obey all the commands of God so that we can be successful:
If you obey all the commands in this agreement, you will continue to succeed in everything you do.
Deuteronomy 29:9 (ERV)
What is success?
There are many definitions of success. The world tends to define success by your education, position in life and the things you possess, i.e. money, houses, cars etc. These things perform an important function in our lives however we cannot measure our success by the things that we possess only.
Jesus warns us that we should “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15)
God does promise that if we obey His commands He will make us successful in everything we do, this means we will flourish spiritually, financially, physiologically, relationally, academically, and in all other areas.
What does it mean then to be successful in God’s eyes?
Biblical success can be defined as the following:
Having a relationship with God
We can only have a relationship with God The Father through Jesus Christ His Son:
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)
Love The Lord and love your neighbour as yourself
Once we have this relationship with God we should learn to love the Lord and to love our fellow human beings as we love ourselves:
“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
The Kingdom of God is the reign of God in the hearts of people and it is also an everlasting Kingdom (Psalm 145:13) that will replace all the kingdoms of this world (Daniel 2:44, Revelation 11:15).
When we seek for the expansion of God’s Kingdom on earth, the way we spend our time and the things we do will be different. We will be so Kingdom minded that we will want to share the good news about Jesus Christ everywhere we go at any given opportunity, and when we do this all the natural blessings that we want will be given unto us:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)
Walk in God’s purpose for your life
There is a purpose or reason for everything. Purpose is God’s original intention for you, it is the reason why God created you.
I want to assure you that there is a reason why you are alive, and your responsibility is to find out what that is. Each one of us has been called and given a specific purpose, even before time began:
“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9)
Surrender to Jesus
You can only discover your purpose in God your Creator, therefore if you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, please do so by repenting of your sins and asking Jesus to come into your heart and then ask God to show you the purpose for your life.
God has inspired me to write a 30-day workbook which is designed to help you to discover your purpose in 30-days. It will provide scriptures for you to meditate on that pertains to purpose and allow you to record any dreams, thoughts or ideas, prophecies, and impressions that come to you. If you would like a copy once it is published please let me know.
Fear God and keep His commandments
The Bible tells us that when all is said and done, we ought to fear God and keep His commandments:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Please respond
These are my definitions of biblical success. What do you think it means to be successful in God’s eye? Please share your views, I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at info@blessingcoaching.com
This week, the Lord wants to remind us of what He wants from us, now that, like the children of Israel, He has delivered from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son whom He loves; The Lord Jesus Christ:
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
What then, does the Lord require from us?
1.Fear Him – to fear the Lord means to respect Him and hold Him in high honour. For example we hold Queen Elizabeth in extremely high honour which is why if you were invited into Buckingham Palace to have dinner with The Queen, you will dress appropriately and arrive in good time, and ensure that all protocols are followed. Likewise when we fear The Lord we will ensure that we do what He says because we acknowledge Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).
The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (Psalm 19:9), and it is also the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
2. Walk in His ways – to walk in His ways means to go where He leads you, which is revealed in His Word. Psalms 103:7 says God made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. God is willing and ready to make His ways known to you, but He can only do so when you spend time reading His word, asking The Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, revelation and understanding as you read.
As you go into the secret place and spend quality time with Him, ask Him what is on His heart and how you can please Him, then stay quiet and listen to His instructions. Then whatever He tells you to do, go out and do it, that is what it means to walk in His ways.
His ways cannot be contrary to His Word therefore if you are not sure whether what you have heard is the voice of God, please check it against the Word, and if it agrees with the Word then do it.
3. Love Him – the Bible tells us that to love God is to keep His commandments (1 John 5:3). It also tells us that if a man says He loves God and hates his brother he is a liar (1 John 4:20). To love The Lord then means that you put Him first, always be eager to do what pleases Him, do what He tells you to do in His Word and love your fellow human beings as yourself.
4. Serve Him with all your heart and soul – we serve the Lord by worshiping Him and serving our fellow human beings. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and have a restored relationship with God The Father, this is where the real work begins.
As servants of The Lord we must do what the masters tells us to do. Jesus, the One Whom we follow is called the Righteous Servant (Isaiah 53:11). As a Servant, Jesus had much work to do whilst He was on earth; He preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out demons, did miracles and He finally finished His work by dying on the Cross to bring us back to God.
As His followers, we too must stand strong and always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because we know that our labour is not in vain in The Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Once you become saved and discover what your calling in life is, we must walk in that holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9). The Lord reminds us to work while it is day because the night is coming when no man can work (John 9:4).
5. Keep the commandments of The Lord – the commandments of Lord are the rules and regulations we have to follow. Thank God that we are no longer under the law but we are under grace. In the Old Testament, the Jews had to abide by hundreds of laws which no man could keep.
Now, praise be to God, the only commandments we have to keep is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. Jesus tells us that this is the “first and great commandment”. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39).
To love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind means we love Him with everything that is in us, it means that our heart is flooded with Him, and our mind, will and emotions are filled with thoughts about Him. It means we should think more about Him and how to please Him than we do with anything else in our lives.
If you find that your love for God is not as hot as it ought to be, please pray this prayer from the Bible which I have personalised, every morning and night and watch your love for the Lord grow strong:
Prayer for Love
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant me, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in my inner man, that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that I may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that works in me, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21)
To recap, what The Lord require from us are to:
Fear Him
Walk in His ways
Love Him
Serve Him with all your heart and soul
Keep the commandments of The Lord
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We began by looking at what is joy, and then the effects of joy. None of this will be useful unless we know how we can get joy. Here are some suggestions according to the Word of God:
1. Surrender our lives completely to Jesus. We do this by repenting or turning back on our sins. When we do this even God and His Angels rejoice:
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:7, 10
2. Obey the commandments of the Lord
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full
John 15:10-11
3. Ask God to anoint you with the oil of gladness
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24
4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
1 Thessalonians 1:6
5. Become born again into the Kingdom of God
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17
6. Make a choice to be joyful. Offering sacrifices of joy – Psalm 27:6; sing praises unto the Lord, offer shouts of joy (Psalm 35:27); play instruments (1 Samuel 18:6); jump or leap (Luke 6:23).
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice
Philippians 4:4
7. Come into the presence of God – get alone and be quiet before Him.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Acts 2:28
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16:11
How do we get Joy:
Repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Jesus
Obey the commandments of the Lord
Ask God to anoint you with the oil of gladness
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Become born again into the Kingdom of God
Make a choice to be joyful by offering sacrifices of joy
According to the Webster’s dictionary, joy is a passion or emotion of gladness, exhilaration of spirits, delight.
According to Strong’s Concordance, joy means cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight- gladness, to rejoice, to be exceeding joyful, greatly, joyfulness joyous.
Joy is an emotion that goes beyond happiness, it is a calm assurance that keeps you in peace no matter what is happening around you. You may be going through a storm in your life but it will not move you because you will have a cheerfulness in your heart. Joy then is surely an emotion that we all need. Anything we focus on expands therefore it is my hope that as we study joy we will become more joyful.
What is Joy?
1) Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
2) Joy is an oil that you can be anointed with:
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61: 3
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
Psalm 45:7
3) Joy is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God:
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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