His Joy

His Joy

WRITTEN BY: ADMIN - NOV• 06•13

John 15:11 (NIV): “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Joy is not an emotion but a state of being. It is not dependent on circumstances or on people; instead, it is a stand-alone condition that anchors the soul. The Bible calls the joy of the Lord our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). In fact, that is the source of Jesus’s strength as He faced the Cross of Calvary (Hebrews 12:2). How incredible that Jesus imparts to you and me the ability to persevere through difficult situations with the exact same source of strength He used to endure His most difficult situation…joy! We do not have a High Priestwho is unable to relate to our trials and heartaches (Hebrews 4:15). Christ knows each one of us personally and intimately. He knows the circumstance each of us are dealing with right now, and He offers us His joy. Jesus never offers you and me anything apart from Himself, because whatever the situation, HE is what we need.

Be filled with the joy of the Lord today!

Assurance in Trials – Dr. Charles Stanley

Assurance in Trials – Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 8:32-39

We all experience hardship, and trials can shake us unless we cling to truth. Let me share three assurances to remember when troublesome circumstances arise.

First, God will always meet our needs. This doesn't mean He provides everything we want. Instead, the Lord will bless us with all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose for our lives. His goal is to sanctify us, not simply to satisfy each immediate desire.

Second, we're never alone. God promised to be with us always (Heb. 13:5). Loneliness often accompanies hardship, so we may feel deserted or opposed by family and friends. But our Father has sent His Spirit to be with us and in us, until the day He brings us to heaven (John 14:16-17). He is all we need--our advocate, guide, helper, and comforter. Recognizing His intimate presence gives us confidence in the midst of trials.

Third, God's love is eternal. Regardless of our circumstances or poor decisions, His care is unconditional--even when He reprimands us. Loving parents allow disobedient children to experience the consequences of wrong choices; they recognize the benefit of learning from mistakes. Of course, there are also times when we are negatively affected by others' wrong actions. Even then, God is sovereign and allows only what will bring good in His followers' lives.

In difficult times, we can remember that God will meet all of our needs, is always with us, and loves us forever. Though Jesus said we would face troubles in this life, He offered encouragement: The ultimate victory is His. So keep in mind that trials are fleeting, whereas our Father's love is forever.

 

Sid Stewart

Executive Director

864 226-6193

www.havenofrest.cc

TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession..."2Cor2:14 wp.me/p29yfQ-yz #Win

How to Get the Most Out of Your Work – Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 20:25-28 

According to Scripture, work is to be part of the believer's life. We all have daily tasks, and many Christians hold jobs outside the home. Some people view these as drudgery. Others wake up excited to face the day's challenges. What is your outlook?

There is an important biblical principle to follow if you are going to enjoy your work: View yourself as a servant. This might be hard if you feel unappreciated or your coworkers are difficult. But consider the example that the Lord set for us. He was rejected, tortured, and crucified. Yet Jesus was willing to serve even His tormentors with His attitude and, ultimately, with His life. Colossians 3:23-24 states, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men . . . It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."

When I was in college, this proved to be a valuable perspective. I worked in the bleachery, which was the hottest and most uncomfortable job at the local textile mill. At first, I focused on how much I disliked this position. But I decided to change my attitude and look for opportunities to serve Jesus through my work. For the first time, the heat did not bother me. In fact, I was eager to share my faith with those around me. People listened and responded because they noticed my demeanor.

No job is perfect; each position has negative aspects. But we can find joy and excitement even in the most menial task when we decide to work for God. Choose to serve Christ in all you do. After all, why face each day with dread when you could experience excitement and anticipation? 

GET UP

 "When Jesus saw him lying there...he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” Jn5:6 wp.me/p29yfQ-yw #faith #trustinGod

Made Perfect in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9

A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God's warrior marches out to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that I will overcome-my own ability and my self-confidence will be enough for victory," defeat is staring him in the face.

God will not enable the man who marches in his own strength. He who reckons on victory by such means has reckoned wrongly, for "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."1

Those who go out to fight, boasting of their ability, will return with their banners trailing in the dust and their armor stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way and in His strength, or He will never accept their service.

Whatever a man does, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casts away; He will only reap corn the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love.

God will empty out all that you have before He will put His own into you; He will first clean out your granaries before He will fill them with the finest of wheat.

The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength that He Himself imparts.

Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give you victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and you are being humbled to prepare you for being lifted up.

When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song.

1Zechariah 4:6

Sharpen Your Ax! - Bill Bright

Sharpen Your Ax! - Bill Bright

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

Dear friends:

Do you sometimes find yourself trying to do more and more for the Lord but with lesser and lesser results?

You may be like the young man I heard about who applied for a job as a logger.  The foreman said, "I don't know.  Let me see how long it takes you to cut down this tree."

Eager to demonstrate his ability and strength, the young man quickly cut down the big tree.  The foreman was very impressed, and said, "You can start tomorrow!"

The young man started the job right away and worked hard for just a few days.  Then the foreman came up to him and said, "This is your last day.  Please pick up your paycheck when you leave."

Stunned at this news, the young man asked, "What did I do wrong?"

The foreman replied, "We are letting you go today because you've fallen behind.  Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place when you arrived until now you are in last place."

"But I don't understand," the young man objected.  "I get here before anyone else, I do not leave until after everyone else is gone, and I know I work as hard as anyone else." 

The tough old foreman, feeling a moment of sympathy for the young man, thought for a moment and asked, "How often have you sharpened your ax?"

The young man replied, "None, really.  I've been working so hard that I have not had the time to sharpen it."

This sad story can be so true of many Christians in their walk and ministry.  They mean well and they work very hard and conscientiously, but because they fail to keep their ax sharpened, their results are lacking.  

Our ax is our time spent reading and studying God's Word, the Bible, and our times of prayer.  

Our Lord Jesus set the example and prayed constantly, and He exhorted us to pray.  And the apostle Paul wrote, "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere" (Ephesians 6:18, NLT).

Studying the Bible is important because "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT).

If prayer and God's Word were important for and needed by the Son of God and for the great apostle Paul, how much more do we need it? 

 

Let us never be too busy to pray and read God's Word, and under gird all that we do with prayer and God's Word.  Otherwise, the more work we do, the duller we'll get! 

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,
Bill Bright