Merry Christmas to you. We have a lot to be grateful for during this season, so be joyful.
Con and Gayle
How Can We Rejoice Always?
In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul speaks about joy and about the Christian’s duty to rejoice over and over again. For example, he writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4a). This is one of those biblical imperatives, and it leaves no room for not rejoicing, for Paul says Christians are to rejoice always—not sometimes, periodically, or occasionally. He then adds, “Again I will say, Rejoice” (v. 4b). Paul wrote this epistle from prison, and in it he addresses very somber matters, such as the possibility that he will be martyred, poured out as a sacrifice (2:17). Yet he tells the Philippian believers that they should rejoice despite his circumstances.
That brings us back to this matter of how we can be joyful as a matter of discipline or of the will. How is it possible to remain joyful all the time? Paul gives us the key: “Rejoice in the Lord always”. The key to the Christian’s joy is its source, which is the Lord. If Christ is in me and I am in Him, that relationship is not a sometimes experience. The Christian is always in the Lord and the Lord is always in the Christian, and that is always a reason for joy. Even if the Christian cannot rejoice in his circumstances, if he finds himself passing through pain, sorrow, or grief, he still can rejoice in Christ. We rejoice in the Lord, and since He never leaves us or forsakes us, we can rejoice always…RC Sproul
Joy to the World:
This is the season of Joy. Jesus is born. God had manifested his great strategy to defeat Satan and reconcile the world to Himself. The battle is not over with yet but the end has been determined. Praise God!
Mat 2:10 and seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy!
Do we have “exceedingly great joy” about a sign of Jesus? A sign could be the bible, answered prayer, a personal victory over sin, provision, family, etc. Do we have joy in our life? Do we rejoice exceedingly? What would this look like for us?
Here is what the word joy means:
Joy; cheerfulness, that is, calm delight: – gladness
Total KJV occurrences: 59 times
Here is the song we sing at Christmas to rejoice exceedingly…
Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
And here is some of the Bible’s commentary on how to have joy.
- Luk 15:10 Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
- Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets. - Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
- Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fulfilled.
- Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Are you declaring joy in your life? Let us declare our joy this season and the coming year.
We can’t make the world joyful but we can experience joy within ourselves and pray we infect others. Be a “joyful” influence this season.
Rom 15:13 And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Verses for your review and Joy.
- Luk_1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
- Luk_1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
- Luk_24:52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
- Joh_15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
- Joh_16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
- Joh_16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
- Joh_17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
And many more…
We do have a lot to be joyful about and celebrate…,
Christmas is a time of joy. But the noise level in the world is so high it is hard for us to hear the voice of God.
Con and I wish you a merry Christmas.
