SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/16/2014
10:02 AM
My Worship Time
Focus:
Joyfulness
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
1 Thessalonians 5:16
Message of the
verses: “16 Rejoice always;”
Paul is writing to the Thessalonians on what is needed to
make a healthy church, and we have already looked at long-suffering in our last
SD from verse fourteen, and now we will look at joy, and then peace, and love,
now all four of these can be found in the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians
5:22. Warren Wiersbe writes “Family
partnership is vital to the health and growth of the church. Are you bearing your share of the burdens, or
are you merely a spectator who watches the others do the job?” Being a part of the local church is being a
part of a family, a family that will always be together when all is said and
done, for Paul has already written about the Rapture of the church which takes
all true believers to be with the Lord in their new bodies in heaven, so we
have that promise to look forward to, and so we need to live our lives in a way
that is pleasing to the Lord and good for the other members of our true family.
I listened to a sermon that John MacArthur has on this
one verse and near the beginning of the message he said the following about
joy: “The discussion of Christian joy
is, of course, crucial and essential to all of us who name the name of Jesus
Christ. Much can be said, much should be
said, much has been said. But I want to
begin our study today with a statement that might surprise you. In fact, it may appear hard if not impossible
to believe. Then I want to tell you why
that statement is true and teach you it significance and its application. Here is the statement. ‘There is not even t or circumstance that can
occur in the life of any Christian that should diminish that Christian’s joy.’ Let me say that again, ‘There is not even tor
circumstance that can occur in the life oa any Christian that should diminish
that Christian’s joy.’
“In fact, let me go even further than that. If there is an event or circumstance apart
from sin that does diminish your joy, you have sinned. Does that sound ridiculous given the woes and
the pains and the difficulties of life?
Nevertheless, no matter how it sounds the command of Scripture is
explicit, rejoice..how often?...always. Any failure to do that constitutes disobedience
and sin. Therefore we can say that there
is no even tor circumstance that can occur in the life of any Christian that
should diminish that Christian’s joy. It
will if we react improperly to it.”
Now I want to skip ahead in this sermon to give the
important definition: “Now listen very
carefully, this is the heart of what I’m going to say. Here is the definition. Christian joy is the emotion springing from
the deep-down confidence of the Christian that God is in perfect control. Let me say that much again. Christian joy is the emotion springing from
the deep-down confidence of the Christian that God is in perfect control of
everything and will bring from it our good in time and our glory eternity.” Now I will again skip ahead to the following “Christian
joy is not an emotion on top of an emotion.
It is not a feeling on top of a feeling.
It is a feeling on top of a fact.
It is an emotional response to what I know to be true about my God. That’s the substance of it. All of us should be in the habit of
constantly expressing joyful wonder when we contemplate the unchanging eternal
relationship with God that we have through the Lord Jesus Christ.”
My goal in doing these Spiritual Diaries is to better
understand the Word of God and if I better understand the Word of God then I
can better understand the God of the Word, and that is why I study the Word of
God and why I read different commentators who help me with this goal. John MacArthur took 45 years in his church to
teach his congregation what is written in the New Testament, and Warren Wiersbe
has written a commentary on very book in the Bible and that is why I look to
these two men for the help that I need.
We have mentioned that three of the four items mentioned
are a part of the fruit of the Spirit and when we include longsuffering from
verse fourteen we have all four of them, now there is an old hymn that includes
three of these qualities that we will be looking at in verses 15-17, and I want
to quote this song.
- Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise. - Take
my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee. - Take
my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee. - Take
my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose. - Take my
will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne. - Take
my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
There is one more thing that I want to be reminded of as I
finish this part of this SD and that is to remember that joy is not like
happiness, for we can be joyful without being happy, and the way we can do this
is to remember who is in charge, and that is the God of the universe who loves
us so much that He sent His One and only Son into the world to bring us back
into fellowship with God by caring for the sin problem that all of us
have. If He is so great and loving to do
this then we can trust Him throughout the difficult circumstances that we go
through.
Studying joy before I learned that joy is Jesus first,
others second and yourself last. Not
sure that I totally agree with that being a great definition, but there is
truth in it.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I surely desire to
live my life where I rejoice always in all circumstances, knowing that there
are difficult times that I have already went through and perhaps more to come.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Remember
contentment is a part of being joyful.
Memory
verses for the week: Colossians 3:1-5.
1
Therefore if we have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set you mind on things above, not on the
things that are on earth. 3 For you died
and you life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory. 5 Therefore
consider the members of you earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Answer to
yesterday’s Bible question: “Mars’ Hill”
(Acts 17:22).
Today’s
Bible question: “Who led the children of
Israel through the Jordan River?”
Answer in
our next SD.
8/16/2014
10:54 AM
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