Kindness & Forgiveness Lead to JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Be kind and share generously with others.

            Ephesians 4:32 is a verse that many of us have recited since we were children.  It’s a verse that even the youngest of students can easily memorize.  The entire verse can be summarized in two words: “BE KIND”!  Simple to say….but sometimes not so easy to live out!

The entire verse says: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Sometimes people interpret this verse to say that we are to forgive people only when they are kind to us. But that’s not what the Bible says.  Neither does it say that we are to forgive when the offense doesn’t amount to much. Do you feel justified in your anger when you’ve been hurt deeply?  

 

           Many of us allow our flesh to rule, and when we do that, things usually go from bad to worse!   But if we’re committed in our faith, we must learn to be obedient…let God rule us so we can be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving.” It’s only as we “put on” Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14) that we will be able to forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake forgave us.  

            In a nutshell, this passage tells us to be kind and compassionate…..love with the love of God which models forgiveness. Pray for a tender heart like His and amazingly, we might just find our bitterness and anger melting away in a warm heart overflowing with JOY in the Lord.

            May I kindly remind you to show the love of Jesus by forgiving others as He forgives us!

Pour Out the Bitter and Fill Up With JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Get rid of any thing that may have turned bitter through the years.  We want to drink in ONLY the sweet JOY of the Lord!

            Each of us has a “past”.  And in that past we have good memories and…things we wish we could “do over”…mistakes, bad choices, trusting the wrong people, poor decisions which cost us pain and disappointment. When we hold on to the past, it’s easy  to become bitter about certain things…especially when we hold a grudge against someone and don’t forgive.

            The passage that we’ve been focusing on this week is Ephesians 4.  Verse 31 tells us to : "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." 

            When we’ve been offended or hurt or disappointed by others, it’s easy to let those feelings fester until bitterness takes root. We must be prayerful and careful not to let this happen.  An unforgiving spirit causes negative, critical attitudes. It can lead to physical problems and sickness. Unforgiveness  is…well…IT’S SIN!  What do we do about that?!  Like with all other sin, we take it to the foot of the cross and leave it there! Ask God to remove that old root of bitterness and replace it with HIS love, grace…and JOY!

            Pour out the bitter stuff and fill those JOY JUICE bottles with nothing the sweetest and best JOY which comes straight from fountain of God!

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Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit...Bring JOY!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  God wants us to follow His instruction; and I’m convinced that includes drinking in the JOY of the Lord faithfully!

            Philippians 4:4 tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord…always.”   And the only way we can do that is by knowing that we are secure in our relationship with Christ.  If we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord, then we can rest in the truth that He has everything under control….even when it feels as if things are SO “out of our control”!

            Lack of trust in God, brings grief to His heart.  Ephesians 4: 30 says: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

            To grieve means “to afflict with deep sorrow”.  Did you know that we can cause God to grieve with deep sorrow?

            In the context of this verse in Ephesians, we bring sorrow to God when we forget that we’ve been set free from our “old self” and react in the worldly ways of  bitterness, wrath and anger….all of which grieve the Holy Spirit because they are NOT fruit that comes from Him.  "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control."(Galatians 5) When this kind of fruit is growing in your spiritual garden, then there will be JOY in the heart of God….as well as in your own!

            Let’s bring JOY…not grief…to the Holy Spirit by allowing Him complete control of every area of our lives.

               

JOYfully Edify Others

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’ll build you up….spiritually…and help you to be an encouragement to others!

            Ephesians 4:29 – 32 is a short passage of scripture.  Only four verses but they are chocked FULL of instruction.  If we are obedient and do what the scripture says, it will be like a fountain of JOY gushing forth from our heart and lives, spilling out onto others who are close enough to get splashed!   We began yesterday with the first part of verse 29.  Today, we’ll look at the entire verse:

 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

            We are to speak words which build up and edify others.  Sometimes we know people are listening but other times we are completely unaware. 

·        It’s easy to get lazy and slack when we are with family or close friends.  But we must remember that those are the ones who are most often affected by our example.

·        When on the job, let’s not fall into the trap of being critical of others…especially those in charge. Instead, encourage others to pray for their leaders and those on the team.  You’ll be surprised at how that will lift the morale at the workplace.

·        Even strangers are watching and listening as we stand in line at the post office, grocery store or restaurant. Be kind and complementary to the one who is serving you.  Your words might be the joyful highlight of their day!

  Let’s put a guard over our mouths and make sure that everything that escapes our lips is something that will uplift and bring joy to the ones who are listening!

           

Look for the Good...and Find JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Look for the good that will come from drinking in the JOY of the Lord!

            Do you always look for the good in things?  Or do you have a tendency to focus on the bad?  We have a choice you, know!  Be reminded that our thoughts determine our words and our actions.  So what kinds of thoughts are you having?  Are they JOYful and uplifting?  If so, people will be encouraged by your words and deeds.

        But the opposite is also true!  If you are critical and negative in your thought life, then you can just about count on those kinds of words coming from your mouth…which  affects the decisions you make, the mood you’re in, your behavior, as well as affecting everyone around you!    Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…”

           

          Raise you hand if you think you could use some help in this area of your life! Mine is raised HIGH!  We all need work, don’t we? But we can’t do it alone!  We need GOD to lead us and show us how, what, when and where! AND we need a support system of strong Christian friends to encourage us to face each new day with a JOYful attitude.  Let’s ask our Heavenly Father to help us see the good….in even the hard, difficult times.  When Jesus is in our heart…and in our thoughts…I can promise there is always something good He will show you!

           Today I'm thinking GOOD thoughts of YOU! Thank you for being such an encouragement in my life by listening and drinking in the JOY JUICE of Jesus daily!  

           

Children & Parents: Pursue the JOY of JESUS!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Parents….your children are looking to you for an example, so commit to drinking in the JOY of JESUS faithfully.

            Even in my older years, I continue to listen to and learn from my mother!  It’s more from example now than from her actual words, but still she has so much to teach.  The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

And in Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

            The lesson from these verses is two-fold.  Children should listen to, respect and honor their parents.  Why?  Deuteronomy 5:16 gives us the reason:  "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

God wants to bless us!  He desires that “it may go well with you”.

            The second lesson here is for parents.  We adults should live lives that deserve respect and honor.  And we can do that by seeking God and His wisdom.  If we are using Jesus as our role model, then we will be setting the right kind of example for our children and grandchildren…and to all those who look up to us.

            May I take this time to encourage you…whether parent or child…to JOYfully pursue a closer walk with God.  Seek His wisdom and JOY!

Whether You are Young or Old(er).....Be JOYFUL!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s aged to perfection! Be wise and drink in your personal serving.

            Most often wisdom comes with age.  When people have “been there, done that” and learned a lesson for having made some mistakes, they grow in wisdom.  But it seems that not everyone is willing to learn from their mistakes.  We all know some young people who seem to display more wisdom than many older folks.

1 Timothy 4:12 says: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

·        Joseph the son of Jacob was made overseer in the house of the Captain of the Guard in Egypt when he was just 17years old.

·        Ruth was a young widow when she chose to stay with her mother-in-law to be a blessing to her.

·        David was only a boy when he killed a giant.

·        Mary of Nazareth was a young virgin when she conceived the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Bible gives us example after example of men and women who were young, AND those who were older, who displayed wisdom.  But there is one thing they all had in common….their wisdom came from hearing God and being obedient to His leading.

            No matter our age or stage of life, we should all pursue Godly wisdom by seeking Him in all that we do.  Godly wisdom leads to JOY in Christ!

Pray for Teachers....JOYfully!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Be wise enough to listen to Godly teachers who can point the way to genuine JOY in the LORD!

            With school starting back, it’s a great time to pay tribute to teachers.  Most of us have at least one teacher who truly made a difference in our lives. She or he made you feel special.  She encouraged you and made you believe in yourself.  He may have sternly, but with love, redirected you when you were headed down a wrong path.    Good teachers teach much more than facts and material from a book.  They impart wisdom that helps us make better choices along life’s journey.

            One writer eloquently penned this about the greatest teacher of all times:

            “He never taught a lesson in a classroom…He had no tools to work with, no blackboards, maps or charts…He used no subject outlines, kept no records, gave no grades, and His only text was ancient and well-worn….His students were the poor, the lame, the deaf, the blind,, the outcast—and His method was the same for all who came to hear and learn…

             He opened eyes with faith…He opened ears with simple truth, and opened hearts with love, a love born of forgiveness…a gentle man, an humble man, He asked and won no honors, no gold awards of tribute to His expertise and wisdom…and yet the quiet Teacher from the hills of Galilee has fed the needs, fulfilled the hopes and changed the lives of many millions…for what He taught brought heaven to earth and God’s heart to all.”

             Let’s pray for all teachers this new school year…..AND look to Jesus…the teacher of all teachers….for wisdom and JOY!

Childlike Faith Brings Wisdom and JOY!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Even little children are wise enough to enjoy its special flavor!

            We can all learn from children.  They have such a zest for life and laugh easily at things that sometimes we ignore.  A special friend gave me a framed picture of Jesus many years ago. He was holding a child on his lap, while other children were gathered around easily talking to him.  They all had smiles on their faces….Jesus included!

            That’s how I picture Jesus…..enjoying the innocence of children who love Him….JUST BECAUSE.  They don’t realize that He was willing to die for them.  They are not old enough to be cynical.  They’re not spiritually mature enough to know all the commands or what the Bible teaches…but they love and laugh because of their pure hearts. 

            A few weeks ago, Papa Pat and I were babysitting three of our grandjoys! I was combing our four-year-old granddaughter’s hair when she began to ask me questions about my childhood.  She wanted to know where my daddy was; and I told her that he was in heaven with Jesus.  Instead of being sad or perplexed, her face immediately broke out into a radiate smile.  Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she announced: “GiGi, do you know the first thing I’m gonna do when I get to heaven?!  I’m going to run into Jesus’ arms and give Him a great big hug!”

            With tears of JOY in my eyes, I realized God had given me a fresh glimpse of His love.  Through the words of a child, I was reminded of the JOY that awaits us when we walk through heaven’s gates!

            Let’s all strive toward child-like faith, wisely and JOYfully anticipating eternity with Jesus!

Godly Wisdom Brings JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Please encourage others by dipping into the JOY JUICE well and finding God’s wisdom and joy.

            Godly wisdom…That should be on the top of our prayer list.

            Godly wisdom…It’s of more value than silver or gold.

            Godly wisdom…. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

            Last week after the morning worship service at my church, a wise, Godly woman put her arms around me and told me that she was praying for me.  She said, "Honey, keep serving the Lord and running the race for Him as long as you can ….because one day you might not be physically able.”  Then she added with a smile, “But when you can’t physically go and do, you can still pray for others who can!”

            She put her arms around me again and said, “When your frock tail swishes as you are busy about God’s work, know that I am at home praying for you.” 

            What a gift this Godly, older woman had just given me….and continues to as she prays for me daily!  She is such a beautiful example of Godly wisdom.  Though she may be growing older and her health declining, she continues to serve the Lord.  These days her service is different than in days gone by---but no less important.  She is lifting others before the Lord and I’m sure He recognizes her voice…..a familiar voice that has come to Him countless times through  the years.  JOYfully He listens to her requests and JOYfully He answers. 

            Let’s each pray for wisdom and continue to joyfully serve God…no matter what our age or stage of life.

YOU are the Only JOY of JESUS Some May Ever See!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Your example of JOY may be all some people see ever see of “Jesus”?  Is He smiling through you today?

            The older I get, the more I realize the importance of our daily walk with Him.  It’s important for our own lives, but just as important to those around us.  We never know who is watching and when our example will touch someone….positively or negatively.

            We should approach every moment of every day with the awareness that we may be the only Jesus some will ever see.  There is a beautiful song that poses this question:

           
If not in you, I wonder where will they ever see the One who really cares?
If not from you, how will they find
There's One who heals the broken heart, and gives sight to the blind?

Chorus:
You're the only Jesus that some will ever see
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need
'Cause you're the only Jesus, some will ever see

So let Him shine, let Him show
Let them see Him in you, we've gotta let them know

'Cause you're the only Jesus (you're the only Jesus)
You're the only Jesus, some will ever see!

            Shine with His love and JOY….because truly YOU may be the only Jesus some will ever see!

SHINE with the Genuine JOY of the LORD!

     Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  There is no need to doubt if it’s good for you! Genuine JOY JUICE is made from the best of all spiritual ingredients!

            When people observe you in all situations, do they see the reflection of Jesus?  Do you always react with love instead of anger?  Do you accept problems as opportunities for growth?  Trials and troubles have a way of exposing what’s truly in our heart.  If we are emptied of “self” and filled up with the JOY of JESUS, then we will be radiating His love and joy.  Remember the passage in Philippians 2:14-15?

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”

            If we want to “shine like stars”, we truly have to allow Jesus…the light of the world…to shine on us, in us and through us!  Our world is filled with negative, evil influences.  I fear that many times we have become desensitized.  

            To make sure that we have a tender heart toward Christ and that we shine with HIS love and JOY, we must stay immersed in The Truth by:

·        Reading God’s Word consistently

·        By praying for God’s wisdom and discernment

·        By seeking friends who will hold us accountable

·        By drinking in the JOY JUICE of JESUS daily!

  Shine with the genuine JOY of the Lord and never doubt His ability to use you for His purpose!

Tune in to the FM Channel of JOY!

      Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Tune in to a great day of JOY in the LORD!

            As I was reading Renee Swope’s new book A Confident Heart,  I found an analogy that I just had to share with you!  She suggests that our thoughts are like radio frequencies….AM and FM.  “They are either AM (against me) or FM (for me).  Many times we can be our worst critics, and we have a lot of AM thoughts.  We also have an enemy who is completely against us.  He is jealous of God’s glory in us and threatened by the beauty that lies within the heart of a person whose identity is secure.  That is why he attacks our confidence.  He knows if he can paralyze us with self-doubt and insecurity we will never live up to the full potential of who we are and what we have in Christ.”

            If we find ourselves tuning in to the AM channel of thoughts….always thinking negatively and doubting our value as a child of God, then we will be allowing the enemy to steal our joy.  That is NOT how to live a victorious life in Christ.

            Listen to the words in 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

             Stay alert and on guard…we do have an enemy that wants to sink his ugly teeth of doubt into us. Tune in to the FM thoughts of JOY in the LORD!

Never Doubt! Shout for JOY!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Never doubt that you are God’s special child.  Drink in His joy and you will find security in relationship with Him.

            Do you find yourself doubting at times?  Doubting God’s love?  Doubting that He hears your prayers?  At times do you sense God leading you to do something and you doubt your ability to do it?  Our old enemy (Satan) uses doubt as one of his tools of discouragement…to keep us from being all that God intends for us to be.  Yes, we are limited in our human abilities.  But our GOD is limitless!

            Dr. Neil Anderson wrote: “One reason we doubt God’s love is that we have an adversary who uses every little offense to accuse us of being good-for-nothings. But your advocate Jesus Christ is more powerful than your adversary.  He has cancelled the debt of your sins past, present and future.  No matter what you do or how you fail, God has no reason not to love you and accept you completely.”

            We’re all going to fail from time to time.  We may fail to be the best spouse or parent that we can be; we may make unwise choices; we may fail to always set a good example to those who are looking up to us.  But no matter how many times we fail or how much we stumble, GOD STILL LOVES US!  As Romans 8:1 reminds us: 

                 “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

            Even in our failures, we never have to doubt God’s love and acceptance.  What JOY that should bring to each of our hearts!

Let God Mold You into a JOYful Masterpiece!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It helps to mold us into a more JOYful Christian…if we are committed to drinking it faithfully!

            Aren’t we glad that God didn’t make just one mold to use for each of us?  As He created every individual, He put us together in a special, unique way.  Though some of us have similar interests and maybe the same hair or eye color, we have many distinct characteristics that make us “special”. The old saying is true:  “When God created you, He threw away the mold!" 

            Psalm 139:14 says: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Do you praise God for how you were created?  How often do we find ourselves criticizing how we look? Do you desire to be taller or shorter?  Younger or older?   Do you wish that you had someone else’s talent or ability?

          When we express dissatisfaction with ourselves, we are being critical of God’s creation.  God made each of us just the way He wanted us…andeach of us were created for His purpose. When we mature to the point that we can accept this truth, then we will be overflowing with JOY! Praise God for choosing YOU to be YOU! Be satisfied with what you can’t change and seek His wisdom in how to become a better you….one that will reflect Jesus in all that you do!

           You are very special to God.  Allow Him to shine His JOY  through you!

Be Kind, Compassionate, Forgiving and JOYFUL!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Don’t allow your serving to become bitter because of anger.

             The last few days we’ve talked a lot about how anger and bitterness can rob us of our JOY! The longer we choose to stay angry, the more hardened our hearts will become toward the person who has hurt us. We are told in scripture that we should “not let the sun go down on our anger.” Maybe it will help us to see the importance of forgiveness when we look at it from the perspective that when we don’t forgive and choose to remain angry, we are rebelling against God! He instructs us to: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Anger can be like a snowball rolling downhill.  It picks up speed and along the way attracts negative attitudes and actions, such as hatred, malice and revenge.  But the warmth of God’s love can melt away the bitterness which causes divisions and dissension among us.  When we allow Him to come into our heart and wash away our hurt and anger, He will be able to replace our coldness with the warmth of His love.

            Remember that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.  In doing so, He offered us forgiveness and everlasting life.  That, my friends, should bring us SHEER JOY….INDESCRIBABLE, INEXPRESSIBLE JOY!

 

             Ask God to show you where to start in putting away any anger that may be hiding in your heart….and then enJOY the peace as His love flows through you.

Move Past Anger...and on to JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drinking in the JOY of the Lord will help to wash away an angry, bitter taste in your heart!

            Has someone wronged you, hurt you and you cannot seem to get over it?  Are you unwilling to forgive because of what that person has done?  Each of us has been through…maybe even are going through right now…circumstances that we believe are unfair and hurtful.  We suffer because of other people’s choices sometimes.  AND THAT IS HARD!!!

            In our own strength, we may find it impossible to forgive and move on.  We know that’s what we should do, but oh, how difficult that is when your heart feels as if someone has ripped it out and stomped it flat! 

            Scripture tells us in Philippians 2:6-7 that Christ set an example for us.

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

            Jesus relinquished His “rights and privileges” as the Son of God to live as a man.  He was role-modeling for you and me….how to empty ourselves of unfruitful emotions…such as anger.  Ed Hinson writes: “A person who has truly emptied himself of all feelings of self-pity, injustice, disgust, and pride in relation to others has captured the secret of overcoming anger.” (Trusting God When Times are Tough)  

              May we each use Jesus as our role model, forgiving those who have hurt us, moving past the anger and on to genuine JOY!

God's Way = JOY!

Have you had your Joy Juice today? Please don’t get angry with me when I remind you that we should all drink it faithfully!

            There’s a lot of anger in this old world!  We see it in the impatience and rudeness of a hurried person at the check-out counter; we hear news stories of shootings and murders; child abuse; and broken marriages….all examples of what can happen when anger is out of control.

            From 1 Corinthians 13 we see a distinct comparison between how the world treats people and how God values us.  God’s way is with love…The world’s way is often filled with anger.  Listen to the difference:

·        Love is patient…Anger has no patience with people.

·       Love is kind…Anger is cruel.

·        Love does not envy…Anger thrives on envy.

·        Love does not boast and is not proud…Anger has a proud walk.

·        Love is not rude…Anger is pushy and often discourteous.

·        Love is not self-seeking…Anger always seeks its own good first.

·        Love is not easily provoked…Anger is easily provoked by the actions of others.

·        Love does not bear grudges…Anger always remembers an offense.

·        Love does not rejoice when it sees people making mistakes...Anger takes pleasure in the calamity of others.

There we have it! God’s way….or the world’s way!  It’s our choice.  I’m 100% sure that God’s way is the way to a life filled to overflowing with JOY!

            Allow God’s love to flow through you and don’t get caught up in worldly anger.  Share the JOY of the Lord with others….always!

           

Slow to Become Angry....Quick to Find JOY!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s hard to stay angry when you are filled with the JOY of the Lord!

            When was the last time you responded to someone in anger?  Yesterday?  This morning?  Maybe in the last few minutes? :)  When we react in anger, it not only hurts the person on the receiving end, it makes us feel rotten, too! Angry responses…even to those who have hurt us first… seldom do anything to make the situation better.  As a matter of fact…things usually escalate and may say or things that leave scars….at least on the heart. 

            James 1:19 tells us, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  Is that what we usually do? More often than not we find ourselves doing the opposite…being slow to listen and quick to speak & become angry!

            One of the best things we can do to prevent ourselves from losing our “cool” is to take our eyes off ourselves and focus on what God would have us do.  James says to be “quick to listen”!  When we determine to really “listen” to the other person, we may hear with a new perspective.  Instead of getting angry and allowing unkind words to spout from our lips, let’s “be slow to speak”. Take the time to rethink the situation and see it from the other person’s point of view. 

            Sometimes we might find out that we are wrong…or at least admit that we are overreacting! Let’s ask God to help us see the situation with His wisdom and let’s pray for ways to be a peacemaker. We don’t always have to prove that we are right and the other person is wrong.

            Let’s find JOY by being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry!

ANGER Can Steal Your JOY!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Has someone done something to make you angry?  Then drink a double portion of JOY JUICE!

            Anger is a natural emotion.  We all experience it.  Sometimes it’s over injustice; other times it’s when we don’t get our way or when we see someone we love being mistreated.  We get angry when untruths are told about us or when we are overlooked for a job promotion.  The quickest way to make a mom angry is to mess with her children! Right?

            “Anger can be a very destructive emotion.  It can make a person say or do things he or she will regret for a lifetime.  Anger can dent a friendship, damage a relationship, or destroy a marriage.  Out of control, anger can become the most destructive force in the world.”  

            But the Bible makes it clear that not all anger is necessarily sinful.  Psalm 7:11 says (GOD’S WORD Translation):  ^“God is a fair judge, a God who is angered by injustice every day.”  See, even God gets angry. But as humans, it’s our reactions and what we do or say “in anger” that is often wrong.

          

             Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 4:26 (NIV) : “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

            The fact is we are all going to experience anger from time to time. But when we let it get out of control and hurt others; when we hold on to it for days and months and sometimes even years…we are not in the will of God!  AND we will not be living a life of JOY.

             Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.  Make it right and experience peace & joy!

Be Obedient and Be JOYful

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  If so, you are being OBEDIENT to God…and that’s a JOYfully good thing!

            Omnipresent. Omnipotent. Omniscient. And anything but Ordinary!  That’s our God! There’s another “O” word I’d like for us to think about today….it’s the word “OBEDIENT”.  God doesn’t force us to obey. We choose to be obedient because of our love for Him! God wants us to obey His commands because He knows it’s for our good! Over and over again in scripture He tells us this.  One example is in Deut. 12:28:

“Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God.”

            God was speaking to the Israelites in this particular passage, but His word is true for us today, as well.  If we are totally sold out to God, we will want to obey Him with:

• Our HEART…by loving Him more than any relationship, activity, achievement or possession.
• With our WILL…by committing ourselves completely to Him.
• We will want to obey with our MIND…by seeking to know Him and His Word.
• And with our BODY…by recognizing that our strengths and talents are given to us by God
• We will obey with our FINANCES…knowing that all of the resources ultimately come from God 
• And with our FUTURE…by deciding to make service to God and His purpose our JOYful goal.

(Taken from chart on page 293 of Life Application Study Bible…NIV)

         Let’s strive to be "O"bedient to God as we share His JOY with others!   

No Ordinary GDD....No Ordinary JOY!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s no “ordinary” drink!  When God puts His blessing on it, you will be amazed at the JOY it will bring!

             This week we’ve been discussing words that begin with the letter “O” that describe God.  The word for today is “ORDINARY”!  Hold on!  Hear me out!.  God is ANYTHING BUT “ordinary”.  As a matter of fact, He is “EXTRA-ORDINARY”!  My focus today is that throughout the scriptures, we find example after example of how God takes “ordinary things…including people” and uses them to accomplish His will.

            Let’s look at just a few of the ordinary things in scripture that God used:

• In Exodus 4, God used Moses’ ordinary staff to perform miracles before Pharaoh.
• In Joshua 6, He used ordinary trumpets to flatten the walls of Jericho
• In 2 Kings, God healed a man of leprosy by telling him to wash in the ordinary river 7 times.
• And we all remember the story of Jesus feeding the crowd of over 5000 with five ordinary loaves of bread and two ordinary fish.

The lesson here is that even when we feel “ordinary”, God can use us!  Anything and anybody can be used by God if we are dedicated to Him for His purpose.

JOYfully give yourself totally to Him today and get ready to see how He can take the very “ordinary” and turn it into an extraordinary masterpiece which overflows with JOY!

       

Find JOY in God's Omniscience

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  God KNOWS that it’s good for you, so drink it in…..faithfully!

            This week we are talking about the “O” words that describe our awesome God.  He is Omnipresent….that means He’s everywhere! He is Omnipotent…which means He is almighty! And today we’ll talk about the Omniscience of God.

One dictionary (The Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006) offers this definition of omniscient: “having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.” That is quite a mouthful; what does it mean to have “complete or unlimited knowledge”? 

The Bible tells us that God does perceive all things, which means that no fact can be hidden from His knowledge. As King David recognized in Psalm 139:12: “Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You”. God sees all things, and nothing can be hidden from His knowledge—not even the secret intentions of the heart (Psalm 44:21). In fact, He understands our own intentions better than we do (cf. Jeremiah 17:9-10; Hebrews 4:12)! 

             Human beings perceive through our senses, but there are limits to what the senses let us perceive and understand. God is not limited like we are! His Spirit searches all things (1 Corinthians 2:10), and nothing is beyond God’s ability to perceive it.  Nothing can escape His gaze and His knowledge. 

           We can trust in God’s unlimited knowledge.  What JOY to have faith in our Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent God!