Philippians 3:1
What is rejoicing in the Lord? Is it possible to rejoice in the Lord without having an
understanding of God, His character, His holiness, His grace, His mercy, His
love, and His discipline? My heart
wants to say yes, and I do understand that one cannot give more of self to God,
than they understand about God. Is
rejoicing an act of our will? If
it is an act of will and God always disciplines His children, how will the
ignorant child act when it seems that God has withdrawn, when their greatest
fears have come to life?
Have we not been taught that when you are squeezed by the
world, what is in your heart comes out, and often I’ve been ashamed at what
comes from my mouth in the most minuscule circumstance? I am virtually sure that throwing a fit
and letting my emotions be in control of my actions, is not in keeping with
“rejoicing in the Lord.”
I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet, but I do believe
that judgment will begin with the Church of the living God, Scripture confirms
this in 1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment
to begin with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel
of God?” This truth is
not being proclaimed in our land; many in the church are living in ignorance,
but how can the church rejoice in the Lord if it believing the lies of the many
who preach that you as a Christian are to only be healthy, wealthy, and
wise. This is what the apostle
Peter proclaims, “Beloved, do not be surprised at
the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange
were happing to you. But rejoice
insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4: 12,13)
It is time to get up, confess up, and grow up, and become
dependent on the Name that is above all names, the Name of Jesus the Christ,
our Messiah, our Lord and our God.
We the American church will see famine, but will we have the heart of
Habakkuk found in Habakkuk 3:17-18.
This is the short version; when everything I depended on failed, God has
not failed and I will rejoice in him.
Will the ignorant Church have the mindset of the apostles to rejoice in
persecution, because they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name
of Christ? (Acts 5:41)
What happens when we can no longer have each and everything
our hearts desire in the way of material things? Will we be like the apostle Paul in our poverty; will we be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many
rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. “ (2
Corinthians 6: 10) My prayer is
that the Church comes fully alive, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and that we have this mindset, “You sympathized
with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. (Hebrews 10:34) Hebrews 10:38 states, “but my righteous one shall live by faith” in
our faith is found the victory.
That great prophet Isaiah was well informed on whom he had
placed his hope; “I delight greatly in the Lord; my
soul rejoices in my God. For he
has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10) And the apostle Peter gave this
insight, “Though you have not seen him, you love
him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled
with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8)
I began with these questions, “What is rejoicing in the
Lord? Is it possible to rejoice in
the Lord without having an understanding of God, His character, His holiness,
His grace, His mercy, His love, and His discipline?” I’m not sure I answered any of them, but I am confident in
this truth, that our big God will do what Isaiah 26:3&4 proclaims: “You keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trust in you. Trust in
the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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