CHURCH, TAKE YOUR JOY SERIOUSLY!
IT’S-A POWERFUL WEAPON AGAINST YOUR END-TIME ENEMIES
My message is to all believers, however, I feel strongly nudged by the Holy Spirit to address it to the Church – the ones who are “gathering together.“ If you are a Pastor, please heed it. If you are not a Pastor, please give it to your Pastor. Except for the final scripture herein, my letter to you is not based on ‘pretty’ scripture, but it IS the Word:
(Church) “HAPPY are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because you are my followers. Leap for JOY since your reward in heaven is great. ” “…even give a CHEER for, though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds” (Matt. 5:11, 12, TPT, MSG).
(Church) “Consider it pure JOY, when you encounter trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance…” (James 1:2, BSB)
(Church) “Be HAPPY!” REJOICE and be GLAD-HEARTED continually”, Paul admonishes believers, ”No matter what!” ((1 Thess. 5:16 Amp; MSG).
Some years ago, God gave me this word for the Body of Christ that I have since trumpeted wherever, whenever I can: “Satan is on a rampage and the human race has gone amok!” Alas, it’s truer with every passing moment!
Yes, we must engage in some ferocious spiritual warfare, sing our battle songs, weep and groan through our prayers of repentance for the world’s deplorable anti-Christ condition. But through that murky maze, keeping God’s “The End” in clear sight is the greatest antidote to counterattack all of that.
Pastors, with all the heaviness you have to deal with, I pray you do not allow the enemy to steal your personal JOY. Please keep it in the crux of your messages too, even when dealing with the ugly.
(Church) “A MERRY HEART is like a medicine….” (Prov. 17:22), of which we ALL need massive doses. Let a song of wild, JOYFUL praise – this ever-so-powerful weapon of warfare – do its work among you.
Picture and “hear” this: In interacting with children during sessions of some pretty intense prayer warfare over serious matters that really concern them, we always climax in rousing unison, “HA, HA, DEVIL!“ followed by hilarious high praise, victory marches, sports-stadium-like cheers, all to the beat of drums and every other makeshift noisemaker. We even pop poppers!
I tell you that just to get my point across….on the other hand, Pastor, please consider whenever possible to end church services with this so that your congregation will “go out with (their weapon of) JOY” to face the world…
…take it from the Psalmist (149:6):
“Let the HIGH PRAISES of God be in your mouth, and a two-edged sword in your hand, to execute vengeance against the enemy. This is the HONOR of ALL THE SAINTS. (Sans age discrimination.)…
…for such a (possibly game-changer) time as this!
Esther
That is a “GOOD” message. The Devil is trying to destroy our joy and trying to get us to focus on what is wrong with the church and believe the lie. We need to be strong to come against this and to look past the lies and wickedness in high places, to be full of joy and tear down the strongholds of darkness. God is with us and if He is with us who can be against us.,
Irene R. Ilnisky