FIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR FAMILY BE IN HEAVEN

By Ada Brownell

      Christians are concerned. Nearly every family has a child or grandchild who isn’t serving God despite being raised in a Christian home and the church.

      When I worked as a newspaper reporter, I asked the late general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Thomas F. Zimmerman, whether he believed if Jesus doesn’t return in this generation the church will survive.

      “It will survive,” he said, “but the next generation won’t do church like we do.”

      The music changed, churches developed satellite congregations, we have podcasts, and numerous advances from modern technology. Thank God all my children and grandchildren are involved, and despite changes, God is still working.

      But still, statistics show a large percentage of youth leave the church before, during or after college.

      What can we do?

       I worked with youth the majority of my life, and despite being a senior citizen now, I am concerned. Ultimately it is each young person’s decision, but the church is supposed to be salt and light which causes people to seek the Lord. Jesus still stands at the door and knocks—but he’s not going to crash through and enter without being invited.

So, with that in mind, we can:

1.    LIVE THE WORD

How we’re supposed to live was summarized for us by Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself " (Luke 10:26-28).

 If we do this, we model our faith. It’s not easy.

The first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with serving and respecting God. The last six have to do with how we treat our neighbor.

I can’t forget, however it is, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-6)

Nevertheless, if I love God as Jesus told me to, I’ll talk to Him, read His words, be in His presence, obey Him, and work in His kingdom.

Much hinges on the fruit we produce and walking in the Spirit.

 The Apostle Paul told the Galatians, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.”[i]

2. SHARE THE WORD AND YOUR TESTIMONY

Why are you a Christian?

Your children and grandchildren should hear your testimony. Did God change your life? Give you something to live for? Fill the emptiness inside you? Given you joy unspeakable and full of glory? Has he healed you or given miracles for your family?

God reminded sometimes reminded people to be sure to tell their children about God’s miraculous works.

      Read about it in Joshua 4, which tells how God parted the Jordan River similar to how he parted the Red Sea and Israel crossed. The Lord told them to gather stones and build a memorial about the miracle.

“This may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

 “What do these stones mean?” I’m fortunate because I’m a writer and I’ve been sharing my testimony since my youth. My children have read some of it, and today if I write something in which they could be interested, I send it to them. Often they comment that they enjoy it. You might be surprised at your family’s reaction.

3. BELIEVE THE WORD We have specific promises for our children.

 “Raise up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6NASB).

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55: 9-11). (If you’ve taken your kids to church, or had devotions at home, this promise is for you.)

A prophecy by Peter on the day of Pentecost: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-40).

4. TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO CHURCH  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

            If you make the Lord and meeting in His presence most important your lives, it makes a difference in families. Children learn the Word, doctrine, to obey their parents, and they make best friends who also want to follow the Lord. The church usually provides good clean fun, too. This gives children the opportunity to accept Jesus as Savior, discover that God loves them no matter what and has a plan for their lives. Children faithful in God’s house usually also choose Christian mates.

5.  PRAY AND BELIEVE The Bible is filled with promises and testimonies that state God answers prayer. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told the jailer who wanted to become a Christian, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16).

            ©Ada Brownell June 2013

     

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[i] See Galatians 5:16:23

SCRIPTURES ABOUT JOY

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart” John 7:38).

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:10-12).

You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:10-11).

For His anger is but for a moment,His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Sing to Him a new song;Play skillfully with a shout of joy (Psalm 33:3).

Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God (Psalm 43:4).

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit (Psalm 51:12).

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! (Psalm 66:2).

The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing (Proverbs 10:28).

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3).

But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead (Isaiah 26:19).

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10).

 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12).

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word” Matthew 28:8).

He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth” (Luke 1:13-15).

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people (Luke 2:10).

To here

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:9-11

And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
Luke 24:51-53

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:10-12

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
John 16:21-23

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
John 16:21-23

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
Acts 14:16-18

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:23-25

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:10-12

whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1 Peter 1:7-9

We write this to make our joy complete.
1 John 1:3-5

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
2 John 1:3-5

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
Jude 1:23-25

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
1 Thessalonians 2:18-20

CREATED TO LIVE FOREVER

By Ada Brownell

                                               

 “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26).

 Is the water that makes steam gone forever?

No, because the earth has only a certain amount of water, which is constantly in a precipitation and evaporation cycle. Clouds, which are nothing but water vapor like steam, hold water until they become so heavy it rains or snows.  Then the sun comes out, water evaporates into clouds, and the cycle continues.

Do you know the Bible says our lives are similar to vapor?  (James 4:14) But when we die, we are still somewhere, just as the water isn’t gone when it becomes steam.  We are made to live forever.

 Another amazing fact is we’re not walking around in the same bodies in which we were born, or the bodies we had last year. Our flesh developed from one cell and now each of us has about 75 trillion living cells, constantly dying, and being replaced.  Everything, except for the neurological system, has died numerous times in our lives, then replaced by new cells that knew exactly what to make, such as skin, blood, hair, bone and your inward parts. Our skin is estimated to be rebuilt every seven days.

 The birth and the death of cells is not the only way we know we are more than a body. For instance, we can lose weight and it doesn’t change who we are. We can have parts cut off, such as our tonsils, a wart or even a hand or leg, and still live. We can even live with someone else’s kidney, liver or heart!

            The person you are, that God made you, is more than flesh and blood. But you also have a unique personality, and a spiritual side. When God’s powerful breath went into Adam’s nose, the eternal soul was born and every person born since then has a soul and spirit, which lives forever.

            Watchman Nee, author of The Spiritual Man,[1] said humans are a combination of spirit, soul and body.[2] A person’s spirit is where spiritual things happen.  That’s the part us where Jesus lives if we accepted Him as Savior and the Holy Spirit dwells.

Your soul is your mind, will and emotions.  That’s where you learn things, make decisions (I will or will not do something), and feel things such as love, joy, hate and jealousy.

Your body is where your soul and spirit live, and all three parts of you work together to make you the person we see and God loves.

The person you are will never die—whether you choose to give your heart and life to Jesus or choose to reject Him. God in His love, made you so you could live forever with Him, but it’s your choice.  Hell was made for Satan and the false prophets, but people who reject God also will be sent to that place of torment. The Bible calls that “the Second Death,” which is separation from God.

Jesus said “Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:26).

©Ada Brownell 2012

           

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[1] Christian Fellowship Publishers Inc., New York, 1968

[2]Ibid, Volume 1, pages 22 and 23

FAITH IS A DECISION

By Ada Brownell

I wasn’t surprised when atheists responded to tweets about my book, Facts, Faith & Propaganda.

They usually want to argue. I always tell them “argument only proves who is best at debate.”

In several of my books that speak about faith and in all my writing I emphasize we decide what we believe.

 You can’t prove whether God exists, and atheists can’t show he doesn’t. There’s a reason for this—faith in necessary for salvation.  We can’t please God if we don’t have faith.

 The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 KJ).

I met a woman from Sweden in the airport and we discussed faith after my husband told her I’m a writer and gave her my card and a bookmark.

“I don’t worry about whether I believe in God, and I’m letting my children grow up and make their own decisions,” she said. “I’m a good person, and that’s all that’s necessary.”

She was nice, but as her daughter lay nearby reading I explained, “Belief in God is a decision. As he traveled the world, Billy Graham called people to the altars to ‘make a decision for Christ.’ If you ignore God, you decided not to accept His sacrifice for sin so that you could live forever. It’s the choice you already made.”

I talked to her about evidence for faith and the need to choose Jesus as Savior.

She smiled. “You’re messing with my head. I’ll need to think about this.”

Here are some facts about faith.

What is faith? “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and confident of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

God has given each person a measure of faith (Romans 12:3 KJ). Often people who don’t think they believe cry for God’s help spontaneously in crises.

Faith comes through hearing the Word—the gospel (Romans 10:17 KJ).  Because faith is necessary to be redeemed from sin and to have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, God “breathed” truth into writers He chose to pen His love message to humankind. It is through that love letter—the Bible—we gain knowledge of Him and why He allows us (anybody) to accept it and love and obey Him (See 2 Timothy 3:15-16  NIV).

  We must voice our belief. “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10  NIV)).

Our brains may be made to believe in God. In a CNN report by A. Chris Gajilan on April 4, 2007, Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and author of "Why We Believe What We Believe," says the human brain is affected during prayer and meditation. He suggests brain scans may prove our brains are built to believe in God. Because of this God-shaped place within, nearly every person worships something, even if they create it themselves.

Faith comes through the will. We decide whether to believe God’s Word, a false religion, or atheism (everything about who we are, why we are here and where we are going takes faith). Yet it takes a leap—a decision. “...Choose you this day whom ye will serve. (Joshua 24:15 KJ and John 3:16  KJ:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus is our only hope.  “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts:4:12 KJ).

Salvation is a Gift we receive:  “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ his Son” (Romans  6:23 KJ).

Don’t wait to decide what you’ll believe. Remember much of what atheists and agnostics think they chose to believe, is based on propaganda. If you would like evidence of that, read my book, Facts, Faith, and Propaganda which can purchased at https://www.amazon.com/author/adabrownell  Read the first chapter free. The book provides beliefs from both sides without preaching. Just the facts. Remember, however, Peter wrote “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables” (2 Peter 1:16 ).

 ©Ada Brownell

Love your life; Suicide is not the answer

   

By Ada Brownell

If you’ve entertained the thought of taking your life, let me introduce you to some special people.

Nancy weighed only 49 pounds when I met her and she never walked. Her husband of 25 years was her feet. She was his eyes.

A spunky little woman, usually filled with joy, one day her anger perked to the top. A young man  crippled in a recent accident petitioned the courts for his nursing home attendants to help him take his life.

Nancy’s brilliant eyes blazed as she waved a tiny finger. “That is wrong! Some people think I don’t have much of a life. But it’s the only life I have and I enjoy every minute of it!”

Because of her debilitating congenital muscle condition, she could barely brush her own teeth, but on her wall a beautiful embroidered needlepoint of “The Lord’s Prayer” testified of her gumption.  First-place Colorado State Fair ribbons still attached testified to the expert embroidery work.

Nancy worked in her church and several local organizations. She and her husband bowled. He placed her ball, and she pushed it off.  She helped him aim his ball so he could hit the pins.

In my work as a newspaper reporter I met many incredible handicapped people. Among them were members of “Not Dead Yet,” a disability rights group formed to oppose the movement to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. Those in the group who were Christians decided to be like the Apostle Paul and say, “Whatever state I am, I will be content.”[1]

I used to go through the coroner’s copies of death certificates and saw many suicides among them.  I frequently reported health statistics, which included suicides for our city.

      As tragic as it is for even one young person to kill himself, you might be surprised to learn that teens don’t have the highest suicide rate. Almost three times more elderly white men  end their lives with their own actions than the overall rate.

 Suicide begins increasing after age 65. Researchers point to the elderly men’s lack of resilience or coping abilities, or they choose more lethal means of suicide.

My dad became deeply depressed after he was admitted to a nursing home.

“I’m no good to anybody,” he complained.

Redhead that I am I said, “Don’t be funny. You haven’t even finished raising your family yet.”

He looked at me as if I’d lost my senses. All eight of his children and his two step-children were out on their own, taking care of themselves.

“You’re showing us how to grow old,” I told Dad. I could see a light glisten in his eyes. He knew what I was talking about.

 For the first time he realized he was modeling the truths of our faith as well as how to make the difficult choices when our health fails. I didn’t tell him, but I knew a family history of suicide puts others at risk for the same behavior.[2]

Besides the handicapped, I remember a frail elderly lady who spent hours every day on the phone calling people to deliver a little sunshine into their lives. She had a list of phone numbers and hundreds of birthdays, anniversaries, but she called, sang little songs, or read encouraging verses on Christmas and other holidays. When she met me, she put me on the list.  Sometimes she found a name where someone was hospitalized or ill, and she’d call with encouragement.

In my work as a reporter, I interviewed movie stars, politicians, even a member of the Supreme Court, covered presidents’ and first ladies’ speeches, National Football League players and coaches, but the people I remember most are the ordinary folks whose lives reflect their faith in God and love—especially the incredible people who chose to be content despite uncomfortable circumstances, health problems, disabilities or age.

In my eyes, these folks lived examples of greatness.

Have you thought of suicide because of your physical condition or limitations?

Even if you haven’t, you are at risk, especially if you lose your health, become handicapped or experience other heartache or emotional trauma in your life.

Be encouraged. God promised never to leave for forsake. He’s the joy and peace giver. Peace and joy are two of the nine fruits of Holy Spirit that come into a child of God, and God’s Spirit comes in to abide with us. See Galatians 5:22.

©Ada Brownell 2016

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[1] See Philippians 4:11

[2] Centers for Disease Control

FAITH LOOKS AT THE EVIDENCE

By Ada Brownell

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJ). “Faith is being sure of what we hope for; and confident of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

Yet, we humans don’t think much about what we can’t see, and don’t pay enough attention to what we do see.

Almost every day the majority of people see eggs. Never do we look at the slime and think of what we can’t see: a living creature. Feathers. A beak for pecking. A voice for clucking or crowing. Yellow feet for walking. Wings. Machinery to produce more eggs and chickens. Beady little eyes that blink and see. Ultimately perhaps, a platter of delicious fried chicken.

In the same way, we never think of how we began as a tiny fertilized egg with all the DNA and genetic info from our parents to make us who we are. We don’t even try to fathom the miracles of our bodies—our brains, growth, our senses, how our limbs work and bend in all the right places. We had not one, but two sets of teeth, so convenient because baby teeth wouldn’t last or work well for adults.

Most of us have no idea of the miraculous functions of our organs and cells.  We seldom think of how life began in the first place.

Then there is the urgent need for humans to worship and know Someone beyond ourselves. If they have never heard the gospel and don’t know God, nearly every people group in the world invents something to worship. They make idols, worship the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, animals, the earth, ancestors, men who claim they’re god, and even worship themselves.

All my life I’ve heard testimonies of people who tried everything the world has to offer except the one true God and they’re hearts are still empty. One of the richest men in the world said, “Do you know what it’s like to be able to buy anything? If someone made it, I could buy it. One day I sat on the bed beside my wife and said, ‘Is this all there is?’”

That’s when he reached out and found the Lord and for the first time he and his wife were filled with real joy and contentment.

What satisfies most is not visible. You don’t hold your breath because you can’t see oxygen. You can’t see gravity, but it still keeps you from falling into space or jumping off tall buildings. From an early age we learned whatever we drop splats and when we fall, we go down. We can’t see the pull of gravity, but we believe in its effects.

Hebrews 11 goes on to say, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made out of things which are visible” (verse 3).

Long before men discovered all the amazing things at work in the invisibile, God revealed it to those who believed. Like Job, when he was discouraged, God reminded him. Check out the whole conversation in Job 38. Here are excerpts.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who marked off its dimensions? On what were its footings set? Who set up the sea behind doors? What is the way to the abode of light?” The chapter is filled with awesome challenges to those who refuse to see the evidence of a loving, powerful Creator or are doubting He’s there.

Evidence of God’s handiwork is everywhere and when we notice, we can see it in our lives. Those who experience Redemption know it came from beyond what our eyes can see. How can our guilt for sin disappear in a moment? Our desires change the instant we connect with our Maker. When someone is healed do they see the power at work? Even natural healing that occurs in our bodies after injury or illness, do we see how God placed healing mechanisms inside us?

Oh, but we can see the evidence, and faith leads us to look at evidence. When we face a crisis, thank God for answered prayer in the past. Even though we don’t see how it happened, we recall the evidence.

We have evidence our Heavenly Father is concerned about us. Hebrews 11 reminds of that, “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Allow yourself to examine the evidence and believe in the invisible!

© Ada Brownell 2015

MEET ADA BROWNELL

Ada Brownell is the author of six books, about 300 stories and articles in Christian publications, and she spent a large chunk of her life as a reporter, seven years of that as a medical writer, mostly for The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado. She and her husband L.C., have five children, one of them in heaven, eight wonderful grandchildren.and two great-grandchildren.

Among her books: The Lady Fugitive, an historical romance; Imagine the Future You, a youth/parent Bible study; Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, a novel for middle grade up; Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, evidence we’re more than a body; Facts, Faith and Propaganda, a book designed to build your faith; and Confessions of a Pentecostal, out of print but released in 2012 for Kindle; Most books are available in paper or for Kindle. Imagine the Future You audiobook is available at www.Audible.com  Free book with new Audible membership.

Amazon Ada Brownell author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/adabrownell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries

Twitter: @AdaBrownell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1654534.Ada_Brownell

Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com

 Stick-to-Your-Soul Encouragement

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR JOY?

By Ada Nicholson Brownell

 “Even your Word agrees, ‘In this world we will have tribulation,’” I complained to the Lord one day, I suppose to justify the mullygrubs that had me by the heart.

Silent a moment, I felt the agony of depression. Then the remainder of Jesus’ words from that scripture came to mind. “But be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.”[1] Suddenly raptureous joy filled me. I was reminded my joyfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances or people.

Yet, I know I can kill joy if led away by false prophets. It would be easy to find someone to tell me to put myself first and seek my own happiness above all, when true joy comes from God and putting others before me.

“What happened to your joy?”[2] Paul asked the Galatian church after they were led astray by false prophets who made them forget faith and grace.

Paul spoke of joy often, although most of his God-inspired writing was done from a prison cell. Over and over he tells the Philippians, “Rejoice!”.

I wonder what Paul would tell me and the American church today. My family gave their hearts to the Lord in the era when people revealed their joy with such loud singing and shouting people peeked in the windows to see what was happening, sort of like Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see above the crowd following Jesus after He healed a blind man. Many gave their hearts to the Lord.

Joy, however, wasn’t in a style of music they heard, a red-faced shouting preacher, or people’s voices. Joy came from the truths people grasped with their hearts. People rejoiced from sins forgiven, even when it took an hour of struggling against Satan before their wills were submitted to God. People shouted praises and danced in the aisles when they received the infilling of the Holy Ghost, healing in their bodies, victory over fear, victory over habits, restored marriages, loved ones saved, peace in life’s storms.

Joy bubbled because the Lord would be with them in the valley of death and they would see loved ones again. Christians could get downright rowdy with joyful noise when they remembered their hope, “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”[3]

One night, my unsaved aunt, a young woman with her life in crisis, came to church with my mom.

“I’m lost!” she screamed, interrupting the pastor’s sermon. “I’m lost!”

 She ran to the altar wept, screamed more, groaned, and put the fear of God in me and my siblings. Faithful Christians gathered around her with prayer rising like thunder. Then joy hit.  My aunt received the Holy Spirit, shouted and praised God around the altars, then danced and even ran across the platform rejoicing because of hope and sins forgiven.

She was so filled with joy she went to her night-club friends the next morning, feeling they would want what she found. Our aunt lived to age 92, still dancing and praising God. My siblings and I never forgot what happened that night, and still talk about it 60 years later.

Anyone who serves the Lord with all his heart has a measure of joy because the springs of living water Jesus gives never run dry.[4]

I’m praying for the day when our hearts, songs, services, our lives, once again reflect joy.

In the same conversation Jesus had with his disciples about cheer, He told them and us to “Ask God for the impossible, and receive, that our joy might be full.”[5] He explained for a little while they wouldn’t see Him, because He was going to the Father.“You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”[6]

 Peter spoke of our faith in Jesus filling us with “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”[7] Joy sometimes came when the disciples and apostles faced seemingly impossible circumstances. Paul knew he probably would lay down his life for his faith, yet he wrote of joy.

Most amazing, Jesus for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[8]

 In the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians asking about their joy, he listed joy among fruits that come from living for God in contrast to a life of sin. Most important, according to Jesus’ words in John 15, if we are to bear fruit such as unspeakable joy, we need to be rooted and grounded in Him and His Word.

When my little branch is nourished by my Savior, joy pops out somewhere. 

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[1] John 16:32-33

[2] Galatians 4:15

[3] 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

[4] John 7:37-39

[5] John 16:24

[6] John 16:20

[7] 1 Peter 1:8

[8] Hebrews 12:1-3