Secret of Heaven

Joy is the gigantic secret of heaven. If we are silent about the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, the very stones will cry out! (Luke 19:40). Just as the crowds shouted praises when they saw Jesus, His presence in our lives should draw praise from our lips. Christian joy is the echo of God's life in us. So why does it sometimes seem that Christians are the most joyless people in the world? How can we unlock the treasure chest of Christian joy?

In Philippians 3:1-11, Paul gave us several wonderful truths about maintaining our joy, especially in the face of hardship. The first nugget of truth is to remind yourself who is the source of joy. The chapter begins with a cheerful command: "Rejoice in the Lord." This joy has its source beyond mere human joy, and therefore it is outside of us. Christian joy is a focused concentration on our relationship to and position in Jesus Christ, and it is maintained through the deliberate remembrance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord.

Paul's encouragement to rejoice describes a settled state of mind characterized by peace and calmness. Joy is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of the sovereign Lord. Christians are not left to the mercy of fate and the outside forces of chance. Joy allows us to see beyond any particular circumstance to the One who stands above all human events and ultimately has control over them.

Christian joy is not a product of circumstance and events. If we experience failed relationships, financial reversals, trials and afflictions, sickness and death, we can still rejoice. Happiness happens because of our happenings, but joy is a choice we make through the Holy Spirit. - Marvin Williams

Behind the name of the word, GOD.

What attribute of God do I show by my life to be most important? This question really got me thinking of. So I got my bible and sat down on my personal computer and typed out the alphabet.

I tried to come up with a characteristic of God that begins with each letter of the alphabet, and a scripture bible verses that represents with it. This was a good exercise and it has turned into a profound act of christian worship.

Here are some of the words I got that characterize God whom I love and served.

• A - Almighty - Genesis 17:1; Psalm 89:8
• B - Beginning - Revelation 22:13
• C - Counselor - Isaiah 9:6
• D - Deliverer - Psalm 18:2
• E - Eternal - Jeremiah 10:10
• F- Father - John 30:10
• G- Gracious - Exodus 34:6
• H- Holy - 1 Peter 1:15-16
• I - Immortal - 1 Timothy 1:17
• J - Just - 1 John 1:9; Revelation 15:3
• K - King - 1 Timothy 6:15
• L - Loving - Psalm 25:10
• M - Maker - Ecclesiastes 11: 5
• N - Never- failing - Lamentations 3:22
• O - Omega - Revelation 1:8
• P - Powerful - Jeremiah 32:17
• R - Righteous - 1 John 2:1
• S - Saviour - 1 Timothy 4:10
• T - Trustworthy - 2 Samuel 7:28
• V - eVerlasting - Isaiah 40:28
  
• W - Worthy - Chronicles 16:25

Try this exercise:
Find a verse to support each word. And when you look over your list, thank God for those characteristics.

Next time, put a twist on it. Write out the alphabet again, only this time use words for the way God sees you.

What if you don't know God in those ways or don't know how He sees you? Let me encourage you to look for Him! The word of God says that if we seek Him, we'll find Him ( 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13).

It's not as easy as ABC, but in time you will learn to know God's characteristics through His Word.