REJOICE!

Just the last week, we played a game, during which two questions were placed before us, we were to state the one thing we loved and the thing we hated? The word hate simply disappeared and everybody spoke something they loved and something they disliked. It was really good for a change, it was entertaining and we got to know something about each other. I think overall it was great. Of-course what I answered then was I love to love and that I don’t dislike anything, because if I do-I’ll be focusing my mind on the wrong things. And it kind of got me to thinking, what are the things that I really-really love.

So here goes, my first one, I love babies-always dreamed of working in a crèche (non-financial). I love the way babies walk-they have that wobble effect. And they have this little cute thing when they cry about something they’ll simply just fall on their bottom. I mean you just want to lift them up and want to give them that big hug. I love their innocence the way anything can make them happy. You keep a toy before a kid, he will play with it for some time, but place a big cartoon (box) before him, and watch him, he will forget the toy. I still try to figure out what is it that a baby loves so much about a carton? Maybe someday I’ll figure that one out. But till then I’m totally fascinated, I know I always will be. Babies are cute.

Christmas, is my favourite holiday season. I remember this one Christmas when we were kids, when Santa got down the chopper and gave us chocolates. And that is something I will never forget. I love Santa-Claus and to he was as real as real can be.

My favourite movie-While you were sleeping, I have watched this movie about 7-8 times and maybe even more. It’s set around Christmas time. The movie-is where the actress likes this guy, who falls into a coma-one thing leading to another-she realizes that the coma guys brother and she have much in common, she falls in love with him. I love the part where she says, Thank God, things don’t happen the way we plan.

The movie-little women again set around Christmas, speaks of a loving family. There is one scene at the end of the movie, that I love the most. When he places his open hand towards her and says, my hands they are empty (I have noting to give you) and she places her hands in his and says they are not empty now. Maybe I did not get the words here right, but these are the two movies that I love.

Of all the memories, I cherish in the world, this one is closest to my heart. It’s of my baby brother. I had this argument with my mother, when we were at my aunt’s place. And so I packed up my stuff and was going to my dad. I was crying, as I was tying my shoelace. Back then my brother was something 31/2 to 4 years. He comes with his bag to me, and tries to put on his shoes. I look at him and I see he is crying too, so I ask him where are you going? He replies I’m coming with you. My tears automatically stop. I thought no it can’t be. I know a baby can’t live without his mother. So I kept whatever I felt aside and made peace with that moment. The reason I cherish this moment is because I felt most loved. It was just one moment, but I always return back to that moment with the utmost fondness. So whenever, I need to feel loved, I know I was at that very moment.

Love is so very important in every-one of our lives. How you live your life is so very important too.  Love and sacrifice they go hand in hand.

Often, people give higher priority to material things. My advice, don’t. Love is priceless. Things they come and go. But love is forever. 

At the end of the journey, all the wealth wont matter. All I want for you is you be happy, you be blessed. I wish you love. And I love you more than you would ever know.

I know that Love is and will always be the greatest thing in the world. It always will be.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice”. Philippians 4:4

Happiness is dependent upon circumstances – joy is independent of circumstances. Today times are tough. What ever your need - God, our Heavenly Father already knows about it-Matthew 6:31. So don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow's.

We as Christians are to rejoice always in the Lord! Our Heavenly Father knows our needs, our problems, our concerns, our lack, and our grief. And He promises to take care of them too!

We have to put Jesus Christ our Lord first in our lives. We have to rejoice in all things! This is a very important part of our daily walk with Christ.

Rejoice means be glad, be glad that you have Jesus, be glad that you have Him to lean on and trust in. Being glad that you have Jesus to lean on leads to thanksgiving!

When Paul wrote those words, life was not going well for him. He was in prison–on death row. St. Paul had every reason to complain-He had offered his life to God-He served God faithfully and yet for his faithfulness-he ends up being in a prison cell. But instead of complaining, Paul was full of joy.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice”.

In fact his whole letter to the Philippians is filled with joy. It has been called ”the Epistle of Joy‟.  E.g.
1.4  He speaks of the joy of prayer
1.18 He speaks of the joy of seeing the Gospel preached
2.17 He speaks of the joy of Christian service
2.18 & 3.1  He urges the Philippians to rejoice
Here in 4.4 He twice more urges the Philippians to rejoice

Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Titus 2:13-14, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own.

God has taken care of everything for us Christians!
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!

Romans 5:3 states-Rejoice in sufferings? If we persevere in our sufferings, it will bring us character which leads to hope.
God did not give us life just to be hopeless! And so, we must have hope and hope is produced through sufferings. How does this happen?

James 1:2-8 states-No matter what happens, we must persevere in our faith in God and in Jesus Christ; this is the perseverance which brings character and leads to hope!

Only God has the power to do the impossible! James 1:5-8 states-Pray with faith! We persevere through prayer!

The other things we are to rejoice about? We are to rejoice in God. Romans 5:6-10 states what Jesus Christ did for us! While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for our sins! Through Jesus Christ, we are justified before God! We as Christians are saved from God’s wrath! We are to rejoice in what Jesus did and what He is doing in our lives right now! Rejoice in the Lord always….

And finally, we simply rejoice because God has brought us to Him! God has reconciled us to Himself! 

 

Tonight I give you reasons for joy
REJOICE IN THE BIRTH OF JESUS


As the angel said to the shepherds, “I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord”. Luke 2.10

To their amazement the shepherds discovered that Jesus came for them. Imagine being the few selected to be witnesses to the visitation to the Son of God (to be witnesses to the birth of Jesus). I mean, imagine that, to be a part of God’s plan to encounter the 1st Christmas ever. It’s a who would have thought moment. The splendid thing about God, is He always is in control. So you may have written yourself off. Not God! He loves, to do the impossible. Do you know, what it is to know how gentle and loving HE really is? One touch of His goodness, one Breath of His in your direction and everything has to move. 

In this society, of ours, we have so many classifications between ourselves. The thing is when God created us He made us in His image and likeness.

Jesus, came into the world (the son of God) as a carpenter’s Son. The birth of Jesus-was in a manger with cattle all around. And the people who were announced of His birth-were the poor shepherds.

So what is it that we need to learn? It’s just this, that God choose to be a common man on purpose. He told us that we are to love above and beyond all words. We know that God does not condemn and how do know that? It’s simple, Jesus did not treat anyone in an inferior manner. He came into the world for us, to deliver us. He took our sins on Himself and for our transgressions, He chose to be condemned. For love.

Come, says Jesus, come home. HE has His arms open wide for you and me. He invites all of us. Come, you who are burdened and I will give you rest-says Jesus. COME!

So, Rejoice. “Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved”.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice”.
   

REJOICE IN THE DEATH OF JESUS

Jesus was an innocent man, convicted and sentenced to die. But His brutal execution changed the world. Jesus Christ died on a rugged cross for our salvation. Yet among all the emblems of the world, the cross is admired with awe and wonder.

The love of Christ is manifested in the cross to everyone. The Bible says that God’s love surpasses knowledge-Ephesians 3:19. There is no way that our finite minds can even begin to understand the love God had for us when He gave His Son on the cross to die for us.

Think of Christ’s suffering for you and for me. They beat Him on the head. They bared His back, took long leather whips with steel pellets on the end and beat Him until He was bleeding from head to toe. They crushed that crown of thorns on His brow. They drove the nails through His hands and feet.

He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 It was God’s great love for each of us that allowed His Son to take that suffering.

Here was the Son of God dying on a cross that was made for the hardest of sinners. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world by His suffering and death.

Yes, the death of Jesus is cause for joy. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “We rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ-5.11–“We were God’s enemies, but He made us His friends through the death of His Son”-5.10

Jesus died for you–and for me. Jesus died that our sins might be forgiven–He died to open up a way to God. Because of Jesus we can call God , ‘Abba Father’. 
“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice!”

REJOICE IN THE RESSURECTION

The message of the angel to those followers of Jesus on the resurrection morning brought hope, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, for he has arisen!" That same message fills our life with hope and assurance. HE IS ALIVE!

Christ has risen from the dead. In the resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered sin and death; He is alive forever. 

The greatest news is the news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, as He had promised. Without a belief in the resurrection there can be no personal salvation. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” - Romans 10:9

John tells us that when the risen Lord Jesus came to His disciples that first Easter Sunday evening “the disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord”-20.20
At that stage they rejoiced that their Lord was back with them. But as time passed, their joy deepened, because they came to realise that in rising from the dead Jesus had broken the power of death over your life and mine. Peter 1st Letter states: “God gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope”-1.3. He goes on: “So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express” 1.8
 
The resurrection of Jesus is cause for great joy. Death no longer has the last word – Jesus does.
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” 

CONCLUSION: If we rejoice in the Lord, we will be reasonable. We dont need to be axious about anything, but through praying and asking God and then with thanksgiving for all we have, we should request what we need from our good God and know that He will answer our prayers. And then, we will have peace.

Don’t you want peace and freedom from anxiety? I know I do. I want to be able to lay down my burdens and not pick them up again. I need to rejoice, pray, and thank God to have the peace that passes all understanding in my life today.

REMEMBER: Every day we have on this earth is a gift from God, but ultimately everyone has to be prepared to face death and judgment. Through the triumph of the cross and resurrection, Jesus has already dealt with both of those.

PRAYER: Abba Father, thank you for the many blessings in my life. Help me to love everyone with all my heart. Keep me always obedient and faithful. This I ask in the name of Jesus Christ your son and my savior. Amen.