Is Joy In The House?

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. (Psalm 35:9)

I wrote this blog about 48 hours ago. But had to leave it in draft. I was not able to publish it due to an unexpected hectic schedule, but oh was I tested by it. And oh did I fail. My joy was tried. I wasn't feeling well. Had to work long hours. Was insulted and misrepresented. You name it. It was happening. I was being fought on every side with some form of frustration, agitation, disappointment, and mistreatment. And, for a moment, hurt and anger had kicked my joy out the door. And my response to the things I was facing was anything but joyful. But what I realized is before I responded to the test. I did not pray. I just thought. I just spoke. I just (over)reacted. I was already in the middle of a hard situation and should have taken time to let God breathe on me. I did not give my Jesus Joy time to intercede. I did not reach for the joy of my salvation like I could have, because at the end of the day, holding on to my salvation and joying in it is what matters (Thessalonians 5:16–18 says rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in everything). I learned my lesson. No one, no thing or situation is worthy of your joy, stealing prayer out of your mouth, and taking thanksgiving out of your heart. They/it can't have it because it is from the Lord. It belongs to him. And the truth is no one is to blame but me. I am responsible for holding on to and maintaining my joy.

I have never seen my Pastor Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn nor his companion Apostle Felicia Gunn with their heads hung down. Every time you talk with them they always have a testimony or praise about the Lord. They are always grateful and rejoicing in what they face and encounter throughout their week. But life has not been easy for them. They have been mistreated and neglected by many, they have had to make sacrifices that not many would make. They have served and preached through blindness, recovering from procedures and pain, mourning loved ones, you name it. But they still smile and still rejoice because their joy is rooted in their salvation. Their joy is rooted in their love for the Lord.

When you are not just saved but appreciate your salvation, you can always find a reason to rejoice. When we find ourselves only joyful when there is money in the bank, food on the table, clothes to buy, places to go, peace at work/home, when everything is going as planned or our prayers are answered in the way we wanted then our joy is not really full. Is our joy tank on half-empty?

Jesus desires that his followers always have a full joy tank. He even displays in the word how simply the receiving of the word, and his teaching should give us a full joy tank.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)

Can God find joy in our lives and in our homes? Real joy, unconditional joy -- not circumstantial joy, not plastic joy, but joy that is like a well of water that rises to the top even when we are feeling low? The word is supposed to stir up joy in us. Prayer is supposed to stir up joy in us. Praise is supposed to stir up joy in us. Giving is supposed to stir up joy in us. Fasting is supposed to stir up joy in us. Obedience is supposed to stir up joy in us. Reading the Bible is supposed to stir up joy in us. Receiving the teaching from our pastor is supposed to stir up joy in us. Fellowship with those who are saved is supposed to stir up joy in us. So, if we are finding joy in everything but these things, that could explain why our joy runs out so fast.

The broadcast from this weekend talks about hungering after God. Chief Apostle Gunn talks about how we are so full of everything else - from food and entertainment to our opinions and wrong thoughts, that we have no hunger for God. There should always be a thirsting and hungering to be closer to God in us. Just like there should always be joy left in us no matter what we encounter. Listen to the broadcast here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=7024404029085496&wix-music-comp-id=comp-kjfzbgmx

John 15:11 tells us that joy is something that remains. That means it should never go away. Even on a day of hardness, we are still supposed to find a reason to joy. Perhaps we can start with: God gave me breath. God saved my soul. People of God love me. Jesus loves me so much he died for me. I can pray to a God who listens and answers. I can read the word without persecution. I can freely go to church when I desire to without fear of arrest. These are just examples but we should never run out of reasons to joy.

In the old days, when people lived in cabin-style homes, one sign of people being home was the smoke coming from their fireplaces or fire stoves. This is the picture God gave me recently. Does God know we are home in the spirit? Does the smoke of joy, prayer, praise, worship, studying his word rise up? Can he smell the odor of the joy of our salvation rising up from our homes? Chief Apostle Gunn has always taught us that our life has an odor. So, although, for some reason, we think we can hide from God (which we can't because he sees everything), God can smell us. Will it be the sweet aroma of our joy, praise, worship, and prayer or will it be the stench of ungratefulness, unwillingness, and misery that reaches God's nostrils. (And yes it's true, misery loves company. Misery is like a dry place and the Bible says that the devil and his demons look for dry places to rest, so yes, it's time to come out of our dry places and the things that cause us to retreat there. Joy is like a river and it will keep us wet in the Lord.)

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Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141: 1-2)

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And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. (Revelation 8:3-4)

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This week, Chief Apostle Gunn sent this message to our church thread: "Joy joy joy. Jesus is my joy! Joy, joy, joy, Jesus is my joy."

And that sums it all up! If we truly have Jesus, then all our joy is wrapped up in him. But when we let go of Jesus, our joy is sure to follow.