The sun has just risen over the barren hills. A shaft of yellow light divides the shadows of the large room. There are over a hundred men scattered throughout the room, sitting in hushed meditation. The rays of sunlight seem to pierce the very silence. Outside, the streets begin to clamor with early morning traffic and children playing in the alleys. Peter’s beard still smells like yesterdays fish fry. Today he is saddened by memories of his lost friend. He and the others in the room are remembering when their families were given their freedom many years before. Now they are being subjected to the same enslavement and persecution. They are afraid that even now this meeting will be discovered and they will be arrested and perhaps executed, just as their last leader had been.

Gladness, happiness, rejoicing, bliss. Pleasure, delight, gladness. Pleasure is the general term for any emotion aroused by gratification; delight is keen pleasure; gladness is happiness, as apparent in facial expression or bearing; joy is a deep and spiritual experience. The opposite of joy would be: sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure.

I was watching a nature program once and it was about a small weasel. The weasel had caught a small rabbit and had carried it back to the den. It exhibited such a state of elation that a casual on—looker would have considered the animal completely mad or insane. But instead the little weasel was overwhelmed with happiness and joy. It would roll on the ground, jump into the air, run about at full speed diving over things and would toss it’s quarry into the air.

This behavior or feeling is one we have probably all shared as children. We would leap for joy when a fore-nights snow meant no school and a day of fun in the snow. Or we would practically be beside our self when we got that first birthday bicycle or toy we always wanted. We would experience true joy with that first puppy—love romance; that ‘first kiss’ feeling. Children are free and relatively uninhibited. Adults are usually reserved, dignified, and collected.

P.O.W.’s leap for joy when they were finally given their freedom. Those who have Spiritual experiences often exhibit the same responses to this inner joy. In the case of Spiritual renewal this same feeling of freedom ts expressed. Imagine how it would feel if someone forgave us a great debt that would have been impossible for us to repay. Imagine the feelings of joy if someone gave us life after we had been condemned to die. Imagine the joy we would feel if we were forgiven completely of all the wrong we had ever done. Our joy would probably be as uninhibited as that of a child.

These feelings come from our inner—selves. Joy of the soul is a Spiritual experience. Happiness depends upon happenstance or what happens to us. Joy remains within us regardless of what happens externally.

Joy is related to peace. Each is an inner condition of the soul. Joy and inner contentment result from a balance of spirit and physical well—being. To seek solely physical fulfillment without acknowledging one’s Spiritual needs causes an incompleteness in one’s total being and well—being.

Spiritual well—being that results in joy is attributed to an awareness of the source of Spiritual well—being and life itself. To disregard the Creator is to ignore the very essence of life. Man is made in the very Image of God. Mankind has proven that if we attempt to survive without Spiritual guidance, we self—destruct. Guidelines for this Spiritual relationship with God and man has been provided in God’s Holy Word. To acknowledge God and God's Word is to recognize our innermost being and the needs of this relationship.

These basic guidelines are really facts of life and cannot successfully be altered or compromised. They are as following:
Trust God only; Worship God only; Use God’s name in ways that honor Him; Rest on the Sabbath day and think about God; Respect and obey your parents; Protect and respect human life; Be true to your spouse; do not take what belongs to others; Do not lie about others; Be satisfied with what you have(Exodus 20).

Genuine, long—lasting joy occurs when one encounters the God of life. The God of the creation is the same God that comes to us as a Spirit to make Himself known to us. His son Jesus Christ was a Spiritual being, who became a physical man so that we would know who God is, and who we are. This understanding must take place within our Spiritual self. There is nothing mystical about it. It it a reality of our existence, and can be effectively understood. This knowledge of Spiritual things is shown to us by the Holy Spirit of God Himself. True joy and peace of the soul is what results when this relationship is experienced.

The word ‘enthusiasm’ is (en Theos) in the Greek and means God within. This enthusiasm and joy was experienced at an historical event called pentecost. From Acts Ch.2 we read: “they were all of one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Some that were standing near—by did not understand what was going on and thought these men were drunk. But Peter, who was one of the disciples of Jesus, stood up and said, ‘these are not drunken, as ye suppose...but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to past in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt made me full of joy with thy countenance.’

The skeptical and curious asked Peter what they could do to have this joy. He said to them “repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission or sins, and ye shalt receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Sin is action that misses the mark of human potential. Sin is that attitude that kills the joy in our lives. The physical and material things of the world are good and necessary, but too much importance can he placed upon them. Pleasure of the material world is only temporary and is not lasting. In God one finds peace, joy and life eternal. Jesus Christ said, “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Going along with the crowd or being politically correct is not necessarily the right way.

One’s ambition and determination comes from one’s inner strength and integrety. The Lord is the believer’s source of strength and hope. As Nehemiah the prophet said, “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” The born again believer who has accepted Christ as Lord of their life has experienced forgiveness and the unconditional love of Cod. The response this elicits is one of joy which comes from no other source. “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation (Hab. 3:18). Paul the apostle has more to say about this joy in the Lord. “Always rejoice in the Lord...be anxious for nothing. The peace of God will guard your hearts & minds. Meditate on things that are true, just & pure. Be content in whatever state we arc in. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:4—13).”

God’s light shines into a world of darkness. God often uses men to shine His light through. No amount of darkness can extinguish light, but the smallest light can penetrate the greatest darkness. Mankind makes moral choices concerning directions in life. These conscious decisions direct the person toward good or toward evil. At some point one commits their heart to achieving a goal. What this goal is determines the person’s fulfillment in life. " For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. A treasure in heaven cannot be taken from you(Luke 12:33,54).” Joy is evident in one’s life when one realizes that one’s life and achievements are safe and secure. All the things of this world will pass away but the things of God are eternal.

As a young person living in the country, there were no street lights to be seen. A friend of mine was visiting his neighbor a couple of miles away. He stayed longer than he meant to and was going to have to walk home through the dark woods. He borrowed a lantern so he could find his way. He had not gone far however when they heard a crash. They ran to see what had happened. He had tripped over some obstacle in the path. The boy who had fallen said “this lantern of yours is no good." The man replied “the lantern was all right, only you held it to your head instead of to your feet.”

This is often what we do with the word of God. Psalms 119 reads, “thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” When one makes the word of God a living part of their life, the word transcends their spirit and leads them to the joyous and abundant life.

To worship God in Spirit and in truth requires a balance between Spirit and truth. To worship in truth one studies the Bible. To worship in Spirit one allows the Holy Spirit to fill their lives and lets faith be released in service in the name of the Lord.

Best of all this new life is a free gift. To receive this free gift one must believe that God can save them from the sinful condition. One must decide to turn away from the artificial, temporary pleasure this world has to offer. All the world has to offer is disappointment heartache, and death. We must sell our souls to obtain the things of the world. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all we have to do is to repent and to believe! When one takes that first step in faith, they feel the indescribable and accepting love of God. It is then that the joy of the Lord is experienced! It is then that God’s grace is understood for the first time.

Peace and joy come to the Christian through the free righteousness of God, accepted by the believer through faith. It is an inward experience which must have an outward expression. The righteousness of God cannot be self made. Those with self—made righteousness are consciously virtuous and therefore are complacent. The believer prays that God will cleanse him and purify his Spirit. “Who will stand in His Holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; . . . He shall receive right-eousness from the God of his salvation, (Psalms 24:5—6).” “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,” as a bride and groom dress themselves for the wedding. (Isaiah 61:10).

The “bride of Christ” is the church. Christ loves the church as a groom loves his bride. God's goodness and reconciliation in the church consolidates the body of believers. His Holy Spirit empowers believers that they may go out into the world as Christ’s representatives: teaching; healing; preaching the word of God; and leading the lost to the source of salvation — Jesus the Christ. The saved are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We are then, ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor.3). Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” The fruits of the Spirit like joy, peace and love develop and grow from the believer because they are rooted in the power of the living God. It is in this fruit bearing that one finds everlasting peace and joy. The world only offers temporary and artificial peace. Drugs and alcohol offer only artificial peace (1 Cor. 3:16,17). “Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matt. 3). We were once slaves to sin. Jesus reconciled us and brought us back to God. Peace of the soul can only be found in the loving arms of God.

Here you are walking life’s pathway alone, Wandering aimlessly through;
Finding no purpose, no place to call home, Seeking a life that is new.
Then comes somebody who loves you for you, Taking you just as you be;
Suddenly blossoms a life that is new, Born of the Spirit in thee.
You are nobody ‘til someone loves you, Till somebody shows you the way;
walk in the light, it the path of the few, Be sure to love someone today.

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Jesus tells us that He is “the living bread which came down from heaven (Manna); if any man eat this bread, he shall live forever.” At the last supper (Matt.26) Jesus took the bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and said: “take, eat, this is my body."

Jesus takes us, blesses us, breaks us, and gives us in service. In God’s hand, we are like the bread that He blesses. We are like the clay that He molds, and shapes, and fires with trials and afflictions until we are useful in His will and purpose. This fulfillment results in joy. It takes two mountain tops to make a valley. God’s house is built from many parts. He takes the clay and molds us into the shape He needs to build His house. We are called to do His work. The difference between a stumbling block and a building block is only in where it is found. A stumbling- block stands alone. A building block is part or a greater whole.

Between the mountains lie the valley where the clay is found.
That’s where the Master’s Holy presence makes it sacred ground.
He takes the clay and purifies and in His mold doth fill.
And shapes it till a soul doth make forever in His will.
The fire or God burns in the heart to give us strength through strife.
The clay that once lay in the ground now has eternal life.
The dust that once was useless there and with our feet did trod,
Has now become a building block within the house of God.

theosphos 1995

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