Wednesday 18 July 2012

Open Heavens Devotional: FULLNESS OF JOY – Wednesday, July 18, 2012 By Pastor E.A. Adeboye


Memorise: And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Acts 5:41
Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 11-13
God is the giver of joy for in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). Romans 15:13 says:
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
It is possible to be filled with all joy. That will be your portion this season. God also wants your joy to be full, not half or quarter, hence in John 16:24, He says:
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
If some very important requests are not granted, your joy will definitely not be full.
But you may ask: Why is my joy not yet full? It could just be because you are yet to meet all the requirements. 1 Peter 4:13 says;
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
If you are not prepared to suffer with Christ, then be prepared to forego the benefit of exceeding joy. There are some believers who are still hiding their faith in Christ in their workplace. They do not want their bosses or colleagues to know that they are born again Christians for fear of being persecuted. There are sisters who cannot tell their husbands that they are now saved and so can no longer continue the things they did together that did not please God. There are people attending white garment churches or non-Pentecostal churches who along the line contacted believers who preached to them and they received Christ as their Lord. Yet, they are afraid of declaring to their unsaved leaders and fellow church members that they are now born again for fear of being branded rebels. In any way you are hiding your status as a believer, you are denying Christ. If you find it difficult to preach Jesus to others, you are denying Him. If you deny Him, He also will deny you. No one who denies Jesus will be able to have the fullness of joy that He promised. Are you prepared to suffer for His name? The early church counted it a privilege to suffer for Christ. No wonder their joy knew no bounds.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, let there be a manifestation of the answer to all my prayers that I may experience the fullness of joy that you promised.

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