🏡ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL💦, DECEMBER 1, 2023; VOLUME 2🏡
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🏴THEME: 👉SEASON OF JOY
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
TEXT:👉 JEREMIAH 31: 13
MESSAGE🏡
Season of Joy is a time of God showing His great love for all His beloved. “Joy is not the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God.” Joy is the reality of God’s presence. Joy enables us to experience the kingdom in the way that Jesus did, because Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy is a gift from God. The root word for joy in the Greek is “chara”, which is closely related to the Greek word for grace “charis”. Joy comes when we are aware of God’s grace. Joy is a gift of God and also a response to the gifts of God. The Prophet Nehemiah said in Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
That sounds good… But what does it mean? What is the joy of the Lord? One commentator on this verse wrote “The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.” When Jesus was born, the angels announced “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). If you are a Christian, a follower, a disciple of Jesus, then you have already experienced the good tidings of joy He has brought into your life. Because Jesus came and turn our mourning into joy as was prophesied by Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:13. Which Joy are you talking about?
The joy of knowing that Jesus died for you.
The joy of knowing your place in Heaven is assured because of what Jesus has done for you.
The joy of knowing your sins, past, present and future have already been forgiven.
The joy of knowing that you are in a relationship with a God who loves you and cares for you and has a plan for you.
The joy of knowing that the Holy Spirit resides in you, leading and guiding you to bring honour and glory to God.
Knowing Jesus brings joy into our daily lives. May the Joy of the Lord remain with you in this season of Joy in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
REFLECTION🏴
The joy of knowing your place in Heaven is assured because of what Jesus has done for you.
PRAYER🏴
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the joy of the Lord in my life and family. Let your joy manifest in my life forever in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
FURTHER BIBLE READING🏴: ACTS 17
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2023🏴
MORNING: MATTHEW 12
EVENING: MATTHEW 13
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🍎 Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry 🍎
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🏡 HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, NIGERIA CARES 🏴
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Pastor NseAbasi Francis Harry: 🏡DECEMBER 2023-OUR SEASON OF JOY; JEREMIAH 31:13🏡
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ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL🏴; SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023; VOLUME 2🏴
THEME: 👉LIVING IN THE SEASON OF JOY
“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight”
TEXT: 👉LUKE 10: 21
MESSAGE🏡
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy enables us to experience the kingdom in the way that Jesus did. Joy is a gift from God. Jesus demonstrated joy in His ministry. In Luke 7:34 the Pharisees even accused Jesus of being too joyful by dinning with the sinners. Luke 10:21 tells us “Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit”.
Listen to the words of Jesus recorded in John 15:9-11, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” In John 16:24 Jesus told His disciples, “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
In many of Jesus’ parables, there is joy, for example in Luke 15 there is the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Parable of the Lost Coin and Parable of the Lost Son; these Parables end with a joyful shepherd, a joyful woman and a joyful father.
One of the characteristics of the early church was joy. Acts 2:46-47 says, “They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 13:52 tells us, “The believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
The Apostle Paul often wrote about joy, in Romans 14:17 Paul wrote, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
If you are a follower of Jesus this morning then you are part of the kingdom of God, you share in the life, peace and joy of God’s kingdom. I pray that you will be part of God’s kingdom. And, I pray also that you will remain in the joy of the Lord for the fulfilling of Godswill in your life in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
REFLECTION🏴
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
PRAYER🏴
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the strength of your joy in my life. May I live in your joy forever in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
FURTHER BIBLE READING🏴: ACTS 18
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2023🏴
MORNING: MATTHEW 14
EVENING: MATTHEW 15
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🍎 AUTHOR: PASTOR NSEABASI HARRY 🍎
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🏡 HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, NIGERIA CARES 🏴
💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦
Pastor NseAbasi Francis Harry: 🏡DECEMBER 2023-OUR SEASON OF JOY; JEREMIAH 31:13🏡
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ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL;🏴 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2023; VOLUME 2🏴
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THEME: 👉LIVING IN THE SEASON OF JOY 2
“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice”
TEXT:👉 PHILIPPIANS 4: 4
MESSAGE🏡
Experiencing joy should be a part of every season in a Christian’s life. Paul writing to the church at Philippi, said in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice”. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul wrote, “Rejoice evermore”. It’s not just Paul that wrote about joy, listen to the words of Peter from 1 Peter 1:6-9, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.
So, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.”
If you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then whatever season you are in right now, the joy of the Lord should be in your heart. You are a child of God, no one can snatch you away from Him. You are an heir to a priceless inheritance, an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. You can experience the joy of the Lord in every season by keeping your eyes on Jesus, the champion, the author, the initiator, the perfecter, the finisher of your faith. Faith is the victory, faith overcomes, faith helps us to know that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Maybe you are in a difficult season of life, maybe your situation or circumstance is difficult, maybe you are so focused on the problem you feel unable to experience the joy of the Lord.
Think about Paul and Silas for a moment in Acts 16, the situation they were in when they were locked up in a Philippian prison. Paul and Silas had been arrested without cause, then beaten without a trial, then they were put into a jail cell with their feet in the stocks.
Humanly speaking they were in a joyless situation, yet at midnight, they sang songs of praises to God. Then came the miracle, the prison shook, all the doors opened up and their chains fell off. Or think about Peter and the other Apostles, the High Priest and the Sadducees captured them and then had them flogged. The Apostles were ordered to never speak in the name of Jesus again and then they were released. It seems like another joyless situation yet Acts 5:41-42 says, “The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: Jesus is the Messiah.”
Walk in this joy and you will fulfill your mission on earth. God bless you.
REFLECTION🏴
You can experience the joy of the Lord in every season by keeping your eyes on Jesus, the champion, the author, the initiator, the perfecter, the finisher of your faith. Faith is the victory, faith overcomes, faith helps us to know that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
PRAYER🏴
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the grace to live in your joy. Let the joy of the Lord be my strength in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
FURTHER BIBLE READING:🏴 ACTS 19
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2023🏴
MORNING: MATTHEW 16
EVENING: MATTHEW 17
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🍎 Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry 🍎
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🏡 HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, NIGERIA CARES 🏴
💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦
Pastor NseAbasi Francis Harry: 🏡DECEMBER 2023 -OUR SEASON OF JOY; JEREMIAH 31:13🏡
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🏡ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL🏴; MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023; VOLUME 2🏴
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THEME:👉 LIVING IN THE SEASON OF JOY 3
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”
TEXT: 👉HEBREWS 12: 2
MESSAGE🏡
Joy is very important in the life of the believer. Through the Joy of the Lord, believers can achieve many things. One of such is recorded in ISAIAH 12: 3;
“Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”.
The apostles at Jesus days were following the example of Jesus who as Hebrews 12:2 says, “Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame.”
The truth is even the most spiritually mature of God’s people can experience periods of joylessness. In Job 3:11, Job wished he had never been born. In Psalm 55:6–8, David prayed to be taken to a place where he would not have to deal with reality. Elijah, fresh from seeing the 450 prophets of Baal defeated with fire that came down from heaven, fled into the desert and asked God to take his life.
If these great men of God struggled to find joy, how can we find joy in every season of life? For us to experience the joy of the Lord, our focus needs to be on God. Instead of dwelling in our difficulties, or allowing circumstances and situations to rob us of our joy, we must focus on God.
Now, let me be clear on this, I am not saying that we are to deny our feelings or try to suppress our emotions, but we are to submit our circumstances, our situations, our problems to the God who cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you”. We can pour out our hearts to God. We can tell Him how we feel. God cares for you.
How can we find joy in every season of life? In Philippians 4:4–9, the Apostle Paul gives us some practical guidelines for experiencing joy in our lives: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And the joy of the Lord will overflow in your life in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
REFLECTION🏴
Through the Joy of the Lord, believers can achieve many things. One of such is recorded in ISAIAH 12: 3; “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”.
PRAYER🏴
Heavenly Father, I thank you for granting me the understanding of joy. Let the joy of the Lord empower me to fulfill my purpose in life in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
FURTHER BIBLE READING🏴: ACTS 20
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2023🏴
MORNING: MATTHEW 18
EVENING: MATTHEW 19
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🍎 Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry 🍎
💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦
🏡HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, NIGERIA CARES 🏴
💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦
Pastor NseAbasi Francis Harry: DECEMBER 2023-OUR SEASON OF JOY; JEREMIAH 31:13🏡
💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦
🏡ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL🏴; TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2023; VOLUME 2🏴
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THEME: 👉LIVING IN THE SEASON OF JOY 4
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”
TEXT: 👉JAMES 1:2 KJV
MESSAGE🏡
Beloved, we are here to see the beauty of Joy in the moment of trials and afflictions in every season of our lives. In our trial moment, let always observe the best practice as believers, as recorded in Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. Always, fix your eyes and thoughts on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Paul emphasizes the importance of praising God and remembering that God is always near, in every season of life. We are to pray and focus on the things of God. We will experience joy when we intentionally bring our praise and worship to God. We will experience joy when we communicate with God through prayer.
In Jeremiah 31:13, God says, “I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.” This is our portion.
We will experience joy when we walk by faith and keep our focus on the things of God. The book of James was written to Christians who had been scattered to different places, they were people who experienced a season of pain and persecution in their lives. If we have faith that works, it will be seen in how we face trials, how we treat people, how we talk, how we deal with sin in our lives and how we pray.
Let us consider James 1:2 as one of the most amazing statements in the entire Bible, the NIV translates it this way: “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.”
As we persevere through trials, with God’s help, our faith strengthens and matures. By God’s grace we can experience joy despite our circumstances. Listen to James 1:2-4 from the New Living Translation, says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
I sincerely pray for you that, the Lord will uphold you in every step of your life, and whatever you will encounter in this life, the grace of the Almighty God will see you through in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
REFLECTION🏴
We will experience joy when we walk by faith and keep our focus on the things of God.
PRAYER🏴
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your grace upon my life to overcome all forms of trials and afflictions. Let the joy of the Lord galvanize everything in me to fulfill my purpose in life in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
FURTHER BIBLE READING🏴: ACTS 21
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2023🏴
MORNING: MATTHEW 20
EVENING: MATTHEW 21
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🍎 Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry 🍎
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🏡HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, NIGERIA CARES 🏴
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SCHOOL OF MYSTERIES, ABAK 