Things are really tough right now. How can you have joy? You can. God created you to live in joy. The joy Holy Spirit gives you isn’t human, it doesn’t depend on circumstances. God’s joy makes even your worst days better. Let God restore His joy in your life. Here’s how.

As promised, here is the link to Demos Shakarian’s book, “The Happiest People on Earth.” https://amzn.to/3X9Y3Ft This is an affiliate link.

0:00 Joy Restored

1:42 Joy is the normal condition of a son or daughter of God.

2:38 Do You Struggle to Live in Joy

Joy No Matter What

6:02Joy comes from the presence of God.

7:21 Joy From Following God’s Path for Your Life

8:38 Joy Comes From Renewing Your Mind with God’s Word

9:33 Joy is contagious

9:50 Activation

Joy Restored

You are born again, a son/daughter of God. But it will take time for God to restore the ravages of sin in your life. Your soul has been wounded.

After David committed adultery, he repented and wrote: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12

Restore - to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition

Joy is the normal condition of a son or daughter of God.

Psalm 16:11 “in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Adam and Eve were made to be like God – full of joy. So were you.

Christians should be the happiest people on earth. People should be running to us because we are filled with joy.

Do You Struggle to Live in Joy?

Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Rejoice simply means renew your joy. Renew your joy always. Always? In all circumstances? Yes!! Paul was in jail when he wrote these words.

Think of God’s joy as a river that constantly flows through you. It’s true! Joy is always available. You can drink any time you want. It is always there. The choice is yours, but God’s river of joy never dries up. Rejoice!

This is a key that can unlock joy in your life.

Joy No Matter What

I give 2 examples of Christians showing great joy while in prison (Paul and Silas, Acts 13) and persecuted believers in Philippi (Acts 16).

Joy comes from the presence of God.

Psalm 22:3 and Psalm 16:11

Joy From Following God’s Path for Your Life

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

In the path God prepared for you, there is fullness of joy – God’s joy. Deep abiding joy. See John 15:10-11

Joy is Restored by Renewing Your Mind with God’s Word

Romans 12:2

Emotions follow thoughts. Have you noticed? Change your thoughts and you change your emotions.

James 1:17 tells us that all good things come from God. Think on these things. Fix your thoughts on the good things and joy will fill your hearts. (see Philippians 4:8)

Joy is contagious. Hang out with people who are filled with God’s joy and you will catch their joy and learn how to carry it. We become like those we spend time with.

Proverbs 13:20

Spend time with the wise and you will become wise,
but the friends of fools will suffer.

The same is true of joy, of peace, of love, etc. We literally become like the people we are with.

0:00 Facing the Impossible

4:20 Hezekiah’s Prayer

5:30 God’s Answer to Hezekiah’s Prayer

7:35 Activation

7:58 1st Don’t respond to the bad news. Be still. Be quiet.

8:26 2nd Take your bad news and lay it before the Lord.

8:45 3rd Don’t begin by praying the problem. Praise and declare who God is. This will

8:59 4th Ask God for His answer!!

There is always an answer:

Faith comes from hearing Jesus. And you can hear Jesus.

Your world is falling apart. You just got bad news, gut wrenching, hand wringing news. What do you do? This video has 4 powerful steps to take when you need God most. Do the step by step activation at the end of this video and invite God into your darkest times.

It was 701 BC. The Assyrians (under King Sennacherib) had just arrived with an army of 185,000 men outside the walls of Jerusalem. King Hezekiah, of Jerusalem, had an army of less than 10,000 soldiers. The Assyrians demanded that Hezekiah surrender the city or be starved by a long siege and destroyed. This story is found in Isaiah 36-37.

Hezekiah prayed that even through it looked like an impossible situation, that God would be glorified. He prayed the whole world would that God did it. God saved them.

After he prayed, he received God’s answer from Isaiah, the prophet.

Isaiah 37:33-5 NIV

God said there isn’t going to be a battle! Not one arrow will fly. No siege ramp. No starvation. God, Himself will defend the city. For his sake. Through this God would be glorified.

God’s Promise Fulfilled

Isaiah 37:36-38

Activation

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

When you get a bad report: a “dear John letter”, a foreclosure notice on your house, notice you are being sued, or whatever the bad news, do what Hezekiah did.

1st Don’t respond to the bad news. Be still. Be quiet. Immediately reacting and talking about bad things opens emotions of fear and anger.

Psalm 27:1

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

You got the bad news, now wait for God’s reply.

James 1:20

2nd Take your bad news and lay it before the Lord.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you

Isiaiah 37:14-16

3rd Don’t begin by praying the problem. Praise and declare who God is. This will bring new perspective to your situation, push back fear and activate your faith.

4th Ask God for His answer!!

Hezekiah asked the prophet, Isaiah to hear God for the people. Today, we hear God. He speaks directly to us through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Ask “God, what is your provision for me in this.”

There is always an answer:

Isaiah 65:24 NLT

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Faith comes from the experience of hearing Jesus.

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

“Word” here is “rhema” – which means “the spoken word of God.” Rhema words are the messages Jesus gives us by “quickening” scripture, impressions, pictures, the still small voice we hear at times, and the other ways He speaks to us.

Isaiah received a rhema word from God in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer.

You have been given the gift of hearing Jesus.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Walking in the authority Jesus gave you, releases God’s power over demons and influence with people. Learn to walk in your authority as a believer.

Authority means “power to command” devils. It also means “the ability to influence thought, opinion, and behavior.” (Merriam Webster Online Dictionary) Jesus gave you His authority to have power over devils and influence with people.

0:00 Walking in Jesus’ Authority Releases God’s Power

0:45 The Day Demons Came to Church

3:54 What the Bible Says About Your Authority

5:03 Even The Winds And The Waves Obey You.

6:19 Agatha’s Intercessors and the Typhoon

7:44 Activation

The Day Demons Came to Church

I tell the story about the morning a demon possessed woman came to our small, country church and how through using the authority Jesus gave us, she was delivered and born again. This scene wasn't in Hong Kong or China, where I had several encounters with demons, but in a small, country church in the Northeastern U.S.

Some people will struggle with this story because I openly talk about demons and some Christians really don't believe in them or that we have authority over them. They are real. But we don’t need to run away from them. We have authority over them. The Bible says so.

Matthew 10:1, 7-8 NIV

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, a drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

And after Jesus rose from the dead, he told his disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Matthew 28:18

Then he told them to go in that authority and make disciples of all nations.

Even The Winds And The Waves Obey You.

Jesus was sleeping in a small boat as he and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. A violent storm hit them. The disciples were terrified the boat would sink. They woke Jesus up.

Mark 4:39-40 completes the story. “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus expected them to take authority over the storms of life. Us too.

Agatha’s Intercessors and the Typhoon

Dick Eastman tells the story of Agatha Chan, a prayer leader in Hong Kong, whose intercessors took authority over a typhoon which turned away from Hong Kong at the last minute. They were praying to Dick’s prayer conference could be held. I was at that prayer conference.

God’s plan from the very beginning was to give you and I the authority of Jesus, to be used for God’s glory and to destroy the works of the devil. God has never changed His plan. You have Jesus’ authority.

ACTIVATION:

You need to believe that your simple faith brings all the authority of Jesus rushing to help you. When you exercise this authority, you release God's power. Go, walk in the authority Jesus gives you. Be bold. Command the storms in your life to go away. Walk in Jesus’ authority, releasing God’s power into your life and the lives of those you love.