JOY IN THE MORNING -- IT'S ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO US

His Word was in my Heart like a Burning Fire

Jeremiah 20:9b

 

 

Yesterday we began our first Koinonia session for the fall season of 2013. What a joy it was to share in Koinonia fellowship with all the ladies who came by and, now, to share with you, who either could not be present with us, but are here online. I love it that we can have that time together no matter where we are.

 

 

I started our introduction of what our focus will be from September to December with that scripture you see above. "His Word was in my Heart like a Burning Fire" from the book of Jeremiah.

 

 

Is His Word in your heart today?

 

• How important it is for you and I to be zealous about our walks with the Lord.
• How important it is to be inspired and encouraged by all God speaks to us, whether through prayer or through our reading of the Scriptures, and even with the time we spend together.
• How important it is to have that inward fire he speaks which comes only from Him. How I've often tried to drum it up myself. Doesn't work!
• How important is to live with His joy in our hearts -- even in the worst of times...though certainly not always easy. 

 

JOY IN THE MORNING

 

 

This will be the theme of our new study series. I gave you a hint of what to expect in my sharing of how we will go through Paul's letter to the Philippian Christians and  later Philemon, another awesome letter which speaks of joy in the Lord.

 

 

Both of these letters speak to you and I having joy in our hearts in the morning, at noon, and at night, no matter our circumstances, no matter our trials and troubles, no matter our personal tribulations, health issues, financial difficulties, and family ups and downs. And especially no matter the negativity of the world situations we are so surrounded by in this age. All of these things can so easily get  in the way of that joy we can and should have in Christ our Lord.

 

 

During each lesson, you have an opportunity, whether near or far to share in our time together just by clicking on the link that adds you to our email list. Then these will come to you directly and if you like, you can do the time of review right along with us with your Bibles right in your most comfortable chair with some music in the background.

 

 

In our time together yesterday, we all began with the Lord's Prayer, because that will help us to remember our focus should always be on Him first and how wonderful God is. If anything can give us a taste of joy to start our day, that can.

 

I also shared with our group the Lord's letter to the Philadelphia church in Revelations, chapter 2. I hope you will take a minute to read this too. For we ARE the church still with a little faith, and Jesus tells us (I'm sure with His whole heart) to hold on to what we have (that little bit of faith) and He will keep us from the hour of immense testing and tribulation that will come upon the earth (probably sooner than many think).

 

One way that we can hang onto our witness as a church (each of us a part of it) is to keep the peace and love and faith and joy of the Lord that is deep within us.

 

 

It's the joy of the Lord that is our strength.

 

 

Before we begin our series, I just want to ask you: Do you know what KOINONIA (It's a Greek word) really means?

 

Here is a good list to get you thinking and then asking yourself if you are a part of God's Koinonia.

 

• Communication (Talking with God in prayer -- Talking with others in the body of Christ about Him
• Fellowship (Getting together with a body of believers for the purpose of encouragement, admonishment, and a willingness to listen. Opening your home to let fellowship come in.)
• Contribution (What have you to give spiritually to someone other than yourself?)
• Companionship (Being a friend to someone who needs your friendship. Taking the time to call someone when God shows you in your heart someone has a need or maybe you have a need to be ministered to)
• Communion (And what a blessing this is to have an intimate moment with God by taking part with Him in remembrance of what He did for us on the cross)
• Distribution (sharing what we have by giving of ourselves to one another in whatever way God shows us)
• Partaking of Christ and one another and being a Partner in faith.

Koinonia is all these things wrapped into one.

 

 

If you take some time to look up the following scriptures you will find the Greek word Koinonia included in these verses. In some of these verses you will also see how true Koinonia also shows us what to avoid in all those things I've listed above.

 

Philemon 6, Romans 15:26, Philippians 4:15, Philippians 4:14, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 20, 2 Corinthians 8:4, Ephesians 5:11, and Revelations 18:4

 

Joy in the Morning. How I look forward to sharing that together with all of you as we take a few minutes each week to remember one with another how to start our days off with our focus on God first before ourselves. How much better our good and difficult days can be.

 

His Word was in my Heart like a Burning Fire

Jeremiah 20:9b

 

Is His Word in your heart today?