God's Joy Regardless of Circumstances

GOD'S JOY REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Jack and Judy Hartman

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Jack and Judy Hartman

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Read what people are saying about publications from Lamplight Ministries

Jack and Judy Hartman have written over twenty books that have been sold or distributed around the world. You are invited to take a look at the impact Lamplight Ministries has had and continues to have on people who have read the books. Visit lamplight.net to read these incredible testimonies.

Dedication

Merlin Carothers is the author of many best sellers on the subject of praising God. More than 19 million copies of his books have been printed. These books have been translated into 58 languages. Merlin and his wife, Mary, operate their ministry, the Foundation of Praise, which was established in 1970 in California. Their website is foundationofpraise.org.

Merlin and Mary bring joy to every situation. Judy had the high privilege of being a children’s church leader at their church in San Marcos, California in the 1970s. Merlin and Mary live and breathe joy, regardless of the circumstances. They are two of the most joy-filled and peace-filled people on earth. Their lives are dedicated to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Merlin and Mary do everything possible to get free books into every state and federal prison in America and into as many city and county jails as possible. They also distribute their publications to military personnel, hospital patients, crisis centers and missionary projects around the world.

Thank you, Merlin and Mary, for bringing praise, thanksgiving and worship of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, into the lives of millions of people all over the world. We love you.

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We each began studying the Bible in the King James Version. If we could write this entire book with the King James Version, we would. However, we want to present the reader with the best possible explanation of each verse of Scripture.

We have reviewed each verse of Scripture in this book to prayerfully select the Bible version that we believe will help you to best understand what God is saying to you. In some cases we have used The New International Version (NIV) when we believe the language in this particular passage of Scripture will give you more comprehension. In other cases we have used The Amplified Bible (AMP) when we believe the amplification will explain more to you.

The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible received its name from King James who was the king of England from 1603 to 1625. King James is considered to have been one of the most intellectual and learned kings in the history of Great Britain. He is primarily remembered for authorizing the production of the King James Version of the Bible. This English translation from Greek and Hebrew is the most printed book in the history of the world with more than one billion copies in print.

The New International Version (NIV) is the result of the study of a group of approximately one hundred Hebrew and Greek scholars representing more than twenty denominations. This team of scholars devoted ten years to complete the NIV translation. The goal of this committee was to faithfully translate the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic biblical text into clearly understandable English. The NIV is the most widely purchased contemporary Bible today.

The Amplified Bible is the result of the study of a group of Bible scholars who spent a total of more than twenty thousand hours amplifying the Bible. They believe that traditional word-by-word translation often fails to reveal the shades of meaning that are part of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic biblical texts.

Any amplification of the original text uses brackets for words that clarify the meaning and parentheses for words that contain additional phrases included in the original language. Through this amplification the reader will gain a better understanding of what Hebrew and Greek listeners instinctively understood.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament, copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids Michigan, or The Amplified Bible, New Testament, copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation, LaHabra, California. Used by permission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Jesus Christ Came from Heaven to Earth for You

2. Jesus Went through an Enormous Ordeal

3. Jesus Died to Pay the Price for Your Sins

4. Jesus Won a Total Victory

5. Your Heart Should Be Filled with Gratitude

6. Rejoice Because You Will Live Eternally in Heaven

7. Rejoice in the Victory That Jesus Christ Won for You

8. Enjoy an Intimate Relationship with the Lord

9. The Joy of the Lord Is within You

10. Rejoice Because God Is Always with You

11. God’s Word Will Fill Your Heart with Joy

12. Trust the Lord Completely

13. Focus Continually on the Lord

14. Laugh Because Your Heart Is Filled with Joy

15. Rejoice in the Lord at All Times

16. Joy in the Face of Adversity

17. Thank God Instead of Complaining

18. Praise the Lord Continually

19. Sing Praise to God

20. How Excited Are You about the Lord?

21. Rejoice in the Presence of the Lord

22. Do Not Allow Satan to Steal Your Joy

23. Refuse to Give Up Your Joy

24. Do Not Look for Joy in the World

25. Joy Does Not Come from Wealth

26. Joy Comes from God’s Will for Your Life

27. Joy Comes from Obedience

28. Joy Comes from Serving

29. Joy from Yielding to the Holy Spirit

30. The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength

Conclusion

Appendix

Study Guide

About Lamplight Ministries

Books by Jack and Judy Hartman

Introduction

The Bible is filled with many facts about the joy of the Lord. The words joy, enjoy, joyful, joyous, rejoice, rejoices and rejoicing are used more than 450 times in the Bible. There is no question that God created you to live a happy life that is filled with joy. Parents want their children to be happy. Your Father’s plan is for you to be happy and filled with joy, regardless of the circumstances you face.

Most people would like to be filled with joy, but very few people know exactly how to receive this tremendous blessing from God. This book contains 551 verses of Scripture that tell you exactly and specifically how joy should, can and will come into your heart.

As we begin this book we want to make it very clear that we will give you many instructions that may not make sense to you. Some of the things that we will say in this book may seem almost ridiculous to you. Will you make up your mind at the beginning of this book that you will do exactly what the Bible instructs you to do, whether or not these instructions make sense to the limitations of your human understanding?

We recommend that you read this book with a highlighter or a pen. Highlight or underline scriptural facts that are meaningful to you. Write notes in the margins and at the top and bottom of pages pertaining to information that you desire to retain.

You will see the phrase please highlight or underline used many times throughout this book. We use this phrase to recommend key words from whatever passage of Scripture we are studying.

When you decide to highlight or underline words and to write notes in the margins, you are studying the Bible. You then will be prepared for Scripture meditation.

God has instructed you to renew your mind by studying the Bible daily (see II Corinthians 4:6 and Ephesians 4:22-24). God also has instructed you to meditate day and night on His Word (see Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2-3).

By highlighting or underlining and making notes as you study this Scripture, you will tailor-make this book for yourself. You will know exactly where to go to meditate so that you will experience the joy of the Lord in your life. You will have everything you need from God’s supernatural living Word right in front of you, so that you will not lose the precious joy that Jesus has given you.

We also want to emphasize that we know there is some repetition in this book and that portions overlap with what we have written in other books. Our model is the Bible. God’s Word is filled with repetition because God emphasizes through repetition. There is a great deal of overlapping in the Bible. Many times a passage of Scripture in one Book of the Bible is virtually identical to Scripture from another Book of the Bible.

We do not attempt to be commercially correct in our writing. Our goal is to give you hundreds of specific facts from God’s holy Bible that will help you when and if you face severe adversity. Difficult times are coming upon the world. We believe that the solid scriptural content of our books will help many people.

God’s ways are very different from and very much higher than the ways of the world (see Isaiah 55:8-9). The scriptural instructions in this book will show you exactly what to do to live in supernatural joy, regardless of the circumstances you face.

We are more excited about this book on joy than we have been about any other book we have written. We pray that you will read this book with a completely open mind and that you will be determined to obey the specific instructions your Father has given you so that you will receive His supernatural joy in your life.

We recommend that you read the first four chapters of this book at one time, if possible. We believe that these chapters will change the lives of many people.

Chapter 1

Jesus Christ Came from Heaven to Earth for You

When you read the first four chapters of this book, you may wonder what all of these scriptural facts have to do with the topic of joy. As these chapters proceed, you will clearly see that the foundation for deep joy in the Lord is a profound sense of gratitude to Jesus Christ for the enormous price that He paid for you. This price will enable you to live in the joy of the Lord throughout the remainder of your life on earth and, after that, to live in joy throughout eternity in heaven.

People who do not receive Jesus Christ as their Savior will live eternally in hell. The Bible says that the inhabitants of hell will suffer eternally in a furnace of fire (see Psalm 11:6, Matthew 25:41 and Luke 16:23-24). They will have no rest day or night and they will suffer constantly (see Revelation 14:11). The inhabitants of hell will weep and wail and gnash their teeth throughout eternity (see Matthew 13:42).

What exactly determines whether you will suffer throughout eternity in hell or you will live in eternal joy in the glory of heaven? If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15 NIV)

Please highlight or underline the words anyone in this verse of Scripture. This word includes you. The words the book of life in this verse of Scripture refer to the Lamb’s Book of Life. The name of every person who has received Jesus Christ as his or her Savior is entered into the Lamb’s Book of Life (see Revelation 21:27). Anyone whose name is not in this book will suffer eternally in the lake of fire which also is called hell.

No matter how good a person may seem, the truth is that no person who has ever lived on earth (except for Jesus Christ) has lived a good enough life to live eternally in the glory of heaven. …None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. (Romans 3:10 AMP)

Please highlight or underline the words none and no, not one in this verse of Scripture. Every person, with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has ever lived on earth is born with a sin nature and deserves to live eternally in hell. There are no exceptions to this statement. …all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. (Romans 3:23 AMP)

Please highlight or underline the words all have sinned in this verse of Scripture. These words include you. You were born separated from God because of Adam and Eve’s decision to defy God. If you only commit a few seemingly minor sins in your life, you are just as much of a sinner before God as someone who has sinned grievously on many occasions. …whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. (James 2:10 AMP)

In the Old Testament God required a blood sacrifice every year for sins. Animals often were slaughtered to pay the price for the sins of human beings. The New Testament explains that the only way the price for the sins of human beings could be paid is for Jesus Christ, Who is God Himself, to become flesh and blood like these human beings. Only then could He pay the full price for your sins and for the sins of all human beings. …it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins. (Hebrews 2:17 AMP)

This verse of Scripture speaks of Jesus being made like His brethren in every respect. This means that He had to pay the price for the sins of all human beings by becoming a flesh and blood human being.

The Bible teaches that an angel came to a young virgin woman named Mary and said, …Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God. And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband? Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:30-35 AMP)

The name of Jesus is a holy name. Jesus was not the name that Mary decided to name her son. The name of Jesus came directly from heaven. Mary was directed by this angel to name her son Jesus.

You also must understand the importance of Jesus Christ being born of a virgin. If Jesus was born from a human father and mother, He would be a descendant of Adam. He would inherit the sin of Adam as every person who has lived since Adam has done.

Jesus could only redeem you from your sins if He was a flesh and blood human being who was not a descendant of Adam. The only way that this unique goal could be accomplished was to have Mary’s pregnancy caused by the Holy Spirit.

Because Mary was a virgin, Jesus is the only person Who has ever lived who was not a descendant of Adam. Therefore, Jesus was able to be the Messiah that the Jewish people had been expecting.

Jesus was a Jew sent by God to save His people from their sins. …you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins … (Matthew 1:21 AMP)

Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven to come to earth to be your Savior. God loves you so much that He sent His only Son to pay the full price for every sin you have ever committed so that you can live eternally with Him in heaven. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

You must know and believe that Jesus Christ has paid the full price for your sins. There is no other way to eternal salvation. Jesus said, …I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

Please highlight or underline the words no one in this verse of Scripture. The only way that you can live eternally in the joy of heaven is to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Adam and Eve were created by Jesus Christ and given the ability to have children. In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. (John 1:1-3 AMP)

Please highlight or underline the words In the beginning [before all time] in this passage of Scripture. Jesus Christ has always existed. Jesus Christ is God Himself. Jesus created all living things; they were created with the ability to reproduce themselves.

This statement is almost inconceivable. Just think that the same Jesus Christ Who created every person on earth came to this earth as a human being. Jesus Christ, God Himself, humbled Himself to be born in a lowly manger surrounded by animals to pay the full price for your sin.

You should be humbled by your awareness of the price that Jesus paid for you. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 AMP)

Please highlight or underline the words being essentially one with God and equality with God in this passage of Scripture. Jesus Christ is one with God. He is equal to God. Jesus humbled Himself from being one with God to become a servant (slave) so that you can live eternally with Him in heaven.

Jesus willingly left heaven to be born on earth as a baby. In heaven, Jesus was known and recognized as God. On earth He was considered a mere man until He began to exercise His tremendous anointing.

Jesus took upon Himself the form of a slave because He willingly gave up His life to pay the full price for your sin. He enslaved Himself so that you can be completely set free from sin.

If you are not absolutely certain that you will live eternally in heaven, please stop reading this chapter now and turn to the Appendix on page 225. Read the Scripture in the Appendix carefully. Do exactly what the holy Bible instructs you to do so that you will be absolutely certain that you will live eternally in heaven. Welcome to the family of God!

Salvation and redemption are a gift from God that you must choose to receive. God gave you a free will. You must willingly choose to become His child through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In this chapter we have established a scriptural foundation to show you clearly Who Jesus Christ is and that He willingly humbled Himself to come to earth to pay for your sin. Is your heart filled with gratitude to Jesus based on these undeniable truths that you have just read? If your heart is filled with gratitude now, you will be even more grateful when you read additional truths in the next three chapters about the supreme sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you.

Go to Table of Contents

Chapter 2

Jesus Went through an Enormous Ordeal

We now are ready to look at what the Bible teaches about how much Jesus Christ was willing to humble Himself to pay the full price for every sin you have ever committed. Throughout the next three chapters you will read many truths about the final days of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus and His disciples ate a Passover dinner in an upper room in