Many kinds of joy are reported in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Many levels of joy are also described, including gladness, contentment, and cheerfulness. Throughout the Old and New Testament are references to the joy derived under circumstances of oppression too, and the Sacred Scripture also affirms that sharing Christ's suffering is to be a cause of joy. But the joy which the people of God should have is holy and pure. This joy rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. Therefore, this makes it difficult to give a simple definition of joy.

In the Old Testament, Israel always looking forward to the joy that would usher their future deliverance by God. As Sacred Scripture says: For now I create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered and will come no more to men minds. Be glad and rejoice for ever and ever for what I am creating, because I now create Jerusalem 'Joy' and her people 'Gladness'. I shall rejoice over Jerusalem and exult in my people. - Isaiah 65:17-19 -

Since God's is giving His own joy over this event. As a result, joy emerges as a dominant aspect of Israel's eschatological (concerned with death, judgment, and the destiny of the soul of humankind) hope.

It is because of the early Christians believed in the Sacred Scripture (Old Testament) Isaiah 7:14 -

The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14, signified the intervened of God's final redemptive act. Thus, all the eschatological joy that Israel had preempted was now connected with the Lord Jesus Christ. The birth of the infant Jesus occasions an outpouring of human and heavenly joy. - Luke 1-2 -

Apparently, in the New Testament, suffering is also considered the most joyous according to Saint Paul and he affirms that sharing Christ's suffering is to be a cause of joy. The joy required of the Christ Jesus like person is produced by the Spirit of God. If you are guided and led by the Spirit of God, no law can touch you because what the Spirit of God brings is love, joy, peace. This kind of joy look beyond the present to our future salvation, and this kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness.

When I was 16 years old till 25 years old, I have had great encountered, and experienced enormous outpouring of joy. For instances, and out of a sudden, I started and began to know how to utilized and comprehend a lot of matters that was unknown to me before. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Indeed, "For I am nothing and God makes me into all things that is good."

Today, and in time to come, it is a great joy to me, in the Lord Jesus Christ because there is nothing I cannot master with the help of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who gives me strength, wisdom, courage, and love. Indeed, I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything, anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty.

Through your faith, God's power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold - only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire - and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:5-9 -

If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. - 1 Peter 4:14 -

No one can hurt you if you are determined to do only what is right; if you do have to suffer for being good, you will count it a blessing. There is no need to be afraid or to worry about them. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong. - 1 Peter 3:13-14, 3:17 -

We can boast about God's glory. But that is not all we boast about; we can boast about our sufferings. These sufferings bring patience, as we know, and patience brings perseverance, and perseverance brings hope, and this hope is not deceptive because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. - Rom. 5:2-5 -

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. - Rom. 8:18-21 -

But to tell the truth, even if I distressed you by my letter, I do not regret it. I did regret before, and I see that letter did distress you, at least for a time; but I am happy now - not because I made you suffer, but because your suffering led to your repentance. Yours has been a kind of suffering that God approves, and so you have come to no kind of harm from us. To suffer in God's way means changing for the better and leaves no regrets, but to suffer as the world knows suffering brings death. - 2 Cor. 8-10 -

None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; but if anyone of you should suffer for being a Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one. - 1 Peter 4:16 -

I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. - Phil. 1:3-5 -

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -