Joy to the World!

It was a night like so many that had gone before. Supper was over and as it was getting late, the night sky was quickly filling with stars. In the darkness, the large herds of sheep were settling into a quiet night of grazing in the fields around the little town of Bethlehem. The shepherds themselves were bedding down after a long day of watching over their flocks – when suddenly, an angel of the Lord stepped out of eternity and landed with indescribable glory right into the midst of their encampment.

As the shepherds stood in amazement, the Bible tells us that “the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified” (Lk. 2:9, NIV). This “glory” was the light of heaven bursting forth in a way that absolutely frightened even the most hardened men amongst them. Here was light so brilliant, so glorious, so dazzling, that I’m sure no one could actually look at it – they could only bow down in reverent awe and wonder. And so, what these shepherds experienced that night was the glory of God expressed through an angelic messenger! Undoubtedly, it would be a night they would never forget for as long as they lived.

After the first angel made his appearance, I can just imagine the choirs of heaven getting warmed up behind the scenes to make their grand entrance. I’m sure all the angelic hosts were on tip-toe just waiting for the command to appear before the shepherds. And how could they not? Nothing like this had ever happened before! This was the long-awaited moment when the Messiah would make His appearance. This was the fullness of time when Almighty God, the Ancient of Days, the Great I AM, would step out of heaven and take upon Himself a human body. Just think of it! The Everlasting Father, whose presence fills the entire universe and beyond – the Eternal God who rules over billions and billions of stars – “imploded to become a peasant baby who like every infant who has ever lived, had to learn to walk and talk and dress himself” (Philip Yancey).

But first, the solitary angel who had lit up the night-sky around Bethlehem had a message to proclaim. It was his job to announce the coming of the Messiah with all the passion and strength of voice he could muster. Like the sounding of a trumpet he called out to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy…Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10, 11, NIV). What I absolutely love about this announcement is that it is good news of great joy! What distinguishes the gospel from everything else is joy. There is no room for sadness in the presence of such wonderful news, for the angel said his message was one of joy!

Joy is what defines our gospel. Running throughout the Scriptures is the constant theme that fullness of joy is to be the hallmark or one of the main characteristics of God’s people. We especially see this in the apostolic pronouncements that say:

• "For the kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17, NIV, italics added)
• "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…" (Gal. 5:22, NIV).
• "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4, NIV).
• "Be joyful always" (Phil. 5:16, NIV).
• "You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him – with laughter and singing" (1 Pet. 1:8, The Message). Or "you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy" (NLT).

How we must remember that the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news which comes to us from a good Heavenly Father who’s “love endures forever” (Ps. 107:1, NIV). And this good God, who tells such good news, wants us to be filled with a joy that goes beyond anything – absolutely anything – the world has to offer.

The Gospel of Luke tells us that after the first angel was finished, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel” (Lk. 2:13, NIV). It was as if the hosts of heaven literally burst out of eternity and with one voice began to praise God by saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace on whom his favor rests” (Lk. 2:14, NIV). Of course, ever since that day, hymn writers have been trying to capture the significance of what happened on that wonderful and holy night. One of the best was Isaac Watts (1674-1748) whose classic Christmas Carol “Joy to the World” is sung every year at this time. He wrote:

“Joy to the world! The Lord has come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.”

No one seems to remember how long the angels spent ringing out their message of joy and peace. Undoubtedly, anyone who was there that night would have been absolutely mesmerized by it all. I’m sure it would have seemed like time stood still – and perhaps it did, for when ushered into the presence of eternity, who would dare try to check the time? And so, when the angels were finished, the shepherds very simply and humbly said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Lk. 2:15, NIV). Perhaps the words of the old Christmas Carol capture that moment as believers from every generation sing out:

“This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary” (William C. Dix, 1837-1898).

God Meant It for Good

It had been a restless night. Plagued by the unfair events of his past, the prospect of falling asleep seemed almost impossible. Flashes of what he thought were forgotten memories lurked at every hour of the night. While trying to sleep, he remembered the trauma of being sold into slavery, the false accusations of an unrighteous woman, and probably the worst of all – the months and months of trying to survive in an Egyptian dungeon. As he lay on his bed, it seemed as if he could still feel the dampness of his darkened cell and hear the scurry of the hungry rats that paid him an unwelcome visit every night. His arms and legs still bore the marks of his shackles, and if he listened to his memories, he could still make out the faint moaning of imprisoned men who had lost all hope in what seemed like one of the worst places on earth.

All of this and more filled Joseph’s mind as he readied himself for a visit from the brothers who had sold him into bondage at the very early age of seventeen. How things had changed! Now he was the prime minister of Egypt – second only to the Pharaoh himself! Now he had the power to decide the fate of his cruel and uncaring brothers who wanted to be rid of the young man they had called “the dreamer.” But God had a different plan. Instead of seeking revenge, Joseph sought reconciliation. Over the years, he had learned about the power of forgiveness and how God in His wisdom fits everything that happens “into a pattern for good” (Rom. 8:28, JBP).

With great courage and compassion, Joseph called his brothers together and said, “Come close to me…I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” (Gen. 45:4, NIV). But he went further than just seeking a reunion; he also declared God’s purpose in it all. With incredible wisdom and depth of insight, Joseph said, “it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45:8, NIV). The purpose of his sending: To save lives! In the face of severe famine which was to last seven years, God had sent Joseph to the land of Egypt “to preserve a remnant…and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:6, NIV).

More and more today the conviction that we are here to save lives is breaking in on the people of God. We have witnessed God’s efforts to bring His people to maturity; we have watched Him work to restore His church, but now we must see a people emerge who will live to see others saved from the wasteland of brokenness and spiritual famine. Yes, we are called to proclaim a message that says, “You can be saved from your sins and your sicknesses, and you can be saved from poverty and brought into prosperity!” The weight of oppression can be lifted and the cloud of fear and anxiety will dissipate! God has chosen us to be bearers of a message that has the power to save lives! Hallelujah!

I will never forget the time many years ago in Belleville when I met a young man for coffee whose confession to me was, “I’ve spent so much time looking at the bottom of a bottle.” His life was one of desperation and despair, but he didn’t know how to be set free. And then one Sunday he came to one of our meetings. It was in this meeting that he realized that there was a way out – a way to life and freedom – but he needed help to know what to do. So he called me up on the Monday morning to ask if I could meet him for coffee. It was near the end of our conversation that he looked at me and simply said, “I’m so lost.” Thankfully, there is a way for the lost to be found! That morning he was ready to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and as a result, he was saved – saved from himself and all his sins! He was saved to learn how to live for God and for others.

The truth that stands out for me as I read the story of Joseph is how he was able to interpret the events of his life in relationship to God’s purpose for him. He clearly saw that despite how terrible things had been, God was able to weave it all into a wonderful pattern for good that ultimately led to the saving of many souls from famine. This is why later in his life Joseph could say to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20, NIV, italics added). This is a staggering revelation, for it connects what you and I go through in life with how God uses it all to bring the knowledge of salvation to others. In others words, if God can work in my life to bring about good, He can certainly work in yours, no matter how difficult or hopeless things may seem.

I think this is one of the reasons why Jesus stated right at the onset of His ministry what He intended to do. His purpose in coming was to provide salvation to all mankind, so He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4:18, 19, NIV). Indeed, God means it all for good! How wonderful it is to know salvation from sin, sickness, poverty, and oppression – and to top it off, to enjoy the favor of the Lord! Now that is something to shout about! Praise God, He has done everything well! And, praise God, we have a part to play in His great plan!

The Momentum of the Holy Spirit

As one reads through the book of Acts, it s not long before it is discovered that successive waves of Holy Spirit-led activity kept the early disciples focused outward. Beginning in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the wind of the Holy Spirit continued to blow with greater and greater intensity as the disciples literally took the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world. The wind of the Spirit is continuing to blow today, for we are catching a vision of what God wants to accomplish in our city. This means that:

God wants to see all people born into His kingdom.
God wants to see all people healed of sickness and disease.
God wants to see all people freed from mental and demonic torment.

More and more I sense the Lord saying. “Stay focused on seeing lives transformed.” Acts 10:38 says that Jesus was anointed “with the Holy Spirit and power,” and that “he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” The wonderful thing is this: We are called to be just like Jesus! So we should expect to do the same things as He did.

Acts 11:1 in The Message translation says, “The news traveled fast and no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it.” Obviously there were “some” believers who criticized Peter for his actions, but most were probably thrilled that the good news was continuing to spread. They were especially thrilled to hear that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit. Peter simply said, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15, NIV). As a result, the news about what had happened spread so fast that it preceded Peter’s arrival in Jerusalem.

News about signs, wonders and miracles always travels fast! Throughout the New Testament there is a great emphasis on what and how we hear. Hearing about what the Holy Spirit is doing actually creates a spiritual momentum of expectancy and faith. Simply stated: Hearing about the miraculous creates a hunger for God to do more!

God's Empowering Presence

Recently, the Lord has been saying to us, “Will you give My Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in your city?” As I listened to the Lord speaking deep into my heart, I heard Him clearly say that we have had over 100 years of religious activity in our city, but that now is the time when the Holy Spirit wants to move in power! He wants to break out of all restriction and hindrance to show what He can supernaturally do in the lives of people. In fact, we know that the Holy Spirit can do more in just 5 minutes than all the hours of counselling that so often people feel they need. As the prophet Zechariah said so long ago, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” (Zech. 4:6, italics added).

In light of this, we have felt that it is important to study the Book of Acts in order to see how the Holy Spirit worked with the first disciples. We are not looking to try and duplicate what was present in the beginning, but want to put ourselves into the stream of God’s activity that has continued right from the Day of Pentecost onward. The Book of Acts reflects the fact that the gospel was first taken to the streets of Jerusalem (chapters 2 – 7), then to Judea and Samaria (chapters 8 – 11), and finally to the city of Rome and beyond. Like ever widening circles, the story continues to be written today. In Acts 1:2, Luke tells us that Jesus concluded His time on earth by giving instructions to His apostles in at least two areas:

The importance of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3) - This is the reign or rule of God on the earth.

The importance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 8) - This is God’s empowering presence.

These two areas are interrelated (or connected) since the kingdom is found in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the One who brings the kingdom. The two are inseparable! These areas also show us what was most important to Jesus just before His Ascension back to heaven. And so, in light of these important themes, Jesus goes on to tell His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8, NIV). It must be noted that the Person of the Holy Spirit are His power are one. We are not talking about some influence or energy, but the living presence of the Person of the Holy Spirit. From Him comes the power to accomplish all that God intends for His world today!

The Holy Spirit and His Gifts

One of the most pressing words I heard the Lord say to the church recently is, “Will you give My Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in your city?” As I listened to the Lord speak deep into my heart, I heard Him clearly say that we have had over 100 years of evangelicalism in the city of Peterborough and that now is the time for the Spirit to move in power! Clearly, He wants to break out of the restrictive plans and programs of men so that once again He will have His Way. As the prophet Zechariah said so long ago, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” (4:6, NIV, italics added).

In order for this to happen, the people of God must clearly commit themselves to the present reality of the Holy Spirit. There can be no assertion that somehow the gifts and working of the Holy Spirit came to an end with the close of the first-century. In fact, you will find as you study the New Testament that there is not one place where the Lord said He would withdraw His supernatural activity. Indeed, it was Jesus who said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn. 14:12, NIV, italics added). How the Holy Spirit must long to do in Peterborough these “greater things” which I believe are meant to be the hallmark of today’s church.

In this time we are called to be a community of the Holy Spirit! Commenting on the first-century church in his little book entitled Concerning Spiritual Gifts, Donald Gee says, “the spiritual gifts with which their gatherings were enriched all arose out of the fact that the individuals comprising them were personally filled with the Holy Spirit” (p. 15). As Gee points out, being filled with the Holy Spirit is the necessary key to spiritual advance. I have personally seen how the Holy Spirit has done more in just five minutes when a person is filled than in five hours of intensive counseling. Indeed, the Holy Spirit has such a wonderful way of changing everything, for when He is at work, suddenly everything becomes new! As the apostle Paul said, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17, NIV, italics added). Or as the J.B. Phillips translation says, “wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s (and ladies) souls are set free.”

1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (NIV). This is an extraordinary verse of Scripture for it challenges us to look beyond all human limitation or boundary. To think that the eternal Spirit of God – the Spirit who was present at creation, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, the Spirit who came at Pentecost – is to be manifest in and through you and me is, well, quite simply, earth shattering! As the word “manifest” means in the original, God wants to make Himself “visible, clear, and known” through YOU! In The Message translation of verse 7, it says, “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.” Following this line of thought, Donald Gee has written, “The ultimate and full purpose of spiritual gifts thus stands revealed. They are to bring men face to face with the reality of the Invisible God” (Concerning Spiritual Gifts, p. 31).

Perhaps this is why it would seem necessary for the church to experience a restoration of awe in the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You see, the gifts are not spiritual toys to be played with, nor are they human abilities that have a touch of inspiration mixed in. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a manifestation of the Spirit of God that affects and transforms our whole being! The apostle Paul knew this when he said to the Corinthians that in the presence of the clear prophetic word an unbeliever “will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you’” (1 Cor. 14:25, NIV).

As I look back over my years of serving God, I can remember many times when I have felt a great sense of awe and reverence for the Lord in the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One time in particular comes to mind when I was in a leaders gathering in Chicago during the mid 1990s. The late Bryn Jones was present in the meetings and during a time of prayer he prophesized over my life in a way that I will never forget. His spiritual insight into my life and the clarity by which he spoke touched me right to the core of my being. For not only did the Lord speak to me through Bryn about my heart’s desires, but He also laid out the path of my future – a path that all these years later has proven to be a true prophetic insight into the very mind and heart of God concerning myself and my family. It was a dramatic moment and one that I will never forget. Even now I can see the various images that Bryn painted that spoke about things past, present and future. At times like this, you truly know that you are standing in the presence of a holy and awesome God of light and power who knows everything there is to know about you!

I am sure that all of us could tell stories about times when we have known the greatness of God in the presence of the gifts. At such times there is a heightened awareness of the majesty and greatness of God. Confronted by His supernatural presence, we are overcome with feelings of awe and reverence, for the gifts open the door to a realm in which God is absolutely in control of all things. Therefore, we must welcome the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all occasions and in every circumstance. For when we do this, we show the world that God is alive and well and ready to supernaturally change lives. How Peterborough needs this! And so, as we ponder the question, “Will you give My Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in your city?” how will we answer? I trust it will be with the affirmation, “Yes Lord, start by using me!”