67. The Hunter
The Hunter
A Message of Hope For All Who Are Being Tempted by Satan
by David Wilkerson
March 1, 1983
[May 19, 1931 '96 April 27, 2011]
You have heard of the hound of heaven. This is the Spirit of God who tracks a man down and never quits on him. He never gives up until He finds him. What I want to talk about now is the hunter of hell, who hunts down the most precious children of God to seek and destroy them. That is the Devil himself.
At one time his name was Lucifer, and he was a chosen, powerful ruler with God. This Morning Star, as Isaiah called him, was a bright star in God's firmament, a mighty angel, highly arrayed and chosen. But he became lifted up with pride.
The Bible says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Before Lucifer was cast down from his high place, he went throughout God's kingdom and hunted down a third of God's angels. Those he captured through pride or deceit were cast out of heaven with him. Don't think for a minute he hunted down and deceived the least among them. I believe the majority of them were just as himself '97 chosen, like the Morning Stars. He hunted down to deceive the most talented, the most useful of these flaming, fiery ministers of the Lord.
"How hath thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave'85" (Isa_14:12).
Lucifer became known as Belial, or Satan. In the Old Testament Satan became a type of an adulteress. He was then and is now a seductress, seducing people into sin and slavery.
Recently, the Spirit of the Lord directed me to Pro_6:26 :
"The adulteress will hunt for the precious life'85"
The adulteress '97 Satan '97 will hunt for the precious life! In other words, he goes after those who are the most beloved, the most valuable to God. He hunts down the good children, the innocent ones, the most important to the kingdom of God.
That is why sexual perverts who have been given over to their sins go after innocent children. It is Satan working in them to hunt down and destroy the precious lives.
Why are so many innocent Christian girls being seduced by the most wicked, vile gangster types? It is because the devil himself is hunting the precious ones. Satan leads an army of demonic hunters, who go about seeking the most precious of lives, to seduce, trap, and enslave.
The word "precious" means "valuable, beloved, highly esteemed. The dearest to the heart. Those most highly regarded because of a spiritual or moral quality."
Satan comes as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And he seeks most of all to devour the precious ones. I sat in a room in Spanish Harlem and wept as I watched five teenage deaf and dumb mutes stick dirty needles in their veins. They were drug addicts '97 mainliners. I was waiting for a chance to witness to them, and they forgot I was in the room. As I watched, I thought, "They don't have enough problems? They can't hear; they can't speak. They share this inner hurt, and look at them!" They were like animals! Yet God has a special love for this kind. These deaf and dumb mutes were God's special ones, and Satan had gone after them and deceived them! They had been trapped and made slaves by the adulteress.
I remember two small children, a boy and a girl perhaps four and five years old, sitting in a dilapidated third story tenement in Brooklyn. I had gone there to pick up a junkie who had been saved, to take him into the program. The mother was a prostitute, out hustling on the streets. The father was a drug addict, in jail. Jose and I were about to leave when I looked back at those two frightened children sitting alone on the couch. I said, "Jose, your mother is out on the streets; your dad's in jail. If we leave, who is going to take care of your brother and sister?" He nodded toward a stale carton of milk and some Oreo cookies on the table, and said, "Oh, there's food. They take care of themselves." I couldn't leave! Just about that time the mother returned. She wouldn't let us take those children because she needed them to continue receiving welfare checks, so she could get drugs! As we left, I looked back at those two precious lives and thought, "Oh, God, those are the precious ones that Satan is after!" I can't tell you how my heart was grieved!
An Assembly of God minister from Brooklyn brought his two teenage sons to my office '97 15 and 16 years old. They sat across from my desk. This minister put his head on my desk and began to weep. "Brother Dave," he said, "I've read your book, The Cross and the Switchblade; I've preached from it. I've gone to prison to stand up for the children of parents in my congregation. And if you had told me I would discover what I found out yesterday, I'd never have believed it! The sergeant called me down to our precinct. He had my sons in custody. He rolled their sleeves up and showed me their arms. `Don't you know your boys are mainliners?', he asked. We had noticed their grades were failing, and their eyes were often glassy, but I never dreamed it could be drugs. I couldn't believe it could happen in my own home!"
I watched that father kneel down and put his hands on his sons. "Boys," he begged, "if you've got any love left at all for me or your mother, please let Brother Dave give you a bed. Please come into Teen Challenge and get your life changed! Please! I can't take it anymore!" They just looked at him with a stony glare, hard as nails. The father fell prostrate on the floor, overtaken by his remorse. I saw those sons get up, walk over their dad '97 laugh at him '97 and go out the door.
I could not console that pastor. He got up, shook his head and walked out the door. All these years I've thought of those two precious preacher's sons '97 how Satan came after them. Two precious live that the adulteress came to hunt down. What did Satan see in those two children that so frightened him '97 forcing him to throw all the powers of hell against them?
A reporter once asked, "Mr. Wilkerson, what's the worst thing that's ever happened to you? The worst experience you've ever had?" I always think of the following encounter. I had just dismissed a service in a big gymnasium and was about to walk off the stage when a teenage girl came forward, leading a young man who was evidently blind. He was about 6'2"; skin and bones. His hair was falling out; his eyes and cheeks were sunken. I thought he had terminal cancer. It looked as though he had gone through chemotherapy. They stood before me, hand in hand, and she said, "This is my boyfriend, Jimmy. He's seventeen." Then she told a pitiful story of how he had been a healthy, robust football player on his high school team. Not the rowdy kind. He was one of the good boys in the school and in the church. He just happened to go to a party where most were dropping acid and crank, and blowing pot. They urged him to try it, and out of curiosity and peer pressure, he sucked a tab of acid. Someone had added strychnine. He spun out into a horrible crash period and had to be rushed to the hospital. The young lady told me, in fact, that he had just been released from the hospital two days ago. His mind was still shattered, his sight gone.
She said, "He read your book, The Cross and the Switchblade, in English class months ago. I've brought him to you because I still love him. I want him back!" I looked at that bombed out creature, and I got mad at the devil. I went behind the curtain and had a cry, then I came back and prayed with that boy. "Oh, God, deliver him!" I prayed earnestly but when I opened my eyes, I realized he wasn't hearing a word I said. He was gone, absolutely gone!
I don't know what ever happened to this young man, but I believe with all my heart in the healing power of God. The best I could do was to introduce him to a pastor friend of mine and a group of young people who adopted him. I knew he would be bathed in prayer. I have a feeling that one day I'm going to meet him, and he's going to be in his right mind. I will never forget Jimmy '97 that good, choice young man whom Satan went after to deceive and destroy.
How true, the adulteress hunts down the precious life. Multitudes of innocent, clean young people are hunted down by Satanic forces, seduced into drugs and alcohol '97 with the sole purpose of bringing to shame and ruin, the most beloved, precious of God's children.
Recently the Holy Spirit has been guiding me into a healing truth. He has been leading me into a ministry of reconciliation and restoration, showing people that God is not to be dreaded like some kind of ruthless judge. Instead, He is longing for the love and friendship of all His children who have gone astray.
First of all '97 some of the most wicked sinners on earth today, at one time were the most precious lives in the sight of God.
At one time they were innocent children, full of the gift of life. Jesus said of children, "'85of such is the kingdom of God." Satan begins hunting and seeking the most precious among the children to deceive, wound, and turn them away from God into the slavery of sin. He goes after the precious life!
In a recent crusade, a young man about 25 years of age confessed he was a witch and wanted to receive Christ into his life. "Why," I asked him, "would a witch want Christ?" He then told the audience of a nightmare he had experienced the night before. Demons were coming toward him, dressed in grayish, ghoulish clothes. Frightened, he called out the name, "Jesus!" They shrank back. Again they rallied forces to possess his body. Louder than before, he cried out the name of "Jesus!" They all fled. What a glorious sight, to witness the conversion of this young witch. Jesus drove away the devil and all his imps.
Did Satan come against this boy and try to possess him because he was inherently bad, because he had an evil seed in him? Was it because of the sins of his parents? Was he predestined to be a child of Satan? What was there that attracted the devil to this particular young man, that made him come against him with all of his demonic forces and try to destroy his mind? This young man at an early age was such a precious soul with so much potential to do something for the kingdom of God, that Satan came after him! The adulteress, Satan, hunted him down and led him into deception, because as a child he would take his Bible out into the open fields '97 calling on God to let him preach the Gospel.
Nicky Cruz, former Mau Mau gang leader, was born into a house of witchcraft. His mother was involved in the occult. Nicky was one of 17 children and when he was just a child, he overheard his mother say that he was an unwanted child. Nicky wound up on the streets of New York, full of hate and deceived by Satan. The newspapers once described Nicky as a lost kid with the "heart of a killer". Before I met him, he had already stabbed a number of people.
Now let me ask you a question. Was it because he was an evil seed that he wound up on the streets with a killer's heart? The first time I met him, he spit in my eye and said, "Go to hell!" He was so full of bitterness, hate, and anger. I thought he was the last one in the world who would be saved in New York.
What was there about Nicky that the devil went after? There must have been something at an early age! Was it because Nicky, after hearing his mother say he was unwanted, went into a room and cried to God, and God heard his cry? God saw the potential of a flaming evangelist who could shake the kingdom of the devil. And the devil saw it too! So he went after that precious life!
Moms and Dads with wayward or ungodly children living in sin, what terrible kinds of trauma Satan would like to put you through! Trying to tell you that somewhere in your family tree there was an evil seed that finally came out in one or two of your children. Have you ever asked, "Why did it have to be my children?"
A couple came into my office, crying so hard they couldn't even talk to me. When they had calmed down, they told me a heartbreaking story. Two weeks earlier they had discovered that their son, who was studying to be a schoolteacher, was a homosexual. In their despair and brokenness, they decided to share the family's problem with their daughter. When she had heard them out, she replied, "Well, as long as he's told you the truth, I might as well, too. I'm a Lesbian." Now they sat before me, broken and weeping.
That's why I have such love for homosexuals and Lesbians, and all who are bound by Satan. Because somewhere behind all that, there are mothers and fathers weeping, condemning themselves. Asking, "Where did we go wrong?"
I want to share what the Holy Spirit gave to me in answer to this dilemma. Is it the parents' fault? Was there a latent seed of evil that just came out of them all of a sudden? Not always. Let me give you the glorious news of Jesus Christ '97 that child was precious! A precious one beloved in the sight of God. And whether you know it or not, dear parent, that child is still beloved by God because He doesn't give up once He says, "I see the potential!" He won't give up until that child totally turns Him away. He will keep corning and coming and coming. That's why it's so important to hold on, to keep praying. They're still precious in the sight of God, no matter where they are or what they've done. The adulteress, Satan, came to deceive your child who is so precious in the sight of God. If they had not been so precious, why would Satan go after them with such demonic fury?
Those of you caught in sin, have you ever wondered why of all people you're like you are? If you are into drugs, have you ever wondered, "Why me? What did I do that I had to end up a drug addict?" Are you drinking and can't lay it down? Are you a homosexual or a Lesbian? The devil will come at you with his lies. He'll say, "You had to be evil when you were a child!" He tells the homosexual, "You were born this way! You couldn't help yourself. You were destined to be like this. You are a freak! You are no good! Worthless!"
But these are all lies! The truth is, you were hunted down by Satan because your life was precious. You were a chosen vessel, dearly loved of the Lord. He saw your potential, and He sees it even now.
Here is a powerful word from the Lord:
"His eye seeth every precious thing'85" (Job_28:10).
If this is true, then you and I should be looking at the lost through the eyes of Jesus. When you see somebody staggering down the street, know that the main reason Satan went after them is because of their potential. It was a precious life, and the devil set out to deceive and try to destroy it. Satan knows if they ever come into God's kingdom, they have great potential for God! God sees you not for what you've become but for what He knows you can be, by His grace. God has made it clear to me that there are sinners who need to hear this message. They need to know they can stand up and say with confidence, "The only reason the devil has come down on me so hard is because he saw something in me that scared him. He wanted me only because I was a precious jewel in God's crown. And I'll not be deceived anymore!"
Another Fact '97 The Holiest, Most Saintly Children of God Are Tempted The Most Severely.
The Bible says, "Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth'85" You can add to that, "Whom the Lord loveth, Satan hunts down!" We're not to think when we're tempted that some strange thing has happened to us. It's not strange at all. There's a reason for it.
Think of Joseph. What a godly, moral man. The Bible says of him, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in the eyes of the Lord'85the blessing of the Lord was upon everything he did'85" (Gen_39:2-5).
And you no sooner read that, than your eyes fall on the following verse:
"And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, 'Lie with me''85" (verse 7).
Why Joseph? There were many men in this household. She could have had any man she wanted. When Joseph fled her grasp, she called for "the men of the house" (verse 14). But there was only one she was after, the most precious one of all '97 Joseph. The adulteress wanted only the precious life!
Christian, Satan will throw the most severe temptations at you at the very peak of your usefulness to God. One minute you will be calling on God in righteousness, holiness, and hunger, and then suddenly you are cast into dire temptation. Is it because you've grown cold of heart? Or developed an evil streak? Are you backslidden? Not always, though sometimes this is the cause. Often, it is because Satan, the adulteress, comes after the precious one! And the worst thing that can happen is for you to think when this occurs, that you are less holy, less anointed, less beloved or valuable to the kingdom of God. Can't you see that Satan is simply going after the choicest of God's servants?
It is true that we are drawn away by our own lusts, and enticed '97 but it is Satan who fans those flames with bewitching image. The godliest, most precious of God's people will testify to the crushing temptations and trials thrown at them during their most intense spiritual times. Oh, how the adulteress hunts down the godly, precious life!
Consider Job. Why was this man tempted as no other man in his generation? Because his holiness attracted the enemy! Not because he had sin in his life or because he was leaning toward the world. Job was put into a fiery furnace of trial simply because he was such an example of a precious, godly life '97 and Satan could not be satisfied until he had a chance to go after him.
Think of God's only beloved Son, the most precious One of all. He comes out of the baptismal waters, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and God says, "This is my beloved Son. This is the most precious One from the foundation of the earth." And what happens immediately? He is led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil! Satan came after the most precious life!
Through Jeremiah, God said to the Israelites, "You've backslidden! You've turned your heart against me. But I've written you in the palm of my hand! You're still precious to me!" God was grieved by their sins, but as His children they were still deeply loved.
God Has Provided A Very Simple Way For All His Precious Children To Come Out Of The Snare Of Satan.
It's the advice I've given to my four children:
"For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth'85" (Psa_72:12).
I've told my children, "When you're in need, when you're hurting, just call me. I'll be there! I don't care where I am, I'll come!" I'm just an earthly father. How much more the heavenly Father cares!
The Word of God says, "'85he shall deliver'85the poor also, and him that is helpless. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit of the devil and from violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight" (Psa_72:12-14).
God says, "All you who are poor, all you who are needy, who seem helpless '97 the enemy has been attacking. You have fallen into his trap! Don't you know your very blood is precious to Me! All you have to do is cry out, and I will deliver you from the trap of Satan!"
David said, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him'85" (Psa_34:6).
You don't have to know a lot of religious terms, or know theology, or much about the Bible. That can come later. The one thing you must know is that no matter what you've done, how wicked you may have been, or the ugly things you have committed, you always have been and always will be precious in His eyes. Christ said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man open the door, I will come in'85" (Rev_3:20).
Why is He standing? Why is He knocking? Because it's a precious life, and He won't let go. He doesn't come to push anyone around, but time and time again He'll come and speak to your heart. "Call on me now in your need;' He whispers. There are so many who are precious in His sight. If you are a sinner, you may have been in churches where people condemned you and put you down, made you feel dirty and unclean. But all they did was judge you by what you look like on the outside. God doesn't do that. He sees your potential. What He could do in your life, what a life of fragrance you could be. He'll give you joy and beauty in place of the dirt and filth and ashes. He'll set you free.
I am reminded of Israel, one of the characters in my book. He went back to his gang and was caught with another young man who shot a boy through the head. Israel was given eight'96to'96ten years as an accessory to murder. All those years he was in prison, I wept and prayed for him. When he got out of jail, Nicky found him and prayed with him. And Israel said, "Nicky, I remember the day I knelt with Brother Dave. I can't get away from the Holy Ghost. God called me back then, and I know He still loves me!" Right now Israel is preaching, just like Nicky. He is another precious soul delivered from the snare of the devil. I believe that before Jesus comes, those traps are going to open all over the world. God is going to show people that they are loved by Him '97 precious in His sight.
I read the testimony of a young man who was a drag queen. He had had a sex change from a man to a woman, but he got saved. And when he did, he went back to being a man. God gave him back his masculinity. A few years ago if you had seen him, you would have said, "There is a son of the devil for life and eternity!" But somewhere inside that heart God saw something. There was a precious life hidden there. Now that man is preaching the gospel.
There are so many precious souls God wants to save. All it takes is admitting, "I've become a wicked, evil person. I've been deceived by the devil. Yet deep in my Heart I know what you have been saying is true. I'm not really filthy, ugly, hateful. That's not the real me, because there are times when I know I could be a new person." That's the Lord trying to show you how precious you are in His sight.
You repent the moment you ask God to make you hate your sins. He will respond, the very moment you take a step of faith. The Spirit of God Himself will come upon you, releasing your will from the power of evil. It is faith alone that saves and keeps anyone from the power of sin and Satan.
Don't believe the devil's lie that you are too far gone, too sinful '97 to be a child of God. You must '97 right now '97 accept the fact that Satan wants to keep you in slavery and hardness because you are such a "big fish". In other words '97 really precious to God.
You can be free '97 right this moment! In your heart, cry out to God! Believe God's Word when it promises He will pour faith into you if you ask Him to. Then the real you '97 the godly you '97 the precious, regenerated you '97 will be set free!
You are precious to God '97 don't forget it!
Whatever Happened to Joy
by David Wilkerson
February 1, 1983
[May 19, 1931 '96 April 27, 2011]
The Holy Spirit yearns to bring God's people back to serving the Lord with joy and gladness. How grieved heaven must be to witness the wet blanket of despair and sadness that has fallen upon multitudes of believers. The Word of God commands:
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands'85serve the Lord with gladness'85" (Psa_100:1-2).
"The hope of the righteous shall be gladness'85" (Pro_10:28)
"Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice'85"(Psa_68:3).
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation'85"(Isa_12:3).
"Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them'85"(Psa_5:11-12).
Jesus said to His disciples, "'85if you loved me, you would rejoice'85"(Joh_14:28). The Psalmist declared, "Happy is the people, whose God is the Lord'85" (Psa_144:15).
JOY means "pleasure, delight, exhilaration of spirit, excitement caused by hope." REJOICE means "joy in the highest degree, to be intensely glad." HAPPINESS means "fully contented, extensive pleasure."
How many Christians do you know today who are exhilarated, excited, intensely glad, fully contented, experiencing joy in the highest degree? Listen to the words of our Lord:
"'85when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil'85rejoice in that day; and leap for joy'85" (Luk_6:22-23).
If Jesus had not said it, it would sound absolutelyridiculous '97 but there it is in black and white and ivine: "When you are rejected, persecuted, kicked about '97 jump up and down with excitement! Let it give you the highest degree of joy! Delight in it!"
When the Holy Spirit first began to deal with me on the matter of serving Him with joy and gladness, I had a difficult time facing the seriousness of the subject. I did not fully understand God's attitude. I wondered how important it could be compared to all the heartbreaking problems in the world today, such as drugs, alcohol, divorce, violence, and corruption. I never gave much thought to how much joy and gladness I had.
"So what?" I thought. "So I do not always experience happiness in my Christian walk. I get blue! The problems of life sometimes get me down. The future is so bleak it makes one feel depressed and fearful at times. The joy is there '97 Iguess I just don't show it. I'm only human. God isn't worried about my down periods."
That is not good enough! This matter of serving Him with joy, gladness, excitement, and exhilaration is taken most seriously by God.
Under the old covenant, we get a very clear picture of just how seriously God takes this matter of serving Him with a spirit of rejoicing. At Mount Ebal God pronounced a terrifying curse that involved six tragedies: slavery; hunger; thirst; nakedness; lack of all things; a yoke of iron upon the neck until destroyed!
And what terrible sin could Israel commit that would bring about such a horrible curse? A sin that could destroy them? First, of course, was disobedience to the Lord's commands. But also this:
"Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things'85" (Deu_28:47-48).
You ask, "Is God really that severe about joy in these New Testament days of grace?" The answer is that God will not judge us on what we show on our faces, but by what He sees in our hearts. It is possible to have a drawn, tired face and still be overflowing with joy in the inner man. But it is difficult to hide the genuine joy of the Lord. Whenever the glory of God touches the soul, it affects the outward countenance. In Old Testament times, the anointing caused the face to shine!
The prophet Joel predicted a day would come when joy would wither in the house of God.
"Yea, joy and gladness is cut off from the house of God'85joy is withered away from the sons of men'85" (Joe_1:12; Joe_1:16).
This drying up of the joy and gladness in believers is evident everywhere you look today! So many of God's people look sad and defeated, because they have lost the joy of the Lord. Many Christians seem just as lonely, blue and fearful as the unbeliever. It has become a disgraceful testimony to the world, and it is high time every Christian asked himself, How am I serving the Lord '97 with what attitude? Do I serve Him only through fear or obligation? Is it a half'96hearted service? Have I taken Him for granted? Do I have that unspeakable joy or have my joy and gladness withered? Am I truly excited and full of ecstasy in knowing Him? Am I a worthy testimony to the lost that Christ can fill the heart with the highest degree of joy? Or have I become another depressed, worried Christian? Is there enough joy in my soul to overflow in my actions and my conversation, or have I become a murmurer and complainer like the children of Israel? How rarely do I smile anymore?
Let me give you some of the reasons why joy is withering.
I. We Have Grown Weary of the Way.
"Thou has been weary [bored] of me, O Israel'85thou hast made me to serve with thy sins; thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities'85" (Isa_43:22; Isa_43:24). [brackets mine]
The prophet Malachi grieved over the tragic condition of God's house in his day. God's people were bored, and the worship had become monotonous and mercenary '97 "Ye have said, Behold, what a weariness it is! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts'85" (Mal_1:13)
In other words, "My people have become bored with me. So they drag their feet in monotonous service at the altar." God's children were simply going through the motions. Their heart was no longer in it! They were dragging unwilling offerings to the altar '97 diseased, weak, lame sacrifices. The priests would do nothing without pay, not even shut the temple door or kindle the altar fire. They used the ministry to feather their own nests.
What a sad condition! Covetous ministers of the altar who were nothing but hirelings! The temple worship was a farce! How slowly they moved, how sad they looked! There was no life '97 no excitement '97 no joy or pleasure. The choirs, the musicians, and both priests and people were all playing a dangerous game of hypocrisy!
They were in a religious rut. They sang their half'96hearted songs, gave their half'96hearted offering, listened to a half'96hearted word from a half'96hearted minister '97 and rejoiced at the thought of getting it over with. They hurried to their last Amen and quickly fled the house of God.
These people were sad and bored because they had given in to a sense of futility and helplessness!
"Ye have said, it is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?" (Mal_3:14).
In our terminology, they were saying, "What's the use? What good is it to work so hard at pleasing God and doing right, when it doesn't seem to pay off? Why sacrifice, fast, and pray; why be so rigid and religious? It's useless '97 it's boring! Nothing changes. My prayers aren't answered'85I'm still flooded with problems."
Since there was no life in God's house, and since the altars were so monotonous, the people simply gave up! They went through the motions only because they were afraid of God's wrath. They kept going to church because it was the thing to do. And they dreaded every minute of it.
What a picture of conditions today! From across the nation people write, telling me of the sad condition of their church. They tell of pastors without a burden, who can't preach. They complain of dead, dry worship services that are monotonous and boring. Their churches are dead. Yet they go through the motions! They drop a little money in the basket! The choir sings drearily on. The church functions and programs keep dragging on. But there is no joy '97 no excitement '97 no gladness. No shout of victory!
I believe one of the rarest things in the world today is a red'96hot, joyful church with a man in the pulpit who has something worthwhile to say. So often I've heard this: "I've given up trying to find a church that really meets my need and that of my family. I get up every Sunday dreading the thought of sitting through another boring worship service. Where, oh where, can I find a church that is on fire?"
And of this you can be sure: wherever there is a church that has the joy and liberty of the Spirit '97 Satan will be busy trying to bring that church and its pastor under some kind of legalistic, mournful bondage. Satan would love to get to that church and kill the joy and happiness!
As important as the role of the church is '97 serving the Lord with joy and gladness is a personal responsibility!
"Let us not be weary in well doing'85" (Gal_6:9).
God will allow none of us to blame our loss of joy and gladness on a boring preacher or a poor church situation. It is our privilege and responsibility to get and maintain the joy of the Lord through our own personal dealings with Him. God will accept no excuses on this matter!
Paul had to stand alone on many occasions. Writing to Timothy, he said:
"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me'85" (2Ti_4:16-17).
The Bible abounds with the glorious stories of those who maintained joy and gladness through all their trials '97 even when everyone else had given up! All Israel murmured and complained '97 except for two men of God, Joshua and Caleb. They never once wavered in their faith and joy, even though all others around them had given in to mournful despair.
When the leaders of all nations, along with the church leaders and congregations, were bowing down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image '97 Daniel and the three Hebrew children rejoiced in the Lord, immovable in faith! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego leaped for joy through the fiery furnace! Let everyone else cry the blues, saying, "You can't fight the system, you can't resist the spirit of the age." But not these young men! "As for us," they declared, "We will serve our God with trust, joy, and gladness!" There was no boredom or monotony for them!
Even today the Lord has a people who won't bend! They lift up their heads, through all tribulation and testing, and they glory in the Lord! They shine forth as beautiful examples of how the joy of the Lord is possible in any trial. They are the Lord's best testimonies of His faithfulness. God says of them, "They trust Me; that is why they have such joy and gladness."
Our joy and gladness must be the result of one great foundational truth: WE ARE UNDER HIS PROTECTIVE WINGS!
"Because thou has been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice'85" (Psa_63:7).
No wonder Paul could say, "I am exceeding joyful in all my tribulations." (2Co_7:4)! How can anyone under God's protective wings allow their joy and gladness to wither? It is an affront to God, an insult to His faithfulness. And it is only because we no longer trust His protection and care that we allow despair and sadness to replace our joy and peace.
II. Joy is Lost When Fear Takes Root!
"There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love'85" (1Jn_4:18).
The result of disobedience and hypocrisy is always fear. It is unforsaken sin that causes the people of God to tremble in His presence, and lose all joy and peace. Isaiah said, "The sinners in Zion [the church] are afraid; fearfulness hath seized the hypocrites'85" (Isa_33:14) [brackets mine].
Luke tells us the unconverted are afraid, and their hearts fail them for fear '97 alarmed by the terrible things coming upon the earth (Luk_21:26). But the fear that alarms the Christian is the direct result of harboring a secret sin!
"If thou do that which is evil, be afraid'85" (Rom_13:4).
When Adam sinned, he could no longer face God. He hid himself, clothing his body with sweat and tears! What a sad day when sin entered man's heart. Joy was lost!
Serving the Lord with joy and gladness is absolutely impossible if sin lies at the door of the heart. Paul warned,
"Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile'85" (Rom_2:9).
No wonder so many are always depressed and sad! Show me a minister with unforsaken sin in his life, and I'll show you one of the saddest, most miserable man on earth. His sin destroys his joy! Show me any believer with disobedience in his life, and I'll show you a bundle of nerves '97 racked by guilt, condemnation, shame, and sorrow! Joyless! Sad!
Could it be we are bored and fearful '97 because we are being dishonest with God?
Another reason fear takes root is because of a present unresolved tribulation or sorrow.
Like David, there are numerous Christians who cry.
"'85trouble and anguish have taken hold on me'85" (Psa_119:143).
How painful to watch a beautiful child suffer! How saddening to stand helplessly by while a loved one wastes away with cancer or some other dreadful disease! Or worse, to see them grow bitter toward God!
How unsettling to look into an uncertain future. One person needs a home; another desperately needs to sell one. Some are unemployed; others live in constant insecurity, wondering if they will be fired next.
Everywhere, there are problems. Health problems, concerns about business, houses, jobs, education '97 all conspiring to rob the people of God of their confidence in the Lord, and of their joy and gladness.
We are warned against failing to rejoice in times of suffering. We must not let our pain rob us of Christ's joy!
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy'85" (1Pe_4:12-13).
Paul goes further: "'85as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing'85" (2Co_6:10).
And even more to the point: "Wherein you greatly rejoice, although now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold'85might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen'85yet believe'85ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory'85" (1Pe_1:6-8).
This is strong stuff! It is written to those who are right now experiencing a season of grief and anguish! If need be'85for a little while'85grieve! Get it out of your system! But '97 you are being tested by this fiery trial. You cannot linger in sorrow! God's plan and desire for you is that His joy and gladness be your strength now.
"For the joy of the Lord is your strength'85" (Neh_8:10).
If you can simply trust God, believing He knows exactly what is happening and that He will bring glory out of it all '97 then joy returns!
Saints '97 we are all going into the furnace!
The Bible paints a bleak picture of the last days. We have seen nothing yet, compared to what is coming. The future, humanly speaking, is hopeless. Christ warned of violence, war, earthquakes everywhere, famines, pestilences, fearful sights and great signs from heaven. There will be persecution, betrayal, hatred, perplexity on all sides.
"Men's hearts failing them with fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken'85" (Luk_21:26).
This trouble coming upon the earth is a trap! A snare! "For as a snare it shall come upon all them that dwell on the face of the earth'85" It is in this snare, this beginning of sorrows, that many of God's people will be caught unprepared. They will fall as weaklings before the onslaught of trouble and sorrow!
If we have no joy '97 we have no strength! And believe me, brothers and sisters, we are going to need a lot of strength to withstand these evil days. That is why the Spirit of God is calling us to renew the joy of our salvation.
III. Joy is Withering Because We Are Ignorant of the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God!
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty'85" (2Co_3:17).
Few Christians have the knowledge of the truth about liberty and the life'96freeing sacrifice at Calvary! They have never allowed the Cross to set them free from all fear and bondage. We cannot rejoice and be exceedingly glad in our relationship with the Lord when we have a poor or limited knowledge of what happened at the Cross.
Paul saw the glorious revelation of a liberating Cross! It meant freedom to him:
"Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty'85Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled gain with the yoke of bondage'85" (Gal_5:1; Gal_5:13).
It is not only what we have been saved out of that causes rejoicing '97 it is what we are brought into!
"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God'85" (Rom_8:21).
Liberty means "Freedom or release from slavery". It means power to choose, independence from all oppressive powers! In Isaiah we read that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ, "proclaiming liberty to all captives'85liberty to them that are bruised" (Isa_61:1).
No longer does Satan control our will! No longer can we say, "I just can't help it!" No! We are free to forsake every besetting sin! All bondage, after repentance, is self'96inflicted.
Joy is gone because we do not fully accept Christ's full and free grace!It feels more holy to go on repenting and confessing'85repenting and confessing'85working and slaving to prove our love for Him! We seem to forget that once we have confessed our sins, "'85he is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse us from all unrighteousness'85" (1Jn_1:9).
We simply cannot grasp the truth that God is not angry with His repentant children. We just can't believe that "the Lord taketh pleasure in his children'85so let the saints be joyful in glory'85" (Psa_149:4-5).
Yes, there is a time to repent. But there is also a time to rejoice in forgiveness! This is clearly demonstrated at Ezra's Water'96gate! That's right '97 Water'96gate! Ezra and Nehemiah took on the task of rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring law and obedience in Israel. Jerusalem lay in ruins, it's gates burned with fire, and its walls decayed and crumbling.
The people had become lawless, disobedient, and wicked. The wealthy were charging high interest and bringing the nation under bondage and debt. Worst of all they were intermingling with idol worshipers, marrying heathen wives.
God was about to revive Zion. A spirit of sorrow and true heart repentance would soon be poured out on the people.
"And all the people gathered themselves together as one man, into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel'85
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood'85and he opened the book'85and when he did the people stood up'85So they read the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading'85" (Neh_8:1-8)
The Word of God went forth, the people gladly heard '97 they understood! They repented! The Scriptures record, "The people wept when they heard the words of the law'85" (Neh_8:9)
They mourned for their sins! They wept over their backslidings! They grieved and sorrowed to repentance. And even though there would still be other times to weep, and though there was still much the Holy Spirit must do to bring them to a place of complete obedience '97 in their hearts they had truly repented, and were willing to go all the way with God. They longed for holiness and purity.
After Repentance '97 It Is Time To Rejoice and be Glad!
Nehemiah and Ezra stood before those weeping, mourning children of God and proclaimed a day of joy and gladness:
"This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep'85neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength'85" (Neh_8:9-10).
No more depression! No more grief! No more guilt or condemnation! They had truly repented. Now it was time to sing, rejoice, and be strong in joy. Now was the
time to accept forgiveness and be exceedingly happy:
"And the people went their way'85to make great mirth [happiness], because they had understood the words declared unto them'85" (Neh_8:12) [brackets mine].
Our joy and happiness must also come from understanding God's message of freedom. You need not understand all the doctrines of atonement, reconciliation, propitiation, grace, sanctification, etc. All you need to know in order to live joyfully unto the Lord is this one foundational truth:
God Was Completely Satisfied With Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross!
You don't need to explain it, or fully comprehend it. But you must understand that it was sufficient. It was all that was needed! God now willingly '97 joyfully '97 forgives all who repent. We are reconciled! Christ made peace! He took away God's wrath against repented sin.
To not rejoice in Christ's forgiveness is to doubt His full payment of our sins!That is a worse sin. Let the Spirit give you an understanding of this truth '97 we are called to liberty. God wants us to have an abundance of joy. A joy that is full and complete. Pressed down and running over!
God's Word makes it perfectly clear that He yearns to be enjoyed by His saints '97
"That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves'85" (Joh_17:13).
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away'85" (Isa_35:10).
Please '97 do not despise the grace of God! Accept your forgiveness. Don't try to invent new things to repent. It's time to enjoy what Christ has done for us. REJOICE!
By: David Wilkerson