[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: [CWWC] REJOICE IN THE LORD

[mmoore11 at kent.edu]

From: committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
<committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io> On Behalf Of Mr. Ed via groups.io
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2021 10:17 AM
To: Mr. Ed <pinky14 at abe.midco.net>
Subject: EXT: [CWWC] REJOICE IN THE LORD

 


REJOICE IN THE LORD


Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!
<https://link.biblegateway.com/click/24894326.1092/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmlibGVnY
XRld2F5LmNvbS9wYXNzYWdlLz9zZWFyY2g9UGhpbC4zLjE/5ef562bd10222374f46b6174B3b8e
321e> Philippians 3:1a

We've been learning personal lessons from prison from Pastor Okuk Ojulu in
Ethiopia as he shared them with Jim Cunningham.

He says, "The fourth lesson is to Rejoice in the Lord always in the prison.

"Prison means cutting off almost all your freedoms from the previous life.
The devil is more pressing in the prison than anywhere in life, preaching
negatives things to us. The most powerful tool for victory in our Christian
lives in the midst of negatives is to preach positives to defeat the devil
of negatives. In other words, it is to develop a positive attitude in a
hostile situation like in the prison.

"In
<https://link.biblegateway.com/click/24894326.1092/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmlibGVnY
XRld2F5LmNvbS9wYXNzYWdlLz9zZWFyY2g9UGhpbC4zLjE/5ef562bd10222374f46b6174C3b8e
321e> Philippians 3:1, it says, Rejoice in the Lord! Rejoicing in the Lord
always enables us to approach the burning bush for a release from the
prison. Let our prayer contain: "Yet not as I will, but as You will."

"I hope this kind of prayer can discipline us, and help make us approach the
Lord very closely in the burning bush-the very place where we can hear a
distilled voice from Him for the deliverance of many in their misery. The
burning bush does not burn us up, but it makes us remove our sandals when we
approach it."

Pastor Okok was released after three and a half years and God has rewarded
his ministry, even his family. One of his daughters was chosen as Miss
Ethiopia which paid for her education.

He continues to minister in freedom but with new perspectives based on his
prison life.

Prison experiences are very personal and very impacting. I think that must
be why I enjoy reading memoirs of Christians who have been in prison. They
are so positive and uplifting compared to those of non-Christians.

I especially remember the prayer of a Christian brother who was in prison
for years in Romania during the difficult years of the cold war. He prayed:

"Lord, I look forward to the great day I see you and your family in heaven.
I look forward to seeing the great evangelists standing before you. I look
forward to the day I see all the missionaries coming home rejoicing with
their sheaves. I look forward to hearing all the great singers of the world
praising you. I look forward to seeing the great preachers of the ages
standing before you.

"But Lord, I have one special request. When that day comes, allow me to be
there in the clothing of a prisoner. I want to praise you throughout
eternity in my prisoner's clothes to always remind me that I was a prisoner
for you."

RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in the Lord in the face of all the negatives
that Satan tries to throw at me.

PRAYER: Lord, You are worthy of my praise and joyfulness no matter what
circumstances I am in.

Provided by Bible Gateway:

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