Hello, I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again to
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Issues and Answers.
Today we are going to be
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talking about joy and
the title of this program is
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Joy Is Free But Not
Cheap. Are you interested in
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finding out what
we're talking about? Me too.
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First let me share
with you one of my favorite
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scriptures from the Bible
and I'm going to be reading
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from the Amplified. This
is Romans 15:13 and here's
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what it says: May the
God of your hope so fill you
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with all joy and peace
in believing that by the
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power of the Holy
Spirit you may abound, you may
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overflow, bubble over
with hope. You know, I did a
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study in the Greek.
You know what hope means in
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the Greek? Eager expectation.
When you know the God of
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all hope, the God of
eager expectation, the God of
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promises, then you
can eagerly expect God to
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do something great in
your life. With us again today
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we have Pastor, excuse
me, Chaplain Derry James.
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She is a Doctor of
Ministry and a board certified
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chaplain coming to us
from Grass Valley, California.
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Derry, I'm so glad
you're joining us again and I
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can't wait to get into
this topic. Let me ask you
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something. I thought you
were going to say something.
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I was just going to respond
and tell you it's nice to
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be back here with you.
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I'm glad. Let me ask
you, I can't wait to hear what
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you mean by joy is free
but not cheap. But before
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we get into
that, let's define joy.
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Joy is something we
have that happens beyond
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our circumstances in
comparison to happiness
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that is dependent
upon circumstances.
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Amen. It reminds me of
Nehemiah 8:10 that says
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the joy of the
Lord is your strength.
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So that's also something
that's one of the gifts of
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the Spirit. So joy is
something that each one
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of can receive from God
and it is free but not cheap.
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What do you mean it's not cheap?
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When I came up with
that title, Shelley, I was
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thinking of all the
different tragedies and
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crises that I have
walked through in my own life
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for example and that
there are times that I have kind
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of wallowed in the
problems as I have gong through
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them and there are
times as I became acquainted
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with our Lord and
Savior that even though I was
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going through some severe,
severe heartache, I had a
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settled peace and joy
in my heart because I knew
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that my life was in
God's hands and that His
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purposes for me would
be fulfilled. So that joy
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sometimes come with a
high price tag. That joy
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sometimes comes as we
walk through the sorrow
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and suffering of
our lives. That joy is
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something that sometimes
we can't experience even
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on a high level until
we've experienced the suffering
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and heartache in our lives.
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That's true. So many
people do confuse joy and
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happiness. They think
if only I had more money
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only I could pay all of
my bills. They want to be in
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the circumstance or in
a situation that is absent
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of negative circumstances.
But I know a lot of people
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who have all the trappings
that the world could offer.
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They have enough money to
go around and help several
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families. They've got
maybe no problems with
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their marriage and
yet they are empty inside.
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They have everything
that makes for happiness in
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life but they have no
real joy. They are empty.
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So would it be a
fair statement to say that
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true joy is something
that we can only receive
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from the Lord and it is a gift?
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I believe that's
true. Happiness is not long
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lasting. It's momentary.
As we think of the things
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that you have just
talked about it seems like as
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we're going that route
in life we're always looking
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for one more fix.
You know what I mean?
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Yes. One more something
to hang onto to give us
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that happiness. If I
just have this or if I just go
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this place or if I just
do that then I'll be happy
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or that makes me feel
good but when we develop
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a personal relationship
with our Lord, when we
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learn to depend upon
him, when we walk every day
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with him, we have such
an inner peace and joy that
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these things of the
world really don't matter. They
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don't even call to
us because there is a
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settledness within the
very depths of our soul
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and the depths of our
being. It makes me think
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of the text in Philippians
that says rejoice in the
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Lord always and again
I say rejoice. Oh that's
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a song, and again I say
rejoice. Remember singing
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that song? In fact, in
verse 6 here of Philippians
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4 it says be anxious for
nothing. In everything by
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prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your
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requests be made known
to God. So it sounds like
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that the key is in
that text, doesn't it? Yes.
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Be anxious for
nothing. And why are we anxious
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for nothing, how are
we anxious for nothing?
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Because we're in prayer.
Because we have a thankful
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heart. Let me ask you something.
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It occurs to me you
are currently working as a
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chaplain and I'm sure
that you have people as you are
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dealing with death,
which you often do, families in
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crisis where they are
at that turning point that
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they've lost a loved one,
have you seen the difference
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between Christians and
non-Christians in the way
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they deal with death?
Have you met Christians
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that can walk through
the valley of the shadow of
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death and still have
joy in the Lord, still
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Nehemiah 8:10 is
holding true that the joy of the
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Lord is their strength?
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That's absolutely true
and it's an amazing thing.
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It's interesting to
see the reactions and
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and difference even
with our staff members at the
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hospital as they are
dealing with these families.
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Because people that
are so totally let's
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just say sold out to
Jesus and totally dependent
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upon God, they can be
around the bedside singing.
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together as their loved
one is dying and there is
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such a settledness in
them because they have
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that hope and they know
that this is not the end.
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This is only a temporary
situation. Yes exactly.
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But the beginning will
be coming when our Lord and
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Savior comes again to
receive us to himself.
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They know that hope.
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You know whenever I
send a card of consolation I
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always try to remember to
include that in my message,
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if I'm writing to a Christian
which is that it's only a
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temporary separation
and that indeed you have
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eternity to spend with
your loved one and I hope you
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find comfort in that
because it certainly brings
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me a lot of comfort.
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That's learning to
trust in God even in a crisis.
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Let me share something
with you, Derry, that my
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college roommate was
trying to get hold of me.
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We had lost track. We
both moved at the same time
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and I lost tract of
her for about a year.
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She had her sister
contact my mother trying to get
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hold of me and I
missed connecting with her.
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Long story short, about
a year later I ran into my
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friend and I said You
know I got the message from my
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mother that you were
trying to contact me and I'm so
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sorry I missed it. She
said well let me tell you why.
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My daughter was
killed; a drunk driver hit her
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daughter and she was
only nine years old, beautiful
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little girl and it
killed the daughter.
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Now she was telling me
that when she first went
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there and was standing
with her daughter's little
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broken body on the ground
that some friends had gone
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with her and she said
I was just hysterical at
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first and her Christian
friends surrounded her and
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they became to pray from
Philippians 4 for the peace
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that transcends all
understanding and she said
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Shelley, God filled me
with that peace right there.
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And the difference, her
husband turned away from
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God. He was mad at God.
But she went through this
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whole thing holding
onto the hope that she's got
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eternity to spend with
her daughter. God gave her
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peace even to the point
that people thought, she's
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in denial because she
is not grieving the way a
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mother should grieve.
She grieved but not that
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horrendous type of
grieving. She drew nearer
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to the Lord. Her husband
on the other hand stepped
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back and really
severed from God for about 10
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years. It took him 10
years to come around to where he
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accepted that. But now
let me ask you, you've been
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through some experiences
in your own life and is it
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okay with you, I'm
asking you here on camera.
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Let me ask you about
your divorce. Okay. That had
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to be a time when it
certainly wasn't happy
00:10:03.08\00:10:07.47
circumstances. Were you
able to draw on that inner
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strength from God and find joy?
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You know actually I'm
glad you asked the question.
00:10:16.09\00:10:18.63
I am glad you asked
the question because God
00:10:18.66\00:10:22.06
proved himself so powerful
and so loving to me during
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that time. So let me tell
you a little bit about that
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story, Shelley. During the
time of my divorce, actually
00:10:30.57\00:10:34.45
my husband left just
when I started the new job and
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that was a chaplain. It
wasn't just that I became
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a chaplain, but that they
had never had a chaplain's
00:10:41.18\00:10:44.52
department there so I had
the privilege of setting up
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the first chaplain's
department. So when I got
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the job he walked out
the door and here I was
00:10:51.66\00:10:55.51
after having been a
stay- at-home mom all these
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years suddenly a
professional in a brand
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new place, new occupation,
everything new about it
00:11:01.11\00:11:04.78
and devastated. So this
is kind of how me routine
00:11:04.81\00:11:08.45
went: I was home at
night and I was crying
00:11:08.49\00:11:11.12
hysterically and could
hardly sleep, sobbing, and
00:11:11.15\00:11:14.72
I would get up in the
morning and I would say
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I can't do this, I
just can't do this. And I
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would hear the prompting
of the Lord saying, praise
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me. I said, praise you,
I can't even talk. I was
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thinking this in my
mind as I was praying to God.
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And God said sing.
Now I just sing for my own
00:11:32.90\00:11:35.62
amusement; it's not
anything that I'm very
00:11:35.65\00:11:38.30
gifted at. But I can
carry a little bit of a tune you
00:11:38.33\00:11:41.24
know and God said sing
and I said I can't even
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talk. I would get in
the car and drive the 15
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minutes to work and
obediently I would try to
00:11:47.48\00:11:50.77
croak out a song of
praise to God. I would
00:11:50.81\00:11:54.03
start and the lump in my
throat was so big I truly
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could hardly utter the
words. By the time I got
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to the hospital, I was
singing a song of praise.
00:12:00.79\00:12:04.56
God honored that. You
know the scripture says I will
00:12:04.60\00:12:08.04
offer him the sacrifice
of praise. Well I believe
00:12:08.07\00:12:11.36
that that was my
sacrifice of praise because I
00:12:11.39\00:12:14.58
certainly did not feel
like praise at that time.
00:12:14.61\00:12:17.94
As I walked into the
hospital, it was like the
00:12:17.98\00:12:21.24
Lord anointed me, gave
me a whole new spirit. I was
00:12:21.28\00:12:24.90
overwhelmed with an
anointing where I had the
00:12:24.93\00:12:28.26
joy, I had the peace,
I had the presence to be
00:12:28.30\00:12:31.09
with the patients and
minister to their needs.
00:12:31.13\00:12:33.85
So this whole routine went
on for a while. God allowed
00:12:33.89\00:12:39.05
me the gift of grieving
at home but he absolutely
00:12:39.09\00:12:43.10
filled my soul as I
allowed myself to be obedient to
00:12:43.13\00:12:47.11
him, give myself to him,
and praise him in all things.
00:12:47.14\00:12:50.98
So you're proving the
point the same as with my friend
00:12:51.01\00:12:54.84
is that we can have
joy in our hearts even when
00:12:54.88\00:12:58.79
there's no happiness
in our hearts. Exactly.
00:12:58.82\00:13:02.34
You know when you were
saying about Him asking
00:13:02.37\00:13:05.51
you to sing and to
praise him, you know what I was
00:13:05.55\00:13:10.13
thinking? Why does God
require praise? It doesn't
00:13:10.16\00:13:14.71
change him. Who does
praise change? It's for us.
00:13:14.74\00:13:18.65
It changes us. And as
we praise him and focus on
00:13:18.68\00:13:23.10
his goodness and on his
mercy and his love, it's
00:13:23.14\00:13:27.48
hard not to be joyful no
matter what the circumstances.
00:13:27.52\00:13:30.54
We may be trapped in
negative circumstances.
00:13:30.58\00:13:34.13
You were trapped in those
circumstances. Your husband
00:13:34.17\00:13:37.65
wanted a divorce.
He walked out the door.
00:13:37.69\00:13:40.72
It caught you off
guard. But now here you are
00:13:40.76\00:13:43.93
even though you are in
those circumstances you
00:13:43.96\00:13:47.10
found joy and
strength immeasurable.
00:13:47.14\00:13:50.91
Shelley, why don't we
look at together how do we
00:13:50.95\00:13:54.79
deal with circumstances
that we are actually
00:13:54.83\00:13:59.31
living in with
other people where we are
00:13:59.34\00:14:03.76
stretched maybe to the
limit. Let's just say for
00:14:03.79\00:14:08.43
a moment we're living in
our marital situation and
00:14:08.46\00:14:11.92
we're not getting
along well with our spouse or
00:14:11.96\00:14:15.81
we have some major
issues with our spouse and let's
00:14:15.84\00:14:19.66
take the same example
living with children and
00:14:19.70\00:14:23.67
maybe the children are
not responsive to the adult
00:14:23.71\00:14:27.65
authorities there.
Maybe there are some major
00:14:27.68\00:14:31.39
conflicts between the
parents and children or
00:14:31.43\00:14:35.07
children and parents,
which ever way you want to look
00:14:35.10\00:14:37.96
at it. The child is turning
toward drugs for example.
00:14:38.00\00:14:40.82
Or maybe the child
wants to follow Jesus and the
00:14:40.86\00:14:42.72
parents don't want to
have anything to do with it.
00:14:42.76\00:14:44.59
So it really doesn't
matter. I'm just saying
00:14:45.11\00:14:48.05
let's look at other
situations. I'd like to
00:14:48.09\00:14:50.96
share with you something
God taught me just a few
00:14:50.99\00:14:54.71
years ago that to me has
been a powerful, powerful
00:14:54.74\00:14:58.43
tool. Okay. I went to
a seminar and they had
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.95
actually kind of
parallel themes, but the main
00:15:01.98\00:15:05.44
theme was The
Unoffendable Christ.
00:15:05.47\00:15:08.63
I thought the
unoffendable Christ. Now that's
00:15:08.66\00:15:12.35
interesting. I really
contemplated that and I
00:15:12.38\00:15:17.01
thought well I pray
frequently Jesus help me
00:15:17.04\00:15:20.93
be like you. But I
don't have this check list of
00:15:20.96\00:15:24.09
how I want to be like
Jesus. I just say help me
00:15:24.13\00:15:27.34
to be like you. As I
thought of the unoffendable
00:15:27.37\00:15:30.30
Christ, I thought, well
of course Jesus didn't get
00:15:30.33\00:15:33.07
offended. So if Jesus
didn't get offended, why
00:15:33.10\00:15:35.77
do I need to get offended?
Then I thought, well I'm
00:15:35.80\00:15:39.08
human, I'm not God. But
I thought about that whole
00:15:39.11\00:15:42.35
concept. Then
another parallel theme was
00:15:42.39\00:15:45.69
bless those that despitefully
use you, bless those that
00:15:45.72\00:15:50.37
curse you. I truly,truly...
It was a five-hour drive,
00:15:50.40\00:15:55.01
and on the way home I
thought about everything
00:15:55.04\00:15:58.20
that was presented
there. I thought this is true;
00:15:58.23\00:16:01.28
Jesus didn't get
offended and if Jesus didn't get
00:16:01.31\00:16:04.32
offended why do I
need to get offended?
00:16:04.36\00:16:06.18
You know, people are
people. We all have our
00:16:06.21\00:16:09.18
baggage, we all have our
problems, we all have those
00:16:09.21\00:16:12.69
idiosyncrasies that we
need to overcome and we
00:16:12.73\00:16:16.39
need to give each
other grace. If someone has a
00:16:16.42\00:16:19.59
reaction to me or
they're having a bad day doesn't
00:16:19.63\00:16:22.46
mean I have to let it
get to me. I can love them in
00:16:22.49\00:16:25.75
spite of it. So how
does that play out? Well that
00:16:25.78\00:16:28.53
plays out with the second
part, that parallel theme,
00:16:28.57\00:16:31.28
of blessing those
that persecute you. I can
00:16:31.32\00:16:36.79
remember coming home
after the seminar and one of my
00:16:36.83\00:16:40.04
children had moved back
home temporarily and they
00:16:40.08\00:16:43.40
had had like a really
bad day. I'd been gone for
00:16:43.43\00:16:46.14
about three days. When I
left everything was great.
00:16:46.18\00:16:48.85
When I came home he
was hardly speaking to me.
00:16:48.89\00:16:51.74
Now five hours I'd
contemplated on this theme,
00:16:51.77\00:16:54.04
Shelley. Not to be
offended. That's right.
00:16:54.07\00:16:56.27
And I walk in the door
and have this confrontation
00:16:56.31\00:16:59.68
immediately with my
son who, just honestly, was
00:16:59.71\00:17:03.01
was downright rude at
that moment. I thought, I don't
00:17:03.05\00:17:07.67
need this. First reaction,
I don't need this. I've
00:17:07.71\00:17:10.92
been gone for three days
I've just come home, what
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.61
is his problem. That's
all going through my head as
00:17:13.64\00:17:16.26
I carry my luggage in.
I sat down in my room and
00:17:16.29\00:17:19.57
Oh! The unoffendable
Christ, blessed. So I went
00:17:19.60\00:17:22.32
up to my office and I
said oh Father bless my son
00:17:22.35\00:17:25.03
with the give of
communication, bless him
00:17:25.07\00:17:26.65
with unconditional love,
bless him with respect and
00:17:26.69\00:17:29.58
honor for his parent.
Bless him with the knowledge
00:17:29.62\00:17:32.48
that I love him no
matter what. I was just up there
00:17:32.51\00:17:35.50
blessing him and
blessing him and blessing him.
00:17:35.54\00:17:38.71
He came upstairs and
he was still upset but you
00:17:38.74\00:17:42.42
know what, I'll use the
word "magic" for a moment;
00:17:42.45\00:17:46.85
the "magic" happened in
me. God changed me. There was
00:17:46.89\00:17:51.32
a major transformation
and anything he said it was
00:17:51.36\00:17:55.73
just like water off a duck's
back. I was at total peace
00:17:55.76\00:17:59.38
and because I was at
total peace that just spilled
00:17:59.41\00:18:02.45
right over to him and
the whole thing was gone and
00:18:02.48\00:18:06.28
over. So we can have joy
in difficult circumstances
00:18:06.32\00:18:10.29
no matter what if our
focus remains on our Lord
00:18:10.32\00:18:14.22
and if our responses and
reactions follow our Lord's
00:18:14.25\00:18:17.88
example. Amen!
You know when you're
00:18:17.92\00:18:20.74
sitting here talking...
You're going to love this:
00:18:20.78\00:18:24.37
I was praying one day
and as I sat at the feet of
00:18:24.40\00:18:27.38
the Lord being still
to know that he was God,
00:18:27.41\00:18:30.20
waiting for his response,
he said something to me
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.27
that just caught me off
guard, because I was really
00:18:33.31\00:18:35.79
expecting the Lord to
give me a pat on the back
00:18:35.82\00:18:38.47
for some things that he
had accomplished through
00:18:38.50\00:18:41.04
me. And all of a
sudden what was impressed upon
00:18:41.08\00:18:43.55
my mind is, I will cure
you of the spirit of offense.
00:18:43.58\00:18:48.99
I thought, yes, I had
been offended that day and he
00:18:49.02\00:18:53.00
said the spirit of
offense is nothing more than the
00:18:53.03\00:18:56.66
spirit of pride which is
the spirit of antichrist.
00:18:56.69\00:19:00.51
Now when you think about
that, see Christ was never
00:19:00.54\00:19:04.54
offended because he had
no pride. It was perfect
00:19:04.57\00:19:08.54
humility. Philippians
tells that we are to have that
00:19:08.57\00:19:12.96
same likeness of Christ
the same mind of Christ.
00:19:13.00\00:19:16.81
So when we get offended
it's just because our pride
00:19:16.84\00:19:20.61
has popped up and
that robs us of joy.
00:19:20.65\00:19:24.72
So I'm just sitting
here thinking out loud that
00:19:24.75\00:19:28.68
pride will rob us of
joy. Absolutely. Pride will
00:19:28.71\00:19:32.57
make us insecure. Pride
will make us easily offended.
00:19:32.60\00:19:37.16
That is something
that robs us of our joy.
00:19:37.20\00:19:41.12
But then likewise I had a
situation, J.D. and I, with
00:19:41.15\00:19:45.37
a business partner and
I won't go into it but we
00:19:45.40\00:19:49.22
ended up $250,000 in debt
because of this man and it
00:19:49.26\00:19:53.04
was terrible. The
man threatened my life.
00:19:53.08\00:19:57.09
It was horrible. God
knew that I was holding
00:19:57.13\00:20:01.07
unforgiveness in my heart
for this person. You cannot
00:20:01.11\00:20:04.49
have joy with unforgiveness
in your heart. Darkness
00:20:04.53\00:20:07.88
and light have no
association. So what
00:20:07.92\00:20:10.65
happened the Lord kept
telling me pray for him.
00:20:10.69\00:20:13.55
Pray for his salvation.
You know what my first
00:20:13.58\00:20:16.37
response was? I don't care
if he's saved or not, and I
00:20:16.41\00:20:20.16
really wanted him to
rot somewhere else, if you
00:20:20.19\00:20:24.55
will. This was many
years ago, but finally the Holy
00:20:24.59\00:20:28.61
Spirit was working on me
to the point, Derry, that
00:20:28.64\00:20:33.06
I said Okay Lord I'll
pray for his salvation because
00:20:33.09\00:20:35.35
you're asking me to.
You know, because I'm saying
00:20:35.39\00:20:38.19
how can I forgive him.
How can you demand that I
00:20:38.22\00:20:41.24
forgive him? As I
prayed for this man's salvation
00:20:41.28\00:20:45.01
at the leading of the
Lord God did such a work in my
00:20:45.05\00:20:48.32
heart. He put forgiveness...
You cannot pray for
00:20:48.36\00:20:51.60
somebody's salvation
and not get forgiveness in
00:20:51.63\00:20:55.43
your heart. God released
me from the chain of the
00:20:55.47\00:20:59.77
wicked that was binding
me. He restored my joy as I
00:20:59.81\00:21:04.08
was blessing the one who
was cursing me by praying
00:21:04.11\00:21:07.19
for his salvation. So
this is a biblical principle
00:21:07.22\00:21:10.29
and it works.
Absolutely and you can't
00:21:10.32\00:21:12.84
hate somebody that you
are praying for, you can't.
00:21:12.87\00:21:16.88
No because the Lord
shows you that person from his
00:21:16.92\00:21:21.38
perspective and his love
for them gets transferred
00:21:21.42\00:21:25.85
into your heart.
You know you brought up
00:21:25.88\00:21:28.69
the forgiveness issue
and as you brought that up
00:21:28.72\00:21:31.65
I was thinking. You
know again I'm going back to
00:21:31.69\00:21:34.99
Jesus as our example
here Shelley. But when Jesus
00:21:35.03\00:21:38.90
was on the cross, he
didn't have to take time to
00:21:38.93\00:21:42.73
kind of chew on it or cogitate.
00:21:42.77\00:21:45.15
Jesus forgiveness for the
people that had so treated
00:21:45.18\00:21:52.55
him the way they
had was instantaneous.
00:21:52.59\00:21:55.57
Again, looking at Jesus
as our example, that's where
00:21:55.60\00:21:59.76
we need to go, not
nursing those grudges,
00:21:59.79\00:22:02.31
not nursing those problems.
What you went through was
00:22:02.34\00:22:06.56
major crisis. Yes.
Major. I mean life changing
00:22:06.59\00:22:12.51
affecting crisis. To
say well tritely we'll just
00:22:12.54\00:22:17.13
forgive him. I mean
you had your own emotions
00:22:17.16\00:22:20.87
you had to work
through plus you had all the
00:22:20.90\00:22:23.85
repercussions in your
life that you had to work
00:22:23.88\00:22:27.54
through. But the bottom
line is that's where you
00:22:27.58\00:22:31.19
were and you could
either hang onto that lack of
00:22:31.23\00:22:34.31
forgiveness and let
it absolutely destroy you
00:22:34.35\00:22:37.36
which ultimately was
giving this person control over
00:22:37.39\00:22:39.42
you still or you could
release the whole thing
00:22:39.45\00:22:43.81
to God and God's judgment.
So often we forget to say
00:22:43.85\00:22:48.24
thank you in the midst of
trial. We forget to say...
00:22:48.27\00:22:52.62
We don't want to say thank you.
00:22:52.66\00:22:54.10
No we don't but as we
say thank you and praise you
00:22:54.14\00:22:58.41
God for this we actually
are releasing God to work
00:22:58.44\00:23:02.67
in our lives,
releasing God to be effective,
00:23:02.71\00:23:05.45
releasing God to
do something with the
00:23:05.49\00:23:08.72
situation as we praise
him. I mean, that is biblical.
00:23:08.76\00:23:12.43
You know, I'm
thinking about joy being free.
00:23:12.46\00:23:17.28
Galatians 5:22: The
fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy
00:23:17.32\00:23:20.28
peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, gentleness,
00:23:20.32\00:23:23.68
faithfulness and
self- control. Love, joy and
00:23:23.71\00:23:27.82
peace, this is something
that God pours into us.
00:23:27.86\00:23:31.39
He is the Spirit of
Love. He is the God of Peace,
00:23:31.42\00:23:35.65
Jehovah Shalom. His joy
is our strength. So this
00:23:35.69\00:23:39.35
is a gift from him. But
I know we've got someone
00:23:39.39\00:23:43.01
who is listening to
us, Derry, who is saying, I
00:23:43.04\00:23:46.39
want that joy. How do
I get reconnected to my
00:23:46.42\00:23:51.24
joy? You're saying
it's not free. It takes a
00:23:51.28\00:23:56.09
little effort doesn't
it to connect again to God.
00:23:56.13\00:23:59.56
If you've been robbed
of your joy you're really
00:23:59.60\00:24:02.99
disconnected from
God. Would you agree?
00:24:03.03\00:24:05.39
Oh absolutely.
Okay, how does someone get
00:24:05.42\00:24:08.04
connected back to God
to open their heart and
00:24:08.07\00:24:10.66
receive his joy?
Well, I can tell you
00:24:10.69\00:24:13.13
something that
definitely has worked for me.
00:24:13.17\00:24:16.86
When I was beginning
to go downhill emotionally
00:24:16.89\00:24:21.09
and feeling sorry for
myself, that just meant
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.45
that I wasn't living in
the position of gratitude
00:24:24.49\00:24:29.02
or praise. So I gave
myself the assignment of writing
00:24:29.06\00:24:33.55
down 10 things for 10
days, all different things,
00:24:33.59\00:24:38.16
that I could be thankful
for. I couldn't repeat, I
00:24:38.20\00:24:41.12
had to come up with 10
new things and it could be
00:24:41.15\00:24:43.58
as simple as I'm
thankful that I have a glass of
00:24:43.61\00:24:46.71
water, I'm thankful
that the sun came up today.
00:24:46.74\00:24:49.84
Like I told you before
the program I was thankful
00:24:49.87\00:24:52.79
after Christmas day when
we had no hot water, I was
00:24:52.83\00:24:57.62
thankful for hot
water. Exactly. So as I
00:24:57.66\00:25:01.69
focused on those things in
life that I can be thankful for
00:25:01.73\00:25:06.74
and took the focus off
all those things that were
00:25:06.78\00:25:12.10
pulling me down, that
attitude of gratitude put
00:25:12.14\00:25:17.39
me in a spirit of oneness
with Jesus which ultimately
00:25:17.43\00:25:21.02
opened me up again to
let him pour himself into me.
00:25:21.06\00:25:25.54
So it was meditating
on those blessings, it was
00:25:25.58\00:25:30.33
spending time with my
God sharing my heart to him
00:25:30.36\00:25:34.18
as a friend, letting
him know exactly how I felt
00:25:34.22\00:25:37.72
about everything and
letting him know all the
00:25:37.76\00:25:40.66
hopes and dreams that I
had or the ones that were
00:25:40.69\00:25:44.17
dashed and just
opening my heart to total trust
00:25:44.21\00:25:47.60
and confidence in his
plan. You know, we've each
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.99
been created for a
particular destiny and
00:25:51.03\00:25:54.11
the enemy wants to thwart
God's plan in our life and
00:25:54.15\00:25:58.24
as we come to focus on
the fact that this is a battle
00:25:58.27\00:26:02.33
over our very soul to
snatch us away from the
00:26:02.37\00:26:05.93
hands of our Lord. As we
consciously choose to put
00:26:05.97\00:26:09.52
ourselves back in God's
hands and say Lord fulfill
00:26:09.56\00:26:13.04
your destiny in my
life, it brings a settledness
00:26:13.07\00:26:16.79
to our spirit. In
fact, with what you were just
00:26:16.82\00:26:20.63
sharing about the
gifts, it just seems to me that
00:26:20.66\00:26:24.43
we could say joy
equals peace equals love.
00:26:24.47\00:26:28.56
And love equals joy
equals peace. Exactly right.
00:26:28.60\00:26:32.18
Well you know so we've
looked at several things
00:26:32.21\00:26:35.59
and one being that God
told you to praise him and
00:26:35.63\00:26:38.52
that helped restore
your joy. Meditating on good
00:26:38.56\00:26:41.46
things, spending time
in prayer with the Lord
00:26:41.49\00:26:44.29
in his presence.
Something else I find is
00:26:44.33\00:26:47.06
focusing on his
promises. Absolutely. As I claim
00:26:47.09\00:26:49.68
his promises and speak
them over my life, I find
00:26:49.72\00:26:53.05
that if my level of
joy is low he brings me up.
00:26:53.09\00:26:56.74
You know what? Our time
is almost all gone again.
00:26:56.77\00:26:59.81
Derry, will you please
come back and do some more
00:26:59.85\00:27:02.61
programs with us. I
would love to join you again.
00:27:02.65\00:27:05.38
This was great
fun. Thank you so much.
00:27:05.41\00:27:07.55
I know you're so good
at the work that you do as
00:27:07.58\00:27:11.12
chaplain. You have such
a gentle, precious spirit.
00:27:11.15\00:27:14.66
Well thank you.
We're not good at anything
00:27:14.69\00:27:17.36
without Jesus. Amen.
00:27:17.40\00:27:19.77
For those of you at
home I hope that the joy of
00:27:19.80\00:27:22.55
the Lord will be your
strength. I hope that you
00:27:22.58\00:27:25.73
will go to the God of
hope and ask him, Lord help
00:27:25.77\00:27:28.82
me to open my heart to
you. Pour out your love
00:27:28.85\00:27:31.84
joy and peace in me. Give
me the fruit of the Spirit
00:27:31.87\00:27:35.64
Give me eager expectation
that you are a God of your
00:27:35.68\00:27:39.42
word and that your
promises can be trusted.
00:27:39.45\00:27:42.47
May the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
00:27:42.50\00:27:46.11
the Father and the
fellowship of the Holy
00:27:46.14\00:27:48.60
Spirit be with you today
and throughout the rest of
00:27:48.63\00:27:52.45
this year. Thank
you for joining us.
00:27:52.48\00:27:56.42