The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength!

No matter what happens or doesn’t happen in our lives, the joy of the Lord is the strength of every Believer. It is a deeper and abiding inner experience which goes beyond all outward circumstances. which goes beyond .  Also, the joy of the Lord rests in the Believer’s knowledge that God is sovereign and in control of all things.

Where does the joy of the Lord come from?

God’s joy is a “Fruit of the Spirit.” It is a product of the Holy Spirit in the lives of maturing Believers (Galatians 5:22-23). And, The Holy Spirit’s ability to grow fruit in us isn’t dependent on life’s circumstances. Jesus says in John 15:4, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” So, we see here that the Fruit of the Spirit comes as a result of daily communion with God. And, obeying His Word through the guidance and power of His Spirit.

Joy in the midst of trials

The Apostle Paul experienced many trials and sufferings. If anyone knew about suffering, it was Paul. Yet, in 2 Corinthians 6:10 he wrote: “…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…” And, in 2 Corinthians 7:4, Paul says, “I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.” Even from his prison cell the Apostle Paul reminded Believers to be joyful (Philippians 4:4). Paul knew that God’s joy lasts even in the midst of our trials:

There are those who have it—and yet are continual sufferers. Everything that is supposed to be essential to earthly happiness, may be lacking—and yet their hearts may have joy that abides unbroken through all the pain and loss!.

Only God can give the inward joy, that is permanent, if you abide in Him. The world cannot give or take away this joy. The Apostle Paul firmly fixed his mind on Jesus. In fact, He knew that everything would turn out exactly as God had promised. And, because of Paul’s unwavering faith in God, he experienced this kind of joy.

The Bible says that the joy of the Lord, is our strength. Conversely, if we lack the joy of the Lord, we can not be victorious in adverse situations. And, without this spiritual joy to preserve us, we will find ourselves fearful and weak. 

God’s joy strengthens us for struggle and burden-bearing. The Bible says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy which was set before Him. Although, He was not “happy” while being tortured and enduring a painful death, Jesus held on to His joy. This was because He knew He was accomplishing the will of His Father. And, through His blood sacrifice, the world would be reconciled to God. 

How to keep the joy of the Lord

When Satan tries to rob us of our joy or when we go through tests and trials, we can still keep the joy of the Lord in our hearts. On the condition that, we continue to abide in our Heavenly Father and stand firm on His Word. There may not always be smiles on our faces, but on a deeper level, we will have strength to endure whatever situation comes our way. This is because our confidence is in God, and we know that He will work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

Blessings,

Apostle L.R. Gooden Jr.

How do we wait on the Lord? 

King David knew from experience what it meant to wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14). While David was waiting, he was chased through the wilderness by jealous King Saul. David had to wait on God for the fulfillment of His promise to reign as king. And, after becoming king, David was chased by his rebellious son Absalom. But, David did not give up, even though he was discouraged at times. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 30: 6 that when David was distressed, he “encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

Waiting on God is not easy, and that is one of the reasons why depression comes. Often it seems God is not answering our prayers or doesn’t understand the urgency of our situation. That kind of thinking, however, implies that God is not in control or is not fair. But God is worth waiting for. Often God calls us to wait because He uses waiting to refresh, to renew, and to teach us. We should try to make good use of our waiting time by discovering what God may be trying to teach us while we wait.

There are several ways we can wait on God: 

1. Focus directly on the Lord and not on our problem. Praise God for Who He is and read His Word on a regular basis. If we take our focus off of God, we are bound to fail and spiral even further into depression.
2.  
3. Continue in prayer until we receive our answers. God does not always answer our prayers immediately, sometimes it takes a while. What we may not realize is that while we are waiting, our faith and trust in God is becoming stronger.
4.  
5. Thank God for the renewed strength He has given you through your time of waiting on Him. Your renewed strength and your new perspective allows you to see God as greater than your problems. Therefore, the higher you climb spiritually, the smaller your problems will appear. 

Since God has all strength, there is no reason for us to quit. Even the strongest people can get tired and become depressed, but God’s power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired, too depressed or too busy to listen to our prayers. God’s strength is our source of strength. So, when you feel life is weighing you down and you cannot go another step, admit that you cannot solve your problems and turn them over to God. Call upon God and ask for His help, then watch your hope return and receive a renewed strength. 

When we become discouraged, we forget God’s mercies and blessings of the past and become fearful of about the future. The enemy will do everything in his power to get us to think that God has forgotten us.

But God says in His Word, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 12:5)

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

GOD'S WORD IS OUR TICKET TO INCREASE!

1).  Increase happens when we continue with the word that God has spoken to us:

The word will lead us to our destination. A good example is the prophecy that we received this morning. We have the plane ticket with a particular date we will fly. We must be available to go on the journey. If the time has come and we are too busy, we will miss the flight. The ticket is not the place. If we are not on the plane, we will not reach the destination. The ticket is the entrance point.

God wants us to enter into the boat and the boat is God’s word. We must do what God wants us to do and practice what God wants us to practice. If we don’t go to the other side, there will be no increase. There is no increase without God’s word.

If we listen and don’t do the word, we will only be deceiving ourselves. If God is talking to us it is because God’s mercy is still upon us. Imagine going to a church when God is no longer talking but only the church people and the pastor talking. God is merciful and He is kind and that’s why He keeps talking to us. When God manifest, everything will be blessed.

Act 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene; who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Act 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

It is the some of them that makes the difference. They are not average people but people who can make a difference. Ordinary people are many but extraordinary people are few. There are ordinary church members and there are extraordinary church members. That goes the same for churches, restaurants, etc. Choose to become extraordinary.

2) Increase happens when we break people limitations:

Sometimes we can be afraid when we see people and people’s opinions. People can be our worse enemy. When certain person is there, we cannot do or operate. Our biggest problem is people. Sometimes the closet people to us can be our greatest enemy. Increase will not happen when we don’t break people limitation. We must not hide what we have. What we carry is important and we can change everything. Everywhere the river went can bring life. We may be surrounded by people who don’t like us but when we rise up, the God of increase will be upon us.

Stop complaining about other people. Let God love us when others don’t love us. Don’t use other people to stop ourselves. If we want the God of increase, then we must break people limitation. Speak what God has placed in our heart and not to be intimidated by people.

Act 11:22 And the Word was heard in the ears of the church in Jerusalem. And they sent out Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch;
Act 11:23 who was glad when he had come and had seen the grace of God. And he exhorted all with purpose of heart to remain near to the Lord.
Act 11:24 For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And many people were added to the Lord.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SAINTS GETS DISCOURAGED?

Numbers 21:4; Galatians 6:9

INTRODUCTION: Discouragement is one of Satan's big weapons. Some of the greatest men, of the Bible were defeated because of it.
 

When we get discouraged we will:
 
PRAY THE WRONG PRAYER:

A. Moses prayed to die ~ Numbers 2
B. Elijah prayed to die ~ I Kings 19
 

SAY WRONG THING:

A. Jobdid~Job3
B. David did ~ Psalm 116:11
 

THINK WRONG THING:

A. John in prison ~ Matthew 11
B. Martha and Mary ~ John 11
 

DO THE WRONG THING:

A. Moses smote the rock ~ Numbers 20
B. Elijah ran ~ I Kings 19:3
 

SEE THE WRONG THING:

A. Giants instead of God ~ Numbers 13:30-33
B. Difficulties instead power of God ~ Mark 5
 

GO TO WRONG PLACE:

A. Jonah in fish ~Jonah 1
B. Elijah under the tree ~ I Kings 19
 

GET IN THE WRONG SPIRIT:

A. Spirit of defeatism
B. Spirit of murmuring
C. Spirit of grouchiness
 

NOW FINISH THE WORK!

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34).

Notice the two words "sent" and "finish." Jesus was sent by the Father, and His desire was to finish His mission. This verse connects being sent with finishing. This is why I call the apostolic anointing a "finishing anointing." It will take an apostolic Church to finish the Great Commission. To finish not only means to reach the end of a task or course, it means something that completes, concludes or perfects.

The Lord is preparing the Church to complete its task, and the apostolic ministry is absolutely essential to prepare the Church for this purpose. Without the ministry of the apostle, the Church will lack the necessary grace, power and authority to finish or complete its mission.

And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:22-24).

Notice Paul's attitude. He was determined to finish his course. Nothing could dissuade him from completing his ministry. There was a drive and a determination to finish. This must be the mindset of the Church today. We must have an apostolic mindset; we must be driven and determined to complete the Great Commission. This mindset overcomes all obstacles and hindrances that stand in the way of finishing.

Trials, tests and tribulations do not deter true apostolic ministry. There is a grace resident within this anointing that overcomes all opposition and breaks through every barrier. And it does not cease until the task is complete.  NOW FINISH THE WORK!

Pulling Down Strongholds:

"Warfare" in 2 Corinthians 10:4 is translated from the Greek word strateia, meaning apostolic, career, military service (as one of hardship and danger). It is related to the Greek word strateuomai, meaning to execute the apostolate (with its arduous duties and functions) and to contend with carnal thoughts. Paul was saying that the weapons of his apostolic ministry were mighty for the pulling down of strongholds.

I believe that there are certain strongholds that cannot be destroyed without the apostolic anointing. "Stronghold" is the Greek word ochuroma, meaning a fortress, a castle, a fortified place. Satan and his demons have fortified themselves from invasion. They have built strongholds and fortified themselves in every region of the world to resist the advancement of the Kingdom. These strongholds must be dealt with if we are to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Apostles have the ability to confront and pull down these strongholds.

The apostle Paul links these strongholds with "imaginations." This is the Greek word logismos, meaning reasoning, thought, computation or logic. It carries the idea of holding something safely. It is simply the way people think based on their way of life, tradition, experience or past teaching. Unfortunately, most thinking is against the knowledge of God.

The stronghold is also made up of demonic influence. There is a wisdom that is earthly, sensual and devilish (see Jas. 3:15). Logismos can also be translated as "arguments." Strongholds are the mindsets of people in a particular territory. These mindsets are fortified places that keep out truth and hold in lies. Unbelievers have mindsets that prevent them from receiving the truth of the gospel. Spiritual warfare involves demolishing these mindsets so that people can receive and walk in the truth.

DO YOU HAVE A PIONEERING SPIRIT?

A pioneer is a catalyst. Pioneers cause things to happen. They do not sit back and wait for things to happen. They initiate new movements. They penetrate new territories. They preach new truths and birth new churches and ministries.  Jesus was a pioneer. The early apostles were pioneers.

The pioneering spirit is apostolic. God always desires to do a new thing, and He will use apostolic people to do it. Apostolic people have the ability to persevere in the face of opposition. They have the strength and mentality of a pioneer. The apostolic anointing will set the tone for your life and ministry. You will become a pioneering believer. You will invade and possess new territory— naturally and spiritually.
 

Pioneers have a breakthrough anointing. The word "breakthrough" is defined as an act or instance of breaking through an obstruction; an offensive thrust that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line in warfare.

Pioneers have the ability to break through ignorance, fear and other obstacles that keep people from advancing. Apostolic ministry has the ability to penetrate the defenses set up by the powers of darkness. This is why God has set it to be first. Someone must break through first before any significant progress can be made. Someone must have the courage, ability and power to break through the obstacles set up by the enemy.

It's Time To Get Back To The Basics!

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.1 Corinthians 12:28.

Each and every believer has been gifted by God to fulfill his or her calling and purpose. For some, their gifts will place them in a visible ministry; others are gifted for "behind-the-scenes" ministries. No gift makes anyone more important than anyone else. We are all equal in Christ—equally loved by God and equally necessary to the Body of Christ. And yet, as we have seen, certain offices within the Church are designated by God as being higher in rank than others. The reason for this is that someone has to be first; someone has to be a pioneer.
 

What 1 Corinthians 12:28 tells us is that the Church should be first and foremost apostolic. This is the divine order of ministry given to the Church. There is a wisdom behind this order. It is not to elevate men or exalt the flesh. God has a purpose in everything He does.

A Divine Order:  Each of the gifts has a certain function that operates best in divine order. When the Church neglects this order, it will not be able to progress toward the goal of fulfilling its commission.  When things are out of order, the result is disorder and confusion. The anointing and power of God flow through order. The anointing flowed from Aaron's head, to his beard, to the skirts of his garments (see Ps. 133:2).
 

The head represents authority. Order is always based on authority. Again, the authority of the Church should be first apostolic, second prophetic, third teaching. The amount of authority we operate in is based on this order. The flow of the anointing is based on this order. Our ability to fulfill the Great Commission is based on this order.
 
The apostolic prepares and opens the way for the prophetic. The prophetic in turn prepares and opens the way for the teaching. Each one precedes and paves the way for the other. Each gift and ministry is designed by God in this way to open the way for the other to follow. Each territory needs all three to operate in order to establish God's purposes in that region.

Evangelism and pastoring are utilized as ways of reaching and overseeing the people. These gifts are important and necessary to perfect the saints and help fulfill the Great Commission. If the Church is apostolic, it will also be evangelistic in order to reach the lost; it will also be pastoral to protect and cover those who are saved. The apostolic cannot function without these two gifts and the others as well.

2020 It’s Time For A Necessary Change!

To restore means to bring back into existence or use; to reestablish, to bring back to an original condition. It means to put back, replace, reinstate, reinstall, revive, recall to life, return, to rebuild in a form supposed to be the original. This implies that there has been a departure from the original design. Things fall apart and deteriorate through neglect; decline is inevitable without constant upgrade and renovation. Restoration is then necessary to correct and change the situation.

This is why some people enjoy buying an older home and then going through the arduous process of restoring the home to its original condition. Although run-down and deteriorated, it is obvious to the perceptive eye that the house once had an elegance and charm that can be restored once again. These perceptive people relish both the process and the results of that restoration. In a sense, they exercise mercy on the old house and enter into the work of lovingly restoring it.

Restoration within the Church—and that includes each of us personally—will happen as a result of God's mercy. He will not allow us to languish in the deterioration of the past. Because of His great love, He restores to us what we need to fulfill His plans and purposes for the earth.

The Church is now crying out for the restoration of authentic apostolic ministry. We are praying for restoration and declaring it prophetically. God's people are coming out of the holes and prison houses. A new liberty is coming to the Church. A new freedom in ministry is being released through the restoration of apostolic ministry.

THE YEAR OF 20/20 PROPHETIC VISION AND PROVISION!

RELEASED ON 31 DECEMBER 2019.

From the desk of the Apostle:

Joel 2:24-26 (KJV)...24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

We see in our text that God promises the impossible with man: “I will restore the years that the locust (nations) has eaten” (Joel 2:25). The immediate meaning of this promise is clear. God’s people had suffered the complete destruction of their entire harvest through swarms of locusts (nations) that marched like an insect army through the fields, destroying the crops, and multiplying their number as they went.

For four (4) consecutive years, the harvest was completely wiped out.God’s people were brought to their knees in more ways than one. But “the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people (Joel 2:18-19).” God said, “Behold I am sending to you grain, wine and oil, and you will be satisfied (5th Yr.)  In the coming years, God said, their fields would yield an abundance that would make up for what had been lost....GOD said I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations....(Hold on He’s not done He said “The threshing floor shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied”...talking about 2020 PROVISION.  (Joel 2:24, 26).

Numbers are very significant in Hebrew because each Hebrew letter has a numerical value connected to it. The number 80 in the year 2020 is the numerical value for the Hebrew letter “Pey” which means “mouth”. It is the 18th letter that follows the letter “Ayin” which means “to see” and carries a value of 70. The significance of the Pey (mouth) following the letter Ayin, (to see) which has the numerical value of 80, is the same numerical value for the word “foundation and strength”.

What I’am saying is that God desires to restore 20/20 prophetic vision back to His church to prepare us for what is to come. The Hebrew year 5780, which will also fall on the Gregorian calendar 2020, will be a RESTORING year. 

As our eyes are being healed and our prophetic vision is being restored, we will begin to see and declare new visions with new wine skins. Glory to God,

 I HEAR THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SAYING...........I am going to bring you to a place of manifestation and demonstration of me opening doors that only I could open and no man could shut (Is. 22:22). These doors will be miraculous. How things will come together will not be by your might, or by power, but by My Spirit (Zech. 4:6). All you need to do is stay aligned, stay close to Me and step out of limiting beliefs through repentance. Your tent pegs are being extended further. Don't let fear and the familiar contain you. I will sustain you. All of heaven's resources are placed before you in Me. Access these resources with your faith, make a withdrawal in faith from these heavenly resources in the vision I have given you."

Only what you can see, can you enter into and possess.  When you see prophetic, you will receive supernatural wings to ascend into higher realms and veils that have previously not been accessible.  With prophetic (vision) sight spiritual restrictions that have previously kept you grounded will be pulled up in order to release you into your spiritual destiny.

2020 is the year that the mysteries of God will begin to be experienced in a new way as the sword is being pulled out of the sheath. (logos word=sheath) (rhema word=sword of the spirit).  With His sword, God is going to judge every system that have kept Him out and He will deal with all idols and systems that has attempted to separate us from His Love.

In 2020 Spiritual Elijah’s are coming on the scene to expose and open the eyes of the church to her wickedness and call her back to accountability.  Also spiritual Jehu’s are chasing down the spirit of Jezebel and striping it of its influence and power.

2020 is the Year to See the Zayin which is the Sword.   Zayin is the 7th letter of the alphabet that means a sword.  2020 will be a year of the release of greater Dunamis power and Exousia authority for a kingly anointing to rule and reign upon the earth.  I DECLARE TO YOU THE YEAR OF 20/20 PROPHETIC VISION AND PROVISION!

Blessings,

God’s servant Apostle L.R. Gooden Jr.