“He that is of a Merry Heart hath a Continual Feast” [podcast]

Message recorded at a Bible fellowship.

Biblical saturation! If we are low spiritually, it could only be for 1 reason – we didn’t stay filled. Get filled! Stay filled! Overflow! Perpetually Flood your system with God’s Word!

It’s only the LORD Himself who can bless the human heart to be “merry” and have a “continual feast.” In fact, that’s His will for each of us. But how does that happen?

The LORD our Maker alone can truly satisfy, all the way to the marrow of the bone, to the depth of the human heart!

“For I have satiated (fully satisfied) the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25

ALL who live in sin are miserable. In other words, all who choose to live outside of a personal, intimate relationship with their Maker, live miserably, full of shame, guilt, and fear.

“The way of transgressors is hard.” Proverbs 13:15

In contrast …

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17

Hungering and thirsting after the LORD and His righteousness.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 

Pessimism, glass half full, whining, murmuring, etc., comes out of a darkened heart that is in utter need of the light of Christ – “He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief” (Proverbs 17:20). The wicked hearted person does not seek the LORD, and is therefore void of His presence, His joy, His love, His faith, His grace, and so finds nothing to be thankful for.

Depression Cannot Exist in a Singing Saint!

“All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15

God wants His children to have “a continual feast”, otherwise this would not be found in His Word..

“All the days of the afflicted are evil” – in other words this is the “cups half empty” pessimists. As in contrast with those who see things through the glorious Savior’s overcoming joy – “but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”

Those who live unto the LORD are full of His joy! Memorize Proverbs 15:15. Uninterrupted joy is reserved for the few who get right with God – and stay right with God! Repent now and Jesus will wash you of your sins and refresh you (Acts 3:19).

According to Proverbs 15:15, let us ask: How is any follower of Jesus ever going to have a heart filled, full of His perpetual divine joy if that disciple isn’t filling His heart and mind with God’s Word daily? Not going to happen. Get into God’s Word and stay in it – every day with no exception – wake to seek His holy face each morning. Live by truth and never feeling. You are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).

WHEN you are continually feasting on the bless-ed bountiful banquet of the LORD’s table, merriment will fill your heart and divine glory your face. Are you experiencing a “continual feast”?

“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:10-11

Jesus makes us shine from the inside out!

The fuel of joy is God’s Word. When the Word of God is ingested, joy on the inside, shining on the outside, is the result!

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

There’s no such thing as a person who is full of joy and not in the Word.

God’s Word cannot get into you until you get into it! Read Psalm 119.

Studying God’s Word is not a casual hobby to the true man of God. No, it’s his life! He deliberately, diligently devours God’s words daily!

OFTEN in the fake “prophetic” or “word of faith” houses of wickedness, we see people calling people up so they can pray for those in depression to have joy. Is this biblical?

Where in the Word do we see Christ or any prophet or apostle or anyone in the early church praying for depression to leave someone? OR even that someone will have joy? JOY is a fruit produced only via obedience and not because some one prays for it (Galatians 5:22-23). Are we denying that depression exists? No. In the Word we see people like the prophet Elijah getting depressed, right? (1 Kings 19:4.) Is replacing depression with the JOY of the LORD God’s will? Yes, yet how do we see this happen in God’s Word?

You see, false ministries identify problems yet make themselves the solution instead of instructing you to personally get into the Word so the Word will get into you – to personally “STUDY to shew” YOURSELF approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15). And guess what happens when the individual repents and seeks God for himself in God’s Word? ALL other problems are solved! Yet those “false teachers” and “false prophets” among us who make merchandise of you, want you to be their return customers (2 Peter 2:1-3).

The Bible reveals that joy comes in the MOURNING and with the ingestion of the written WORD! (Psalms 30:5; Jeremiah 15:16) Got depression? Good, get with God in fresh repentance and get lost in HIS WORD! Cry out to Jesus for yourself!

You want JOY to replace your depression? Good. Now repent and get in the Word and the Word will get into you and will be “the JOY and REJOICING” of your heart which means all depression will be vanquished! STOP praying for people’s depression and start directing them to get into the Word so the WORD can get into them – exhort them to drink the healing oil of God’s WORD!

God’s Word cannot get into you until you get into it!

The Cross and the Joy of the LORD!

The fruit of the Spirit is impossible without the cross. Love, joy, peace, etc., exists only in the lives, the vessels who are “crucified with Christ.”

It’s all in Galatians. See 2:20; 5:22-24. Boom Jesus. \o/  Let’s take a look:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:22-24

LET the LORD’s Gospel train roll on perpetually in your life – by flooding your heart and mind and actions with His holy Word – no matter what is going on against you or in the world (Proverbs 4:20-23; 15:15; Nehemiah 8:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Peter 1:8; 4:12-14; 5:10).

The daily cross is essential to being consumed with the joy of the LORD.

When we are full of misery it’s because we’re still full of self (John 3:30; Philippians 2).

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” Job 14:1

How can we possibly be full of the joy of Jesus if we are still full of sinful self?

There’s no need to walk around “troubled” because you are a “new creature,” a regenerated ambassador of Christ, His love, His truth.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

As a born again believer you are “predestinate(d) to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). When the crucified image of His Son Jesus is at work in our personal lives, the resurrection glory of Christ is reciprocally raising us upward.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

The crucifixion of the self-life, the strippings, the emptying of self, taking on the nature and mission of Christ to love others, is paramount to walking in the mind of Christ and having a “continual feast.” 

God counteracts death by the promise of resurrection – now and in eternity! (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12).

The stripping away of the old man nature (the self) is the same as the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:28-29; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11-12).

“Yes! We need to let God break us to see there is nothing good in us. That leads to humility and the fear of God!” Karen

Reading Philippians 2 on a regular basis will be most significant.

The cup or the vessel consumed and filled by the Holy Spirit through the cross life is going to overflow onto others perpetually. As long as we are emptied of self and full of the Holy Spirit, the overflowing blessings of God will be working in our lives. That’s ministry.

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalms 23:5

“my cup runneth over” (Psalms 23:5)

IF we remain filled with the LORD by seeking His “face continually,” His bless-ed grace and Holy Spirit will overflow out of our lives onto others (1 Chronicle 16:11; Psalms 23:5; 51:12-13).

“Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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