JOY
JOY
Sunday, October 18, 2026, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
As a church Body, the year 2026, has been a year of great trials as we have lost one of our Deacons to his heavenly reward and two have faced down cancer, another a fall which fractured her neck and one who defied death and has lived to declare her triumph to live and not die. We also lost a son of one of our founding families to an untimely death.
Another had hand surgery which left her crippled for two months.
In all this, our church body, ran toward the Battle and relieved the afflicted with love, prayers, comfort and attention. Two of our members, Bonnie and Sonya stayed night and day in the hospital for days at a time attending to Beloved Saints.
I spoke yesterday to both Jo Ann and Sandra, “I believe through this attack on your body, both will come through with a greater spiritual gift of healing and in Jo Ann’s case authority over cancer.” We have had prophet after prophet decree in this church assembly, “this church will be known as a healing center.”
Natural wisdom and strength are not enough to meet the demands of the day. We must apprehend the supernatural power of Jesus
Christ.
This past Tuesday, I taught on the Prophet of Faith, Habakkuk. In Habakkuk we see a man deadly earnest, wrestling with the mighty problem of theodicy---the divine justice---in a topsy-turvy world. (Theodicy – defense of God’s goodness.) Faith tested as the prophet does not address his countrymen or a foreign people. His speech is to
God alone. He is asking God “Why.” His concern is about solving a problem which vexed his sensitivity, Jehovah’s government of the nations.
After praying and receiving the vision of God’s mighty acts and a majestic visible coming of God to the earth 3: 3-11: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was as the light. He had horns coming out of His hand; and there was the hiding of His power. Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet. He stood and measured the earth. He beheld and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow. His ways are everlasting…
The triumphant procession is continual through time and eternity.
Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet.
Habakkuk finally “embraces” the justice of God’s ways by unreservedly “embracing” God Himself. From this revelation flows his prophetic psalm of faith and confidence in God.
Hab. 3:17-19: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD GOD is my strength and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places.
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
As Christians, we will at some time be faced with this question. “Why the righteous suffer and the wicked seem to prevail?”
In all this, the just are to live by faith. God’s ways are right. Our confidence must not be based on God’s favors, but on God Himself. Our rejoicing in the midst of adversity must rest upon a total acceptance of the ways of the LORD.
Like Job, Habakkuk neither used his questions to shield himself from moral responsibility nor shunned God’s claim upon his life. He thought so much of God that he hungered and thirst to see God’s righteousness vindicated.
Through the past seven months of battle, and I ran toward the battle, I landed in that place of peace and confidence that “The Just Shall live by Faith.” We are not outside God’s will. We are not in judgment. We are, as in all spiritual battles, being strengthened and prepared to come forth as gold, as silver tried in the fire, as the Gideon 300, to be able to carry a greater weight of Glory and the weight of the inbreaking next move of God.
This is not my first battle, there have been many over the past 86 years and I have lived to see the Glory of God prevail over all adversity.
In the book of Habakuk, Jesus Christ is revealed as the “Holy One” (1:12). The One who justifies the righteous by faith (2:4) and the One who will fill the earth “with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
So many will make excuses or look for someone to blame for the trials of life. Not Habakkuk. He went straight to God and the Lord revealed His Might and Glory.
What is it today that can cause the church to rise up, to transcend the circumstantial appearance realm? What can lift us up into the place of Faith? There is a faith that transcends all circumstances. It is a faith that in all things God is! Because He is enough in every circumstance of life.
James gives us the revelation of the sweet uses of adversity where we will one day count it all joy.
James 1:2:My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers’ temptations.
Christians are not to court trials or knowingly tempt sin which creates trials; but when we meet with temptations, we are to regard it with unreserved joy because it is used by God towards holiness of Character.
The fear of God will count the costs and walk the higher path of righteousness in Christ Jesus.
Joy is eternal. Joy is not based upon anything circumstantial. Joy is pure, uninhibited emotion pouring from the heart of God Himself. (Ro. 5:5). Happiness is a choice. Joy is eternal for the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Hab. 3:19: The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places.
This way of life is in the heavenlies above the roaring of the lion and the den of the leopard, far above all principalities and powers. It is Job’s undiscovered path and Isaiah’s highway to Zion. It is the place of transcendent prayer raising men above their present circumstances. Both testaments describe this upward call and walk with the Lord.
“We know that the angels of light and joy are manifestations of God’s very own nature. Joy is a manifestation of His Holy Spriit’s presence.
Acts. 13:52: And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Luke 2:19-10: the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them…and the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.
The angel of joy comes to pronounce who God is and bring the joy of the Lord. As we keep our hearts pure, His joy is a gift, and the angels surrounding us want us to experience that joy because then we can stand strong.
“…for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Neh. 8:10).
When we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, the deep inside our spirit man became the light of our earthly body/house. Our soul is the mind, will, and emotions. Emotions can emit the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) or they can emit the darkness of unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, impure thoughts, feelings, depression, anxiety, fear, and so on.
Phil. 2: 1-2: If there be any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels, and mercies, fulfill my joy that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind.
Phil. 2: 14-16: Do all things without murmurings and disputing. That you may be blameless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Holding forth the word of life…
“Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit burns with a bright, silvery blue flame. This is like the Holy of Holies or the throne room of God. It is full of light. Our inner court (Spirit) will burn orange, yellow, and red. This light will overflow into your outer court body. There we give off light from the earth realm to the spirit realm. These lights are recognized by the heavenly hosts. Our angels and the heavenly hosts can see our lights shining. We are bright like a diamond, shining in the atmosphere. We become a heavenly habitation for angels of light to migrate toward. Our eyes and skin will glow---we will carry the fire of God. (fire carriers). We are seated with Christ in heavenly places.” (author unknown)
Rom. 15:13: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Mat.25:23: Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of the LORD.
Entering into the joy of the LORD, is then a gift and a spiritual realm in
Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Exceeding Joy:
1 Pe.4:13: 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.
Jude. 1:24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.
May we be able to say with Paul when our time comes to say goodbye: None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the LORD Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
It sounds good to declare that trust and faith in Jesus, but so many fall away from the faith when they are faced with trials and tribulations. I pray that we all finish our course with joy. Jesus did great and awesome miracles as did Paul and the other Apostles. It cost them their life. We have a President chosen by the LORD, and since he has been in office, he has done many miracles on an international level; but many want to kill him. Miracles, signs, and wonders will come at a cost and it will take the joy of the LORD to be able to have the strength to carry the weight.
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
www.eastgateministeis.com