MONDAY JOY #41

"Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the CHRIST."
John 1:19-20

"The next day John saw JESUS coming towards him and said, "Look, the LAMB OF GOD, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the ONE I meant when I said, `A MAN who comes after me has surpassed me because HE was before me."
John 1:29.30

Today, being Monday, the first busy day of your week, we pray that you get your 'JOY' ON and praise the LORD with us, the whole week long!

The 'JOY' of giving recognition to the LORD was the 'JOY' that John the Baptist knew.

- giving recognition -

the action of recognizing : the state of being recognized :
special notice or attention.

When John the Baptist, the most popular and accepted Man of GOD in all of Israel was asked if he was MESSIAH, he quickly denied it. John the Baptist knew that while he was sent to prepare the way of the LORD, he was not 'THE ONE'. The 'JOY' of the LORD for John was his recognition of JESUS when HE came onto the scene. At that moment his own life and ministry was fulfilled, not by what he had personally accomplished, but in the fact that he gave recognition to JESUS.

John the Baptist made two confessions of recognition that fulfilled the 'JOY' of the LORD in his life -

1. I am not the CHRIST [Vs 20] It is all too easy to begin to think and behave as though your gifts and abilities are something special about you. Life can be too fleeting and uncontrollable, in a second of time everything in your life can change forever without notice.

A Miss America tells her story of how she spent her entire life perfecting her outward beauty to win the renowned Title. Approximately two years later she was in a car wreck. After extensive plastic surgery, children would point at her or begin to cry when they saw her face. The 'JOY' of the LORD is experienced and lasting in our lives as we recognize the LORD and HIS purposes in our lives, for HE is the CHRIST.

2. Look, the LAMB OF GOD [Vs 29] The purpose of our lives is to point people toward JESUS. When we bring HIS gospel to the lost, we do not need to threaten them with Hell Fire and Eternal Damnation. Many people today think that the horrible circumstances they find themselves in must be like 'hell' due to their suffering. [drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, murder, insanity, homelessness, and poverty]

Be sure to give recognition to JESUS in every area of your life and be filled with the 'JOY' of the LORD! Today and everyday, live your life in the 'JOY' of the LORD!