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By definition, joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart.

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It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope, but joy in its fuller spiritual

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meaning involves so much more.

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This time of year seems to be a highlight of both the presence and the absence of this

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crucial spiritual quality.

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In this episode of Keep It 100, we talk about displaying emotional radiance, the difference

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between happiness and joy, and an interview from Down Under with founder of Melbourne's

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School of Profits, Gary Morgan.

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Welcome to another episode of Keep It 100 with Christa and Sean.

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Welcome, welcome everyone.

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Come on everybody.

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I don't know about you, but the Smith household, we are in full Christmas swing.

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We have a decorated tree.

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We have decorations in the house.

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Hallmark has been on repeat.

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Oh my.

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I think I watched it so long one day.

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I was just like vacuuming and cleaning and decorating the house for Christmas.

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And all of a sudden the message came up on the TV, are you still watching?

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Because it'd been like four hours.

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Oh my.

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Right.

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But I have presents that are mostly wrapped.

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And I would say I've done like 95% of the Christmas shopping.

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You are very impressive to be able to do all of that in light of the backdrop of this year.

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Thank you, baby.

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You know, I did it really early this year, even maybe earlier than normal, because there's

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been so many shipping delays with all this whole COVID and pandemic.

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I wanted to make sure we got everything on time.

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So it's been such a weird, weird season.

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And then to go into the Christmas season, it just feels a little crazy to be in lockdown

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when Christmas season is in full swing.

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It is.

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And for us in California, we're in a crazy lockdown as much as we were in the beginning

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of this whole COVID thing.

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And depending on what state you're in, you're facing some of that.

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I know that New York, I was reading about that in other states as well.

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You know, it's often during these times that you realize how much you really do need Christmas.

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Yeah, true.

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And I'm not just talking about some holiday as the world would celebrate it, but that

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we need Jesus, who is the real reason for the season, to bring what he brings when he

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comes.

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So interestingly enough, USA Today had an article on the 100 things that brought us joy during

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the coronavirus pandemic.

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You know what's really cool is when we were looking through that list, we just picked

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out like five things that we thought were really funny and interesting.

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And one of the things that I thought was just hilarious and I could so relate to was number

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one, not having to put on makeup every day.

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That's hilarious.

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You could throw on the mask too.

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You really only have to put on just what I stuff.

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Mascara.

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It's like, I literally for this season have just been putting on mascara because I'm like,

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I have lashes.

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Yes, that's all you see anyway.

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Right?

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And it's funny when you see people, you don't know what they really look like.

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I've actually had people say hi to me and I didn't know who they were because I'm not

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seeing their full face.

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And I go, oh, you know, then you find out how they go to church with you or their neighbor.

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You know, another thing from the list that we pulled that I thought was really fun was

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movies going to streaming services like early, like onward and trolls world tour, which was

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a hilarious movie.

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So cute.

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That was.

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And I'm super excited.

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Shout out to all the DC universe people.

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Even Wonder Woman 1984 will be coming out streaming on December 25th.

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I think it goes to theaters, but it goes to HBO Max.

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So even that movie is going to be streaming.

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So there is a joy during this time that when you couldn't go to a movies, movies were coming

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to you.

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That's pretty cool.

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And you know, it was really funny.

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Something else from the list you and I laughed about was people reported what made them really

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happy during this pandemic was being able to kick their spouses butt in skip boat, you

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know, and Yachty.

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And it's like, I think people just getting that like basic card game victory competition

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back in the house.

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I mean, we're pulling it from like the decades before.

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It's great.

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You know, another thing that we pulled from the list was businesses have been sharing

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some of their secret recipes so that you and I and the people in the nation can make

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it home.

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I see your Disneyland dough whip.

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Right.

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Right.

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Dough whip.

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I love the dough whip in Disneyland.

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And then the Double Tree Hotel actually released their chocolate chip cookies recipe for people

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to be able to make those cookies at home.

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And then the Cheesecake Factory released their Jumbalaya pasta recipe.

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That's not even right.

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Those Double Tree chocolate chip cookies, we stay at the hotel and we stay at the Double

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Tree.

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Those are dangerous.

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They're bringing out those warm cookies.

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I'm like, don't do it.

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And it's like you just inhale them.

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Oh, it's so true.

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And you love the Jumbalaya pasta because it's Cajun.

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I do.

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I do.

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That's true.

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Okay.

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Last thing off the list that we pulled, and again, this is just talking about what brings

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us joy during this pandemic was people said they really enjoyed walking through their

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neighborhood and giving their friends real estate tours on the app Marco Polo.

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That is funny.

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Is that so funny?

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You know, as we've talked about these hundred things from USA Today that brings us joy during

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the coronavirus pandemic.

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It's very interesting because I really began to realize that ultimately we cannot wait

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for our circumstances to bring us joy.

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What we need during this season, this December is to receive joy and let it act on our circumstances.

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So again, we can't wait for our circumstances to bring us joy.

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We get joy and we let it act on our circumstances.

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Speaking of articles, the New York Times recently ran an article entitled, Are We Living in

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a Post-Happiness World?

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And really this.

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Wow.

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This article was on the fact that we've experienced such a world that has been in turmoil and

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transition.

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There have been crisis.

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There's been pandemics.

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There's been protests.

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There's been political extremes.

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And they're asking the question now, are we living in post-happiness?

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In other words, is joy even possible?

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And then to back this up, a new poll found that Americans are the unhappiest that they've

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been in 50 years.

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That's two and a half generations.

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My goodness.

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I know what's really interesting is in addition to that study, we found some more interesting

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data and it said only 14 of respondents said that they were very happy, which is down 31%

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from a couple years ago when the same poll was taken.

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I mean, you know, really our focus is not about finding happiness.

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It's really about discovering joy.

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I love that because joy, particularly the joy that God gives you can make you emotionally

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radiant despite what you're facing so that you begin to shine rather than just complain

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and give into the darkness that surrounds you.

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Keep your 100.

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Our next segment is our Hondo P or 100% segment where Christa and I love to kick around some

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issues that people are facing and just share our thoughts and have a conversation on it.

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Right along these lines, we're talking about this aspect of emotional radiance or joy or

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first joy.

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Now, I say that because we're emotional creatures.

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You and I are made in the image of God and that means we are made to feel nothing wrong

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with that.

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Our Heavenly Father feels the Holy Spirit has emotions.

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Jesus had a full spectrum of responses and reactions to things that happened to him.

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Having emotions are not our problem.

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The problem is when emotions have me.

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So along those lines, Christa, what are some of the challenges people have in this season

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and particularly in the closing of this year of 2020?

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I think for me, and I think a lot of people would agree this is true for them, one of

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the greatest struggles and challenges in 2020 has been the uncertainty.

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I think like many of us, and I'm certainly, I'm answering this for myself, but I know

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I'm representing more than just myself.

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We want things that are stable.

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We want security.

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And for a planner personality like myself, I am very spontaneous.

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You know this about me and I'll flow and I'll flex.

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But when I'm having to constantly adjust and readjust and adjust again, I feel like I'm

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like I've had to be so flexible this year.

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There is such a constant need to adjust and readjust.

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And when you actually do make plans, you never know if they're going to be concrete.

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And most of the time there is some tweak in some way, shape or form.

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We haven't been able to find a sense of security on outward things.

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And so it's forced me to really dive into my relationship with God like never before

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and be like, okay, what can I stand on that is actually certain in the midst of uncertainty.

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And the only thing I've come to find is really who I am in Christ Jesus.

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That's the only certainty I have.

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And so I've been able to find joy in who I am.

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And even in the simplicity of who I am in Christ of just, I'm forgiven.

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I actually don't have to walk in shame.

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I can actually come directly to my heavenly Father, sit in his lap and he shares his heart

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with me.

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And I'm actually able to be a daughter and walk in the joy and the hope and the peace

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of my Father because he abides in me and through me.

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And that's my certainty.

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That's where I find my joy.

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I have a confidence knowing that even when things fill chaotic, God's still in control.

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Even when things are uncertain, he is certain.

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And so I have found in the midst of uncertainty, which has been my personal greatest battle

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and struggle in 2020 that I have had to find the one thing that is certain.

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And I knew that theologically I understood that.

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But when you actually have to act upon that and you actually have to live that out of

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finding joy daily and knowing no matter what comes at me this day, we've had so many blind

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sides.

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You and I personally, I'm speaking on a very personal, you and I've had so much blind side

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this year.

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And yet there has been a joy in our home because of who God is because we have just stayed

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in the place of God, you're certain even in the midst of uncertainty.

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I love that.

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And I think it's so true about uncertainty.

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When I think about the uncertainty, Christa, I think about there are many contrast racial

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charts such as the cost versus benefit, profits versus losses.

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Well, I want to introduce another chart that I just made up, the bliss versus mischart.

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And I believe uncertainty is on the missed side.

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Joy is on the bliss side.

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And when you have in your life more things that are missing, like you're missing out on

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stuff or you attempt something, you go, that was a miss because of the uncertainty.

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You find that there are more things that are charted as misses than things that you can

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look at your life that are blisses.

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And I love how you finish that segment of just saying that our bliss is found in Jesus

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and what He brings outweighs all the other things that we feel we're missing out on.

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When I think of what are some of the challenges that people have in this season, Christa,

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particularly the year 2020, I think of this has been such a year of conflict and it has

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introduced us to new levels of strife, times of strife.

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And the word strife means conflict.

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It means friction.

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It means disharmony.

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It means variance.

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And so when I think about everything from the unpredictability of a health scare that

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still has people pretty scared and there's been spikes, I think about vaccination that's

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coming up.

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Is it going to be forced?

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Will people have a choice?

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Have they really worked this thing out?

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Those stories of people that, four people I think they got bells palsy as a result of

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the vaccination for COVID-19, the stay at home orders.

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In the midst of all of it, that can cause strife.

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And then we look at the political situation, the extreme right, extreme left, the situation

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of, and has there been this voter fraud?

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To what extent has it been?

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Is it a hoax?

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Is it somebody lying?

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Again, I'm not so much trying to take a political side as much as I'm trying to identify that

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there is strife in our nation.

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And the bottom line is this, it's hard to be joyful when you're in a fight.

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I've never been in a fight smiling and laughing while I'm fighting.

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That's so good.

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You're kicking a different mode.

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And so I think a lot of people, it's hard for them to find joy because they are in the

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fight.

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But let me tell you, with all those challenges, there are a couple of things I do know about

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joy.

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And I really want to bring it to you in this Hondo peace segment and that joy promotes

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resilience.

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Just like right now, there's a lot of talk about our autoimmune system and our ability

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to fight off.

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Well, I want to say that joy is the autoimmune system of your emotions.

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That when your joy is high, you're not as susceptible to depression, disillusionment,

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anxiety, fear, because what joy does is the second thought I want to give you is joy weaponizes

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your beliefs.

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I love that you call joy the autoimmune system of our emotions.

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That brings the health of the rest of your system because you have a joy that roots you

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and grounds you when anxiety or different things try to creep in.

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It's that joy that is that antidote that keeps you in a healthy place, keeping your perspective

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and your eyes gazing on God.

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I love that.

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So I got to ask you, baby, in your opinion, then what are the differences between happiness

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and joy?

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Because I think that's important for our listeners and the keep 100 tribe to really understand

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what is the difference between happiness and joy?

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The difference of happiness and joy are pretty vast.

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Happiness is from something that we do.

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I do something and so it makes me happy.

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So when you look at it like that, happiness is something that happens to you.

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There's a cause and effect.

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So happiness is external.

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But on the other side, joy is from something God does.

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It's not from something you do because sometimes you get a chance to do it.

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Sometimes you don't.

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It's something that God does so joy is produced in you.

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It's not about what's outside, but what's inside because joy is an inside job.

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I love that.

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And you know what's really interesting when you and I were kind of talking about joy

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versus happiness, we begin to understand that the word happy comes from the root Greek word

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HAP, H-A-P, which means chance.

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It's basically saying happiness happens by chance.

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It depends on what happens.

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And for example, we find that in words like haphazard or happenstance, like you're happened

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to be in the right place, be in the right time.

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And so it's all very much just by accident.

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You're happy.

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And we all understand that that's not at all how joy works.

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Joy is not by chance.

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And so what was also really cool is we discovered in the New King James, the word happiness

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appears how many times?

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Maybe I'd guess 25 times.

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Zero.

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What?

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Well, the happiness does not even appear in the King James version of the word of God.

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But we do see joy appear how many times?

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Joy maybe 40, 50 times?

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187 times.

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My, my, my.

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And rejoice, which is also a synonym to joy, 240 times.

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So really it's talking, the word of God doesn't tell us to pursue happiness.

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It tells us to discover joy.

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You know, it's just like the movie we were watching last week.

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Yeah, I think we saw it on TV and we were doing some stuff around the house and we discovered

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that movie, um, Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith.

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And you and I were kind of laughing about it.

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And I said to you, I go, you know what, I don't know if I really like this movie.

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It's all pursuit and it's no happiness.

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That is so true.

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And I feel like that's what happens whenever you pursue happiness, it becomes elusive.

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And in that classic Will Smith movie, he's an actor based on the real story of a guy

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that was homeless, but he finally gets a job at the end with Dean Witter, but they never

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show you what his life is like afterwards.

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And so as far as the movie goes, I love what you said, it was all pursuit, no happiness.

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And many times that characterizes people's lives.

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It's so true.

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Keep it 100 tribe, get ready.

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Cause we're about to jump into an incredible interview with one of our dear friends from

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Melbourne, Australia.

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He is a powerful man of God, a prophetic voice, a prophet in the nation of Australia.

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And we're honored to have him a part of the keep it 100 podcast, but get ready because

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there's some profound revelation that's about to be shared.

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Keep it 100 listeners.

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You are in for a phenomenal treat.

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Oh my gosh.

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I got one of my great friends from the down under Australia, but he is actually Welsh,

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Gary Morgan.

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His wife, Sarah, have founded the school of prophets in Melbourne, Australia.

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They've got two awesome children Tobias and Emma.

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So I want you guys to welcome to the keep it 100 podcast, my great friend, Gary Morgan.

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What's up Gary?

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How you doing man?

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Hey Sean.

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So good to be with you.

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Such a privilege.

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Oh bro, it is an honor to have you.

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Now I'm going to tell our listeners a story.

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First time that I met Gary, we were at a gathering with just different friends and different

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ministries of the people that are apostolic, they're young, they're prophetic.

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And then he comes over to me and he says, who is Bretton to you?

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Now okay listeners, I got to tell you, this is a place of deep divulging.

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It is my middle name.

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I'm not particularly happy about that middle name.

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I got teased a lot, Inner City Oakland.

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I promise you it's on no social media whatsoever purposely.

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And he calls out my middle name.

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Now how many people do you know with the name Bretton?

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It is an English cracker.

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So here I am, Inner City Black Man with an English cracker.

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And he began to have just incredible words and then called out and particularly the city

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that my mother lived in at the time and mentioned a unique place, Hercules.

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And said, you have an inheritance there, which was right on.

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But more than anything, it is Gary's refreshing revelatory release, his heart to propel and

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equip the body of Christ.

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And he's just a great all around dude.

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So amen, talk to us.

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Gary, man, what have you been doing lately?

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What's been going on?

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Because in Australia, explain to us how the whole quarantine COVID thing is impacting

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you guys.

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Yeah, it has.

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It's been a unique year and I think it's been a unique year for everyone.

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And interestingly, the talk is lockdown or restriction.

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And I really felt this year is a truth that the Kingdom isn't locked down.

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God's purposes isn't locked down.

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The Gospel isn't locked down.

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And so for me, it's been a year of innovation, of learning, of leaning into God.

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And so I've been excited instead of counting my restrictions, I've been celebrating my

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freedoms and so spending time with family, just being able to innovate and find inspiration

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with God and everything.

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So it's been a year we've just graduated our school of prophets.

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And so that was the class of 2020.

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I don't think there'll ever be a class like that again, but it was incredible.

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It was incredible.

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That is so awesome.

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And Gary, let's go back to your journey a little bit and we're going to in a moment

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talk about joy because God's given you a phenomenal revelation and this is his podcast and very

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needed in the season.

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But give us a little bit of your backstory and particularly how did God lay this mantle

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on you, a prophetic ministry of a prophet and you coming into ministry and just let

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us hear your backstory.

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Well, in a nutshell, as best as I can, I was raised atheist.

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So come from an atheistic family, I was raised atheist and got saved into a Baptist sort

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of brethren context on the 1st of September, 1994.

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And in a camp in West Wales, I encountered God in a way that absolutely led me to a place

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of undeniable reality.

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And so I was trying to argue with someone about the legitimacy of Jesus' faith and it

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was just a sovereign encounter.

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And I'd been known to me, the guy who led me to Christ had been praying for me and used

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this word, God has been chasing you long enough.

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Now he's caught you.

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And I remember that night, Sean just undone by the goodness of God.

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And another guy slipped in to pray for me and he was praying this word, more Holy Spirit.

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I was having an electrocution, but I was in a Baptist brethren context.

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This wasn't one known and secondly accepted.

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And so it was interesting in that context how God met me, but it wasn't until three

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years later in an Assemblies of God.

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And again, cutting the long story short, where I had the same encounter, but at that time

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was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

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Wow.

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And at that moment, I wasn't born with a birthmark on my body, my mother didn't encounter

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an angel or anything like that.

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Even though they have phenomenal testimonies, for me it was just a sovereign moment of baptism

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in the Holy Spirit that I didn't just speak in tongues, but all of a sudden I had this

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awareness that one, I couldn't explain and two, there wasn't a context for.

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And so for many months after that, I found myself in a place of confusion, found myself

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in a place of bewilderment until one day a guy called Ray Hughes, who's an incredible

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prophetic, pulled me out in a crowd in Wales and said everything that was going on in my

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heart and in my head.

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And from that moment set me on a journey really of discovering what was on my life.

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And so yeah, it's been almost 20 odd years now.

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Oh my goodness, that's just so sovereign.

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And one of my mentors always would relay this truth to me that many times in the embryonic

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stage of you coming to God, it becomes a seedbed and this kind of harbinger of how God will

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use you.

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And this to see where the prophetic impacted your life.

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And one of the things I love about you is you're a thinking Christian that's led by

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the spirit of God and I could see where the Lord has utilized this revelatory thing, but

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he's blessed you with this amazing mind and to think, you know, it's like you were raised

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to be an atheist, but you know, it crazes.

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It sounds a lot of like, I would say true atheists, not kind of the ones that jump on

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the bandwagon.

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They have let their cerebral cortex getting away, but a lot of them are great thinkers

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and we could throw out names.

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But man, if you get somebody like that saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, look out because

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of that encounter with God in that realm that just opens up.

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Gary, I saw where you did an Instagram post.

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I loved it.

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Well, you spoke on this thing of find your joy story.

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And I would love as we kind of kick off this thing on joy, because this is the time of

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year that obviously should be the most joyous time of the year.

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And obviously we, we should live in the joy as followers of Christ.

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That should be our norm.

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But from the world perspective is the most joyous time of the year, but it is also a

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season where the most suicides register.

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There's depression and they call it seasonal blues and particularly in the backdrop of

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2020 and how we've had this pandemic and people have lost jobs.

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It's affect economies.

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It's affect homes, places around the world.

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What is happening in the area of race relations or political divisions.

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But in the midst of it, God has this joy story.

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So what was the genesis of this whole aspect?

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Because I believe it's so profound of finding your joy story.

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Absolutely.

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And it was one day I just found myself in this place, probably much like many of us

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are right now seeing so much going on around us.

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And I just heard this phrase, find your joy story.

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And it was a play on toy story.

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I love that.

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And you know, we know toy story with Woody and Buzz.

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You know, it's all about that place of belonging.

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It's all about that place of identity.

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And I realized in that moment that joy is a marker of identity.

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Joy is a marker of belonging.

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You know, the Bible tells us that there's righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

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And so right standing with God gives you an environment of peace.

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The environment of peace brings an expression of joy.

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And so for me, it's that place of discovering this aspect of what is our joy story in the

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midst of whatever's happening.

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And so the genesis of that, Sean, is really out of Hebrews 12.

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And we all know Hebrews 12 is, you know, we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.

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And in verse two, it says, you know, now let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and

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finisher of our faith.

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Who for the joy that was set before him, that would set there is to bring to the front,

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or is to bring to the forefront.

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And, you know, I don't want to get medical on us too much in this podcast, but joy has

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a space and a place within our brain.

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And that's at the front.

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It's at the front, you know, frontal cortex and, you know, those who've studied all the

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brain science realize that's where joy manifests.

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But what happens is, is when anxiety or fear attack the joy, joy gets pushed back and fear

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and anxiety come to the forefront.

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And I truly believe what, you know, Hebrews 12, two was demonstrating to us is the reason

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that Jesus could endure is because he brought joy to the front because everything else to

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take a backseat.

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And I think there's an invitation here in this season and every season is for the believer

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is to bring joy front and center is to cause anxiety and fear and all them things to take

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a backseat and let joy come to the front.

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Because when you do the fruit of it is endurance.

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You see, I'm all for running a race, but I don't believe the Christian faith is a sprint.

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It's a marathon.

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And so God is inviting us into a space and place of endurance.

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And we'll see that.

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So yeah, that's, that really was the genesis of that joy story.

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Man, that is so profound.

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And the neural science that you explained and even that revelation of the position of righteousness,

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peace and joy.

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And that whole thing, what, what, what do you feel in the economy of the kingdom of God?

479
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,440
What would you say is the importance of joy as believers?

480
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:23,440
What is that?

481
00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:24,440
Great question.

482
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:29,640
I think, you know, if, if I was to hold up some cards to you or our listeners right now

483
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,920
with a picture of a policeman, how do you know he's a policeman because of the uniform

484
00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:34,920
he's wearing?

485
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:40,280
How do you know if I showed a picture of a fireman because he's wearing a uniform like

486
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:41,280
the fireman?

487
00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:45,040
I believe that joy is the uniform of the Christian.

488
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:51,400
As God wants us to wear joy, God wants us to walk in joy so that when people see us,

489
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,120
the Bible says we'll be known for our love.

490
00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,160
Love is the, is the uniform.

491
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:57,160
Joy is the accessory.

492
00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,520
Let's say like that.

493
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,800
If love is the uniform, then joy is the accessory.

494
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:04,800
It's the earrings.

495
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:05,800
It's the rings.

496
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:06,800
It's the watch.

497
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,640
And so I don't want to be known for, you know, the jewelry I wear and the natural.

498
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,000
I want to be known for the accessories that I have.

499
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,600
And this is one of the things I love about accessories.

500
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,480
It's the addition to, it's what helps.

501
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,000
It's what is added to.

502
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:27,680
And so for me is I want to be known not just for my love that I wear, but I want to be

503
00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,080
known for the accessory of joy.

504
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:35,520
And that's the beautiful thing when people find themselves in hopelessness, then there's

505
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,360
an accessory of hope.

506
00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:39,360
There's an accessory.

507
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:42,800
When people find themselves in depression, there's an accessory.

508
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,160
I'm accessible through joy.

509
00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,360
And I bring that into an atmosphere.

510
00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:48,800
And so, you know, I love it.

511
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:54,320
What it says in scripture is, you know, I'll tell you in Luke 15, 7, I'll tell you there

512
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,960
will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

513
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:04,880
So we realize that joy is the fruit of salvation, not just in heaven, but I truly believe on

514
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,280
earth as well.

515
00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,480
And so the response of salvation is joy.

516
00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,760
And both you and I know the day we got saved, my gosh, what a day.

517
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:14,760
What a joy.

518
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:15,760
Oh, absolutely.

519
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:21,600
And you know, I love that what you're saying about accessory that people recognize that

520
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,880
that is the uniform.

521
00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,560
That's the calling card of the kingdom.

522
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,240
And I think that people, as we've seen particularly in this season, there's a fuel that people

523
00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:32,240
run on.

524
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:33,240
Fear is a fuel.

525
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:34,240
People run on fear.

526
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:35,840
Guilt is a fuel.

527
00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:41,360
The starving affirmation or appetite for affirmation from others, people pleasing.

528
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:42,360
It's a fuel.

529
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,640
But one of the cleanest fuel, a given is love, of course.

530
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:51,760
But joy, you know, even if Nehemiah is building, you know, that verse that reaps out is, the

531
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,240
joy of the Lord is your strength.

532
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:58,920
Jesus told the disciples of all things, be of good cheer, as if to say this is as much

533
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:04,680
of kingdom, significance and component as anything else that I've taught you that you

534
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:05,680
need to be of good cheer.

535
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:09,160
And it's kind of like today we would think someone told us that being in a good mood,

536
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:10,160
we'd like what?

537
00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,760
And but obviously joy is more than a mood.

538
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:18,240
But man, what do you feel are the benefits of joy?

539
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:19,240
Good question.

540
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,000
Sean, I think joy for me is the ballast.

541
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,240
It's the stabilizer.

542
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:26,960
It's the open door.

543
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:33,160
It's what attracts, you know, if someone is loading or down or and you, Mahawan, I use

544
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:37,440
the word depressed, I realize there's clinical depression, but there's also, you know, being

545
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,760
depressed and you'll see with children, children stay away from them people.

546
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,800
But it's those with joy.

547
00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:49,280
And so for me is, I think there's a massive difference between joy and happiness.

548
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:56,000
Happiness is an internal reality with what's happening from an external source.

549
00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:01,200
But joy is an external reality of what's happening from an internal source.

550
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,040
And so joy is an inside job.

551
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:10,280
And so for me, it's that stability, it's that ballast, it's that reality that no matter

552
00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:15,760
what is happening, and this is why I love Hebrews 12, 2, you know, Jesus saw the cross,

553
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,480
but he brought joy to the forefront.

554
00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:23,000
And so no matter what was happening, and I think this is the invitation for us as individuals,

555
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:30,960
but also as well as believers, corporately is, is we have an atmosphere of joy that's

556
00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:31,960
invitational.

557
00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:37,720
It's, it's inspirational, you know, when people are full of joy, it attracts.

558
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:39,760
And you know, that's what I love about joy.

559
00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:43,320
I truly believe joy is, is that atmosphere of hope.

560
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:44,800
Oh, it totally makes sense.

561
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,920
You know, I think there's one verse, but it talks about with joy, we access or dip into

562
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:51,920
the well of salvation.

563
00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:57,760
I feel like it's even through joy, many times that is odd as it may sound to people is for

564
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,640
me, a lot of times it's through joy, I tap into the spirit of encouragement that allows

565
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:02,640
me to prophesy.

566
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:07,120
It's that when I begin to fill the joy of the Lord, again, the given will be love,

567
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,320
follow the way of love, equal desire, spiritual gifts.

568
00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:14,760
When I find that joy, and as a guy that is done, trained people in prophetic evangelism,

569
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:19,600
hit the streets, joy becomes such an evangelistic catalyst.

570
00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:24,960
Joy really does send out this evangelistic invitation is set in the dinner table that

571
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,680
it's like, you're going through the same stuff I'm going through.

572
00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,440
You got downsize at your job like I do.

573
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:35,760
You're having to homeschool your kids like I am, but how is it that you have joy and

574
00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:36,840
what is your secret?

575
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:40,640
And people begin to ask in that, what do you feel like?

576
00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,440
Well, it's going to be a two-part question.

577
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:48,400
I'll ask you in a moment, what are some reasons for our joy and even just any kind of prophetic

578
00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:50,280
sense that you may have in 2021.

579
00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:55,080
But maybe I'll begin by, what do you feel are the challenges for us this year to come

580
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,080
into joy?

581
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:57,080
Absolutely.

582
00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:04,560
I think it's summed up in James, where the writer invites us to count it all joy when

583
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:11,480
we fall into various trials and persecutions, knowing that the testing of our faith produces.

584
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,680
And so when I read that, I'm like, what do you mean?

585
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:15,680
Count it all joy.

586
00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,120
And I used to keep that sort of verse on my computer.

587
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,200
So when I'd get messages from pastors, I'm quitting.

588
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:23,200
I'm quitting.

589
00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,760
I used to copy and paste and just send it to them as a word of encouragement.

590
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:27,760
Count it all joy.

591
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:31,280
Until I sat down one day, Sean, I was like, God, what does that mean?

592
00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:35,160
Count it all joy because I'm not feeling really joyous right now.

593
00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,920
And I hear the Lord say to me, Gary, count on joy.

594
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:40,320
Count on joy.

595
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:46,280
Don't just count it all joy, but count on joy because it's a chapter of the book.

596
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,160
It's a joy is the book.

597
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:50,800
What you're going through is a chapter.

598
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:56,640
And I realize what happens is in life is we count a day as a year.

599
00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,440
We count a moment as a lifetime.

600
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:05,320
And we realize that maybe us getting sacked is not the book.

601
00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,800
Maybe someone cheating on us is a chapter.

602
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:09,800
It's not the book.

603
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:10,800
It's the chapter.

604
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:11,800
And this is one of the things.

605
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:17,800
There's a book called joy, but a chapter, maybe you got laid off, you got sacked.

606
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:22,800
But what we don't realize on the other side of the page is the word promotion.

607
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:23,800
Wow.

608
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:28,080
When someone rejects us, we don't realize it wasn't rejection.

609
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:29,240
It was redirection.

610
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,040
And I think this is what happens.

611
00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:37,280
And this is why James has invited us to count it all joy, knowing that the testing of joy

612
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:41,000
is all joy, knowing that the testing of your faith is producing.

613
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,600
This is why I love the word test, John, is because you only get a test when you've done

614
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:46,600
a lesson.

615
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,360
A lesson always precedes a lesson.

616
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:54,240
And so whenever I get tested in my faith, it's not there to undermine me.

617
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,200
It's there to prove a lesson.

618
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,440
And if I fail the test, this is what I love about God.

619
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,760
He puts me back in the classroom to make sure that I've learned a lesson.

620
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:07,240
And so this is one of the things I love about the testing of our faith.

621
00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,680
It's not there to prove us right and wrong.

622
00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:12,440
It's there to prove a lesson.

623
00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:19,160
And so this is why I love joy is because joy becomes an environment that I get to respond

624
00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,000
in no matter what's happening.

625
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:26,200
Something I used to do when I was in school and I was only bullied once in school.

626
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:30,880
And for some reason, when this bully came up to me and started saying all kinds of things,

627
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:34,280
I just started laughing and he didn't know what to do.

628
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:35,280
And this is why I love.

629
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:40,240
And I found out later why this was a reality because it's a precedent in scripture because

630
00:34:40,240 --> 00:34:44,920
our father sits on a throne and laughs at the greatest bully of mankind.

631
00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:46,400
And his name is the enemy.

632
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:47,800
His name is Satan.

633
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:52,240
And the greatest way to respond to a bully is to a lot is to joy.

634
00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:56,960
The greatest response of a threat is to laughing.

635
00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:02,520
And I want to encourage people in this season and I think going into 2021 is no matter what

636
00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,400
has happened, find your joy story.

637
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:10,040
Friend, it's a book called Joy and the chapter might have been devastation.

638
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:14,200
A chapter of it might have been heartache, but I'm telling you, it's not the book.

639
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:20,320
And God is inviting us is to is not to be the author or the editor of the book, but

640
00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:24,560
to be the recipient of it and see God do some incredible things.

641
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,400
I really feel Gary, even as you're sharing that, I really felt like it was resonating

642
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:29,400
with some listeners.

643
00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:33,880
I feel like there's some people that have really been dealt some serious blows, some

644
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,120
of which you don't feel like you're going to get back up off the mat.

645
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:43,240
And I believe I love what you said that the God doesn't end your book in despair about

646
00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:50,120
God ends this thing in a sense of joy because joy literally triumph being triumphant is

647
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,560
a place of joy that when you know you're going to win, thanks be to God who always leads

648
00:35:54,560 --> 00:36:00,880
us in triumph, that if you recognize that's where God is leading you, then you'll be profound

649
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:01,880
in that area.

650
00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:07,360
Well, what do you feel like we could get joyous about looking into 2021?

651
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:12,240
This has been some people call it the recall year, but I love what you said rather than

652
00:36:12,240 --> 00:36:14,200
focus on what you couldn't do.

653
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,160
You focused on what you could do.

654
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:19,040
Not only is that empowering, that's kingdom.

655
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:23,560
And I look back at this year, it's been even for Christa, I one of our hardest years, most

656
00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,760
challenging years, but at the same time, I feel like it's been a greenhouse.

657
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,880
You put a plant greenhouse, it is the environment that produces growth.

658
00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:38,200
And in the kingdom, easy times and everything flowing and growing and going like we wanted

659
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,200
to are not necessarily, if I look over my life, those aren't my great growth moments.

660
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,680
It's always been the times when I've been tested, I've been challenged, I've been in

661
00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:46,680
a fight.

662
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:52,480
And it's been, like you said, great benefits of family time connecting, being unplugged

663
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:58,280
from stuff and being able to reevaluate what is really important, what do I need to be

664
00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:00,560
doing, what don't I need to be doing.

665
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,760
But I know there are a lot of people that they have the opposite of joy, which somewhere

666
00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,720
in there would be despair, despondency.

667
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:14,280
And their people, as they look to this next season or next year, just what do you feel

668
00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:20,160
like as believers that you can encourage us, that you sense in kind of this next ceiling

669
00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,880
or what God is perhaps preparing us for or anything about 2021?

670
00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:24,880
Yeah.

671
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:31,520
For me, it's been this season of realizing that it was more about the fruit than it was

672
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:32,520
the gifts.

673
00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:38,680
And I remember being in Perth when lockdown first got announced and I was on the plane

674
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,560
and I said, God, what is this season?

675
00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:45,600
And this is what he said to me, he said, Gary, this is going to be a season of fruits more

676
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:46,600
than gifts.

677
00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:48,680
And we had just launched our school in Perth.

678
00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:50,800
And I'm thinking, God, what are you saying?

679
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:54,640
It's not called the school of patience, it's called the school of prophets.

680
00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,480
And you're telling me it's going to be a year.

681
00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:03,280
And I realized in that moment that that prophecy wasn't going to change my children, my family,

682
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:08,400
that it wasn't healing that was going to bring my, but it was righteousness, it was peace,

683
00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,880
it was joy, it was gladness, it was kindness.

684
00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:18,160
All these fruits of the spirit were there because I truly believe in this season.

685
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,680
It's a season of fruits more than gifts.

686
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:25,120
And I want to say this, it's not fruits instead of gifts.

687
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:28,120
I think it's fruits before gifts.

688
00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:33,120
It's not without the gifts because I think as we manifest in the fruits, the gifts are

689
00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:38,760
going to be the overflow because it's that kindness that leads me to prophesy.

690
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:43,000
It's that patience that causes me to walk with someone in healing.

691
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:48,120
And you know, we think that the fruits of the spirit are there so that we can tolerate

692
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:49,120
other Christians.

693
00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:51,200
They're not there for that.

694
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:55,240
Fruits of the spirit are there for us as much as they're there for others.

695
00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:59,920
So one thing I'm learning in this season, Sean, and I think in 2021 is to learn how

696
00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:05,440
to be kind to myself, not just others, to be patient with myself and not just others,

697
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:12,280
to put myself into a place of realizing that love is something I need for myself as well

698
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,040
as I need for others.

699
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:21,360
And so if 2020 has caused you to lay something down, 21 is going to be a year of picking

700
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:26,000
it up in kindness, in patience, in gladness.

701
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,400
And I think joy, this is what I love.

702
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,320
For the fruits of the spirit, I love peace, joy.

703
00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:35,360
And so there's a verse in Romans 15, 13, I love it.

704
00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:41,880
It says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by

705
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,120
the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

706
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:46,800
So we come to the God of hope.

707
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:53,120
So I think joy is the transactional flow of bringing that which is spiritual into the

708
00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:56,120
abundance of that which is natural.

709
00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:57,120
Because that's what it says.

710
00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:01,760
It says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by

711
00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,320
the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

712
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:11,480
And so my encouragement, my invitation in 21 is what does God want you to abound in?

713
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:17,640
And the place that you'll abound in is the place that you joy the most in, that you enjoy,

714
00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,320
that you find yourself enjoying.

715
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:26,280
And that's what I love the word enjoy, because it means to be enjoy that you're not worried,

716
00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,160
that you're not disbared, you're not anxious.

717
00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:34,280
But like I said right at the beginning, the reality of righteousness, peace and joy, when

718
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:38,720
you're right standing with yourself, with God, with others, it gives you peace.

719
00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:39,720
You can sleep at night.

720
00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:45,080
I truly believe it's when you're not in right standing, not just with God, but with yourself.

721
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:46,080
You don't sleep at night.

722
00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:47,080
There's no peace.

723
00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:48,080
There's no shalom.

724
00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:52,280
But in that place of peace then, the expression of that peace is joy.

725
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:59,160
And so in 2021, I think we got a lot to look forward to in stepping into that which God

726
00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:03,440
has seeded in this year, we're going to see next year.

727
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:07,240
So whatever was seeded in you, and I remember the Lord once saying this to me, He said,

728
00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:10,040
Mary, whatever you want to see, you've got to seed.

729
00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:15,720
And so whatever you think is unseen, because a seed is unseen, when you put it in the ground,

730
00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:16,800
God's doing the work.

731
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:22,440
And so get ready to see the harvest, the fruit of that which was seeded in 2020, that which

732
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:27,280
became buried, that which became, and I love that meme.

733
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:32,160
People thought they killed me when they buried me, but they didn't realize I was a seed.

734
00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:39,000
And so get ready, because the stone's being rolled away, and 2021 is coming upon us.

735
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,680
And let me land with this if I can, Sean.

736
00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:42,680
Absolutely.

737
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:46,480
Whenever we see in this Christmas season, and it's so beautiful we're doing this podcast

738
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:53,440
as we're 14 days away from Christmas, is we realize whenever they announced the birthing

739
00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:59,440
of something, whenever they announced Jesus, it was glad tidings of great joy.

740
00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:05,440
John the Baptist responded in Elizabeth's womb, it says that he leapt with joy.

741
00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:11,520
And so I truly believe joy is the responder, joy is the response of what God is wanting

742
00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,120
to birth in us in 2021.

743
00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:21,280
So whatever brings you joy, whatever causes that joy to well up, friends, invest there,

744
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:25,440
spend time there, camp there, because I'm telling you, God's birthing something.

745
00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:26,440
Oh my God.

746
00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:27,840
Gary's so profound.

747
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:30,920
So tell us, Gary, how can we get involved?

748
00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,040
Is there any projects or any way that we could follow you get involved?

749
00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:38,200
And even please tell us about the School of Prophets, because I think you have an online

750
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,160
portion, right, that people can get involved in.

751
00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:41,160
We do.

752
00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:42,160
We do.

753
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:45,400
So 2021, School of Prophets, so we're into our sixth year.

754
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:50,400
We've seen just under 700 students go through the school, and it's just been incredible

755
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:56,520
of not just a prophesying in a church context, but across all spheres.

756
00:42:56,520 --> 00:43:01,720
But in 2021, we open applications on the 1st of January.

757
00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:07,960
And so for more information, you can check out schoolofprofits.org.au.

758
00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:15,080
On a personal level, you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook at Welsh Eagle, both

759
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,880
on Instagram and on Facebook.

760
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:20,120
It also is where School of Prophets is there as well.

761
00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:23,200
And so if you want more information, just check them out.

762
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:24,200
Wow.

763
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:28,480
I know I said some profound revelation was about to be shared, but my goodness, was that

764
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,000
deep and rich or what?

765
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,280
He's a deep God.

766
00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:32,280
Oh my goodness.

767
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:38,360
I love how he talked about his revelation of the joy story, a finding joy in every story

768
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:40,480
and every scenario of your life.

769
00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:45,120
I tell you what, you know, we really want to bring you these interviews, and we do it

770
00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:49,440
often because we know there are people that we do life with that walk in incredible wisdom

771
00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:50,720
and revelation.

772
00:43:50,720 --> 00:43:55,400
So every time we're bringing you a new voice, it's because we value what they carry.

773
00:43:55,400 --> 00:44:00,600
With what Gary and Sean shared, there's some takeaways that we want you as a Keep It 100

774
00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:01,600
Tribe to walk away.

775
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:05,960
We're calling it three takeaways on getting extra joy.

776
00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:12,840
And so the first takeaway on getting extra is authentic joy is found in God's presence.

777
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:13,840
Yes.

778
00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:19,520
You know, joy, it comes in the form of an embrace from God, and we all know it is nothing

779
00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:21,600
that the world can give you.

780
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:25,200
And it's like for some of us, you know, and everyone has a different story of when they

781
00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:29,680
encountered God, but regardless if you gave your life as a little girl like myself to

782
00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:34,960
God or you gave yourself older to God, there's this marked moments where you experience the

783
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,000
presence of God, no matter when that is.

784
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,520
When you just, you know you've been forgiven.

785
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,040
You know shame's been broken.

786
00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:46,800
You know you're a new creation in Christ Jesus and that joy that comes from the revelation

787
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:52,520
of what he did on the cross for you, and that is such a place that it's not an emotion,

788
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:56,040
but it's literally your inheritance as a child of God.

789
00:44:56,040 --> 00:45:00,600
And I tell you what, that is the most authentic joy, but it can only be found in His presence.

790
00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:03,560
And you know, I know we're going to jump to another one, but before we do that, I just

791
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:05,080
want to simply add this.

792
00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:10,480
I have learned in my walk with God that there is a divine exchange that happens every time

793
00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:11,600
I'm in the presence of God.

794
00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,480
And I believe this is for some listeners even right now.

795
00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:19,960
You've been waiting to be inspired or how you feel to spend time with God or read the

796
00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:20,960
Word of God.

797
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:26,000
I want you to become inspired in the presence of God when you read the Word of God, that

798
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,120
you don't wait for a feeling to provoke you to go deeper in Him.

799
00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:33,560
You pursue Him regardless of how you feel, and then you go deeper with Him.

800
00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:38,520
And I believe it's the joy that is cultivated as we wait in the presence as we get into

801
00:45:38,520 --> 00:45:42,800
the Word of God, because authentic joy, we're not talking about fleeting happiness.

802
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:47,040
We're talking about rooted and grounded in your identity in God, because it's a part

803
00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:48,040
of your inheritance.

804
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:52,920
It's a part of what Jesus did on the cross for you that you could walk with no shame,

805
00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:55,480
no anxiety, but pure joy.

806
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:56,720
Brilliant, brilliant.

807
00:45:56,720 --> 00:45:57,720
I love that.

808
00:45:57,720 --> 00:46:03,840
The second takeaway on getting extra joy is don't give into the dimness of a lost culture

809
00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:05,040
or a dark time.

810
00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:06,040
Come on.

811
00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:09,600
And when it comes to your joy, you have to understand there's a fight over your joy.

812
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:14,720
You have an unseen enemy, the devil, that doesn't want you to have joy, because as Nehemiah

813
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:17,600
said in the Bible, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

814
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:21,520
So if the enemy wants to take you out, he's got to go for your power source.

815
00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:26,520
So darkness wants to make you a slave to your emotion, telling you what to feel and to give

816
00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:28,040
into certain moves.

817
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:31,920
And you have to admit, we're living in a time when we're asked to feel too much.

818
00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,800
We're all up in our feelings, okay?

819
00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:40,920
From that, with the fact that there's a constant flow 24 seven of fear, anxiety and depressing

820
00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:43,320
incidents that are taking place in our world today.

821
00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:46,280
But let me just say something to you as a follower of Christ.

822
00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:49,640
When you are light, you don't have to wait for a sunny day.

823
00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:52,280
So many people say, there's too many rainy days in my life.

824
00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:56,480
Well, my thing is, if you are the light, you don't have to wait for what the day brings

825
00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:57,480
you.

826
00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:59,280
You actually can act upon your world.

827
00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:04,040
And that light you bring is joy, because joy can transform your difficulty into a time

828
00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:05,560
of blessing.

829
00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:12,160
Joy, when you receive it, actually in your inward being, irresistibly calls forth joy

830
00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:13,520
in the outer world.

831
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,940
So you can bring the atmosphere that you could partake of.

832
00:47:16,940 --> 00:47:20,640
So don't give into the dimness of a lost culture over a dark time.

833
00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:22,200
So good.

834
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:26,960
Last takeaway, keep it 100 tribe is joy is something God can restore.

835
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:33,000
In Psalm 51 12, it reads, Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your

836
00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:34,600
generous spirit.

837
00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:39,280
You know what I love is if God can raise the dead, then he can certainly bring back your

838
00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:43,120
joy because so many of us are living, looking at our past.

839
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:45,580
We are living with our rear view mirror.

840
00:47:45,580 --> 00:47:48,560
We are looking behind us and that's our sole focus.

841
00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:50,400
And it's like the what if, oh, I should have done this.

842
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:51,400
I should have done that.

843
00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,120
We are gripped with regret and remorse.

844
00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:58,160
And I want you to know, God can bring joy because he's going to shift your perspective.

845
00:47:58,160 --> 00:48:02,400
He's going to make your rear view mirror really small and he's going to make the windshield

846
00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:04,000
of your life really big.

847
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:08,520
He's like, come on, son, come on, daughter, turn your gaze, look at what's ahead.

848
00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:13,280
Because yes, we can learn from the past, but we can find joy in the moving forward of what

849
00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:15,800
God's promises are over our life.

850
00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:17,360
And yet we have to walk out.

851
00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:22,160
And I want you to know that in Psalm 35, it says, Weeping may endure for a night, but

852
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:24,040
joy comes in the morning.

853
00:48:24,040 --> 00:48:28,120
You may find yourself in a night season right now, but I want to just encourage you and

854
00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:32,200
even prophesy to you that where you're at is temporary.

855
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:34,760
That this is not your final destination.

856
00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:40,560
And although it may be going on for some time, it is simply a season and a season has a beginning

857
00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:42,360
and a season has an end.

858
00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:44,440
But I want you to know, keep it 100 tribe.

859
00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:46,360
There is joy for what awaits.

860
00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:48,680
There is joy for the promises of God.

861
00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:53,880
And there's a joy in the, in the knowing that his mercies are new every morning.

862
00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:57,920
And I want you to know that even right now, I believe some of you are going to have an

863
00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:02,520
encounter and there's going to be a divine exchange because even now as I'm talking,

864
00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:08,080
I can feel the presence of God and that God's presence is going to surround you and envelop

865
00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:09,080
you.

866
00:49:09,080 --> 00:49:13,960
And whenever we're in the presence, there is an exchange and God wants to restore everything

867
00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:16,600
the enemy has tried to rob from your life.

868
00:49:16,600 --> 00:49:19,880
The Lord God himself gets the final say.

869
00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:26,480
And I love that I'm hearing verdict overturned where the enemy overplayed his hand.

870
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:30,480
God is coming through and restoring because that's who he is.

871
00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:36,920
And part of that restoration includes an authentic joy that you're called to wake up with excited

872
00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:40,760
about your life and excited about what God has put within you.

873
00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:42,680
That is so profound.

874
00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:43,680
My goodness.

875
00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:48,520
You know, when I think about Christmas, of course, is that classic hymn that we've sung

876
00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:51,160
called the first Noel, which literally means the first joy.

877
00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:54,920
Well, when you think about the first Noel, the first joy, you have to go back to that

878
00:49:54,920 --> 00:50:00,200
place when obviously Mary and Joseph, they didn't have a place in the end and Jesus is

879
00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:01,640
being birthed in a manger.

880
00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,920
But I want to switch the scene out to a pastor filled full of dirt.

881
00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:06,920
It smelled.

882
00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:09,480
It was cold in the middle of the night and there were shepherds.

883
00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:14,280
And in the midst of it, you have to understand that the Romans have pressed in on these people.

884
00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:17,200
God's people had been displaced all over.

885
00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:22,080
Certain ruler had called forth a senses that moved people out of their homes.

886
00:50:22,080 --> 00:50:23,640
And meanwhile, here's these shepherds.

887
00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:28,360
They had a dirty, lonely job for very meager wages because of their work.

888
00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:32,400
Scholars tell us they were ineligible in participating in worship at the temple.

889
00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:37,280
These were the most unlikely guys for an angelic visitation.

890
00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:41,600
But God loves to take the people that others look down on and promote them.

891
00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:46,720
And then the angel of the Lord says in Luke 2 10, and I want to speak this over you, keeping

892
00:50:46,720 --> 00:50:48,960
100 tribe, do not be afraid.

893
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:52,320
I bring you good news that brings great joy.

894
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:54,520
Here's the word to all the people.

895
00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:58,520
And to think in that moment, God found the disenfranchise.

896
00:50:58,520 --> 00:51:01,440
Once people had overlooked, he came in the middle of the night.

897
00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:05,920
He came in the midst of a time in which there was a political power play being made.

898
00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:09,760
He came in a time in which there was a consensus that displaced people that they were pushed

899
00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:10,760
to extremes.

900
00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:15,520
And in the midst of it, God was saying the first Noel was the fact that good news brings

901
00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:16,520
great joy.

902
00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:21,600
We're dedicating this episode to my mother because Christ and I, as we're talking about

903
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:23,320
joy, this hits very close to home.

904
00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:27,320
Earlier this week, my mother passed in the middle of the night and we found ourselves

905
00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:31,640
in an emergency as they had her hooked up to tubes and everything.

906
00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:33,960
And she transitioned in that moment.

907
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:38,640
And so when we're talking about joy being a choice, not based on circumstances, we're

908
00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:46,400
doing this episode even in the midst of recognizing that we choose joy and that God, this amazing

909
00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:51,520
God who sent his son for you, no matter what your position, that through a relationship

910
00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:54,040
with Christ, you can have joy.

911
00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:59,560
And the joy that he brings is not based on the things that at times can hurt you so

912
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:04,320
much and we are grieving, we're hurting, but we also sense that there's a joy that comes

913
00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:05,320
from above.

914
00:52:05,320 --> 00:52:08,160
And so we're praying that joy over you in this season as well.

915
00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:11,280
And as you're listening today, for some of you, you might really relate to where Sean

916
00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:12,280
and I are at.

917
00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:13,360
Maybe it's been a tough week.

918
00:52:13,360 --> 00:52:15,360
Maybe you've received news you didn't expect.

919
00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:18,040
Maybe you find yourself in circumstances you didn't see coming.

920
00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:23,120
I want to pray over you as we close this episode because I believe God has an impartation.

921
00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:28,360
We choose these episodes not just by our own good ideas, but we choose these topics because

922
00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:31,120
we believe it's the topics that God wants to address.

923
00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:35,560
There's an impartation of joy that God wants to give every listener that's listening today

924
00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:39,420
because we're in a time of uncertainty and yet we serve a God who is certain.

925
00:52:39,420 --> 00:52:41,280
So Lord, I just thank you for every listener.

926
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:45,360
I thank you for every son and daughter that you are giving at a divine exchange right

927
00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:46,360
now.

928
00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:51,000
And I just pray even right now, there is such a shift in the atmosphere that surrounds

929
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:52,000
people.

930
00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:56,240
Lord, begin internally, shift the internal dialogue if it's not honoring you.

931
00:52:56,240 --> 00:53:00,920
And Lord, shift it to a place of where they are in a place of peace and rest and fill

932
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:03,320
them with an infusion of joy.

933
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,600
God remind them that you're going to come through.

934
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:08,960
Remind them that it's not, you're not finished yet.

935
00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:13,600
The enemy doesn't get the final say that Lord, I thank you that every promise, every prophetic

936
00:53:13,600 --> 00:53:18,800
word that's been spoken over them will come to pass because God, you never deny your word.

937
00:53:18,800 --> 00:53:26,400
Lord, I call forth a fresh revelation of joy that is so rooted and grounded in your presence.

938
00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:33,800
And I just pray right now such a fresh release and fresh impartation, God, of your joy.

939
00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:37,800
Anxiety be broken, depression be broken, hopelessness be broken.

940
00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:41,680
And I pray an exchange happens now.

941
00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:43,800
Keep it under tribe, thanks for tuning in.

942
00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:46,800
Thanks for taking the time and spending it with us every single Tuesday.

943
00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:50,920
If you haven't subscribed and you feel like this would bless you and the people you're

944
00:53:50,920 --> 00:53:53,480
in relationship with, help us get the word out.

945
00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:55,740
Continue to share it on your social media platform.

946
00:53:55,740 --> 00:53:59,600
We know so many of you have and we're so grateful you've helped us get the word out.

947
00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:03,720
We're blessed that we're getting the response that we're getting, but we know God wants

948
00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:07,240
to continue to use this podcast to equip and disciple people.

949
00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:09,200
As always, reach out to us on social media.

950
00:54:09,200 --> 00:54:12,120
We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you.

951
00:54:12,120 --> 00:54:13,120
Keep it 100 tribe.

952
00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:14,440
You want to turn in next week.

953
00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:18,120
We want to talk about the hidden purpose of this season.

954
00:54:18,120 --> 00:54:20,680
Plus, we're going to have some surprises for you.

955
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:41,200
So remember, relief may change your circumstance, but a revelation will change you.