THE JOY THAT SETS ME FREE / He Changed My Tune

This is the 4^th of 7 devotions with the theme from Galatians 5:22

“The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Joy”

THE JOY THAT SETS ME FREE
by 
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Acts 16:25; Ephesians 5:19)

The kind of joy that God gives us is not the same kind of joy the world gives us. God gives us His very own joy. It is the kind of joy that is a product of love, Gods love. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. You can impart this kind of joy to others by. . .

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Circumstances did not seem to serve the purpose when, at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praise to God and the prisoners heard them. The results of what sprang out of the joy of God within Paul and Silas, set them all free, not only in the natural, but spiritually as well. Paul assured the jailer that no one had left. The jailer got saved and the prisoners became the first members of the Philippian church which was pastored by the jailer himself.

The root word to happy is happen. So happiness depends on what happens to you. Joy, the God kind of joy, however, is not dependant on what happens to you. It is the joy that does not depend on circumstances. It is the joy that sets us and everyone around us free.

Father, Thank you for giving me Your very own joy. In every situation, I want to love others with the joy that sets me free and has the power to set them free as well.

© LoveWalkPublishing RebeccaAnnCooley

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HE CHANGED MY TUNE

(Adapted from Act 16:25)

Verse 1:

Paul & Silas locked up in a prison,

Chains & bonds,

Had a reason then to feel annoyed,

But where the Spirit of the Lord is

There is liberty,

And they began to feel a little joy.

Verse 2:

Circumstances didn’t seem

To serve the purpose

On that day

But they began to shout

And to praise His name

Those prison’s chains and shackles

Could not hold them in that room

When my Jesus came along

And He changed their tune

Chorus 1:

He changed my tune,

He changed my tune,

He took away the old man

And now I’m feeling new

I use to sing a sad song

I was always feeling blue,

Till Jesus came along

And He gave me a song,

Took away all my wrong

And He changed my tune

Chorus 2:

I remember the day He took,

He took my burdens away,

Yes He did, yes He did, Oh

He took away the old man

And now I’m feeling new

I use to sing, I sang a sad song

I was always feeling blue,

Till Jesus came along

And He gave me a song,

Took away all my wrong

And He changed my tune

© LoveWalkPublishing

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

THE FATHER SINGS OVER US / Paradise

This is the 3^rd of 7 devotions with the theme from Galatians 5:22

“The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Joy”

THE FATHER SINGS OVER US 
by
Rebecca Cooley
(Zephaniah 3:17; John 17:13)

Have you ever heard God sing? I have not – not yet. But when we all are gathered together in heaven with Him, He will rejoice over us with joy and joy over us with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Since our daughter, Hannah was born, she has been a joy and delight to me every single day as I watch her grow. Could it be true that God, my Father feels this way about me? Yes, it is true, howbeit, the joy and delight is magnified many times over. According to John 17:13, He does feel this way toward each of His children. He takes delight in me now, especially when I walk in His footsteps and express His heart through loving others whom He also delights in.

Also, I can sense the peace all over Hannah occasionally because of the love and unity of our family. She knows that she is loved and she knows that I enjoy her presence and delight in her little life. How much more can I feel that peace and rest in the presence of my Heavenly Father?

Father, thank you for the revelation this morning of your great love for me. Even in my weaknesses and mistakes, you delight in me. You receive joy from my life. I want to make Your joy increase as I allow You to work through my weaknesses and make me stronger. I turn my heart toward You this morning and take joy in the fact that You joy over me with singing.

© LoveWalkPublishing RebeccaAnnCooley

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PARADISE

(Zephaniah 3:17 John 17:13)

Verse

Paradise and His grace will take me there

Paradise, His glory I will share

Paradise, in His likeness I will rise

Paradise, when I look into His eyes

Chorus

Wonderful Savior Wonderful Friend

Wonderful Life that will never end

Wonderful home that He’s gone to prepare

Wonder of wonders I shall be there

Bridge

Our God shall rejoice over us with singing

Our God shall joy over us with singing

And You shall be led forth with peace

The mountains shall burst before you into singing

All the leaves of the field shall clap their hands

The redeemed of the Lord enter the Promised Land

The saints from on high lift their hands to the sky

Singing O, magnify the Lord

We thank You Lord, we praise You for Paradise

WordsAndMusic by MikeShreve (Lyrics Abridged) Devotion by RebeccaAnnCooley

KINGDOM LIVING / Joy In My Presence

This is the 2^nd of 7 devotions with the theme from Galatians 5:22

“The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Joy”

KINGDOM LIVING
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22)

The kingdom of God is not about what you eat. It is not about what you wear or how long or short your hair is. It is not about who you know or how much you have done for God. It is not about positions or jobs or money. It is not about one’s character or personality or how many gifts you have. The kingdom of God is not up for arguments. God is not pleased when we look down on people because their stance in the kingdom of God does not meet our approval.

The kingdom of God is made up of people who are both strong and weak in faith. The kingdom of God has many people who know very little about faith. The kingdom of God has many baby believers who just want to fit in and be a part of what God is doing. Paul tells us to accept all believers and do not argue about what is right and wrong. These things are menial and cause conflict. He instructs us to be tolerant toward all people and look for a place of agreement.

If we look at people through the eyes of love and accept their viewpoint, maybe as not the gospel truth, but as a ready listener, God will give us wisdom and words of knowledge to speak truth into their lives. We draw too many lines in the sand and make too many dares to cross over our own opinions. Do you think we would reach more people with the joy of God’s presence if we would heed the Apostle Paul’s voice?

“. . . the kingdom of God

is about living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

If you will serve God with this attitude, you will please God

and others will approve of you, too.

So, let us aim for harmony in the church

and try to build each other up.”

Father, help me to see people through your eyes and give them room to learn to please you just as I am learning to please you. Help me to give people mercy just as you have given me mercy. Anoint me to speak truth in love and not make lines in the sand daring people to cross. Keep me inside of your love.

© LoveWalkPublishing RebeccaAnnCooley

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JOY IN MY PRESENCE

Devotion: Kingdom Living

(Adapted from Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22)

Verse

The kingdom of God is not about food or drink.

The kingdom of God is not about what you wear.

The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace

Chorus

And joy in my presence, joy in my presence

Keep the peace stay inside of love and come to me

© LoveWalkMusic WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

THE JOY COLUMN / Count It All Joy

This is the 1^st of 7 devotions with the theme

from Galatians 5:22

“The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Joy”

THE JOY COLUMN
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Hebrews 12:2 Romans 8:28 James 1:2-5)

How did Joseph put his sorrow into the joy column? Paul? How did Jesus?

How do I take sorrows out of the sorrow column and put them in the joy column?

Hebrews 12: for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross¼

Jesus: Even before Jesus went to the cross, he took these items out of the sorrow column and put them in the joy column by looking ahead to the results. For the Joy that was before Him, He endured the cross despising the shame.

During his last meal with the disciples, Jesus sang a song “This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” By doing so he was putting all that he would suffer into the joy column.

Joseph: When he told his brothers, “What you meant for evil, God meant it for good.” Joseph told his brothers to take all these items out of the sorrow column and put them into the joy column. Joseph told them to take the item of selling him into slavery out of the sorrow column and put it in the joy column.

Joseph forgave his brothers. So forgiveness was the means by which he took items out of the sorrow column and put them into the joy column.

Confession and Prayer:

I consider the encounters of trials and temptations of any sort in my life to be stepping stones to joy. These trials and temptations are processing the proving of my faith and bringing out endurance and steadfastness and patience in me. I will allow endurance and steadfastness and patience to have full play in my life and do a thorough work in me. I am determined to be a person who is fully developed spiritually with no defects and lacking in nothing. I step over all hardships and struggles to JOY!

Father, I see offenses and sorrows differently now. My reactions to offense, inside of love, become my bridge to joy!

Thank you for recording the events of peoples’ lives in Scripture who stayed inside of love and turned their sorrows into joy. They are an example to me to pattern my life after. Thank you for the ultimate example of Your Son.

I accept Jesus as my Lord

and

He is my bridge to JOY!

I accept the work you are doing in me now.

I step over to JOY now in Jesus Name!

© LoveWalkPublishing RebeccaAnnCooley

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COUNT IT ALL JOY

(Adapted from Romans 8:28 James 1:2-5)

Verse:

Count It All Joy, Count It All Joy,

Count It All Joy, Count It All Joy

Chorus:

All Things work together for the good

To those who love the Lord

And to the called according to His purposes . . .

© LoveWalkPublishing

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

A FRIEND - STRANGER EXAM / LoveTheStranger

This is the 5th of 5 devotions 

with the theme from Galatians 5:22

"The Fruit of the Spirit is Love"

"Our Love 4 One Another"

A FRIEND - STRANGER EXAM
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Deuteronomy 10:19)

“Love the stranger and sojourner.”  When I read this scripture, I did a ‘friend-stranger’ examination on myself.  Do I have homely friends?  Do I have friends that are not fully accepted in society or in church?  Do I have friends who do not act just right all the time?  Do I have friends who need to learn to walk in love?  Are these types of people strangers to me?  Would I befriend someone in need?  Can I love someone who is not like me?

A few years ago while serving in a church that did not have Sunday evening services, we decided to have a breaking bread ministry according to Acts 2:42 on Sunday nights.  We looked for families to invite over who were not connecting with others at church.  As I look back on this season, I can think of only one family that we became close friends with and still keep in touch.  We mostly  made friends with strangers, people who were not like us and people we would not choose to be our close friends.  

Lord, I want to develop my love walk to include strangers and sojourners.  As you put people in my path, anoint me to love them according to your Word in Deuteronomy 10:19.  Because You love me, I can treat people warm.  I am Your hands and Your embrace.  I am the expression of Your love to all people, even strangers.

© LoveWalkPublishing Authored by RebeccaAnnCooley

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LOVE THE STRANGER

Devotion: Love The Stranger

(Adapted from  Deuteronomy 10:19)

Verse:

You are my hands

You are my feet

You are extensions of Me

You are my hands reaching out to them

You are my warm embrace to the stranger in your land

Chorus:

Love the stranger

Cloth and feed them

Be my witnesses.

They are your neighbor (Repeat)

Love the stranger

© LoveWalkMusic WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

CLOTHED BY LOVE / Love's Clothing

This is the 4th of 5 devotions and music videos

with the theme

from Galatians 5:22

"The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Love”

"Our Love For One Another"

CLOTHED BY LOVE
by
Rebecca Cooley

(Adapted from Colossians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

"Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves,

you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,

kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

You must make allowance for each other's faults

and forgive the person who offends you.

And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love.

Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony."

When you remember that you have put on the garments of tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love in the morning, love enters your heart as you clothe yourself with these attributes. Then at key times during the day, the love that you "put on" earlier calms you down. Other times, it inspires you and instructs you to make right decisions. This is what it means to walk with God. We allow him to dress us in the morning and we walk with his garments on all day.

When you put on your clothes in the morning, you make your choice and put it on. We do the same with God’s clothing. We make a choice to allow God to clothe us in love that day. When we spend time with Him in the morning, he clothes us in his attire.

When someone is very rude or hateful and I have on the clothing of love, I can say, “this is one for whom Christ died,” and I feel love for them. The person who is in prison for murdering someone is one for whom Christ died. The clothing of love gives me compassion and I see them through the eyes of love.

When I have on the garments of love, it is like a bullet proof vest. The enemy’s darts cannot go through. Offense bounces off of my garment of love. Rudeness hits my garment of love and falls away.

Father, clothe me this morning with your presence. I put on your love.

© LoveWalkPublishing

Authored by Rebecca Cooley

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LOVE’S CLOTHING

(Adapted from Colossians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

Verse: 
I get up every morning 
And get down on my knees
That’s the only way to start a day, 
I say Lord, I love You
And I keep Your love command
To love the Lord my God
With all my heart and soul and mind
And to love my neighbor 
Even as my self

Chorus: 
Cloth yourselves with love 
Like a garment,

Say this is one 
For whom Christ died

Attribute to them 
The greatest value

God loves them and so do I
This is one for whom Christ died

© LoveWalkMusic

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley

LOVE ON PURPOSE / Beloved

This is the 3rd in a series of 5 devotions and music videos 

with the theme from Galatians 5:22

The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Love

"Our Love 4 One Another"

LOVE ON PURPOSE
by
Rebecca Cooley
(Adapted from 1 John 4:6-7)

Lord, I want more of You.  I want to know You more.  I want to feel Your presence.

Child, when you practice love on purpose, you are lowering your bucket into the well of My love and You will always bring up love.  Lowering your bucket into my well of living water is simple.   When you show love to someone on purpose, you open up your understanding of Me.  You develop an understanding of me by simple acts of love.  When you display an act of love on purpose and especially when it is not convenient for you, I reveal a little more of myself to you.  I give you a clearer knowledge of myself.  You get to know me by love.  You get closer to me by demonstrating love.  I want to be the love of your life.  Did you know that I receive your little acts of love as worship?  And did you know that I long to be alone with you and let you experience my presence?  When you practice love on purpose, you are pulled into my presence.  This is where I want you to live.  I long for my living water to spring up into your life.

© LoveWalkPublishing 

Authored by Rebecca Cooley

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BELOVED

(Adapted from 1 John 4:6-7)

Verse 1:

Beloved let us love one another for love is of God

Beloved let us love one another for love is of God

He who loves is born of God (repeat)

Chorus:

God is love; So am I

God is love; So am I

I am born of Love

I am born of Love

Bridge:

I’m rooted; I’m grounded

I’m rooted and grounded in love

I’m rooted; I’m grounded

I’m rooted and grounded in love

© LoveWalkMusic WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley