One prefers gladness over sadness. How thankful that times of sadness can be followed by times of gladness. What does the Bible say about gladness and where is it found? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1561/29?v=20251111
There is gladness in my soul. Oh, He has made me glad. He has made me glad. Beautiful stanzas of hymns that express the gladness that’s available from God. So today, friends, let’s pursue gladness. From the International Gospel Hour, stay with us.
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It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
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Truth.fm Also, feel free to download beautiful congregational singing of some of the most blessed long-time hymns. Again, that’s truth.fm. Once again, truth.fm. Now, we mentioned about the hymns you could download and the singing and all, and I started our broadcast today talking about gladness using stanzas of some of the most beautiful hymns we could sing about. and that is singing about gladness or being glad. The definitions to rejoice, to cheer, to have joy, or to be exuberant, when one embraces gladness from God, friends, that’s true gladness. Early in the ministry of Jesus, let’s think of his words from the Sermon on the Mount when he said, “‘Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,’ Matthew 5, 12. From Acts 13 and verse 32, Paul stated, “‘And we declare unto you glad tidings, speaking of the Christ and his resurrection, and in Christ only will one find and have forgiveness of sins.’ So yes, friends, we can find true gladness in the things that God has provided, and there are a number of them. And that’s our study today. But first, I mentioned about the app of truth.fm. I’m going to defer to our J-Web and let him tell you how you can download our International Gospel Hour app.
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Please download the International Gospel Hour app on your iPhone or Android. A free download awaits you at the App Store or Google Play. Just search International Gospel Hour and download our app free and have access to all our work. It is all there through the IGH app.
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Where can I find gladness? Well friends, I have a list today. Let’s go one at a time and do the best we can in the time allotted. You know, there is gladness in God granting us another day of life. Psalm 118, verse 24, one of my favorite texts, This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. There may be circumstances that are difficult for us, but that will remind us of what God provides to get us through those challenging days. Second, there is gladness in the power of God. In 1 Chronicles 16, verse 31, Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, and let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns. Psalm 126, verse 3, The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. recognizing the day He is given, recognizing His power, then we learn of God and His power and all He will grant to us through His Word. And you know, there is gladness in the Word of God. Psalm 119 and verse 74, Those who fear you will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in your Word. You see what hoping in the Word of God, how we can be glad. Let’s think about the area of worship. You know, James 5 and verse 13 reminds us, there is gladness in singing. Is any among you merry? Let him sing psalms. Of course, there is gladness in worship overall. When the psalmist said in Psalm 122 and verse 1, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Think about the worship that God commands through the Christ in John 4 and verse 24. God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit, the right attitude, and in truth, the right guidelines. God has always told men what He expects in worship unto Him. Our worship is offered unto God. You know, there is gladness in the preaching of the gospel. Think about it, friends. When we assemble together for worship, that is the one time that we are instructed how we should conduct our lives, how we should live the way that God would have us to live, and instructs us of how our worship is to be in accordance with His will. In Luke 8 in verse 1, Now it came to pass afterward that he, that is the Christ, went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. I want you to see what’s glad. I want you to see what you can cheer about, if you will. I want you to see the joy. In Romans 10 in verse 15, How shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. We bring the things that are worthy to rejoice. They are good. They are glad. And when we can sing, He has made me glad, He has made me glad, and we can study, within our worship there is opportunity to be glad. Let’s continue on to see there is gladness in the grace of God. Psalm 31, verse 7, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. How could one not be glad and rejoice in the mercy of God of which we desire? Someone says, well, give me justice. Oh, no, my friends. I will take mercy over justice any day, especially if the mercy is of God. In Acts 11, verse 23, referring to Barnabas, when he came there to that area, he saw or he had seen the grace of God and was glad. Oh, listen to Titus 2, beginning with verse 11 through 14. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous of good works. Friends, if you took those verses and would wring them out, My, how the grace of God and gladness would come forth from it. I mean gladness there through His grace, their salvation. That salvation has appeared. It teaches us. It tells us what to deny and it tells us how to live and how to be zealous of good works and how we are grateful for what God has done for us and that He gave Jesus to die for us. Let’s notice, since we’re talking of the grace of God, there is gladness in salvation. You know, in Acts 8, 39 and 40, we find where that eunuch, when he believed, they came to a certain body of water, and he didn’t wait. He said, here’s water, what hinders me to be baptized? Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They stopped the chariot. Philip went down into the water with the eunuch and baptized him. And the Bible says that when he came up, he went on his way rejoicing. You see, friends, there’s gladness in salvation. Oh, friends, when we believe in Christ and the beauty of repenting of our sins and confessing our faith in Jesus Christ, and then to be baptized into Christ, to have those sins washed away, Acts 22, 16, there is gladness, there is rejoicing. Why Romans 6, 4-6 says we are raised to walk in a newness of life. There is gladness in salvation. Friends, I’ve got a couple of more I’ll try to work in in just a moment, but I want to pause here for our J-Web as we’re talking about these things that make us glad. Well, studying the Word of God allows us to grow in our faith and how we can learn more of Christ. And maybe you’re searching for those answers, or maybe Maybe you’ve been taught some things that you’re starting to wonder about, and you want to search the scriptures therein. We’ve got a very special study for you. Bear with our J-Web with all the details, and I’ll be back in just a moment.
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An additional Bible study by mail is now available from International Gospel Hour. It’s titled, God and Man, How to Be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all materials, it’s free. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type God and Man in the message box. Another Bible study that is free from IGH. And our friends at godandman.com. That’s god-and-man.com. And, you know, since you can’t see it, let me just spell that out for you. We’d love to hear from you.
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Friends, we hope that study will help you as you are glad about the things the Lord brings forth and has there. You know, as we wrap up our broadcast, I’ll mention how there is gladness in faithfulness. And that’s Psalm 6410. How there is gladness and restoration if one leaves the Lord and comes back. Remember, in Luke 15, verse 32, the father told that elder brother that it was meet that we should make merry, for his brother had come home, and be glad. And you know there’s gladness and judgment for the one who is prepared to meet the Lord. And, of course, as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, especially verse 8, There’s laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all that is loved is appearing. What a beautiful thought. Yes, friends, there’s where you can find gladness, within the things that God has promised us. And we’ll continue our studies together at another time. Thank you for joining me today here on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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Thank you for listening today to God Be the Glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time
