Where is God Amidst All This Chaos?
Special: Counseled by God Free Video Event and up to 50% off!

Remember When God Laughed?

Jesse Birkey's picture

Remember that time God told you a joke?  Maybe you do and maybe you don’t.  Have you ever stopped to think on whether or not God even tells jokes?  How about his laughter?  Do you know what his laughter sounds like?

 

I remember one day walking home from our community pool.  Outside of the refreshing water I was a drum the Florida sun beat on relentlessly.  I sucked in some warm air and looked around.  I had been thinking about the topic of God’s laughter and whether or not He had a sense of humor. 

 

Remember that whole, “All you have to do in order to see God’s humor is look at a platypus” line?  That’s all well and good but what about daily life?  I hadn’t really experienced that part of God’s heart but I wanted to.  It was as the humidity was drawing the moisture out of my body like a needle and syringe that God told me a joke.

 

I stopped in my tracks.  Then I started to laugh.  It was a joke about the relationship of our thirst for rational, and the supernatural world we live in.  It was funny.  That event seemed to open a door in my heart to receive a piece of God I’d been missing.  I’d been searching for it but for some reason, up till then, hadn’t been able to see it.

 

Since that day I’ve asked ‘why?’  Why is it that so many of us have a hard time seeing the joy of God?  Why do our ears seem deaf to his laughter?  Why do we imagine his face serious so much more than silly?

 

Paul says in Romans 5:2 “…And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.”  And again in verse 11 “...but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in his love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received an enjoy [our] reconciliation.”  In fact, the tone of chapter five seems to be all about the wonderful reasons we have to laugh, rejoice, and celebrate.

 

There are many places throughout the bible that speak of the importance of joy, rejoicing, and celebration.  Jesus himself, in Luke 10:21, “..rejoiced and gloried in the Holy Spirit…”  It must’ve been awesome to see Jesus glory in the Holy Spirit.  I don’t know what that looks like but it must’ve been an amazing party.

 

So why do we tend to leave this aspect of God’s character out of our perception so often?  Why do so many of our messages and Christian songs focus only on who God is in our suffering, trials, and hard times?  I would argue that for many of us, the dominant perception of God is one of compassion, sympathy and empathy.  Holding our tears and our hands as we walk difficult roads.  Of a stern face, always serious.

 

I want to be careful NOT to diminish the importance of God’s loving, compassionate nature.  To be sure, he loves to pour out compassion, wipe our tears, and lead us step by step through the minefield of life and that part of him has been crucial to so many of us.  But he also wants to dance with us, laugh with us, tell jokes with us, and just be a complete goofball along side of us.  We need balance.

 

It’s not hard to understand why we would tend to be more aware of him during hard times.  When we’re lost we need to reach out for him to lead us home.  But what about the simple joys of life?  How aware of him are we in those moments?  The gift we got that we really wanted.  The steak that was just right.  The incredible sale we found.  Our child’s “A” on the test (or B or C or D or better F than the last one).

 

It’s not easy to remember that an invisible God is always present.  Do we tend to live like functioning atheists until we need the compassionate side of God?  Maybe, maybe not.  But maybe we could try to become more aware of the side of him that’s fun, joyful, and even silly.  And not just in a church service or when we witness a miracle but in every smile of daily life.

 

Blessings,

 

Jesse and Kara Birkey

 

www.jessebirkey.com

[email protected]

twitter.com/JesseBirkey

http://www.facebook.com/jesse.birkey

http://www.amazon.com/author/jessebirkey

 

Jesse and Kara Birkey are committed lovers of Jesus who seek to show others the extraordinary life of Jesus is available for everyone.  They have authored two books, been featured in films and seek to serve the Lord in whatever ways they can.  Follow their blog here.    

 

Bring Jesse and Kara to your venue.  Find more information here.

 

Get a sneak preview of Jesse’s upcoming fiction, Finding Home.

 

Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People has been endorsed by Sid Roth and Mark Virkler and is a collection of inspiring stories making it clear that the extraordinary life of Jesus is available to all who love Him.  It’s also the testimony of Jesse’s life, the road he travelled bringing him into the arms of Jesus. Get the paperback here.  Get the Kindle Version Here. View the trailer here.    

 

Marriage What’s the Point? One couple finds meaning in a crazy mess is the story of their marriage—The tragedy and the restoration.  They bear their hearts in an attempt to get others to bear theirs and finally receive the freedom they’ve longed for.  Get the paperback here.  Get the Kindle Version Here.

 

Jesse is also featured in the film DeadRaiser, a movie shining the spotlight on resurrection testimonies across the nation.  Find more information here.

 

Add new comment

Comments

Jesse Birkey's picture

Yep, God is hilarious!!  
 
 

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 1 - 10 of 479

Pages

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Twelve Weeks to Spiritual Mastery - Group Coaching

A group coaching experience with Mark Virkler

Because I could not find a Spirit-anointed teacher/coach, I spent ten extremely frustrating years seeking to hear God’s voice!!! Suggestions offered did not help me, things like: “You just know that you know. It is a still small voice. He speaks from your heart.” No one could give me the answer I needed which was: Hearing God’s voice is as simple as quieting yourself down, fixing your eyes on Jesus, recognizing His voice as spontaneous, flowing thoughts and writing down His flow as it is coming. Test what you have written after the flow is done, NOT while it is occurring.

Price: $1,200.00

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99

Pages