Circumstances vs Joy

All degres of joy reside in the heart.  How can a christian be full of happiness (if happiness depends on the things that happen) when he is in a world where the devil is doing his best to twist souls away from god, where people are tortured physically, where some are downtrodden and do not get a chance?  It would be the outcome of the most miserable selfishness to be happy under such conditions.  But a joyful heart is never an insult, and joy is never touched by external conditions. 

- Oswald Chambers -

How often am i joyful?
What is the ratio of joy to happiness in my life?
How often do i allow circumstances to determine my mood?

hillsong - lifeline

Reflecting God - fear not, you're loved!

Psalm 16:1-11

Although thinking about the end of the world can be daunting, how wonderful and reassuring is it to know that God will be with us, casting out fear and shielding us with His wings! David’s Psalms answer the cry of our hearts, especially when he proclaims that God won’t abandon us. We all fear abandonment and rejection, but in Psalm 16 David says to the Lord, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). Once we choose God, we are eternally in the presence of His love!

Even in our darkest hour, God gives us reason to hope and gain strength from His unending supply. “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken,” David wrote (Psalm 16:8). God rescues and restores our minds, so that we are not “shaken” off our foundation.

We can count on this: God will never stop loving us—no matter what. Rest in His promises, and live for Him like never before!

Reflecting God - living christ's grace today

2 Peter 1:1-11

For so many people, their greatest fear as a Christ-follower is to fall short of the “Pearly Gates.” Many fear that Christ’s invitation will, because of a verbal slip or careless act on their part, cause them to find themselves on the outside looking in. In our attempts to not slip up and to remain “on the inside” we board up within the walls of our churches and our homes refusing to associate with those on the outside, hoping their sin will not infect us.

This belief that sin is a communicable disease causes us to forget that we are the product of God’s powerful, life-altering, world-shaking grace. When we come into contact with this work of grace, we cannot help but find our hearts changed. Our inward bent now begins to be directed outside of ourselves.

In the end, our greatest fear should not be that we will miss out on heaven; rather, our fear should be that others will miss out by our refusal to live out this grace.

Author: Michael Palmer

Reflecting God - The necessity of discipline

Revelation 3:14-22

Discipline is difficult. It’s painful. It’s embarrassing. If we are being disciplined we have been caught, found out, and called to account for the pain we have caused ourselves and others. We like to think that we are beyond discipline, or that we can out-run the consequences created by our actions. We want others to believe that we have everything together and that God would be making better use of his time by focusing on someone else.

Discipline, correction and rebuke are a vital part of the Christian life. As a person moves through life, they are formed, molded and shaped by the people around them. They accumulate, like clothes, the patterns, behaviors and beliefs of others. While some of these actions are healthy, however, many of these patterns are broken and in need of repair or removal.

If we are to be like Christ, we must be willing to do the hard work of self-reflection, and self-reflection is spurred on through the catalyst of the Holy Spirit’s loving rebuke.

Author: Michael Palmer

Reflecting God - distinctive mark

Matthew 5:38-48

It is human nature to fight back whenever we are threatened, whenever we are treated unjustly, or whenever we are hurt.  However, it is godly to show mercy and love, even when we don’t get the treatment we hoped for.

The fact we are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is the very distinctive mark we carry as Christians. It is good to know that the love God shared with us is sufficient to help us to love our enemies. It might not be an easy task. Yet, we can see God working in our lives when we do so. It is a matter of faith and trust in the Lord who loves us–as well those who hurt us. His redemption plan includes all humanity, even our enemies!

That does not mean we will remain in the place of suffering just for the amusement of our enemies. But, it means we will pray for those who persecute us. It means that whenever we have the opportunity to payback we will offer compassion instead. It also means that, when needed, we will suffer in order to create what is good.

Author: Tabita Rothmann Gonzalez

Reflecting God - are we the body?

 

1 Timothy 3:14—4:10

Paul writes to Timothy about how we are to live as the body of Christ. We should never forget that Christ is the head of the Church. When we live in this way, the church is a beautiful place to be! It’s meant to be a community of support, accountability, submission and service to one another.

When Christ isn’t the head, the church is in danger of becoming something else. How do we know if Christ is the head? Paul says it requires training. If you want to run a marathon, you train. If you want to learn a new language, you train. If you want to learn a new skill, you train. So it is with our Christian walk.

We must be trained up in Christ! When we memorize what Jesus has said, when we allow the Spirit to convict and teach us, when we act out our faith in loving service we become part of His body. When we train to be like Christ, we become more like Him! When we become more like Christ, the church is what it is meant to be. Let’s commit to the body, of which Christ is the head, thanking God for what He has created.

Author: Olivia Metcalf

Reflecting God -The cornerstone

 

1 Peter 2:1-12

You and I have a responsibility. While we are intended to stand up against injustice, Peter writes that it starts in a different place. We must, he tells us, rid ourselves “of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (1 Peter 2:1). Our life in Christ isn’t merely about us however, what is on the inside must be seen on the outside. He writes further of our responsibility to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9b).

When God called the people of Israel to be His chosen people it was so they would be a blessing to all nations. They were meant to be a light pointing those around them to the one true God.

This is our call as well. We are set apart! We are chosen! We are meant to be holy! We are to tell the truth of our God’s love! In so doing we invite others to step into the light. When we live the life that is made possible by Christ, the cornerstone, revival will break out.

Author: Olivia Metcalf