Sunday, December 18, 2016

Overwhelming Joy

This time of year we speak of love, peace, hope, and joy.  In this season of Advent in which we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and His First Coming to the earth.  The Lord brings us a great joy within us that will never go away not matter what difficulties may arise in our lives.

The joy that Jesus Christ brings into our hearts is not dependent upon the situation that we find ourselves in at the moment.  When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross then His joy comes into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 

It is during the Advent season where we think upon the love the Lord has for each one of us and also for all people.  He desires that all people come to a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  We also realize the true peace that we have as believers in Jesus Christ.  This peace surpasses all of our understanding.  We believers in Christ also have hope.  This is a true living hope because we have been reconciled back to the living God through Jesus Christ.  The world often tries to find hope in material things or even people, but true hope comes only through Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus also brings joy into our hearts and also to our world.  There is a joy that dwells in our hearts from knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We can have joy in knowing that this world is not all there is.  We who have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will one day enter into Heaven where we will experience an overwhelming joy because we will be with the On who died for us for all eternity.

Here is something I wrote for the fourth Sunday of Advent:

 
Forth Sunday of Advent: Joy – December 18, 2016

            This is the forth Sunday of Advent and the theme for today is joy.   The Christmas season is one of great joy when we consider the true meaning of Christmas.

            God out of a great love for all people sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ into this world of ours as a baby placed in a manger.   We all know the Christmas story with the shepherds, the angels, Mary and Joseph, and everything else that went on in those days.

            We can have joy in our very hearts by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Jesus came to live a perfect sinless life and died on the Cross for our sins.  Everyone who comes to Jesus Christ by faith will be saved. 

            Jesus Christ brings a joy into our very hearts, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that nothing can take away no matter what difficulties may arise in our lives.   No matter what assaults may come at us in this world we can still find joy in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

            We are reminded of what the Angel said to the Shepherds who were watching their sheep one night in the book of Luke which says,

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10-11)

            When we think of all that the Lord has done for us and all that He still doing for us we can be filled with joy in our hearts because of who He is.   

[Prayer]: Lord, Thank You for the joy that we have just by knowing you.  We thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus Christ into this world to be our Savior.   In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.
I have including a link to an audio recording of me reading the above Advent devotion:
https://soundcloud.com/michael-rairdon/the-fourth-sunday-of-advent-joy

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