The Joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8v10)
Joy deep in the heart of experience of God.
Joy not related to, dependent upon, or derived from, any circumstances or conditions of life
Strange quality of awe in this joy, but a reflection of the deep calm water of the spirit out of which it comes.
It is primarily a discovery of the soul, when God makes known God’s presence, where there are no words, no outward song, only the Divine Movement.
This is the joy that the world cannot give.
This is the joy that keeps…
moreThe Joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8v10)
The spiritual journey is a constant interplay between moments of awe followed by a general process of surrender to that moment. We must first allow ourselves to be captured by the goodness, truth, or beauty of something beyond and outside ourselves. Then we universalize from that moment to the goodness, truth, and beauty of the rest of reality, until our realization eventually ricochets back to include ourselves! Yet we humans resist both the awe and, even more, the surrender. The ego resists the…
more1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to…
moreLet the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
—Philippians 2:5–8Brian McLaren shows how Jesus as the image of God changes our understandings of who God is:
The implications of the Philippians 2 passage…
moreThe foundation of Jesus’ social program is what I will call non-idolatry, or the withdrawing of our enthrallment from all kingdoms except the kingdom of God. This supports a much better agenda than feeling the need to attack things directly. Nonattachment (freedom from loyalties to human-made domination systems) is the best way I know of protecting people from religious zealotry or any kind of antagonistic thinking or behavior. While there are certainly things we are against, we must…
more4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely…
more4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is…
moreThe 2024 Happiness Report observed data on six areas which are said to create happiness. These six areas related to the average amount of money received by individual citizens, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption. From a global and historical perspective we have much to be happy about in the UK in the 21st Century.
However, Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6.20-20) declared:
more
Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours.
Happy are you who are hungry now, you will be filled!
Happy are…‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!’ PHILIPPIANS 4:4
Holy Spirit, remind me in every circumstance today, whether difficult or pleasant, to rejoice in the Lord.Rejoice in the Lord! In Paul’s world and culture, rejoicing would have meant public celebration. The people of Ephesus, Philippi, and Corinth used to organise great festivals and games to celebrate their gods. Surely the followers of the Lord Jesus have far more reason to celebrate exuberantly than crowds…
more4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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