Joy - An Advent Reflection Pt 2

 

In last week’s letter I began talking about joy, drawing from Psalm 43:4, “to God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:4). That then led us to Augustine and his prayer in his “Confessions”. After I wrote that last week, I began thinking: Since God himself is that joy itself, then how do we enter into the solidarity of that joy? The answer is that having the joy that is God himself, comes from God. As Paul declared when talking about laying down our rights for the good of one another, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The kingdom of God is not about us flaunting our expressive individualism, asserting our prejudiced self-priorities – “eating and drinking.” Rather, the reign of God is exhibited, displayed, experienced, and made clear by three virtuous qualities: righteousness, peace and “joy IN the Holy Spirit.” The location or address of joy is the Holy Spirit himself (thus the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23). To have God our exceeding joy comes by the Holy Spirit having us and drawing us into God our exceeding joy!

 

And if, as we often hear in Advent and Christmas, Jesus is Immanuel – God with us – who came to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21-23) that means that the whole God – the three persons who are simultaniously One God – are all about us having and being inhabited by real, undying, unstoppable joy. Christmas says that the whole God has gone the whole way to draw us into “God my exceeding joy”!

 

Do you know “God my exceeding joy”? Listen closely to the Advent and Christmas Carols during this season. I think you will hear much that will guide you into knowing “God my exceeding joy”.

 

As we will sing this Sunday:

“Hark! the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King; peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!’ Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th'angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’”

 

Or again:

“Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love's sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenward by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love's sake becamest man.

 

Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee.”

 

Oh dear friends, throw open wide the gates of your hearts that the King of glory – and joy – may come in! Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing! Cry out with surrender and bowed knees: Emmanuel, within us dwelling, make us what thou wouldst have us be. And as you do this, you will know, from the outside in, Glory to the newborn King; peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! 

 

Pastor Mike


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pastors and Prayer (Contentment, Counseling Situations, and Leadership)

Image
  Years ago, in a situation long ago, in a different space and time continuum, I wrote these prayers. They were for me, as a pastor, in the midst of disappointment and feeling of deep defeat. I have drawn them back up out of the bowels of long unused files to dust them off and re-use them. I'm using them again not in the midst of disappointment and deep defeat, but because I think they are decent prayers, no matter my situation. I share them with you, fellow pastors, so you can use them, and hopefully find your heart lifted and the face of God smiling on you. He loves you, more than anyone else ever could, and he loves your congregation more than you ever can. FOR CONTENTMENT:   O Lord God - help! ·          Help me to flourish and fill out in faith, hope and love, as well as all other Christian virtues  - here . ·          Help me to find satisfaction with where I am, with whom I am with, wit...
Read more

"Counterfeit Kingdom" by Pivec and Geivett. A Review.

Image
  Some fifteen years ago he sat in my church study. He was the minister of a large charismatic church in town and had come to invite me to join a new reforming “movement,” the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). I had never heard of this movement, but he claimed it had apostles and prophets whom God had raised up to reignite the church and restore America to her Christian roots. Since those days I have heard more and more about the NAR, and began to notice how some prominent church leaders, pastors, and a few politicians, who are   aligned with the NAR and are coming into influence in our civil government. I knew I needed to learn more and was glad to find a very readable 272-page softback that addressed this program. “Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church” was put together by Holly Pivec, blogger and author of several books on the New Apostolic Reformation, who also served as university editor at Biola University fo...
Read more

"For Your Church and World..." - 7 September 2025

Image
  Lord God, we come to intercede for your Church and world. We ask you to strengthen this congregation that in doing all things without complaining and disputing, we may become increasingly blameless, pure in quality, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:14-15). Be pleased to make us even more harmonious and to become more clearly a sign of grace to our fractured and fragmented world. Also, add to this church such as are being saved; and add to us in such a way as will mirror the new heavens and new earth, reflecting the new Jerusalem in which will dwell people from every tribe, tongue, nationality, and economic strata, gathered around your throne exalting you and hearing you say, “ Behold, I am making all things new ” (Revelation 21:1-5)! We ask for your ongoing help, strength, protection, deliverance and sustenance of your Church throughout the world, especially in places where she is being abused and persecuted; but als...
Read more