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Go into all the world & preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15(NIV) |
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Devotion
JOY IS THE Christian WORD There is something deeper than happiness, and that is joy. Happiness comes from happenings, but joy may be within in spite if happenings. “Happiness” is the world’s word; “joy” is the Christian’s word. The New Testament does not use the word “happiness” or promise it—it uses the word “joy “. And for a reason. Many people are expecting happiness from following the Christian faith—that God will arrange the things that happen to me so they will all add up to happiness. When the things that happen to them do not mean happiness, such people are dismayed and feel God has let them Down. Why should this happen to me? They expect to be protected from the happenings that make them unhappy. Was Jesus protected from things that make people unhappy? Was Paul? Their Christian faith to them into opposition, into persecution, into death. How could a faith that has across at its center promise exemption form happenings that ordinarily bring unhappiness? Then what is the answer? The Christian faith offers joy in the midst of happenings which make people with that faith unhappy. When the Christian doesn’t find joy on account of his happenings, he can always find joy in spite of them. The Christian is taught not merely to accept limitations, bus to use them. Take what you have and make something out of it. You must learn to live in spite of. Carlyle once said: “You may hear it said of me that I am cross-rained and disagreeable. Don’t believe it. Only let me have my way exactly in everything with all about me precisely as I wish, and a sunnier or pleasanter creature does not exist.” But Carlyle was being satirical here. We must make out happiness not dependent upon happenings. We can make everything into something else. Use everything. E. Stanley Jones Christian Maturity Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957
POEM Joy Is The WordToday, whatever many annoy, The word for me is Joy, just simple joy; The joy of life; The joy of children and of wife; The joy of bright, blue skies; The joy of rain; the glad surprise Of twinkling stars that shine at night; The joy of winged things upon their flight; The joy of noonday, and the tried True joyousness of eventide; The joy of labor, and of mirth; The joy of air, and sea, and earth— The countless joys that ever flow from Him Whose vast beneficence doth dim The lustrous light of day, And lavish gifts divine upon our way, Whate'er there be of Sorrow I’ll put off till Tomorrow, And when Tomorrow, And when Tomorrow comes, why then “Twill be Today and Joy again! --John Kendrick Bangs
Humor Enter the Kingdom of Heaven A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. Saint Peter addresses this guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?" The guy replies, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi-driver, of Noo Yawk City." Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi-driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The taxi-driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it's the minister's turn. He stands erect and booms out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's for the last forty-three years." Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." "Just a minute," says the minister. "That man was a taxi-driver and
he gets a silken robe and golden staff. "Up here, we work by results," says Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed."
God Bless! Gerald Klingelhoefer One God, One Faith, One Baptism
Ephesians 4:5
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