Sunday, December 15, 2013

Glad tidings of great joy

Though she rarely posts on Sunday, Ann Voskamp is out with her Advent video number three. Her first video was about Hope, which the presence of Christ brings. Number two was Peace, and the third, this week, is the Joy candle.

Ache is not the last word for those who believe God. Jesus is. Because of God's gift of Jesus, grace is now our oxygen.

Ann describes joy as an unstoppable reality for the Jesus follower.

When our lives are "large with Christ," our lives will birth joy.

Being a Jesus follower means more than just believing. The opposite of joy isn't unhappiness. The opposite of joy is unbelief!

Very real sacrifices turn into very real joy. Gospel = joy news. Eucharisteo = grace. We give thanks, and get joy. Joy is possible wherever you are, because Jesus is wherever you are.

The enemy of our soul is a prosecutor. He gets you to say that God and others are not doing enough, and you, yourself are not enough.

What stops joy? Ann says it is expectation. She asks, why deprive ourselves of joy's oxygen?

Joy is a flame that glimmers only in the palm of the open and humble hand. Flames need oxygen to light.

Hebrews: "For the joy that was set before Him, He went to the cross."

Do you see why I go to Ann's blog every single day?

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