Moments With God.
Advent Week 3
JOY
Tuesday, December 14
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Joy Through Believing!
Thinking back to my teen years and a time when our family did not attend church at all, I remember a grandmother who hardly ever went anywhere. However, I can recall seeing her read her bible on a regular basis. When she passed away, my parents decided that maybe it was time to start going to church, so we went to a Community Church in a small Houston, Texas suburb.
We became involved in Sunday School and various church activities. I thought this was pretty neat. I enjoyed the Sunday School. Mrs. Smith was a caring lady who made the lessons interesting. I soaked up all this new Bible stuff, but never really made any real application of it to my life. I enjoyed the fellowship with the other teens and attended the social activities on a regular basis.
Then, during a time when we had no pastor, a prospective minister spoke. His text was (you guessed it!): Revelation 3:14-22. I listened to the sermon as if he were speaking directly to me because there I was, enjoying a neat social thing in the church, but not making a real commitment to Christ. At the invitation (vs 20)
I immediately raised my hand for prayer. He asked for those who had raised their hands to go next door to the empty parsonage where he would join them (I was the only one). There in the empty parsonage (except for a few folding chairs), I knelt and confessed my sins for the first time. Praise God, He heard me and entered my heart, giving me a joy that I had never known!
Many years have gone by since then, but I can truthfully say, the JOY of the LORD is my strength.
At this Advent season we celebrate, with joy, the promise of a newborn Babe who will come as a King. In this season, with all its hustle and bustle, may we take the time to examine our hearts to see if we have joy, or are we in that "in-between" area where a busy life has robbed us of joy, causing us to be lukewarm? Do we need to listen for that knock at the door of our hearts?
Cecil Wallace
Big Sandy, Texas
Prayer
Father in Heaven, thank you for the joy that comes from You as we yield our lives to You. May we, at this blessed season, remember that joy and stay focused on You. Help us to show that joy to others, that they may see You in our lives ..
Amen
[Psalms 45] [Zechariah 2:1-13] [Revelation 3:14-22] [Matt. 24:32-44]
or suggestions to Yvonne Edwards.
Edited: Nov 17, 1999 7:50 a.m.
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