Joy

“My Joy…Your Joy”

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. JOHN 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God…” (Psalm 40:8). Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “…the cares of this world,…choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.

Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His “living water.” Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life…hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.

Joy

“My Joy…Your Joy”

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. JOHN 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God…” (Psalm 40:8). Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “…the cares of this world,…choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.

Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His “living water.” Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life…hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.

Give Yourself up

Trust

Clean house

Help others 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trust -Humble yourself-God knows best

Clean House-Peace w God, Church, Others, Self

Help Others-in Gods Will, Way, and Strength

Give Yourself up

Trust

Clean house

Help others 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trust -Humble yourself-God knows best

Clean House-Peace w God, Church, Others, Self

Help Others-in Gods Will, Way, and Strength

Choose 

the  gift of God Himself 

instead of Gods gifts.  

Choose 

the  gift of God Himself 

instead of Gods gifts.  

Job 26:2–3 

How you have helped him who has no power

How you have saved the arm that has no strength! 

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, 

and plentifully declared sound knowledge! 

Me

I admit I am powerless. 

I admit I have no strength. 

I admit I have no wisdom. 

Please God help empower me, save me, counsel me and declare sound knowledge to me. 

I need you. 

Amen

Job 26:2–3 

How you have helped him who has no power

How you have saved the arm that has no strength! 

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, 

and plentifully declared sound knowledge! 

Me

I admit I am powerless. 

I admit I have no strength. 

I admit I have no wisdom. 

Please God help empower me, save me, counsel me and declare sound knowledge to me. 

I need you. 

Amen

Lord, take away my heart of stone, a heart so bitter and uncircumcised, and give me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a pure heart. 

You cleanse the heart and love the clean heart. 

Take possession of my heart and dwell in it, contain it and fill it, you who are higher than the heights of my spirit and closer to me than my innermost self! 

You are the pattern of all beauty and the seal of all holiness. 

Set the seal of your likeness upon my heart! In your mercy set your seal upon my heart, 

God of my heart and the God who is my portion for ever! Amen.

-From a treatise by Baldwin, bishop of Canterbury

Lord, take away my heart of stone, a heart so bitter and uncircumcised, and give me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a pure heart. 

You cleanse the heart and love the clean heart. 

Take possession of my heart and dwell in it, contain it and fill it, you who are higher than the heights of my spirit and closer to me than my innermost self! 

You are the pattern of all beauty and the seal of all holiness. 

Set the seal of your likeness upon my heart! In your mercy set your seal upon my heart, 

God of my heart and the God who is my portion for ever! Amen.

-From a treatise by Baldwin, bishop of Canterbury

In the spiritual life, I can promise myself nothing without the special help of God . . . From one moment to another, I may fall into mortal sin: consequently, even though I may have labored many years in acquiring virtues, I may in one instant lose all the good I have done, lose all my merit for eternity, and lose even that blessed eternity itself.

Man, endowed with innocence, was not safe in his earthly paradise. What safety, therefore, can there be for us with our corrupt nature, amid so many perils and so many enemies who within and without are ever seeking insidiously to undermine our own eternal salvation? 

In order to be eternally damned, it is enough that I should follow the dictates of nature; but to be saved, it is necessary that divine grace should prevent (go before) and accompany me, should follow and help me, watch over me and never abandon me. 

Oh, how right therefore was St. Paul in exhorting us to 'work out our salvation'—which is for all eternity—'with fear and trembling' (Phil. 2:12).

— Fr. Cajetan da Bergamo

In the spiritual life, I can promise myself nothing without the special help of God . . . From one moment to another, I may fall into mortal sin: consequently, even though I may have labored many years in acquiring virtues, I may in one instant lose all the good I have done, lose all my merit for eternity, and lose even that blessed eternity itself.

Man, endowed with innocence, was not safe in his earthly paradise. What safety, therefore, can there be for us with our corrupt nature, amid so many perils and so many enemies who within and without are ever seeking insidiously to undermine our own eternal salvation? 

In order to be eternally damned, it is enough that I should follow the dictates of nature; but to be saved, it is necessary that divine grace should prevent (go before) and accompany me, should follow and help me, watch over me and never abandon me. 

Oh, how right therefore was St. Paul in exhorting us to 'work out our salvation'—which is for all eternity—'with fear and trembling' (Phil. 2:12).

— Fr. Cajetan da Bergamo

Judas, Peter, The Prodigal, and Zacchaeus

All 4 sinned

All 4 regretted

All 4 repented

3 kept going to Jesus for Grace

2 paid back -penance

1 would not go to Jesus for Grace 

Don’t be afraid to go to Jesus with your sin. 

He is the only way to Grace, forgiveness, and life. 

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. 

Judas, Peter, The Prodigal, and Zacchaeus

All 4 sinned

All 4 regretted

All 4 repented

3 kept going to Jesus for Grace

2 paid back -penance

1 would not go to Jesus for Grace 

Don’t be afraid to go to Jesus with your sin. 

He is the only way to Grace, forgiveness, and life. 

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.