God’s gift . . .
The Light of Joy in the Advent Season
A new promise of JOY arrives with the birth of The Child.
Christmas is a time to rejoice!
Chris Tomlin added a new chorus to “Joy to the World” in 2009, wanting to keep the great original song, but to give it new life, so a whole new generation would embrace it . . .
Joy, unspeakable joy,
An overflowing well no tongue can tell
Joy, unspeakable joy
Rises in my soul, never lets me go
It is a song of celebration . . . more than a celebration of a baby’s birth, it is a celebration that Christ will come again . . . joy!!
"Joy, unspeakable joy" is a phrase that refers to a deep, overwhelming joy that is difficult to express in words . . . It can have multiple meanings, including the joy that comes from a relationship with God and a heart full of faith and love . . . It is a joy that is not dependent on external circumstances, but rather on the eternal promises of God . . . It is a joy that can be experienced even in times of hardship, as it is anchored in the hope of resurrection and eternal life for each of us.
Joy is deeper than happiness, because happiness is determined by outside, fleeting circumstances . . . When God brought the gift of the Child, He introduced a brand new, never-experienced-before joy into this world . . . Joy in Christ is found within your heart and soul . . . It is a sense of knowing and understanding that life may not be perfect, but, with the Light of Christ guiding the journey, life will be alright . . . It’s a simple truth . . . Joy shines brightly for us all with the birth of the Child of Light.
Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.
(Pope Francis)
The good news of Jesus’s birth has the power to bring us great joy this Christmas season . . . Our joy isn’t dependent on what is going on in our life, in our world, or the people that we are with . . . It doesn’t depend on the gifts we give or the gifts we find under the tree . . . No earthly thing can ever give us complete joy.
Our joy comes from God . . . Our joy is a gift . . . It is the gift that He gave us that first Christmas in the birth of Jesus Christ . . . That joy, that flooded the hearts of the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, the hosts of heaven, and Mary and Joseph, is the joy that still has the power to overwhelm our hearts with rejoicing and worshiping our Lord.
INSIGHT . . .
Joy is a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit as He causes us to see
the beauty of Jesus in the Word and in His works.
(John Piper)
Do you say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” to express greetings to each other during this season? . . . But merry and happy really don’t express the true feeling we should be experiencing . . . Christmas is about JOY!
Joy—a feeling, an emotion! . . . It doesn’t come from our bodies, but from deep within our heart and soul . . . Our soul, that invisible part that makes you and me, uniquely you and me . . . It comes from our mind, spirit and will, emotion and intellect . . . Joy is that good and right feeling created within each of us by the Holy Spirit.
This spiritual joy goes far beyond momentary happiness . . . It’s a choice we make . . . We can choose to live with an attitude of resentment, anger and fear . . . or we can choose to pursue the joy of Christ.
What choice do you want to make this season? . . . Is it the choice you are making?
True joy comes from God alone . . . It’s that eager anticipation about wonderful things to come, like the birth of a Savior, or being able to be with Christ forever . . . Joy is trusting when you want to doubt—joy is celebrating when you want to fear . . . No matter what you or I go through we can whisper this simple truth: "Jesus is with me." . . . Think about it . . . He is with us in our greatest victories and our most humiliating defeats . . . Jesus is with us, at all times, in all things.
Finding joy should easy during this season, because JOY is all around us—in the children, the lights, the music, the gathering together . . . yet we often let our preparations—or our memories (good or bad)—push present JOY to the side . . . Today I challenge you to open yourself to JOY, trusting that God has already planted it in your heart and soul because you believe in Christ . . . it occurs from knowing that God loves you and wants what is best for you . . . So, let go of the worry, fear, and distrust, and let the balm of joy provide comfort, relief, and healing.
INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . .
I’m going to tattle on myself . . . I shouldn’t allow myself to get in a mood, but the “jumble” and “unwanted distractions” of the holiday are catching up to me . . . I just need to focus on Christ and the glorious season, and the rest should all fade away . . . right?
Do you ever feel that way?
. . . that you need to cry out to God for help, to just stop the noise and chaos?
So, music . . . that usually helps me re-focus and calm my mind . . . I’ll go to music . . . Christmas carols, “Joy to the World” . . .
Joy to the world, the Lord is come . . . Let Earth receive her King
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch . . . You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus . . . You're as charming as an eel
Wait a minute . . . where did that come from? . . . Let me try again . . .
Joy to the world, the Lord is come . . . Let Earth receive her . . .
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch . . . You really are a heel
I have been holding tight to Hope and Peace . . . it’s time to hold tighter to Joy . . . Lord, please help me . . . prayer is a good place to start.
How about you? . . . Do you ever feel lost, have taken a wrong turn,
or followed the wrong detour in the midst of everything going on around you?
What “steals” your joy . . . or gets in the way?
Ask God to help you see what you need to let go of this season, and what you need to pull back into your life.
When we let worries, concerns, preoccupations . . . take away or interrupt our joy, we are essentially giving away our control of us . . . our control of how we experience joy.
As I searched for something to bring me back to the season . . . I heard the sound of bells . . . well, the sleigh bells on our back door . . . but that reminded me of another carol, “The Carol of the Bells” . . . Did you know it has sweet, captivating lyrics?
Hark! How the bells, Sweet silver bells, All seem to say, Throw cares away.
Christmas is here, Bringing good cheer, To young and old, Meek and the bold
Bells are a big part of the Christmas season . . . jingle bells, sleigh bells, silver bells, the tinkling of a music box, “every time you hear a bell an angel gets its wings” . . . They can be seen as a symbol of the joy and delight brought with the birth of our Savior
. . . signaling the good news that was born into the world!
But this Christmas symbol also shows the love of the Shepherd to all His sheep . . . Long ago, every flock's lead sheep had a bell, and each bell had a different note . . . meaning that flocks could be distinguished one from another in the dark or in fog . . . Shepherds would ring a much smaller bell to call lost sheep back home . . . allowing the sheep to locate the shepherd by following the sound.
The ringing of bells by the shepherd signaled the guiding of a lost sheep back to its home . . . Christmas bells call us back to our Shepherd, Jesus, and to the celebration of His birth.
Remember that . . . when you hear any bells at Christmas time the Lord is calling you home . . . and reminding you who your true Shepherd is.
♪♬♪ A reminder to listen to the bells . . . Carol of the Bells
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgISL_wcqCA&list=RDFgISL_wcqCA&start_radio=1
ILLUMINATION . . .
Seeing the Joy of the season in the Light of Christ
Christmas is best pondered,
not with logic, but with imagination.
(Max Lucado)
Did you know there was a birth announcement for Jesus, and it was full of joy, too? . . . On the night of His birth, God sent angels to share the joy of His Son’s birth with some people nearby . . . these angels had a very special message of joy for the shepherds.
“Suddenly a messenger of the Lord, an angel, stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light—
the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified! . . . but the angel reassured them . . .
Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news,
news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. The Savior—yes,
the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Luke 2:9-11
This baby was going to bring joy to all people . . . All means ALL—He came for all different cultures, career paths, levels of intelligence, economic status, levels of depression or anxiety, and any type of sin.
Jesus’ birth announcement was unique because it wasn’t just for the proud Dad . . . it announced joy for you and me too . . . Think about it . . . God went all out at this birth . . . He didn’t just send angels . . . He put a star in the sky! . . . It appeared at Christ’s birth as a sign for any/all who were watching.
Some very common, lowly shepherds noticed it and came looking for the baby it announced . . . When they found him, they found the joy that was promised by the angels . . . The message of “good tidings of great joy” . . . which still serves today as a reminder that the Christmas message is one of rejoicing!
The announcement from the angels was “good news of great joy” in a new, different way than had been experienced by God’s people before . . . the joy of Christmas is not that man has approached God, but that God has approached us . . . Jesus, the Son of God, is now Emmanuel, God with us . . . can you imagine?
While we wait for Christ to come again, we don’t have to worry or be afraid . . . God has given us a spiritual joy that no one can take away . . . No matter what happens in this dark world, we can experience the Light even in the darkest moments . . . What amazing joy God is giving us!!
Anticipate God’s Gift of Joy
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him,
you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls”
1 Peter 1:8-9
Seek & Cherish God’s Gift of Joy
“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother,
have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people”
Philemon 1:7
Rest in God’s Gift of Joy
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . .
Christmas music is a common thread that holds all of us together . . . It [fills] us
with the emotions that God wants us to feel as we live our lives on this earth . . .
When we listen to Christmas music, we feel hope, peace, and thankfulness . . .
and above all it instructs us to love.
(Dan Weaver-White)
I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too.
♪♬♪ Current . . . A Christmas Hallelujah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr7X0B3ln7Y&list=RDjr7X0B3ln7Y&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Traditional . . . O Come, All Ye Faithful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEUrVz-ZUD4&list=RDrEUrVz-ZUD4&start_radio=1
INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . . (finding joy in the season one day at a time)
The great challenge left to us is to cut through all the glitz and glam
of the season that has grown increasingly secular and commercial and
be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas.
(Bill Crowder)
When we follow Christ, joy becomes a way of life . . . Each of us have been completely forgiven of our sins . . . God has taken care of them all, and He has given us a good reason to embrace a joy-filled life . . . The celebration of the birth of the Child is a good time to remember the gift of joy that God brings.
So, what is Christmas all about? . . . Charlie Brown explains it very simply . . . (watch)
Charlie Brown’s “True Meaning of Christmas”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXShaNdyRmQ
There is simply no Christmas without Christ . . .
There is no second coming, no eternal life without Christ . . .
Joy, unspeakable joy, is wrapped up the gift in manger . . .
The babe wrapped in swaddling clothes that came to save the world.
The greatest gift we have the Advent season is not the presents under the tree, but the presence of God in our lives . . . The glorious gift of “God with us” is the gift we will enjoy for all of eternity, and it can start this Christmas, in our churches, our homes, and our hearts.
I’d like to suggest one simple, unchanging, ever-faithful test of success this Christmas . . .
Do you know Jesus? . . . Has the reality of what Jesus accomplished for you, settled deep into your heart and soul in a way that squeezes out any outside attempts to make you satisfied in lesser things? . . . Is your life different because Jesus has been gracious to you?
If it is, then Christmas has been a success . . . And that gift of joy can never be taken away from you, no matter what happens.
Lord, let us come together this Advent season as a family of believers.
Open our hearts and souls to what you want us to learn today,
and what you want us to remember tomorrow.
And help hold onto the joy of the birth of our Savior all throughout the year—Amen.
♪♬♪ Joy & Prayer Time . . . Christmas Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLobrquJ7m8&list=RDYLobrquJ7m8&start_radio=1&t=1284s
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