Joy - The Third Sunday of Advent

-


Tomorrow we continue the liturgical calendar, the Third Sunday of Advent.

The four Sundays preceding Christmas, which is when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, are recognized for four virtues. The candles on the Advent wreath symbolize hope, peace, joy and love.

The Third Candle of Advent - Joy.

Otherwise known as the "Shepherd Candle," this third candle of Advent reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us.
It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20).

During the middle of the night, the darkest time, the shepherds encountered angels.

During this third week of advent, this Sunday celebrates the passage Philippians 4:4-5, its verses extolling readers to “rejoice” for “indeed the Lord is near.” 

Churches want to highlight the importance of joy in advent season. During a time where depression is at an all-time high and people seem to be in the most despair, this candle offers a bright light during a dark time. 

Joy is an extreme happiness that cannot be deterred by present circumstances. This type of joy comes from God alone. Joy can often be experienced when a Christian thinks about salvation, eternal life, or Jesus. 

With the definition of joy established, let’s dive into what Scripture says about joy:

God fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). We cannot will ourselves to experience joy. It comes from God alone. 

It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We experience more joy when we spend time with God. We have to keep in mind that joy only comes from God, but when we spend more time with him, we allow him to fill us with it.

No one can take joy from us (John 16:22). Given to us by God himself, no one has the ability to rob us of our joy. No matter what circumstances we encounter, no one can take this away.

Joy rests in things from God such as salvation and righteousness (Psalm 51:12).

Depending on the translation, joy appears more than 100 times in the Bible.


Prayer: Heavenly Father
We realise that our joy doesn’t only come from our jobs, our family, our relationships, our finances, or our success. Our joy doesn’t come from what we have on earth or who we are with. Our joy is a gift. It is the gift that you gave us that first Christmas in Jesus Christ. Our joy is encompassed in our Saviour, King Jesus. Flood our heart with joy this Advent season as we reflect on the good news of Jesus’ birth. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen

Comments

  1. Peter11 December 2021 at 11:50

    Thank you Paul.
    Joy to the world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John Brown. MBE 12 December 2021 at 05:25

    Thanks, Praise God for the great gift which no one can rob us of.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John Brown. MBE 12 December 2021 at 05:26

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My big sister

-
Image
Here I have a photo that I cherish. It was taken at my son Jonathan's wedding. I have used the photo as my mobile's wallpaper to remind me of the joy my sweet sister brought to my life. She was my big sister who sadly passed away aged 69. Her name was Ann. She was a great gift giver. I was on the receiving side, recalling how she made my sixth party special with many balloons fit for the occasion. She also gave me a leather bound ESV Bible which was a bit special. Ann suffered ill health the last few years of her life but was never one to grumble or complain. Ann was a women of great faith, always seeing the best in others, even through her health challenges. I recall my 7 minute eulogy, referring to the dash measuring the years between her birthdate and death date 1952-2021. Ann frequently wrote me letters, with all that was happening at home, while I studied at Portland Bible College in the US 1976-1979. They say that "doubt looks back,worry looks around, but
Read more

CHURCH AT HOME - 40+ Charismatic Churches in Northern Ireland

-
According to Christianity Today, "More Christians worshiped, prayed, and shared Scripture online in the past week than ever before, as COVID-19 precautions shut down in-person church gatherings across the US and around the globe." Churches ‘Live Streaming’ their services is becoming increasingly popular as a way of reaching a wider audience.  Due to the decreasing cost of good quality cameras, and the availability of free streaming software, this technology is now available to churches of all sizes. Although not an exhaustive list, here are easy access links to around 40 major Charismatic churches across Northern Ireland. 1.Christian Fellowship, Strandtown, East Belfast - Lead Pastor Owen Crane https://m.youtube.com/cfcbelfast/?uid=8gEqncy6pri7h4LUEgc7Pw This service can be viewed on the CFC Belfast Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CFCBelfast / or our CFC Belfast Youtube channel at  https://www.youtube.com/cfcbelfast 2.Emmanuel Church, Lurgan -
Read more

December 2nd - Behold, The Light of the World

-
Image
  Passages :   The people walking in  darkness  have seen a great  light ; on those living in the land of deep  darkness  a  light  has dawned (Isaiah 9:2) I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the  darkness  into  light  before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the  light  of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the  light  of  life . ’ (John 8:12) I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness (John 12:46) … in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God …For God, who said, “ Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the
Read more