1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?

The thought of Jesus coming back is incredibly exciting but also totally freaky
What will I be doing when he returns, if I am still alive?
When I do meet Him face to face what will my hope be in?
Where will my joy be placed?

Paul asks the Thessalonians a strong rhetorical question
What is our Hope?
What is our Joy?
What is the crown we will be wearing and glorying in when Jesus rocks up?
Is it not you?

I think my religious side would say, oh you Lord are my joy!  You oh Lord are my hope!!?

Which scriptually is totally true and is the foundation and cornerstone of our faith, hope and love in this world and the life to come. JESUS.

However it is easy to get stuck in lip service to God, saying He is our hope and our joy but at the same time missing the point.

Is not Paul saying that the people that are all around us and the people we are yet to meet are our joy and hope?

People are the crown we will wear

People that we lead to Jesus are our hope

People that we serve are our joy

Jesus who is God (Colossians 1:15) showed us as he walked the planet that we were His joy

For the joy set before Him he endured the cross

What suffering are we willing to walk through for other people so they would experience the radical grace of Jesus?

Do we consider this a joy?

I know I don't always do this and people sometimes are the biggest burden not joy

So perhaps my heart needs to be regenerated and refreshed and refilled with the spirit of Christ that empowered Him even as God humbled himself to die the death of a criminal for us and count it Joy! 

What?? 

How great is this love???

Fill me Lord with this heart for others!

The Holy Spirit has been given to us for others...

If God can hope in us surely we can hope in each other?

If God can die for us surely we can smile and open the door for someone?

If God can reach out to the blind man, the beggar, the broken, the helpless, the rich, the religious, the bleeding, the possessed, the hungry, the prodigal, the old, the young, the sinner then we can reach out to one another and count it as a joy.

When Jesus looks me in the eyes what will he find?

When Jesus raises His eyes to see the top of my head what crown will he find?

I pray I am wearing those that God has called me to reach, serve and encourage as my hope, as my joy and my glory.

Look to Jesus, then follow His heartbeat and it will lead you to the person next to you today, it will lead you to those your heart burns for, trust His spirit, He is leading you...

Thanks for reading, be blessed for you are blessed.

It all hangs on this

+jk

Judges 5:6-8 (message)

 Public roads were abandoned, travelers went by backroads. Warriors became fat and sloppy,no fight left in them. Then you, Deborah, rose up; you got up, a mother in Israel. God chose new leaders, who then fought at the gates. And not a shield or spear to be seen among the forty companies of Israel.

(NIV)

⁷ Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.⁸ When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

One person stood up.
One person arose.
One life can make a difference.
One heart fully committed can change a nation.
You and God are the majority.

Village life, community ceases to exist, but Deborah arose as a leader

The whole nation was choosing to serve other gods yet she chose to serve God

The tide was against her

The warriors that once fought had become lazy and apathetic

The people had lost their will to fight

Popular opinion was against her

But she arose

As she arose God chose new leaders to arise with her

As you arise others will follow...who is waiting today for you to make a stand?

The world may say to abandon church and community of faith, but we arise

David made a decision that he and his house will serve the Lord

Abraham against all hope in hope believed

Joshua and Caleb brought back a positive report of the promise land despite the Giants and opposition

Daniel would not bow down to the king of this world, but continued to pray

Joseph arose in every situation through continuing to trust God and his dream came to past

Today fight the good fight of faith

Arise and shine for your glory has come

God is for you

He is with you

As surely as the sun rises God is alive and faithful

Jesus arose for us

Death could not keep Him down

That same power now lives in you, this very day

So be like Deborah, Arise and believe

You and God are the majority


+jk

Things I have come to grips with:

My height
My sharkfin nose
My second toe bending over my big toe
My hairless chest
My sometimes beedy eyes
My skinny legs
My baby like skin
My wondering mind
My breaking of bones

There are many others but this is becoming to demoralising.

:)
God is good but I am weird
Sometimes it is just good to laugh at yourself
We are fearfully and wonderfully made
Have a laugh and enjoy being who you are today

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”- Psalm 68:4-5


Why do we sing?

"One of the reasons we sing is to remind ourselves that it’s not about us – and we get to be part of it (God’s story)…" Rob Bell

I have grown up singing every day and every week...music seems to run through my veins(not that I am good at it, just that I really like it), it inspires me, challenges me, changes me, reminds me and is beyond me.

Words leave my mouth and go beyond my mind when I sing...singing is acknowledging that life is bigger than you

Singing to God is faith...because we sing in the good, the bad and the ugly because of who He is.

Singing is a physical statement of the joy that exists inside your heart for you are redeemed and saved by the name of Jesus.

He rides on the clouds and His name is the Lord...lets rejoice before Him!

He is high above yet he is a father to the fatherless, he is a defender of the helpless and He is Holy.

Why do I sing?

He is my everything.  I am designed to worship.  All of humanity was designed to worship. 

Lets join together and sing!

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