Looking at the Source of joy

These months many denominations do have their conferences where they want to discuss matters of this world.
At the Vatican the cardinals look at the family. Lots of things are decided there and lots of happenings in the family make it that people may be happy or unhappy. The joy or gladness people may have depends a lot on what happens in the family and at work.

When we look at the people around us it looks like many have lost the 'joy de vivre'. We see many faces with their chin hanging unto the ground and people walking like zombies or with droopy eyes. Many seem to have lost the joy in their life.

Perhaps it is not bad for them to resource and to go looking for the reasons why they have lost that preciousness energy of life. It would not be bad if they, like us, would go looking for the source of joy. Perhaps you think that is not really necessary, or you think it is only having enough money that can bring joy.

For over 40 years, the Williamsburg Conference has provided a unique opportunity for praise and fellowship. From December 27th until December 31st at 12:00 noon, Christadelphians will be looking at joy and gladness, at the Holiday Inn Patriot in Williamsburg, VA.

Morning sessions are devoted to building an understanding of the chosen theme through numerous sets of scriptural readings, exhortations, and hymns. Periods of quiet meditation throughout the morning allow us to focus on the personal implications of what we have considered and on our individual relationships with God.
The afternoons are devoted to smaller group sessions that again centre on the theme. The goal is to discuss how we can apply the thoughts developed in the morning sessions to our own service. Group leaders guide but never dominate the discussions. Group selection is random, so there is no age segregation and many brothers and sisters meet for the first time. This is all intentional. Participants find that they are able to speak from the heart. For this reason many consider the afternoons extremely beneficial and the heart of the Conference.
Evening programs are more relaxed and varied. Usually, a music program will occupy one evening. A discussion of the “Signs of the Times” and “Prayer for Others” sessions will now be part of the evening programs.
Classes for young children ages 4-13 will be available, with parent participation. Please indicate on your registration if you are willing to help teach a children’s class for one hour on one day during the Conference.
A generous continental breakfast is available for free. All other meals are taken in local restaurants, at your own expense. These are wonderful times of getting to know new friends, and renewing old friendships.
Please plan to join us for several days of intensive spiritual growth and introspection—a period of close fellowship with our God and our spiritual family.

Registration

To register online and get more conference information, click here. Registration will end on December 22, but will reopen on December 27 at the hotel. If you know of anyone who wants to register but does not have internet access, please print the form below and give it to them or have them contact:
Sis. Emilyclaire V. Walker
7515 Axton St
Springfield, VA 22151
(315) 651-3207

> Williamsburg Conference 2015 December 27-31 Joy and Gladness
>> Williamsburg Conference December 27-31, 2015

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Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life

JOY:  Foundation for a Positive Life

   Wouldn’t you like to experience deep and enduring joy?  Wouldn’t you like to be joy-full?  Be assured ~ you can!

   The world has a woeful shortage of joy and a surplus of fear, worry, discouragement and depression.  Even the “pursuit of happiness” and obsessive pleasure-seeking do not bring deep and lasting joy.

   Let’s first understand the difference between joy and happiness.  Happiness is an emotion, and God never intended for people to be in that emotional state all the time.  There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

   Biblical joy ~ true joy ~ comes from filling the spiritual void with good relationships, primarily an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy.  Jesus put it this way:  “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (John 15:5).  That fruit includes much joy!

   The Bible speaks much more often of joy than of being happy.  “Hap” means chance and is the root of several words ~ happen, haphazard (dependent on mere chance), hapless, happenstance (a chance circumstance) and happy.

   Happiness is a glad feeling that depends on something good happening.  God wants us to experience happy times (as long as God approves of what is happening).  But His greater desire is that you have unconditional JOY.  Jesus said His joy would “remain in you” and “your joy no one will take from you” (John 15:11; 16:22).

   Think of joy as a strong foundation that supports a variety of healthy emotions, including happiness. The long-range evidence of joy is general gratitude, contentment, optimism, a sense of freedom and other positive attitudes.

   Joy looks out and up, not inward ~ A common mistake is to think that getting something will make you happy.  We tell ourselves, “If only…”  But joy and happiness come much more from giving and serving than from getting.

   The Apostle Paul reminded his listeners that Jesus Christ had taught this very thing:  “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35, TEV).

   To grow in joy, we must resist not only self-pity but also being self-centered and self-absorbed. For joy to flourish, we must focus on loving others and especially on loving God.

   Joy is largely composed of gratitude ~ gratitude for the wonderful things God has done for us and His “exceedingly great and precious promises” for our future (2 Peter 1:4).  Gratitude produces joy (1 Thes. 5:16-18).  And our gratitude should be for other people’s blessings as well as for our own (Romans 12:15).

   Try to follow this biblical formula:  Add to your life gratitude, humility, forgiveness, faith, hope, patience and love.  Take away resentment, anger, fear, worry, materialism, greed, jealousy, complaining and pride.  The result? JOY!

   Joy is spiritual, supernatural and essential ~ God is joyful ~ far more than any human being ever was!  It is tragic that many people think of God as somber and stern rather than cheerful and smiling.  He is enjoying His creation and especially the delightful anticipation of many new “sons of God” (Rom. 8:14, 19).

   True followers of Jesus Christ will be joyful also.  Psalm 68:3 says, “Let the righteous be glad;…let them rejoice exceedingly.”  God desires that we serve Him “with joy and gladness of heart” (Deuteronomy 28:47).

   Paul spoke of the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). It is through His Spirit that God shares and communicates His joy.  And when Paul lists the “fruit of the Spirit,” joy is second, preceded only by love (Galatians 5:22-23).  If we are filled with godly love, won’t that produce joy?  Of course it will!

   Joy is a major topic in the Bible.  In the KJV, “joy” appears 158 times and “rejoice” 198 times (not counting other variations such as joyful, joyfully, joyous, jubilant, happy and glad).  Rejoice is the verb form of joy, meaning to feel or have joy!  Clearly there is great emphasis in the Bible on expressing joy.  That explains why the Bible also emphasizes prayers and songs that praise and celebrate God (James 5:13; Psalm 150; Colossians 3:16, 17).

   Joy is not optional.  The Bible repeatedly commands us to rejoice!   The most emphatic exhortation is in Philippians 4:4, where Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, Rejoice!”

   Joy because of trials?  God’s joy continues to flow through His people even during their suffering because of their rock-solid hope of future everlasting joy in His Presence.  They know that all suffering is limited to this short life, and the time will soon come when “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4).  They “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

   We also have good reason to rejoice because of our trials when we understand how God is using those trials to help us build godly character.  “And we know that God works all things (even severe trials) for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). More specifically, Paul wrote that “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope” (Romans 5:3, 4 NIV).  James wrote, “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” in remaining faithful to God (James 1:2 NIV).

   And because Christ suffered for each of us, we should have a special joy when we are persecuted for our faith.  Jesus said, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11, 12).

   The number one key to Joy: God’s Spirit ~ Supreme joy is God’s nature and character!  We see proof everywhere in God’s creation, i.e., birds singing, animals frolicking, flowers blooming, brooks babbling and the sun shining!

   Our unique joy begins when Christ comes to live in us (Gal. 2:20). We then have an intimate relationship with the Lord God, through His Son ~ the One Psalm 43:4 calls “God, my exceeding joy!”  God’s Spirit is a tree of life, producing life-giving fruit which includes great joy!

   Jesus prayed for His followers “that they may have My joy fulfilled in them” (John 17:13). He taught, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full!” (John 16:24).

                                                                                         Don Hooser