#indwelling joy

[angelkwill]

Seek within

In chaos and tribulationgive not your mind overto its captivation. But seek withinyour heart’s sanctuary,to find the sacred and divine. Refuge and solace—love, peace, and joy indwells;keep not this light hidden. Bearing all costs shine bright;knowing light holds the powerof transformation. Miracles and healing awakenwith words spoken and actions taken;be still and believe. -akw- ___©2024…

[melvingaines]

Live Stream Sunday School - February 4, 2024

Acts 2:14-28 #Pentecost #sermon #Peter #prophecy #Joel #David #psalm #Messiah #savior #Spirit #HolySpirit #indwell #wonder #miracle #joy #gladness #Acts

[walkswithmyfather]

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV). [18] “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. [19] Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: [23] “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). [24] When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. [25] But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

“Good News of Great Joy” By In Touch Ministries:

“Through Jesus, we receive eternal life—and divine joy.”

“When an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, he gave them good news of great joy for all people: The long-awaited Savior was born! Then the angel was suddenly “joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God” (Luke 2:13 NLT).

The good news they proclaimed that day had to do with more than just Jesus’ birth. It anticipated His sinless life, which qualified Him to be God’s sacrificial lamb. It looked ahead to His crucifixion and resurrection, which signaled the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s payment for our sins. It also encompassed His future ascension into heaven (Mark 16:19). And it envisioned Pentecost, when the Spirit would indwell believers (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17), as well as the time Jesus would return as King. The angels rejoiced because salvation was here (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Jesus spoke about joy because He wanted us to experience the satisfaction that comes from a relationship with Him. Such profound contentment isn’t dependent upon outward circumstances; rather, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in you.

The angels in heaven rejoiced at the announcement of Jesus’ birth, and the shepherds praised God. Are you experiencing the divine joy that overflows from a Spirit-filled life?”

[postitforward]

Hey folks! 👋

It’s another year of Holiday Blues, and we are well into winter now. This must mean we are into our third week of Flex Friday 💪 

No one understands the bountiful benefits of exercise for mind, body, and soul better than Tiffany Curtis 💫She is the founder of Indwell Collaborative, a community gathering space for social healing. With over 13 years of experience facilitating programs for social change, and as the daughter of Liberian immigrants, she has visions for intergenerational healing, which is contextualized by living through years of compounding grief from familial loss. She is bringing those skills and experiences to you this winter with her unique program designed to help and heal. ❤️‍🩹

For this third week in the series, the theme is simple but powerful: it’s THE IN-BETWEEN. We will continue by completing an important exercise. Together, we meet to explore what it feels like to live within both and learn to hold space for all dualities: for joy and sadness, for pain and peace. Who do we become when all senses are affirmed? Join us as we try to answer this important question and many more like it. 

🧘 Flex Fridays: Indwell Collaborative: THE IN-BETWEEN. 12/15 at 1pm EST 🧘

[eternal-echoes]

“The second reading sets before us the magnificent vision of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is an image of awesome beauty, where nothing is superfluous, but everything contributes to the perfect harmony of the holy City. In his vision John sees the city “coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God” (Rev 21:10). And since the glory of God is Love, the heavenly Jerusalem is the icon of the Church, utterly holy and glorious, without spot or wrinkle (cf. Eph 5:27), permeated at her heart and in every part of her by the presence of the God who is Love. She is called a “bride”, “the bride of the Lamb” (Rev 20:9), because in her is fulfilled the nuptial figure which pervades biblical revelation from beginning to end. The City and Bride is the locus of God’s full communion with humanity; she has no need of a temple or of any external source of light, because the indwelling presence of God and of the Lamb illuminates her from within.

This magnificent icon has an eschatological value: it expresses the mystery of the beauty that is alreadythe essential form of the Church, even if it has not yet arrived at its fullness. It is the goal of our pilgrimage, the homeland which awaits us and for which we long. Seeing that beauty with the eyes of faith, contemplating it and yearning for it, must not serve as an excuse for avoiding the historical reality in which the Church lives as she shares the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted (cf. Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1). If the beauty of the heavenly Jerusalem is the glory of God—his love in other words—then it is in charity, and in charity alone, that we can approach it and to a certain degree dwell within it even now. Whoever loves the Lord Jesus and keeps his word, already experiences in this world the mysterious presence of the Triune God. We heard this in the Gospel: “we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:23). Every Christian is therefore called to become a living stone of this splendid “dwelling place of God with men”. What a magnificent vocation!”

-Pope Benedict XVI, HOLY MASS FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE FIFTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOPS OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, Square in front of the Shrine of Aparecida Sixth Sunday of Easter, 13 May 2007

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Living His Word

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. — Hebrews 13:20-21

Our verses for today form a benediction by the author of Hebrews upon the people to whom it is addressed.

The benediction appeals to God as the "God of peace" and the one who "brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep." In the New Testament generally, the word translated as "peace" refers to an overall blessedness and happiness in life. God, as the author of salvation, is the God of peace because He has reconciled people unto Himself and unto one another, thereby creating a state of peace, blessedness, and happiness. He effectuated this state, of course, through the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, who is the "great Shepherd" that leads His sheep beside the still waters of peace in life.

The benediction pronounces two blessings upon the people "through Jesus Christ." That is, through the one who dwells in them and makes possible thereby the realization of the benediction.

First, the benediction pronounces that they would be "equipped with everything good for doing his will." Doing God's will is not something that comes naturally to people. We must be equipped to do the will of God. Through the indwelling of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God we are granted the gifts necessary to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish in life. Apart from Christ and the gifts of the Spirit, we can do no good thing (John 15:5).

Second, the benediction pronounces that God would "work in us what is pleasing to him." The thought here seems to move beyond the gifts of the Spirit to the fruit of the Spirit. It is one thing to accomplish great things by one's gifts, but it is another altogether to accomplish them with the fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, etc. in operation. Accomplishments apart from these qualities are rather hollow.

May God equip you today and every day with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in you what is pleasing to Him.

© 2016 by Bible League International

[theprayerfulword]

June 6

Luke 19:10 the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

May you be certain that the Word of God will come to pass and His promises to you will be realized, regardless of circumstances or the actions of others, just as David promised that Solomon would reign even though his brother, Adonijah, crowned himself with the backing of the army and the priesthood. 1 Kings 1

May the Lord hear your prayer as you seek Him and, considering the threats you face, enable you to speak the Word of God boldly by filling you with the Holy Spirit and confirming His Word as you speak it with healings and miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 4

May you be one in heart and mind with other believers and lay no claim to the riches you have received from God, but share all He has given you with others, that there be no needy among you. Acts 4

May you trust and have faith in the Lord when it seems that the worldly and the religious have the upper hand, succeeding in their plans and achieving their goals against you, for they will be allowed, through the power and the will of God, to do all that the Lord has decided beforehand should happen and what He spoke through His prophets describing will take place, until it is time for His deliverance, and through the power and strength of the Lord, all will bend their knee and acknowledge Him King of kings and Lord of lords. Acts 4

Do you see the raging flood in front you, My child, and wonder how you will be able to cross it safely? Are you facing a fiery trial that you see no way out of, bound and constrained by others with no avenue of escape? Do you find yourself in the midst of a whirling wind storm that threatens to bowl you over and batter you with flying debris, destroying all around you? These struggles that you are facing in your life and these dangers you encounter from the world are serious, My threatened one, but they are still obedient to My word of power spoken in your life. Know, My precious one, that the raging flood which topples trees, erodes land and tumbles boulders by its power comes into submission to the flowing of the living water which issues forth from your innermost being by My Holy Spirit, for what the raging power of the uncontrolled water's turbulence tears down will be restored and renewed by the life-giving waters which nourish the trees of life on its river banks. The fiery furnace which contains such a fiercely turbulent vortex of consuming flame is subject to the living fire that I place within your heart; the outward devouring fire is unable to touch those who dwell in the light of the Lord which is unendurable and unapproachable by flesh but is the life of all who are Mine. The fierce wind which flattens forests and destroys the works of men, sweeping all before it, is calmed by the mere word spoken by the breath of God from Whom all receive the breath of life, and through which any may receive the life-giving Holy Spirit to indwell. Rejoice, My beset one, that though you are in the midst of trials and sorrows on earth, I have overcome the world and given you peace in the midst of the storm!

May it be the Lord Jehovah Who stands for you when people rise up against you, influenced by the powers that would devour you alive in their burning anger and engulf your soul in the raging fury of flood waters, for God has set the limit and established the boundaries, saying, “This far, and no further,” delivering you from certain defeat into total victory. Psalm 124

May you give sincere praise to the deserving God Who is worthy of all worship, for He has not let you be torn apart by the teeth of your adversary, but has broken the fowler's snare and enabled you to escape like a bird, through the power in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 124

May your words be kind and pleasant ones, well-ordered, filled with grace and wisdom from the Father above, sweet to the soul and healing to the body. Proverbs 16:24

[albertfinch]

ATTRIBUTES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. Jesus declares Him as the Helper 

John 16:7 - "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

John 14:26 - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

2. He will help us to understand the scriptures regarding our Christ identity and will apply the work of Christ to our hearts.

John 16:14 - "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."

3. He encourages us.

Acts. 4:31 - "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

4. Guides us to God's PURPOSE for our life.

John 16:13  - "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

5. And illuminates the Scripture for us.

John 16:14-15 14. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

6. He gives us power -- for evangelism--for discipling other believers into their inheritance in Christ.

Acts 1:8 - "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

7. Intensifies the love of God in us as we abide in the love of Jesus flowing into our hearts as we go throughout the day and reach out to help others with their spiritual needs. 

Rom.5:5 - "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

8. And helps us in prayer -- the Holy Spirit shows us who to pray for and how to pray for them.

Rom. 8:26 - "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

9. He enables us to reflect God's holy character.

Rom. 8:13,14 - "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Gal. 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

10. The inner man (our spirit) is strengthened through communion with the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God and bear fruit.

Eph. 3:16 - "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man;"

11. God's purpose not only to save His people from their sins, but also to fill us with the Holy Spirit, as on the Day of Pentecost:

"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

12. While the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, yet God both offers and commands us to seek additional fillings of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 - "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit."

13. This blessing is granted only to Christ's followers who hunger for the Spirit and, in an act of faith, purposely open their lives to this complete indwelling. Jesus promised that the heavenly Father would "give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."

Luke 11:13 - "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

14. As we walk in the spirit -- the Holy Spirit leads us to the lost and other believers we can disciple and equip to bear fruit that remains for His Kingdom.

Galatians 5:25 - "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Art by Marc Chagall, 'Persecution,' 1941.

* * * *

“Solitude is the human condition, the universal vocation to be human.  It is the willingness, with love indwelling, to go to the heart of pain to find new life and share it with the world even though you may be separated from it physically.  It is from this commitment to be focused through the narrow gate of solitude that self-emptying love is out-poured, and the heart of the community, the heart of its pain, is transformed into the heart of joy.”

Maggie Ross:  Seasons of Life and Death:  A Wilderness Memoir

[Alive On All Channels]

[momentsbeforemass]

Joy

“I have told you this so that My joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete.”

That’s how today’s Gospel ends. With Jesus reminding us of something that we often lose sight of. The source of joy.

The big reason that you and I lose sight of it? I think it’s because we confuse happiness with joy.

There’s nothing wrong with happiness. It’s just that happiness is fleeting. That’s because happiness has its source in what’s around us.

What’s around us, what’s outside of us, is always changing. And it’s usually beyond our control.

So what’s joy? Joy is a gift from God. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

It’s a deeper, more satisfying happiness that can carry us through the hardest parts of our lives.

Because joy isn’t escapism. Joy isn’t about ignoring the hard stuff, pretending it’s not as bad as it is. Joy is strong enough to withstand the hard stuff.

How is that possible? It comes down to the big thing that separates joy from happiness – the source.

Joy comes from within us. From the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. God with us, in the most literal and intimate sense.

That presence within us, that source of joy, isn’t dependent on what’s going on around us, what’s outside of us. It isn’t even dependent on what’s going on inside us.

This is the part that many of us struggle with. I know I do. Because in the hardest parts of our lives – separation, illness, suffering, death – where it feels like we’ll never be happy again, joy can feel just as far away from us.

And yet, joy persists. Because it’s not our joy. Jesus makes it pretty clear (“…so that My joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete”) that joy comes from Him.

That means it doesn’t depend on how we feel, or what we’ve done. We can’t turn it off or stop it. The best we can do is try to ignore something that won’t go away.

And you and I know how well that works.

So why waste another minute denying yourself one of the best things in life?

Joy isn’t about ignoring the hard stuff. Joy is about not ignoring God, especially in the hard stuff.

Today’s Readings

[shammah8]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL

HIS NAME, THE WORD, AND THE SPIRIT

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30TH 2023

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).

PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Then John 1:3, referring to the Word, says, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” Then we come to Ephesians 5:18; Paul, by the Spirit tells us, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Hallelujah!

As you study the Scriptures, you find that it’s about these three: the Name of Jesus, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. The apostles ministered in the Name of Jesus, with the Word of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why they had such extraordinary results. It’s the same today. We do all things in His Name, live in and by His Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Name of Jesus never fails. Doing all things in His Name means that you live your life every day in and with the consciousness of the power, glory and dominion of His Name.

Some people try so hard to succeed through their own might and natural wisdom, yet, true success eludes them. This is because they’re not acting on the Word; they’re not living the Word. They function from the mind—the sense-realm—which is grossly limited. Yet, true and lasting success is the result of meditation on the Word of God (Joshua 1:8).

Thirdly is the power of the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been trying to succeed by your own power or ability, it’s time to quit the struggle and rely on the strategies of the Spirit and His wisdom to guide you. Our competence—the ability, wisdom and grace by which we function are of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:5). Trust in Him. He’s the key to a life of joy, praise, endless victories and extraordinary success.

             PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my life, who causes me to be effective, productive and walk in your perfect will. I��m continually filled with the Spirit to effectively communicate the Gospel and impact my world with your divine presence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Acts 4:12; Acts 20:32; 2 Corinthians 3:5 AMPC

[nelithic]

iris :   if your muse could convey one last message to someone they have lost or left behind ,   what would it be ?

▀▀ 　BOTANICAL HEADCANONS　₊　

he could have been said to be her older brother, during a time when even the greatest fell dragons of the present age were small and wingless, their eyes glistening still with newness. it was a time when father's ambitions were yet young too, inchoate and full of imagination. sombron had been a visionary; he saw a vast road of interconnected knowledge, and power, and truth joined like roots beneath the stories of their majestic land. at this beginning, there had been an earth dragon, and with her he created the fell dragons of the category ' humus ' — fertile seeds of the world tree.

the children of this union were never destined to fly. and among them stood one whose scales shone like gemstones, a gradient of midnight drawing the eye in a plummeting spiral to their centers where divinity like fulgur laced beneath the skin.

as blood runs from the heart to the limbs, as gradlon's mountains reach towards the sun, go unto these worlds, and display your beauty there with pride.

such are the memories that a child named eizh had of its father.

more than anything, the child wished to fly. he would look upon her and the other dragons unlike him and lament the barren sculpture of his spine, such that nel grew sorry for him; for the seeds of gradlon were possessed of tremendous power beyond that of her own kind, yet fell forever short of the skies. for as long as she could remember, that breathtaking child loved nothing more than their father, and dreamed their father's dream.

but how was it to fulfill the great dream it had been given, bound to the earth as it was?

nel remembers the moment when all of gradlon castle rang with the singing, guileless joy of that child's happiest day. by the time she reached the inner chambers, he was no longer anywhere to be seen.

thank you, father, thank you. remained the single sheet of paper on which he'd inscribed his hopes indwelling. you gave me wings to soar and a mighty form. i will go to the lands and tell them about you and everyone else. i shall tell them that the place where i was born is beautiful.

the seeds of gradlon were never seen again.

some say that in the far reaches of the fell land, where even the dragons take care to tread, the skeleton cages of tremendous, wingless beasts consecrate the ground where they had fallen. here, the earth welcomes them home like a mother, bringing forth bounty unseen in the world from their blood.

some say that worlds away speak legends of a tyrian dragon, a glimpse of whose hypnotic scales brought birth and damnation; who could be heard at the edges of tragedy, singing a song of fathomless beauty. the legends say he would sing until their last days, for the tragedy began and ended in him.

another stretch of parchment lies atop the first now, in nel's older, steadier script.

in the strength of the dream that called you, you were like father more than any of us. you feared neither death nor the unknown, and embraced the potential of his cruelty. i will remember you when my wings are heavy and the future intraversible. i will remember how you wept for these things at all.

[opalstream]

Affirmation

Oh, what joy!

Every noble sentiment arises joyously to greet me.

Sorrows and gloom, all shadows of ignorance,

fly away before the unveiled blazing Light;

and I who was dark

am become luminous, glorious, radiantly bright.

Come Back, My Heart & Mind, to Inward Glory

The beauty of the body, however dazzling its adornments or regalia, do not make a mortal beautiful. ‘Tis only the soul, the Lord indwelling, that sets aglow a life with radiance immutable. Nothing outward can withstand the ravages of time. But the glory within endures - incandescent with life, invulnerable with wisdom - a spiritual essence outlasting all ages. Come back, O heart and mind; remember your divinity! Abide therein and rejoice, in glory and peace, unto eternity. Aum. Aum. Aum.

-Paramahansa Yogananda

(Spoken extemporaneously at the beginning of a class for SRF students)

SRF Mag Summer 1999 p 40

*Poetry is said to be the language of the soul. Experience the power of this inspiration to lift your mind from the mundane to the shining beauty of the soul. OmDivineBeauty, Annie

*Learn to Meditate through Home Study - Share this with your friends who might like to learn:

https://yogananda.org/lessons

[jdgo51]

Daily Devotion

Good News of Great Joy

Through Jesus, we receive eternal life—and divine joy.

December 15, 2024

Related Scripture

Matthew 1:18-25

Mark 16:19

Joel 2:28

Acts 2:17

2 Corinthians 6:2

2 Timothy 1-4

Matthew 1:18-25

"When an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, he gave them good news of great joy for all people: The long-awaited Savior was born! Then the angel was suddenly “joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God” (Luke 2:13 NLT)."

"The good news they proclaimed that day had to do with more than just Jesus’ birth. It anticipated His sinless life, which qualified Him to be God’s sacrificial lamb. It looked ahead to His crucifixion and resurrection, which signaled the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s payment for our sins. It also encompassed His future ascension into heaven (Mark 16:19). And it envisioned Pentecost, when the Spirit would indwell believers (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17), as well as the time Jesus would return as King. The angels rejoiced because salvation was here (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Jesus spoke about joy because He wanted us to experience the satisfaction that comes from a relationship with Him. Such profound contentment isn’t dependent upon outward circumstances; rather, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in you.

The angels in heaven rejoiced at the announcement of Jesus’ birth, and the shepherds praised God. Are you experiencing the divine joy that overflows from a Spirit-filled life?"

Bible in One Year:

2 Timothy 1-4

Intouch Ministries - 2024

[yhwhrulz]

True Vine Devotional for December 12

“ He That Abideth in Me, and I in Him, the Same Bringeth Forth Much Fruit ”

John 15:5

Our Lord had spoken of fruit, more fruit. He now adds the thought: much fruit. There is in the Vine such fullness, the care of the divine Husbandman is so sure of success, that the much fruit is not a demand, but the simple promise of what must come to the branch that lives in the double abiding—he in Christ, and Christ in him. “The same bringeth forth much fruit.” It is certain.

Have you ever noticed the difference in the Christian life between work and fruit? A machine can do work: only life can bear fruit. A law can compel work: only love can spontaneously bring forth fruit. Work implies effort and labor: the essential idea of fruit is that it is the silent natural restful produce of our inner life. The gardener may labor to give his apple tree the digging and manuring, the watering and the pruning it needs; he can do nothing to produce the apple: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy.” The healthy life bears much fruit. The connection between work and fruit is perhaps best seen in the expression, “fruitful in every good work.” (Colossians 1:10). It is only when good works come as the fruit of the indwelling Spirit that they are acceptable to God. Under the compulsion of law and conscience, or the influence of inclination and zeal, men m ay be most diligent in good works, and yet find that they have but little spiritual result. There can be no reason but this—their works are man’s effort, instead of being the fruit of the Spirit, the restful, natural outcome of the Spirit’s operation within us.

Let all workers come and listen to our holy Vine as He reveals the law of sure and abundant fruitfulness: “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” The gardener cares for one thing—the strength and healthy life of his tree: the fruit follows of itself. If you would bear fruit, see that the inner life is perfectly right, that your relation to Christ Jesus is clear and close. Begin each day with Him in the morning, to know in truth that you are abiding in Him and He in you. Christ tells that nothing less will do. It is not your willing and running, it is not by your might or strength, but—“by my Spirit, saith the Lord.” Meet each new engagement, undertake every new work, with an ear and heart open to the Master’s voice: “He that abideth in me, beareth much fruit.” See you to the abiding; He will see to the fruit, for He will give it in you and through you.

O my brother, it is Christ must do all! The Vine provides the sap, and the life, and the strength: the branch waits, and rests, and receives, and bears the fruit. Oh, the blessedness of being only branches, through whom the Spirit flows and brings God’s life to men!

I pray you, take time and ask the Holy Spirit to give you to realize the unspeakably solemn place you occupy in the mind of God. He has planted you into His Son with the calling and the power to bear much fruit. Accept that place. Look much to God, and to Christ, and expect joyfully to be what God has planned to make you, a fruitful branch.

Much fruit! So be it, blessed Lord Jesus. It can be, for Thou art the Vine. It shall be, for I am abiding in Thee. It must be, for Thy Father is the Husbandman that cleanses the branch. Yea, much fruit, out of the abundance of Thy grace.

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