The Joy of Jesus (Church Online)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Philippians 4 - Wesley’s Explanatory Notes - Bible Commentary

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Gift - Wednesday, December 05, 2012 | Daily Word

Gift

I GIVE AND RECEIVE FROM THE FLOW OF GOD’S GOOD.

A beloved Unity author once wrote, “There must be an equal conscious receiving from the Father and giving out to the world … to keep perfect harmony.” This means harmony is established as I give and receive from the flow of God’s good.

So it is that I open myself to participate in the divine circulation of prosperity. I joyously accept the gifts that enrich my life and generously share and express them as Spirit leads. I may choose to teach what I have learned, make things with my hands or quietly live the truth and be an example to others. Just as there are a variety of gifts, there are endless ways to give. In harmony with the flow of giving and receiving, I receive with gratitude and give with joy.

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above.—James 1:17

Gift - Wednesday, December 05, 2012 | Daily Word

Gift

I GIVE AND RECEIVE FROM THE FLOW OF GOD’S GOOD.

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above.—James 1:17

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Able - Tuesday, December 04, 2012 | Daily Word

Able

I AM ABLE!

This powerful affirmation can be a daily statement of faith: I am able. It is a positive reminder that I can accomplish any task, reach any goal, and succeed in every area of my life.

I am able. There is no power stronger than the Spirit of God within me. When circumstances seem to hold me back, I trust the power of God within me to lead the way. I proceed in faith.

It is up to me to use my abilities as best I know. As I learn and grow, I discover new strengths, new abilities and new avenues of expression. I feel Spirit supporting me with each step.

In every new challenge, I confidently affirm: I am able.

I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.—Job 42:2

Monday, December 3, 2012

Radiant - Monday, December 03, 2012 | Daily Word

Radiant

I AM THE RADIANT LIFE OF GOD.

If I am experiencing a health challenge, I remember God is Life and God lives in me. Turning within, I visualize the radiant life of God doing a mighty work of healing in me.

God-life is part of every cell and atom of my body. It balances the functioning of my organs, binds tissues that need repair, and strengthens my soul as well as my body. Because all creation is an expression of God as life in the world, I give thanks for radiant healing even before it manifests.

I am the radiant life of God in every moment of my life. I celebrate my life energy by making healthy choices, engaging in prayer and meditation, and living in peace. God-life flows through me and all creation, and I am grateful!

Look to him, and be radiant.–Psalm 34:5

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Gleanings from Paul-24. Prayer for Joy and Thankfulness

Petition and Praise to Be United

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). This is the closing section of our prayer. Notice that in it the apostle exemplifies his exhortation: "Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). When we come to the throne of grace, petition and praise should always accompany each other. There should be the thanksgiving of grateful love for mercies already received: of confident faith in God’s promises, that He will certainly bestow the things for which we now ask, so far as to do so will be for His glory and our highest good; of joyous expectation of the things which He has prepared for us on high. The general relation of this verse to those preceding is apparent. The being "filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col. 1:9) is to find expression in a worthy walk (Col. 1:10), in the exercise of patient endurance (Col. 1:11), and in grateful thanksgiving (Col. 1:12).

The order of those things is not only according to the Analogy of Faith but it is verified in the experience of the saints in the several stages of their growth in grace. A knowledge of God’s will (as made known in the Word) most engages the attention of the babe in Christ who is conscious of his ignorance. As the Spirit graciously opens the Scriptures to his understanding and applies them to his heart, he becomes more concerned with honoring the Lord in his daily walk and being fruitful in every good work. As he grows still older and meets with more trials and tribulations, he has an increasing realization of his need for being divinely strengthened so that he may not faint beneath the burdens of life and the difficulties of the way; that he may not become weary in well doing but run the race set before him, and meekly submit to all the dispensations of God’s providence. Finally, as he approaches the end of his journey he is more and more occupied with the glorious inheritance awaiting him wherein he will be done forever with sin and suffering. The more joyful he is (Col. 1:11) the more he will be filled with the spirit of thanksgiving.

The order of these things here also inculcates, in a most searching manner, an important practical lesson. This giving of thanks to the Father does not occur at the beginning of the prayer but at its close. Thereby it is intimated that none of us is warranted in concluding that he is among the number whom He has made "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints" unless the things previously mentioned are in some measure really found in him. It would be highly presumptuous for me to complacently assume that I am fit for heaven unless I am sincerely endeavoring to walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all things, being fruitful in every good work, and unless I possess my soul with patience and long-suffering, and rejoice when I am persecuted for Christ’s sake. Not that these things are qualifications for heaven, but rather the evidences that divine grace has suitably fashioned my soul for it. Not that these things are the procuring cause for which I shall enter the glory. They are but the marks that God has already wrought in me for the glory.

Faith - Sunday, December 02, 2012 | Daily Word

Faith

CHRIST IN ME IS PERFECT LIFE, LOVE AND SUBSTANCE.

Christ in me is my spiritual self; it is without beginning or end. I was created in the image and likeness of God, a perfect spiritual being. This perfection is the Christ in me. It is the part of me that is unchanging and indestructible. The Christ in me is perfect life, love and substance.

My hope and faith are focused on fulfilling the Christ potential in my body, in my mind and in my heart. Nothing is impossible; nothing is too difficult to handle.

The perfection of the Christ Spirit is working in and through me. This Presence loves, guides and supports me. It helps me heal my body and relationships. It inspires me to move mountains. I have faith in the Christ within.

We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God.—1 Corinthians 2:12