To Make Your Joy Complete!

Good morning to all! What a treat to have Internet services that actually work!!! We have just returned from Jamaica and the celebration of my birthday and Waine's 70th birthday and are at our home in Atlanta. We had all the children and grandchildren compressed into a week of sun, fun and what families do--discuss vigorously all the things that matter to them. After reflection, it occurred to me that Waine and I have to work harder to get every one together more than once a year. You can email and call but nothing takes the place of being in each other's space and face. I truly appreciate the expense that our child went to to be at the Dad's 70th birthday celebration. We were able to secure a 6 bedroom villa in Montego Bay. I went grocery shopping so much the grocery baggers knew me on a first name basis. The cook(s) at the villa had to constantly keep 15 people fed inclusive of 6 very opinionated and nevertheless hungry grandchildren. Needless to say I am not looking forward to seeing the inside of a grocery store anytime soon. As of the penning of this blog passage everyone has arrived home safely and for that I thank God for His mercies and blessings. 

We have completed 1st and 2nd Peter and I am continuing my spiritual journey in 1 John 1 verses 1-10, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

What a powerful passage!! Headline---GOD DOES NOT EXPECT THAT WE WILL LIVE WITHOUT SIN or SINNING! That is the WHOLE point of the sacrifice of Christ. God knows the heart of man--He has been dealing with our hearts from the beginning (Adam and Eve). He knows that we will sin EVEN when we strive not to. He doesn't look at our behavior but He looks at our heart!!! He doesn't want us to dwell on our behavior but on the forgiveness that is already freely available. The only being that wants you to dwell on sin is the progenitor of it--Satan. I have "mouthed" these words on many occasions but I JUST GOT IT. God does not hold our sin against us--He doesn't beat us up about it--He only desires that we confess them and then move on. Does this mean we, as Christians, can live any life we chose. No and God knows that the more we yield our hearts to Him the more we will be willing and able to turn our lives to Him and move on. You see "sin" does more harm to the people watching us as Christians than it does to Christians. We are covered but people in the world are not so we not only hurt ourselves we hurt those that look to us for strength and sustenance. Sin also prevents us from enjoying the life that God has planned for us. He came that we might have life and in ABUNDANCE. He came to make our joy complete. If you are a Christian and are reading this and you are not happy then you are not connected into the source of your joy. Confess your sins even if you don't know what they are and then move on to assume your position of joy!! Claim your joy now--not today, NOW.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie