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Joy
by Kathleen Angell I had read Mother Teresa's words that joy was a net of love by which to catch souls. I had never seen that so clearly as I do now. That Joy is the Presence of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. His Joy draws others to our Lord by the Presence of His light and life in us in that Joy. It is truly a net by which to see souls saved. Jesus life draws people to Him. I am put in remembrance this morning, again, of a show we did in which these words became so much more real to me. There was a little stand there to talk to kids about Jesus. What a glorious idea that was! My little three year old grandson loves stories and to go visit the booth was a wonderful thing for him. He had already gone with grampa but was now wanting me to take him to the booths again and I didn't realize he had already visited that booth. He wanted to go right in and sit down. And listen to the lady tell the story. We got to the little kids booth and he went right in and sat down. The lady looked up at me and told me he'd already been there. So I had to take him out of the booth. I thought at the time if they only knew how much they had missed. An opportunity to welcome a little one again, in Jesus' Name, is twice the opportunity to fill their lives with the remembrance of Jesus' love. It was the salvation story. What a blessed opportunity. I think I am going to go find a children's book and do the same at my next show, Lord willing. And hand outs for little kids. I knew then what it was that the joy of the Lord is a net of Love, by which to catch souls. And I also knew that Christians need to be encouraged to walk and know His Joy. To know how Wonderful a life we have in Him, with plenty to share! People can get down and they need to be encouraged and lifted back up. Watered with encouragement. How exciting this life is with our Lord Jesus. How Wonderful everyday is with Him. And there is plenty of His life to go around. He came to give life and life abundantly. Love and Joy and Jesus life are those Waters in the Well that never go dry. You don't have to keep them, you can give them away. And the more we give, the more we get in return to give away again. No doubt there will be times and have been, that others will feel the same about me. I'll do something that will look uncomely in my walk. Maybe I'll have gone through something and not respond well. But if Jesus is living in our lives, it is an exciting life. We can get back up and go again. Look at Paul. He was stoned on occasion, left in the deep, had stripes aplenty, but He was able, by Jesus Christ's life in Him, to get back up and go again. Children. They aren't a bother. It can make a lifetime difference. People, they aren't a bother either. It is for them all that Jesus came and gave His life that they might live. If you need to be encouraged today, be encouraged. Jesus lives! He is alive and well. People who don't know the Lord need to see Him in us. He is alive to day, in us. Not only is He alive, which is so glorious, but He gives to us to be full of His life. He came to give life and that life abundantly. He keeps filling us up. I have new strength today and desire abundantly to start afresh and see souls winned to Jesus. Christians need to know that they have the Lord in their lives in such a wonderful way in which everyday can be a blessing for others. We are told we can stir up the gifts in us. We can pull out the log. We can repent and get back up. If we are just down, He will lift us up. He gives us so much. Everyday is a day to be immersed in His life and love and be a vessel. It is an exciting walk. The world offers us many things to bring rejection. But Jesus offers us Himself. His love and His welcomeness. Any who come to Him He will in no wise cast out. It is like a tent. And that tent radiates welcome and love and light when it is full of the Joy of the Lord, and people want to come into it. That is Jesus. That is the expression of His joy in us outwardly going out to call people home. It calls them to HIm. And it is like a net by which to catch souls. People need to know the love and joy expressed through the life of the Holy Spirit in us. His love cares for the children, they are not a bother, and also cares for others, too and they are not a bother. That is what it is to love. It is not a bother to have people come in to our lives. There is a welcomeness of Love and Joy. The Light is on in our tents to welcome them to Him. Do we always walk in every circumstance perfectly? I don't. But I always feel Jesus joy and Love present as I calm down and look to Him, and He fills me up. I know He is there for others to look to and when the LIght is on, which it always should be, they can feel a welcomeness to come to Him. All that I have given to me, is given for others to be able to know He lives, and to feel welcome to come Home to Him and to know Him. Our life in Him comes out of our weakness. We are weak, and He is strong. We go through trials, but He brings us through. His joy is our strength in our own weakness. Welcome the little children, and everyone that comes. People might not be ready to handle much, but they will remember for a long time the welcome of Joy that reaches out to say their lives are important and they not a bother. Little children will remember a loving thought and tender care and welcomeness for possibly, a lifetime to recall. That they are welcome, loved and not a bother. It is the same with people. Jesus died for all people and cares for all people. He wants all people to come to Him to be saved. Christians need to be encouraged. It is a glorious life we have in Jesus. A Wonderful and fulfilling walk. Full of Love, full of Hope, full of Joy. Full of every good thing in our Lord. It doesn't come and go with the tide of life. Jesus is steady everyday, and if we come to Him we can be filled up and strengthened, in Joy, and get up like Paul and go on preaching the Gospel to all, in the Joy of the Lord. My name is Kathleen Angell. My life was dramatically changed when the Lord made Himself real to me. We have an outreach to folks experiencing shelter and street life. It is a great joy to us. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |