Desperate Joy

  In the last few posts I have been examining the lives of the people I have known who have shown extraordinary levels of joy.  Each of these people demonstrated lives of commitment, service and sacrifice.  We discussed that joy comes when we commit ourselves fully to Christ and live lives of service for Him and for others.  Commitment and service are the first two stepping stones that lead logically to the third, sacrifice.  If we are committed to Christ and if we are serving Him then almost by definition there will be times when we are called upon to sacrifice.     Make no mistake, God's desire for us is that we know joy.  Jesus said, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) and  "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15:11)  Jesus wants us to have a life filled with abundant joy, a life overflowing ...

  When I consider the men and women I have known throughout my life who have manifested the profound, desperate joy that I am seeking they have certain qualities in common.   Three key ones are commitment, service and sacrifice.   In the previous post we discussed this idea of commitment, and how important it is to lay aside unhealthy commitments, and to be fully committed to Christ.   We cannot find joy unless our hearts are fully committed to Christ, He is our first and final source of joy.  Commitment is just the first step, commitment must be followed up by action and this action takes the form of service.   A bride and groom may make profound commitments to each other on their wedding day, but if that is not followed up by daily acts of service for each other, that commitment will gradually fall apart.   If we are committed to Christ, that will manifest itself in our lives as service, and in that service we will find joy.     When Ch...

  God often brings men and women into our lives to lead us on our journey of faith and help us in our expedition to find joy.  Throughout my life, He has been good to show me these shining examples to inspire me and encourage me in my Christian walk.  I wrote about two men last time, Pastor Lovell and Mr. Dahlmann, a pastor and a teacher, both were men of God, committed to serving Him and helping others.   Pastor Lovell, Mr. Dahlmann, and other joy-filled servants of God I have known over the years share three qualities in common that I believe contributed to their joy, that allowed the Holy Spirit to pour His joy into their hearts.  These are commitment, service and sacrifice.  Let's focus on commitment today.   Commitment is key to unlocking joy.  Commitment is considered a virtue even in secular circles, but it is not commitment in and of itself that is important.   It is the object of that commitment that makes the diff...

Holy fire fall and pour down like rain,   Burn away the dross, cleanse the stain,   Til all that I am is all that you are,   Bonfire of love, Hope's shining star.     Holy fire fall and breathe into me   An infusion of your sanctity,   Healing all of my sin and strife,   Holy fire fall and bring me to life.     Holy fire fall in despair's dark cave,   When I'm bound to bitterness, sorrow's slave.   Pierce through the black with Truth's holy light,   Ignite my heart, peel back the night.     Holy fire fall when I'm cold and numb,   Walking away from the Holy Son,   Warm my heart with Your grace-filled gaze,   Kindle in me a holy blaze.     Holy fire fall on my cold, hard heart,   Lust's frigid flame its only warmth.   Seeking Your fire in another's embrace,   Holy fire fall and restore my face.     Holy fire fall in the secret space,   The idol factory my hear...

Here in America we live in an era of unparalleled health, prosperity and comfort.   Few if any go hungry on any given day, and most of us do not know somebody personally who is homeless.   Economic opportunities abound and the middle class today enjoy more comfort and wealth than the rich of a hundred years ago.   There is more recreation and entertainment available to us than any previous time.   We have every reason to be happy and yet so many of us are not.   Our pantries our full, but our hearts are empty.   Our houses are filled with electric lights, but darkness clouds our souls.   Depression and suicide rates climb, and we are left shaking our heads in wonder.   In a country of unparalleled wealth, it seems happiness is at a premium.     We struggle for happiness, but instead we find ourselves filled with sadness, anger and despair.   And every person around us is just as miserable as we are.   Is there anyone who know...

There is a longing, a craving deep in my soul, and I have a feeling it is the same as the longing in yours.  It is the craving that draws out of us our most beautiful acts of courage and goodness, and it also drives us in our deeds of desperation and depravity.  If you have been to a wedding celebration perhaps you have seen it, or maybe you felt it when you witnessed the birth of a child.  This desire is so deep and so foundational that to deny it would be to deny the very thing that makes us human.     Philosophers as old as the foundations of the earth have praised its pursuit and sometimes decried it.  The writers of the Constitution of the United States were aiming at it when they protected the right to the "pursuit of happiness."  But for most that are blessed enough to find happiness there is still a tug deep inside.  For happiness is only the gateway to something deeper, something more profound and meaningful and so this inner pull ...

  On the wings of angels the dragon flew to me Offering me the cup of toxicity, Promising me escape from catastrophe Lasting delight and endless tranquility.   I willingly took his draft of depravity, Drinking deep of the thrilling insanity, The flavor of darkness was sweet to my tongue, The craving for evil had only begun.   My hungry heart wanted only toxicity, Greedily clutching the cup of depravity, Blind to the freedom Christ was offering, Trapped on a treadmill of blissful suffering.   I fell so hard he universe was broken Like a dream forgotten or a heart forsaken, My glory was shattered by the hammer of justice, Erasing my name and making me faceless.   Then I stood at the fulcrum of eternity, Sacred radiance tore through the depravity, Desperate joy sang the song of serenity, Glad hands released the cup of toxicity.   The Son of God, smiling, drank my iniquity, Breathing the fragrance of divinity,...