Joy Inexpressible

It was exultation while it lasted.  But nothing lasts forever on this side of eternity. It went on for exactly three weeks, about mid March to 3rd April 2024. In the past couple of days I did not feel that joy inexpressible anymore. It was glimpse of heaven. It propelled me to preach 7 sermons in two weeks while having a full load of teaching on the side. Surely the joy of the Lord is my strength. We translated the passage last Monday that Jesus said “ask and you shall receive so that your joy may be full” (John 16). It was a line from the sermon on the Mount minus the part on joy.

But as for me, it sustained me through a personal attack at the end of the Retreat in which I spoke twice and set the questions for discussion for two sessions. I realized it was not easy but serving God is never easy. Jesus went to the cross. All his apostles barred one died of martyrdom. The early church was a persecuted church but yet they grew in numbers and in strength. 

Now Christianity is weak, it is a comfortable and convenient religion without much power. Week in week out people listen to nice things without the call to repent and heed God’s call to be righteous and be witnesses. Pastors are content if their churches are half full. At least it is not empty they surmised. They fail to heed Christ’s call to be fishers of men and are stuck on their lees. These are easy going Christians; no wonder their churches were shut during the pandemic for they neither believe in God’s power nor seek to do His will.