My RC

"Where Love Reigns!"

From Pastor Sheli's Weekly 'Prayer & Praise' email

Weekly Announcements

THANK YOU RC!! 1000 LBS of food givien to FISH Food Bank

12/7...Annual Christmas Party Following Service

12/13...Chrismtas Program & Cookie Contest

12/21...Christmas Communion Service @10:30

12/28...Sunday Servcie - Normal Time @10:30

SOCIAL- Instagram & YouTube @ Redeemed Church Vancouver WA

Email Praise Reports & Prayer Requests redeemedfam@gmail.com

Good Morning Church Family! God is able and faithful! Merry Christmas! What a wonderful time we had on Sunday celebrating as a Church Family! I love the laughter and joy of this time of year... it's just so contagious! It reminds me of what the angel told the shepherds, "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people." That joy hasn't ever ended!! Thank you Jesus for the joy you have brought us!
This was just the beginning though. Jesus tells us later in John 15:9-11, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." The birth of Jesus caused great joy for all people but God had an even deeper, longer lasting joy in store for His kids! Jesus explains that when we keep the commandments of the Lord then we are living in His love. When we are living in His love then His joy will be in us! We know from Galatians 5 that one of the fruits of the Spirit that comes inside of us when we receive the Holy Spirit is joy! By definition, joy is a settled, Spirit given delight that arises from the abiding presence of God. It is a deep, supernatural sense of well-being and delight in God, distinct from fleeting happiness that depends on circumstances. The joy of the Lord is not something outside of us that we need to get into us but rather it is already inside of us and we need to stir it up from within. This happens when we do what Jesus says and obey God's commands and live in the love Jesus has for us. Joy is a gift that we are given from Jesus and when you read how it is written, it isn't our joy in us but His! Stop and think about that for a minute... the joy that is in us is His joy. Wow! Then I have to ask the question, what kind of joy did Jesus have? That would take us to Hebrews 12:2, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,..." The joy of Jesus was one that helped Him to endure the cross!! That is some powerful joy! And that powerful joy is in each of us because we obey His commandments and we live in the love of Jesus. Hallelujah! That powerful joy helps us through any situation that we are going through. So the next time you feel the weight of worry or depression or heaviness, stop and remind yourself of the joy that is already in you! Outloud declare that you are walking in the love of Jesus and His joy is in you and your joy meter is full or complete!! I like to do physical action when the enemy tries to put stuff on me like that. I go through the process of taking off weight, worry, depression, heaviness by acting it out. Then I can literally see myself removing the weight and giving it to Jesus! Then when the thought or weight tries to come back I remind the devil I already took that off and gave it to Jesus. End of story! We have this amazing gift of joy that the Father gave us through Jesus. But a gift has to be received and opened and taken out and used or just just stays a gift. Don't let the gift of joy that the Holy Spirit brought you and the powerful joy Jesus provided be left wrapped up in your heart never to be opened. It's time we lived in the complete, powerful joy that was intended for us. Let's start today! Let's live lives of joy so that the good news of Jesus continues to shine through us so that it continues to cause great joy to all people!! Have a blessed, joyful rest of your week, Church Family.

Blessings, Pastors Sheli and Steve

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