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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #927 October 7, 2003 Scrunch, Crackle, Crunch As Genni the wonder dog and I walked around the lake yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the huge quantity of leaves that had fallen on the ground. I simply had to walk through them. Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed the scrunch, crackle, crunch that autumn leaves make when you walk on them. Perhaps it's that sound, combined with the nice weather and the thought winter is coming, but not yet, that makes walking of a fall day so nice. A little further along, a group of teens had made a great pile of leaves and were having a wonderful time playing in them. They seemed quite happy. The people I talked to as I walked were happy as well. They all commented on the nice weather and the pleasure of being out for a walk "one a day like this". I enjoyed seeing them happy, but it made me a little sad as well. You see happiness is driven by circumstance. It's a transient sort of thing that can come and go at a moments notice. I would have rather they had been joyful. Joy is similar to happiness in many ways, except that it come from God and isn't dependant upon circumstances. Joy is a deep rooted contentment that we can have regardless of what we are facing in life. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV True joy is a gift that only Christians can have. It's a fruit that comes with Holy Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 Until next time, I pray you have more than simple happiness in your life, I pray that you find the deep joy that only Christ can bring. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you have the gift of joy. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING Have you had moments of happiness but wondered if there must be something more to life? You can know true joy, joy that is present even when life is hard. All it takes is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship is there for the asking. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2001-2006 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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