Ambushed by Joy

"Where there are two or three gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." Matthew 18:20

What an amazing promise Jesus gave His followers! At our baptisms in the Holy Spirit, we pray for an outpouring of His presence. We are not just two or three brothers and sisters, but sometimes more than 50 gathered in Jesus' name, asking for the gift that outweighs any other gift! There are no tongues of fire as described in the Acts of the Apostles, but the presence of God is so palpable in the joy and exuberance of the singing as we worship, in the weeping, and the praying in tongues. 

In all of this, Jesus is at the heart of the celebration. The baptism of the Holy Spirit plants a very tenacious seed, but it has to be cultivated, just like seeds planted in a field. It needs the water of prayer, the sunlight of scripture, the oxygen of service and the good soil of being a part of a community of believers where Jesus will be present! 

Living in Christ is living in joy, in love, in peace. Faith is all this because it connects us to the source of all- God the Creator Himself! C.S. Lewis started out as an adamant atheist but he did not account for God being at the center of every question he asked. In his book, "Surprised by Joy", he wrote that, "Really, a young atheist cannot guard his atheism too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for him on every side..."

Lord, ambush me like You ambushed C.S. Lewis and Mother Teresa, and Saint Francis! Consume me with joy in Your presence as I gather with two or three in Your name!