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Thoughts From Chris Jones

Dear Friends,

Have you ever experienced a time of refreshment and renewal with the Lord that was so pleasant and so invigorating, you felt like you had crossed a threshold into a time moving forward that would bring with it unhindered peace and solitude? I can honestly say that was true for me – in my early years as a believer.

I do cherish those times of intense fellowship with the Lord. Yet, what I have come to discover (from experience and a better understanding of scripture) is that they are not a sign everything will be unbroken bliss moving forward. Unbroken bliss is God’s promise for the age to come, not this present age! They are a “foretaste of what is to come” (Eph. 1:13-14 / II Cor. 1:22-23). Rather, I have found them to be expressions of God’s goodness giving me renewed strength for something that lies ahead.  



The author of today’s “thought,” Chris Jones, pastor of Redeemer Community Church in Bloomington, Indiana, explains it in a similar way. God gives us times of refreshing and spiritual revival, and we should cherish and thank him for each and every one. But often such experiences are geared more toward reminding us of his love and strengthening us for something that is to come. This is another Advent Devotion from Christianity Today. Enjoy.

Hope That Cannot Be Overshadowed

“Summer of 2022 was a high point in my life. I was on sabbatical, getting some much-needed rest and an abundance of quality time with my family and the Lord. Psalm 16:5-6 became the theme of that season: "Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing: you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance" (CSB). The Lord was helping me embrace my limitations and see his goodness in both the highs and lows of life and ministry. I returned from that season of rest with renewed hope and joy in the provision and promises of God in my life.  


But immediately upon my return, it was all put to the test. The hopeful light of that season was replaced with discouraging darkness. My first day back as lead pastor came with the news that a staff member was preparing to leave. This was followed by the departures of several church members, leaving a wake of grief and pain. It was a season of discouragement unlike any other I had experienced in my years of pastoring.

Aside from the ministry pains, my wife was bearing the freight of caring for her father, who was suffering from dementia. Together, we shared the burden of praying for our oldest son, who remained close to our family but had distanced himself from the church and his faith a couple years before. We found ourselves facing so many discouragements and challenges. By November, it felt like all the light of the summer was on the verge of being overshadowed.  


But then the season of Advent came with the reminder "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5). This is one of the great guts this season presents to us. It invites us to remember that no matter how dark things might seem, light has come and is coming again, and darkness cannot overcome it. Advent bade me to not forget the lessons of the summer and to embrace that even amid discouragement, the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, the Lord holds my future, and I still have a beautiful inheritance.

Jesus was so good in that season to lead me to cling to him and the hope he brings. even if it meant waiting for things to actually feel hopeful. And he was gracious to not make us wait too long. Within a few months, a spirit of joyful hope returned to our church. Even more beautifully, the Lord brought our son to faith in one of the most amazing transformations I have seen.

Whatever you are facing in this season, however dark things might seem, remember that light has come and is coming again, and darkness cannot and will never overcome it. The beautiful inheritance we have in Christ cannot be overshadowed.”  



With Prayers for A Blessed Christmas Observance, Pastor Jeff

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