Recent News

Last week we asked for prayers for Mary Ong related to rallies that were scheduled for the part of Hong Kong where she lives. We are happy to report that the protesters changed their plans and did not go into that area.

Three more Beyond Today television recordings have been completed. They are "The God-Centered Universe" by Darris McNeely, "Is it Time to Find a New Church?" by Steve Myers and "What is Living Faith?" by Gary Petty.

During the recording week we were privileged to have as our guest Barbara Botha from Cape Town, South Africa. She is the mother of Cape Town elder Vivien Botha. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and friendship. Her husband Stan had been an elder in Cape Town until his death in 2010.

While she was here, I interviewed Barbara on the Inside United podcast that we feature this week. She and Jorge de Campos describe the Angolan Civil War that embroiled South Africa and involved her two sons and son-in-law. You can listen to this podcast right now: Inside United Podcast #131. Our weekly podcast is now easily accessible from the home page of ucg.org by clicking on the "Podcast" tab on the main menu bar.

Online UCG Radio from Australia for the Whole World

I'd also like to mention that the online radio station for United Church of God is streaming 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You can listen to booklet and magazine readings, Bible readings, Bible Q&As, sermons, Bible class lectures, podcasts, the BT Daily series, music and more! A radio schedule in PDF can now be downloaded which will show you upcoming programs. You can reach it easily on your computer at https://www.ucg.org.au/radio or from the UCG Streaming Radio app that allows you to listen on your mobile device. Simply search your app store for "UCG Radio" to install the free app.

Experience Real Joy

The apostle Peter summed it up for Christians. Even though Jesus Christ cannot physically be seen today, "you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy" (1 Peter 1:8, New Living Translation, emphasis added throughout).

How about you? Does this describe your typical state of mind today? I know of many people of whom I would say "absolutely!"

However, I also know that all of us today live in challenging times. One cannot check out the news without seeing widespread protests in Hong Kong, a recent explosion of a small Russian nuclear reactor involved in weapons development, violent upheaval in Venezuela, the lewd saga of Jeffery Epstein, trade war rhetoric and more. Daily events can sap us of gladness. To feel and express joy can be its own challenge.

But biblical joy is much more than a feeling. Joy is a spiritual gift from God, a second fruit of the Spirit mentioned by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22. Joy—which we experience in human terms as feelings of happiness, elation, triumph and gladness—can flourish, even when events and experiences seem tough.

I both saw and personally experienced real joy when my wife Bev and I recently visited Angola. There we met with hundreds of people who joyfully grasped the meaning and importance of the Sabbath and God's plan for humanity. They overflowed with joy!

I have seen and experienced "inexpressible joy" elsewhere in Africa and literally all over the world! In fact, God tells us through His powerful motivating word that the spiritual gift of joy is often given as a prevailing counterweight to the crush of living in today's world! Speaking specifically of Jesus, we read in Hebrews that "your God has anointed you [Jesus], pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else" (Hebrews 1:9, NLT). That extraordinary anointing of joy enabled Jesus to withstand challenge after challenge during His time on earth, and especially His final hours of torture and death by crucifixion.

Here are some important points regarding joy and expressing it in our lives. Have you ever considered that sometimes the opposite of joy is not sorrow? Joy can be snuffed out by resentment. It can quickly vanish when we start comparing ourselves, our worldly possessions, or our position in life to those of other people.

If we're not careful, we can inadvertently choose not to be joyful by these actions. That is one of the key reasons Paul emphasized: "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV).

How we allow ourselves to think can directly impact our experience and expression of spiritual joy.

When Peter thundered to the assembled peoples in Acts 2:38 to repent, he used the Greek word transliterated metanoeo, which literally means to "change one's mind or purpose," to think differently! Mark used the same Greek work to announce the beginning of Christ's work on earth: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent [Greek: metanoeo—"change how you think"] and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

So, to truly experience the spiritual gift of joy, we must fully change our minds! Paul taught authoritatively of this continuing spiritual process when he told the Romans to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2, ESV).

Further, to fully experience spiritual joy, we must follow the command of Jesus. As He said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3, New International Version). When in Angola a few weeks ago, what was particularly beautiful on the Sabbath was the joy expressed by children who first know this happiness as conveyed to them through their relationship to parents, siblings and friends. When I saw their joyous faces I could only think, "Of such is the Kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16).

Again, we must change how we think and embrace spiritual humility in order to fully experience the exhilarating blessing of real joy. We must put off negative thoughts and replace them with optimistic, forward-looking thoughts that reflect the mind of God Himself!

Joy also simultaneously comes when we embrace a spirit of gratitude. When we focus on the blessings God gives us—and we all have them, regardless of where we are—we start to see how God has given us abundance. With that vision comes gratitude and humility. We give thanks for what God does for us, especially the things we cannot do for ourselves. With that spirit of gratitude comes real joy!

How serious is this need to become like little children and be filled with humility and gratitude? Jesus even warned Peter at one point: "You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" (Matthew 16:23, ESV).

The key? Be mindful of what you think and what you allow yourself to think. (And here's an important point: if you find yourself completely engulfed with negative or anxious thoughts that inhibit how you live, you might be battling depression or clinical chronic anxiety. In this case, don't be afraid to get counsel and seek additional help.)

Ask God for help and humbly ask Him to give you the spiritual gift of joy. The apostle Paul suffered many persecutions and trials. Yet he told the Thessalonians to "rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16)!

And, finally, pray for each other, as I pray for all in the Church, "that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him" (Romans 15:13, NLT).

Experience real joy!