{"id":21118,"date":"2019-01-03T08:17:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T13:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=21118"},"modified":"2019-01-03T20:19:14","modified_gmt":"2019-01-04T01:19:14","slug":"worship-wednesday-joy-to-the-world-for-king-and-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=21118","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – Joy to the World – For King and Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: YouTube, For King & Country<\/a><\/p>\n

Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.<\/em>
\n<\/span>\u00a0– Romans 12:12<\/a><\/p>\n

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>– Romans 15:13<\/a><\/p>\n

Who’s heard this strange and woeful adage: “The world is going to hell in a hand basket.”<\/a>? It’s a saying that’s been around a long time, and I’m thinking it originated around a holiday family dinner table.<\/p>\n

This Christmas we were having one of those conversations about the mess the world is in…we were a multi-generational family gathering of teens to our eighty-somethings. All beloved by each other.<\/p>\n

As our conversation spiraled down, I looked around the table at these precious young ones. This was more their world we were talking about than our own. This was the world we were handing them. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then the realization washed over us all again as our conversation turned. This world pales in comparison to some of the other eras in history…and survived. This world is not beyond the care of God…not beyond His reach…not beyond His ability to save.<\/p>\n

We may not take joy in the political chaos we see nor the hardships that surround us, but we can always take joy in knowing that what we see is not the whole story.<\/p>\n

The Lord has come! He comes every day into this beautiful, messy world. He created it in perfection, and we have had our sinful way with it. Still, He comes. He shows up every single day in our lives and in the circumstances of the peoples and governments of this world.<\/p>\n

For King & Country<\/a>, one of my favorite Christian bands, has taken the Christmas standard Joy to the World<\/em><\/a> and reminded us of this very truth…Christ has come, and nothing will ever be the same again.<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me on the new beginning of another year…who knows what God will do? Joy…<\/p>\n

\n
Joy to the world the Lord is come
\nLet Earth receive her King
\nLet every heart prepare him room<\/article>\n
And heaven and nature sing
\nAnd heaven and nature sing
\nAnd heaven, and heaven and nature sing<\/article>\n
Joy to the world the Saviour reigns
\nLet men their songs employ
\nWhile fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
\nRepeat the sounding joy
\nRepeat the sounding joy
\nRepeat, repeat the sounding joy<\/article>\n
He rules the world with truth and grace
\nAnd makes the nations prove
\nThe glories of His righteousness
\nAnd wonders of His love
\nAnd wonders of His love
\nAnd wonders, wonders of His love<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

It’s remarkable isn’t it?<\/strong>
\nAs Luke said that this baby boy<\/strong>
\nNo family of promotion<\/strong>
\nNo city of impressive nature<\/strong>
\nJust a manger<\/strong>
\nNo social media campaigns<\/strong>
\nNo presidential campaigns<\/strong>
\nNo private aeroplanes<\/strong>
\nBut he rose up with twelve ragamuffins<\/strong>
\nAnd He turned B. C into A. D.<\/strong>
\nFlipped the world on its head<\/strong>
\nHe’s the most famous name around the globe<\/strong>
\nThe most read book ever written<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the most beautiful news the world has ever known is this<\/strong>
\nThat He reconnected us to heaven<\/strong>
\nHe offered us redemption, a fresh start<\/strong>
\nFreedom, so that we can hold our heads high<\/strong>
\nAnd march through this life knowing,<\/strong>
\nMy friends, that we are never alone<\/strong>
\nAnd that’s the greatest news the world has ever known<\/strong>
\nSo let’s stand to our feet tonight<\/strong>
\nAnd let’s sing this like we mean it<\/strong>
\nJoy to the world the Lord has come<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joy to the world the Lord is come
\nLet Earth receive her King
\nLet every heart prepare him room
\nAnd heaven and nature sing
\nAnd heaven and nature sing
\nAnd heaven, and heaven and nature sing
\nAnd heaven and heaven and nature sing*<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen pain is to be born, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.\u201d – C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

*Lyrics to Joy to the World<\/em> – For King & Country<\/a><\/p>\n

Joy to the World<\/em> – Isaac Watts – original lyrics<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – The One Hour for King & Country Christmas Concert, Phoenix, AZ<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

10 Bible Verses for a Joyful Spirit<\/em> – Taylor Yenko<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Joy<\/em> – For King & Country (Official Music Video)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: YouTube, For King & Country Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. \u00a0– Romans 12:12 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 – Romans 15:13 Who’s … Continue reading Worship Wednesday – Joy to the World – For King and Country<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[810,813,1705,1618,1148,147,3976,3208,1454,50,903,825,33,18,795,886,1181,1456,610,32,47,946],"tags":[37,1846,7,1677,6759,6760,2592,49,360],"class_list":["post-21118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-good-gifts","category-christmas","category-conversations","category-courage","category-critical-thinking","category-family-2","category-fear","category-finishing-strong","category-fresh-start","category-god","category-grace","category-holidays","category-inspired","category-jesus","category-love-2","category-new-year","category-sins-of-the-world","category-steadfast-love","category-thanksgiving-or-gratefulness","category-walk-with-god","category-wednesday-worship","category-worship","tag-c-s-lewis","tag-christmas","tag-family","tag-for-king-country","tag-isaac-watts","tag-joy-to-the-world","tag-new-year","tag-worship","tag-worship-wednesday"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-5uC","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21118"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21130,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21118\/revisions\/21130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}