Sadness Turned Into ‘Joy’ [v296]

OCTOBER 2023

After putting forth three years of concentrated effort in the community, the Detroit-based nonprofit Life Remodeled received some ‘sad’ news that their two final offers to transform the Cooley High School into an ‘Opportunity Hub’ were rejected. HOWEVER, their ‘SADNESS’ was turned into ‘JOY’ when they were contacted by an organization that actually ‘WANTED’ them to repurpose their school building into something like what they just did in the Central High School neighborhood with the Durfee Innovation Society.

INTRODUCTION
In December 2020, Life Remodeled publicly announced their intent to transform the Cooley High School into their next “Opportunity Hub.” After nearly two years of listening and sharing, they have heard clearly what many Cooley residents desire to be done with the High School. After that, they received invitations from hundreds of Cooley residents and alumni—indicating strong unity in the community—who are ready for Life Remodeled to join the Cooley Community in a ‘partnership’.

Life Remodeled received survey responses and petition signatures from more than 1,000 Cooley residents and alumni, and more than 30 letters of support from key Cooley community leaders and several of Detroit’s most influential civic leaders, who say they are ready for Life Remodeled to begin the repurposing Additionally, Life Remodeled has signed Letter Of Intent agreements with nine dynamic organizations who have committed to lease more than 80% of the building and deliver impactful opportunities directly requested by Cooley community members.

It was Life Remodeled’s goal to ‘TRANSFORM’ Cooley High School into an “Opportunity Hub” for Detroiters of ALL ages—just as they had done at their current ‘hub’, the Durfee Innovation Society, but would adapt to the ideas, hopes, and dreams of Cooley community residents and alumni.

[ PHOTO: Life Remodeled’s Proposed ‘Transformation’ of Cooley High School ]

HOWEVER, ‘SADLY’ after months of discussions with the “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD), on March 8, 2023, Life Remodeled’s two offers were unfortunately, and remarkably rejected, despite fervent pleas from neighbors and Cooley alumni. As a result, this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what the School Board’s constituents have enthusiastically stated they have wanted—for more than a decade—to become.

<<< TABLE OF CONTENTS >>>

A BIT OF ‘PROJECT’ HISTORY

‘RECENT’ HISTORY

‘SADDENED’ BY THE NEWS

WHAT’S ‘NEXT’?

STILL ‘TRANSFORMING’

WILL NOT ‘GIVE UP’!

FROM SADNESS TO ‘JOY’!

‘SPIRITUAL’ JOY FROM SADNESS
YOUR SORROW WILL ‘TURN INTO’ JOY
THE ‘SOURCE’ OF JOY
TRUE FOR ‘ALL’ BELIEVERS
SADNESS IS ‘REAL’
SORROWS CAUSED BY DIFFERENT ‘FACTORS’
‘HOW’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
‘WHY’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
THE ‘MINISTRY’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

WRAP-UP
‘LETTING GO’ OF SADNESS
‘WAYS’ OF LETTING GO
A ‘FOUNDATION’ FOR LASTING JOY
‘CONSOLING’ THE DISCIPLES
‘ASK’ TO RECEIVE
SADNESS WILL BE ‘DEFEATED’
‘HINDSIGHT’ IS 20/20
THE “JOY OF THE LORD”
EXPERIENCE ‘JOY’ NOW!

<<< SUMMARY >>>

The following is a collection of ‘snippets’ from the post that aims to give you the overall ‘gist’ of this post.
[ 10-15 Minute Read ].

A BIT OF ‘PROJECT’ HISTORY
Located in northwest Detroit, Cooley High School opened its doors in 1928, and became one of the city’s most storied high schools. It was also revered for its Mediterranean Revival architectural style. [ In 2011, a year after the school closed, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. ] However, due to declining student enrollment, it closed its doors in 2010. (Then, in 2017, the building suffered severe damage from a fire in its auditorium.)

Since then, people in the surrounding community have come to view the property as “an eyesore.” Local residents, along with Cooley alumni, have called on the district to address the blight, by either selling it or reopening it as a high school.

[ Note: The “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD) estimated that it would cost $300,000 annually to maintain the property, or nearly $6 million to demolish the building. ]

Two developers—“Life Remodeled” and Pennsylvania-based “Bridging the Gap Development”—were the finalists to buy the vacant property. Following discussions with both bidders, the district favored Life Remodeled’s $400,000 offer, based on the organization’s financial standing as well as its track record repurposing former school buildings in the city over the past several years.

Starting in 2019, Life Remodeled worked for more than three years with the community to determine what the neighborhood wanted in this “hub of opportunity” they were proposing. They held countless meetings envisioning the future of Cooley together, hosted turkey drives together, meaningfully engaging with the three DPSCD schools located within the community, conducted a Six Day Project together, marched against violence in the neighborhoods together, and celebrated multiple Cooley Alumni gatherings.
———
The following is a ‘recap’ of their extraordinary efforts:
[ more…]

‘RECENT’ HISTORY
In the fall of 2022, the “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD) Board completed a public process to find a buyer for Cooley High School, in Detroit, Michigan. The nonprofit Life Remodeled was selected as the preferred buyer, and they engaged in good-faith negotiations of the purchase agreement. Their offer of $400,000 was mutually agreed upon with DPSCD executive leadership, and they made numerous concessions in the negotiation process that went far beyond the original purchase agreement proposed by DPSCD. [ Life Remodeled’s bid proposed redeveloping Cooley into a “community hub”—similar to their recently completed “Durfee Innovation Society” project—and to invest $37.5 million over the next three years. ]

However, about 24 hours before the board meeting—that was prepared to vote on the sale of Cooley High School—Life Remodeled was ‘blindsided and told that they now needed to pay $930,000 for the property. In addition, they needed to agree to even more, yet-to-be-determined, “claw back milestones” whereby the district could take back the property after the closing, if Life Remodeled did not get the job done and the vacant building remains dangerous and blighted. Hmmm… That last piece is a little ironic, because of its current condition. (Shown in 2022 below) ]
———
[ PHOTOS ]
———
So then, even though Life Remodeled had been attempting to purchase Cooley for nearly three years—and had a mutually-agreed-upon purchase price—they were still willing to go back to the negotiation ‘table’ one last time, because community members and alumni had asked them to do so.

Chris Lambert, founder and CEO of Life Remodeled, was very disappointed with the Board’s decision (on November 16, 2022), adding that “Despite passionate pleas from Cooley community members for nearly 13 years, every single time something positive could have been done with Cooley, school board members have allowed it to continue to become one of Detroit’s longest monuments of urban decay.”

[ Life Remodeled made numerous concessions, including adding language to the purchase agreement that went “far beyond” the terms in the district’s original request for proposals and accepted restrictive covenants, deed restrictions, and “claw back” clauses that most developers would not accept. ]
[ more…]

‘SADDENED’ BY THE NEWS
After hearing the news that the DPSCD rejected Life Remodeled’s final purchase offer, below are some of the comments that were expressed by a variety of community members who had been ‘engaged’ with the project for the past few years:
[ more…]

WHAT’S ‘NEXT’?
The question is then was, “What’s next?” Well, Life Remodeled continued to ‘stand’ committed to creating ‘Hubs of Opportunity’ where there is community interest—like there was for the residents of the Cooley High School neighborhood.

They continue to want to help neighborhoods in the way they successfully did for the past six years for those who live—and now thrive—in the Central High School neighborhood and around the Durfee Innovation Society opportunity hub.

SO, Life Remodeled started a new search for another opportunity in a different area of Detroit where they could ‘bring to life’ a community’s vision for their neighborhood in a way that was compatible with their expertise and abilities.

STILL ‘TRANSFORMING’
Even though Life Remodeled had SADLY ‘walked away’ from doing their proposed ‘Hub of Opportunity’ in the Cooley High School neighborhood, they still wanted to bless the neighborhood they had grown to love. So, they honored their commitment to the community and went ahead with the “Six Day Project” they had previously planned for the neighborhood.

So, during the first week of October 2023 (October 2-7), Life Remodeled brought together over 4,300 volunteers from businesses, churches, and other community groups to focus on removing blight on vacant properties, beautify 293 city blocks—that directly affected at least 500 neighborhood homes—and distribute 1,000 Mum plants to homes in the neighborhood.

The Six Day Project primarily focused on a two square-mile area south of Puritan Avenue, east of Greenfield Road, west of Wyoming Road and North of Grand River Avenue and Jeffries Service Drive. [ Note: Some volunteer groups also worked on some small ‘projects’ in the city’s Denby neighborhood, on the eastside, where Life Remodeled had just announced plans—just a few weeks earlier—to repurpose its second opportunity hub in a former school building. (More about that below.) ]
———
The following photos show a few select typical ‘activities’ that happened during Life Remodeled’s 2023 Six Day Project:
[ PHOTOS ]
———
[ NOTE: To see many more pics of the volunteers, click on the following link to see more than 4,800 pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/liferemodeled2023/albums ]

WILL NOT ‘GIVE UP’!
Life Remodeled’s mission to provide life-transforming opportunities to children and families in Detroit by creating one-stop-hubs of opportunity designed solely around their priorities remained a ‘focus’ after their rejected final offer for the Cooley High School property—and an opportunity ‘fell into their lap’ just a few months after that!

They announced plans to acquire a 7.55-acre site in the Denby neighborhood on Detroit’s east side, which had been the site of the “Winans Academy of Performing Arts” (previously the home of the “Dominican High School” from 1940 to 2005).

The building, located at 9740 McKinney Street, offers more than 87,000 square feet, including more than 50,000 square feet that will be leased by Life Remodeled’s nonprofit partners to bring afterschool youth programs, workforce development initiatives and health and wellness resources to the Denby community.

FROM SADNESS TO ‘JOY’!
At their on-site press conference—on July 11, 2023—Life Remodeled’s founder and CEO, Chris Lambert said that “Denby is the ideal location for our first hub on the east side. It is a neighborhood that is engaged, invested and close to the heart and soul of Life Remodeled. In 2016, we partnered with students and community leaders for one year to work toward revitalization together. This new hub will continue that commitment in ways that will make a broader and deeper impact for the long-term.”

The thing is, this is kind of a ‘home coming’, since Life Remodeled partnered with the Denby community in 2016 to bring to life a vision of a park next door to the Denby High School. They worked with Denby High School students to enhance Skinner Park and volunteers removed blight on 303 blocks and boarded up 362 vacant houses.

[ FYI: For more details about the original Six-Day Project Life Remodeled did in the Denby neighborhood, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-remodeled-life-v211/ ]
———
Lambert said that Life Remodeled is honored to pick up the ‘baton’ and help move the neighborhood forward just like they did in the Central High School neighborhood with the Durfee Innovation Society (DIS): “The Winans reached out to us when they found out about our model and they said, that’s the kind of legacy we want to continue with this building. And so, we were very, very honored to be invited into this incredible space.”

Lambert added that “When the Winans Academy asked us to consider repurposing their building, the Denby Neighborhood Alliance leaders told us loud and clear that they wanted to partner with us to turn this beautiful school building into a hub of opportunity similar to our Durfee Innovation Society. We are inspired and encouraged to move forward.”
———
Pastor Marvin Winans said that “We are happy for the acquaintance of Life Remodeled and excited for what they will add to our community with momentum and focus on children, families and culture. We are confident the community will welcome them.”
———
[ VIDEO: Life Remodeled Press Conference Announcing Purchase of the Marvin Winans Academy of Performing Arts (11 JUL 23):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPE7wYA_sFA ]

‘SPIRITUAL’ JOY FROM SADNESS
Sadness is a feeling of deep distress caused by a ‘loss’. It can be described as a feeling of sorrow or regret and feels like deep distress, disappointment, or devastation.

Sadness comes in many forms. Dealing with sickness. Struggling through a pandemic. The loss of a job. The loss of ‘something’ dear to someone. Or, the death of a friend of family member. It is the deep, dark sadness that comes with loss.

The emotions can be overwhelming and the feelings unnerving. Yet, everyone will experience some kind of ‘intense’ sadness at some point in their lives. BUT, even though sadness is hard to take originally, thankfully, it doesn’t last forever.

So, how can you cope without someone or something that has been such a key part of your life?

YOUR SORROW WILL ‘TURN INTO’ JOY
Now, it is one thing to ‘read’ about sorrow, sadness, and suffering, but quite another to ‘experience’ it.

As Jesus approached the final hours of His life—during supper in the “Upper Room”—He prepared His disciples for the ‘sadness’ that they were about to experience. However, He also encouraged them to trust that their sadness would soon after turn into ‘joy’!

Jesus was also preparing the disciples for how they woud carry on His ministry after He departed. Jesus was telling the disciples that they were going to soon face something that they would find very difficult—something that would bring them much sorrow and circumstantially would leave them with no hope or joy.

Jesus said:
“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”… “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy”
[ John 16:16; 16:20 ].
———
So, Jesus uses an illustration to help the disciples understand how sorrow is turned into joy: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come”. That hour is the hour of delivery or we could say hours sometimes of delivery—and it brings real, genuine pain and because of that, sorrow. “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world” [ John 16:21 ].
———
So, here is a question for you: “Do you really believe this? Honestly? That the fullness of joy is available to every believer despite how bleak the circumstances seem?

[ FYI: For more details about having joy within bleak circumstances, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/having-joy-through-trials-v198/ ]

THE ‘SOURCE’ OF JOY
Now, I know when I ask a question like that, many people are dealing with ‘real’ pain and real sorrow right then. Things like cancer, physical struggles, broken marriages, injustice, and death. Those are real pains and real sorrows. HOWEVER, if Jesus is speaking of a joy that no one can take from the believer, why are they not experiencing it all the time? They think that if they are really going to experience true joy, it must be at the ‘removal’ of sorrow, pain, and anguish.

So then, what is the ‘source’ of joy? Well, simply, it is God the Father ‘THROUGH’ Jesus. God brings joy to the believer not by the ‘removal’ of pain, sorrow, and anguish, but by giving the believer joy IN THE ‘MIDST’ of the pain, sorrow, and anguish—by ‘GIVING’ THEM the ‘Person’ of JESUS. He ‘swallows’ up the pain with joy. (This also forces the world to come to you and say, “Hey, what is the source of the hope that is within you?” Because they see a circumstance that should lead to grumbling, complaining, and whining, yet they are seeing the believer experience joy.)

The thing is, the believer’s life is ‘between’ the now and the not yet. Jesus demonstrated this to us by facing the greatest anguish and suffering any human being will ever face under the wrath of God for His people: “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross.” It doesn’t mean the Cross didn’t hurt and that one’s pain is not real. That is not what I’m talking about here. (The Bible never says put on a fake smile and act like everything is okay.)

The Bible acknowledges pain and it acknowledges suffering. However, it sets ‘proper’ expectations. It says something like this: “I can give you joy in the midst of it by giving you more of Jesus—a greater revelation of the sufficiency and the love of Jesus. In that there is fullness of joy.” This is a ‘SUPERNATURAL’ JOY.

[ FYI: For more details about ‘proper’ expectations, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/realistic-expectations-v281/ ]

TRUE FOR ‘ALL’ BELIEVERS
Now, Jesus is speaking to a situation that was uniquely experienced by the 12 disciples. One will never know the sorrow of seeing Jesus crucified, the Messiah who the disciples thought would ‘rule’ the world soon (which WILL actually happen in the future). Neither will one know the joy of having that crushing disappointment erased by His resurrection. One can only relate to their experience in limited ways.

Now, in one sense, Jesus’ predictions to His disciples about how they would respond to His death and resurrection is not ‘directly’ applicable to us. HOWEVER, that does not mean that the believer cannot find much precious truth from this.

The truths that are important for the believer are not about the specific sorrows and joys the disciples uniquely experienced connected to Jesus’ death and resurrection. For them, what Jesus said, on a more general level about joy and sorrow, are however, very helpful.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of what the Bible teaches about joy in the life of a believer. King David prayed to God: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” [ Psalm 16:11 ]. Heaven ‘pulsates’ with joy. Joy permeates it because the fullest experience of joy possible—far more joyful than any experience in this world—because it is found in the ‘PRESENCE’ OF GOD. God ‘radiates’ joy! We will have that joy all the time in Heaven because nothing will hinder our experience of the Lord’s presence! But, what this verse also means is that whenever in this world we sense God’s presence, the one infallible indicator of that is joy!

[ FYI: For more details about the ‘presence’ of God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/presence-withdrawn-v257/ ]
———
Now, expanding on the nature of a BELIEVER’S joy ‘IN’ Jesus, this is a joy that overwhelms and overlaps sorrow, but it does not ‘eliminate’ it. When Jesus mentioned the women giving birth to a baby (John 16:21), He didn’t say that the mother no longer remembers the anguish. He also did not say it erased the pain as if no pain ever existed. What He did say was that even though the joy of childbirth does not ‘eliminate’ the pain, the joy that comes from the birth of one’s child is so great that it causes the memory of the pain to be ‘dim’ by comparison.

However, for UNBELIEVERS, they try to ‘forget’ their pain through things like narcotics, alcohol, sex, material wealth, reputation, or power. They try to avoid the pain by ‘extracting’ themselves from the painful situation. A job gets tough, so they quit. A marriage becomes painful, so they divorce. Or, they choose to ‘deny’ the pain all together: “Oh, I’m not troubled by that. I’m just fine. All is well. Don’t worry about me.” These things DON’T WORK!

The thing is, the ‘HEALTHY’ BELIEVER does not need to try to escape the pain—they acknowledge it, are realistic about it, and have ‘access’—via Jesus and the Holy Spirit—to a joy that can ‘overwhelm’ the pain. Again, it is just like the new mother who forgets her pain when she sees her child. When the believer focuses on biblical ‘truths’, joy WILL overwhelm their pain.

So then, what ‘truths’ am I thinking about? Well, that God’s Son, Jesus, came to earth and died to atone for all the believer’s ‘debts’! Problems, as bad as they are right now, WILL end someday, when the believer is in Heaven! Joy is not an abstraction. It is found ‘in’ a Person—Jesus!

What a wonderful reality this is for the believer! To know that, whatever sorrow they may experience, there is a joy-producing truth that they know will eventually overwhelm it. When they experience the sorrows of life, the answer is NOT to try to avoid them, ‘drown’ them in 1,000 diversions, put on a phony grin, or deny them. No, they face the problem ‘head on’, honestly, and grieve whatever the loss may be. But, they also know that because of what Jesus has done for them on the Cross, there is a greater joy that can and will eventually overwhelm their sorrow—Heaven!
[ more…]

SADNESS IS ‘REAL’
So, what are you ‘sad’ about today? Broken promises” Betrayal? Job loss? A goal that just ‘evaporated’? Depression needs no reason at all to plunge us into its depths. (Even the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, had bouts with depression.)

Whatever it is, do you know what Jesus NEVER SAYS? “You’ve got to tough it out” or “Get over it!” Never! Instead, do you know what Jesus DID SAY? “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” [ Matthew 11:28 ]. Jesus is not afraid of your sadness. Jesus is not ‘turned off’ by your sorrow, grief, or your depression. In fact, He understands it completely—He ‘lived’ it when He was a human.

On “Maundy Thursday” evening—the day before the Crucifixion—in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” [ Matthew 26:38 ]. Jesus understands and wants to give you comfort in the middle of all of the sorrow and sadness you are going through!

Now, again, notice what Jesus does not promise. He does not say that He is going to take your sorrow away immediately. He does not say it is just a matter of believing more or trying harder. No! What Jesus does promise is that one day—in Heaven—ALL your sorrow will turn to joy. One day—like that mother whose labor has subsided—you WILL NOT remember this angst anymore. No matter what you are going through today, you are not going to remember this forever. Because, the same Jesus who died on the Cross for your sins and rose from the dead to give you eternal life, is coming back to make everything ‘right’! Then, when He does, joy will so overtake you that you will not think about the sorrow of life ever again!

So then, we say, “When?” and Jesus says, “In a little while.” [ Prophetically speaking, many Bible scholars believe—as I do—that we are in the last ‘minute’ of earth’s existence. Read this previous post for details about the “Last Days”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ].
———
That is why, on His last night, Jesus gave His disciples—and every believer since—such beautiful promises:
———
So, in the meantime, the believer has a powerful ‘tool’ from Jesus: “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” [ John 16:23-24 ].

You don’t have to carry any burden alone. You don’t have to hide any anxiety inside. God the Father—the Maker of the heavens and earth—invites you to bring it all to Him!

Then, there is another place in the Bible that says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” [ Philippians 4:6 ]. Doing so, God is saying that He will give the believer ‘peace’ in EVERY situation!

Just remember, when the tears come, Jesus PROMISED this: You will be sorrowful now, but your sorrow will turn to joy, in a “little while”!

SORROWS CAUSED BY DIFFERENT ‘FACTORS’
There are far more causes than I can list here, but in the passage I am using (John 16:16-24), there are several sources for the disciples’ sorrow that the believer can learn from:

– Disappointment When Something Doesn’t ‘Happen’ As Was Hoped
– Confusion Over ‘Circumstances’
– Seeming Triumph Of ‘Evil People’
– Living In A ‘Fallen’ Creation
[ more…]

‘HOW’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
Well, briefly, there are four ‘WAYS’ Jesus does this:

– Showing The ‘Glory’ Of The Cross
– Giving Believers An ‘Eternal’ Perspective
– Being The Believer’s ‘Mediator’
– His ‘Defeat’ Of Death
[ more…]

‘WHY’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
Well, briefly, there are two reason ‘WHY’ Jesus does this:

– Creating ‘Christlikeness’ Through Suffering
– Comforting Others With His ‘All-sufficiency’
[ more…]

THE ‘MINISTRY’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Now, even though the believer does not ‘see’ Jesus physically, He has left another “Helper” to be a guide for them—in all truth.

The Greek word translated “Helper” (“parakletos”) literally means “one who is called alongside.” (The King James Version translates it “Comforter,” which is one of its meanings.)

The Greek word translated “another” may provide a helpful clue in understanding Jesus’ meaning in John 14. There are two Greek words frequently translated “another”: “heteros” and “allos.” Sometimes the biblical authors used those words interchangeably, but they used “heteros” to speak of another of a “different kind” and “allos” to speak of another of the “same kind” [ e.g. the “different” [“heteros”] Gospel vs. “another” [“allos”] Gospel in Galatians 1:6-7 ].

“Allos” is the word that Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit: “another Helper.” That could be His way of saying that, “I am sending you One of exactly the same essence as Me.” He was not sending just any helper, but One exactly like Himself with the same compassion, the same attributes of deity, and the same love for them.

Jesus had been the disciples’ helper for three years. He had helped them, comforted them, and walked alongside them. Now, they would have another Helper—One exactly like Jesus—to minister to them as He had.
———
A ‘Supernatural’ Teacher
Jesus had spoken only the Father’s words, but the disciples always had trouble understanding Him during His earthly ministry. For example, the Apostle John said, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him” [ John 12:16 ]. Jesus Himself said, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” [ John 16:12 ].

Now, the thing is, Jesus was preparing to turn over the teaching of the disciples to the Holy Spirit, who would dwell ‘in’ them: “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” [ John 14:25-26 ]. For three years, Jesus had been teaching them God’s truths, but they never understood much. Now, He would send a Teacher that would guide them to all truth.
———
So, the Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus, ‘lifting’ Him up such that the believer may ‘behold’ Him. The Holy Spirit will help the believer achieve joy in their lives here on earth, while knowing the joy will be ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ when they arrive in Heaven.

Through the Spirit magnifying the Son and in the revelation of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished, and who the believer is in union to Him, they WILL HAVE joy in the midst of sadness, sorrow, grief, and suffering!

WRAP-UP
Sadly, after a few months of discussions with the “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD) Board, unfortunately, and remarkably, rejected both offers Life Remodeled made for the Cooley High School property to transform Cooley in the ways the community were wishing. As a result, this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what you, the School Board’s constituents, have enthusiastically stated you want for it to become.

HOWEVER, sadness turned into joy when the “Winans Academy of Performing Arts” (previously the home of the “Dominican High School” from 1940 to 2005), REQUESTED that Life Remodeled transform their closing charter school into a ‘Hub of Opportunity’ like they did with the Durfee Middle-Elementary school for the past six years!

At their on-site press conference—on July 11, 2023—Life Remodeled’s founder and CEO, Chris Lambert said that “Denby is the ideal location for our first hub on the east side. It is a neighborhood that is engaged, invested and close to the heart and soul of Life Remodeled. In 2016, we partnered with students and community leaders for one year to work toward revitalization together. This new hub will continue that commitment in ways that will make a broader and deeper impact for the long-term.”

‘LETTING GO’ OF SADNESS
When Life Remodeled was told that they were not going to be able to purchase the Cooley High School property to transform it into an Opportunity Hub, they were devastated. CEO Chris Lambert told his staff that even though they were feeling “in the valley right now, God’s got a plan, and it’s going to be a lot more fun to tell this story when we’re on the other side of the valley.”

The thing was, he also told his team that they were probably going to wait a long time—possibly a year or more—until another property would materialize, “because real estate deals like this don’t happen that quickly.” So, the staff ‘LET GO’ of the frustration and sadness of all of the efforts that had been put into the Cooley property and neighborhood, and started ‘combing’ the city of Detroit for another prospective property.

Well, as sometimes God does, He ‘sent’ Pastor Marvin Winans a ‘message’ to contact Life Remodeled to find out if they would be interested in purchasing his Academy of Performing Arts charter school that he was planning to close. (It was not yet for sale ‘on the market’.)

When Lambert took the call from Pastor Winans and was told the address, “Immediately my heart started beating before I even saw what the building, because [it was in] the Denby community.” [ As previously mentioned, Life Remodeled did a Project in the Denby community back in 2016. ]

Sometimes we get all ‘flustered’ when something we put a lot of effort into—for good reason—doesn’t come to fruition and we get all sad and sorrowful. HOWEVER, sometimes God has a BETTER ‘IDEA’ if we are just patient and seek His face (1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalm 27:8; Psalm 105:4) for HIS ‘WILL’ in the things we want to do!

‘WAYS’ OF LETTING GO
So, the following are some highly effective ‘ways’ to let go of sadness:
[ more…]

A ‘FOUNDATION’ FOR LASTING JOY
The late Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, observed that “we all tend to hang heavy weights on the thinnest wires.” He meant that we attach our happiness on fragile things that easily and quickly can be taken from us like health, friends, jobs, possessions, or even ‘projects’. The thing is, they are inadequate as a ‘foundation’ for lasting joy, because they are all so uncertain and transitory.

Now, while any major loss is emotionally painful, it is crucial that one learn how to work through such losses biblically—because we are all going to face them. The Apostle Peter indicated that it is precisely in times of suffering that the Devil seeks to destroy our faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). I have seen many believers who have been ‘wiped out’ spiritually because they did not know how to face sorrow biblically.
———
The thing is, the previous Sunday, their hopes were really high as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the “Hosannas” of the crowd. But now, less than a week later, everything that they had hoped for would come to a sudden, shocking end as they watched Jesus suffer and die. Jesus prepares them (and us) for suffering by teaching that:

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” [ John 16:20d ] and that “no one will take your joy from you” [ John 16:22d ].

For the believer, Jesus WILL turn their sorrows into lasting joy. He ‘PROMISED’ to do so!

‘CONSOLING’ THE DISCIPLES
So, the night before Jesus went to the Cross, He said: “A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” [ John 16:19-20 ]. Though Jesus is referring to His literal death and resurrection that only the 12 apostles would experience, again, there are more ‘general’ truths here for us as well.

Now, looking at these truths that extend beyond the original disciples, the first truth Jesus teaches us about joy is that just as life flows from death, joy can be, and often is, birthed out of sorrow. In the passage I am using, Jesus is consistent with all New Testament teaching by revealing that there is in life a flow—a God-ordained ‘rhythm’ for believers. That rhythm in the life of every believer, is typically sorrow followed by joy (here on earth) or death followed by life (in Heaven). The ‘template’ that establishes this for the believer’s life is Jesus Himself, whose death was followed by His resurrection.

The disciples were about to be thrust into something that will bring all of their hope crashing down, and on the ‘surface level’, it seemed like everything was ending and it was all over. The thing is, the truth that Jesus is teaching is true for EVERY BELIEVER in their lives. He said:
[ more…]

‘ASK’ TO RECEIVE
So, what did Jesus ‘really’ mean when He said, “Ask and you shall receive”? Is this a blanket promise with no conditions? Well, no, this statement has to be taken in light of other biblical ‘revelations’. (This is the ‘big’ problem with the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith teachings.)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that whoever asks receives, whoever seeks finds, and whoever knocks will find an open door (Matthew 7:7-8). However, like all verse in the Bible, one must examine the ‘context’. Jesus goes on to say that God will not fail to give His children good things (verse 11). So, this is one ‘condition’ to the promise of “ask and receive”: what we ask for must be ‘good’ in God’s estimation. God will give advantageous gifts to His ‘children’ and will not give them bad or injurious things—no matter how much they clamor for them.

An example might be one’s prayers to God are not unlike our requests of other people. Our prayers are based on ‘relationship’ (Matthew 7:8). If a child asks their father for something and the father knows it will be hurtful, he will deny the request. The child may be frustrated and unhappy when they don’t get what they asked for, but they should trust their father since he only has desires for good for them. However, when the child asks for something that the father knows is beneficial, the father will provide it eagerly because he loves his child.
[ more…]

SADNESS WILL BE ‘DEFEATED’
So, as Jesus spent His last evening before the Cross ‘consoling’ His disciples, He understood that it is easier to endure a season of trial if there is an end in sight—so He spent time talking to His followers about the future. At this point, Jesus was just hours from the Cross. Still, He reassured His disciples that the time of their suffering would come to an end and would be replaced with joy. In every sense, Jesus was preparing these men for what was about to transpire.

Although Jesus encouraged His disciples, He didn’t ‘sugarcoat’ what was about to happen. The disciples were about to enter a time of suffering.

He told them they would weep and mourn and warned there would be others who would celebrate His death (John 16:20). Undoubtedly, the world’s gloating would intensify their pain. However, Jesus’ enemies wouldn’t celebrate for long. About the time the disciples’ grief turned to joy, the world’s celebration over Jesus’ death would turn to dismay!

Again, Jesus compared what was coming to a woman giving birth. The pains of childbirth are agonizing but must be experienced. But after a woman gives birth to a child, she is so overjoyed with the baby that she quickly forgets the suffering caused by the labor (John 16:21). In the same way, the disciples would experience intense grief, but when the reality of the risen Christ was manifested to them, their joy would be so intense their suffering would seem minimal. Jesus said, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” [ John 16:22 ]. For believers, all suffering has an ‘expiration date’.

No matter how dark your days may seem right now, the Bible teaches that all grief will come to an end and will be replaced with eternal peace and gladness. In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John wrote:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”
[ Revelation 21:4 ].

QUESTIONS: Do you anticipate the day when all suffering will come to an end? Do you look forward to the eternal joy and peace that will be experienced by all believers in Jesus? How does knowing all suffering has an ‘expiration date’ encourage you in this ‘season’ of your life?

‘HINDSIGHT’ IS 20/20
So, have you ever heard how “Hindsight is 20/20”? To us two centuries later, Jesus’ words make sense. Jesus was talking about the great events that a believer’s faith and lives are based on. However, back then, in a little while—that very night—Jesus was going to leave. He was going to be arrested and condemned and crucified for the sins of the world—including a believer’s sins today.

In a little while, those disciples weren’t going to see Jesus anymore. But what makes Good Friday “good” is that after another little while, they were going to see Jesus again. In three days, Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated death and sin and the Devil: “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” That is a wonderful summary of everything Jesus did for the believer!

That is also why Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy… So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” [ John 16:20, 22 ]. Their grief would turn to joy!
[ more…]

THE “JOY OF THE LORD”
The “joy of the Lord” is the gladness of the ‘heart’ that comes from ‘knowing’ God, ‘abiding’ in Jesus, and being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was born, the angels announced “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Even before His birth, Jesus had brought joy, as attested to in Mary’s song (Luke 1:47) and by John the Baptist’s response to hearing Mary’s voice as he “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:44). [ All who ‘find’ Jesus know, with the shepherds of the nativity, the joy He brings. ]

Jesus also exemplified joy in His ministry. He was no glum ascetic. Rather, His enemies accused Him of being too joyful on occasion (Luke 7:34). Jesus described Himself as a ‘bridegroom’ enjoying a wedding feast (Mark 2:18-20); He “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21), He spoke of “my joy” (John 15:11), and promised to give His disciples a lifetime supply of it (John 16:24). Jesus ‘exuded’ joy!

Joy is also reflected in many of Jesus’ parables, including the three stories in Luke 15, which mention a joyful shepherd (“Lost Sheep”), a joyful woman (“Lost Coin”), and a very joyful father (“Prodigal Son”).
[ more…]

EXPERIENCE ‘JOY’ NOW!
Perhaps you are an ‘UNBELIEVER’ and you have not placed your trust in Jesus. You may say, “I experience happiness all the time. I don’t need Jesus.” However, if you are honest, life ISN’T a ‘bed of roses’, sometimes it’s actually a ‘bed of thorns’—difficult, and happiness has ‘eluded’ you. The thing is, happiness is ‘connected’ with things or circumstances being ‘good’—as you define it—or ‘working out’ the way you want them to. HOWEVER, when those don’t work out the way you want, well, your happiness turns to despair.

The thing is, there is a ‘joy’ available even when one is going through ‘trials’, and it doesn’t depend on ‘circumstances’! This kind of joy ONLY comes from a ‘Person’, Jesus. In His ‘presence’ you WILL know fullness of joy and God WILL give you His ‘ETERNAL’ JOY! (Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Psalm 16:11)

[ NOTE: There is a “Prayer of Repentance” below to help guide you in talking to God about becoming one of His ‘children’. ]

So, even though you have sorrow now—which Jesus will help you get through—what will you care of the suffering here on earth 10,000 years into Heaven’s ‘rest’? The suffering now will only intensify the coming joy. Those who suffered most in ‘battle’ have the greatest thankfulness when it is over. So, even though this might seem a bit absurd to say, if suffering is the ‘path’ to more joy, it almost makes one long for a bit more suffering to intensify Heaven’s joy.

This should make the believer realize, that there are ‘rewards’ of joy waiting for them in Heaven, and that there will be joy that NEVER ‘DIMINISHES’!

[ FYI: For more details about ‘rewards’ in Heaven, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/heaven-on-earth-v289/ ]

Now, everyone faces days of trouble, grief, sorrow, and sadness, and sometimes it is VERY ‘DIFFICULT’ to have any joy—the ‘heart’ is filled with discontent, anguish, pain, and woe. Too often people find themselves looking at their ‘circumstances’ instead of at the One who CAN give them peace and joy—Jesus.

So, especially for the believer, when they feel the pressure of life’s troubles, they need to remember that a BETTER ‘DAY’ is coming, when their sorrow will turn to joy, their hurts will be healed, and their hearts will be mended—in HEAVEN!

[ FYI: For more details about what the Bible says Heaven will be like, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/theres-no-place-like-home-v288/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/ ]

SO, regardless of what is going on in your life today, stay focused on Jesus and you will find your sorrow WILL BE transformed into a ‘JOY’ BEYOND MEASURE!

<<< END OF SUMMARY >>>

<<< ALL THE DETAILS >>>

The following is a comprehensive presentation of the topic that follows the ‘headings’ laid out in the Summary.

[ Note: The “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD) estimated that it would cost $300,000 annually to maintain the property, or nearly $6 million to demolish the building. ]

The following is a ‘recap’ of their extraordinary efforts:

2019:
Conversations with community members about solutions for Cooley, which had been vacant since the school’s closure in 2010.

February 2020:
Conversations with the DPSCD Real Estate department about a community vision for the Cooley property.

November 2021:
Public announcement of Life Remodeled’s shared plan for the Cooley site.

January 2022:
Rather than a DPSCD vote on Life Remodeled’s plan, they were instructed to wait for a Request For Proposal (RFP).

July 2022:
DPSCD receives results of the “Highest and Best Use” report that it hired Plante Moran to complete. The appraisal concluded the property was worth $0, and the recommended uses aligned with Life Remodeled’s proposed plan.

August 2022:
More than 1,000 Cooley community members signed a petition requesting DPSCD to sell Cooley to Life Remodeled, and 34 letters of support were provided by influential community leaders and civic leaders, including Mayor Duggan. Nine nonprofits signed “Letters of Intent” to lease more than 80% of the Cooley building from Life Remodeled.

September 2022:
The RFP process officially commences, and Life Remodeled submitted a complete proposal—nearly 400 pages—including substantial evidence of their ability to secure all funding necessary to complete construction within three years of acquiring the property. The proposal focused on the significant impact their project would make on DPSCD academic outcomes.

October 2022:
The DPSCD Real Estate Department and Superintendent Vitti recognize Life Remodeled as the winner of the bid and Life Remodeled negotiated a good faith purchase agreement with DPSCD. Based on those negotiations, Superintendent Vitti made an official recommendation to the DPSCD School Board to sell Cooley to Life Remodeled at a price of $400,000.

October 2022:
The DPSCD Board of Education’s Academics Committee approves Superintendent Vitti’s recommendation, with the typical next step of a full Board vote.

November 2022:
The DPSCD Board removed the vote on Life Remodeled’s proposal from its public meeting agenda less than five hours before the meeting.

December 2022:
A letter exchange between lawyers takes place, but no negotiation discussions are allowed to take place.

January 2023:
The DPSCD Board failed to vote on Life Remodeled’s proposal at another public meeting.

March 2023:
Life Remodeled submits its final offer options for the site before the March 31, 2023 deadline.

[ PHOTO: Cooley High School, Detroit, MI — Exterior, 2022 ]

[ PHOTO: Cooley High School, Detroit, MI — Interior, Auditorium, 2022 ]

[ PHOTO: Cooley High School, Detroit, MI — Interior, Pool, 2022 ]

Now, because of knowing the community’s desires, Life Remodeled agreed that it would be horrible for a vacant school building to remain the magnet for blight and criminal activity—that it already has been for many years—and they had a detailed plan to make sure that didn’t happen, since they would us all the expertise they gained with their just-finished, and very successful, six-year ‘transformation’ of the Durfee Middle School into the now self-supporting ‘community center’ called the “Durfee Innovation Society.”

[ For more details about the Durfee Innovation Society, click on this link:
https://liferemodeled.org/dis/ ]

To make matters worse, the School Board had just engaged in two solid months of “listening sessions” with community members, with the stated objective of listening to what they want to be done with the district’s school buildings, including Cooley High School. Not one single Detroit resident voiced a desire for the district to demolish Cooley. The resounding message from community members was “Please sell Cooley!”

Shortly after these listening sessions, one board member disregarded the collective community voice and suggested the district demolish Cooley and keep the land for future, undetermined use. [ It is important to understand there were members of the Board who had been very clear that they did not want to sell Cooley to ANY buyer. ]

Well, the following videos show the passionate pleas of some members of the community to the DPSCD Board:

[ “Nonprofit’s Bid To Buy Cooley High School Stalls” (16 NOV 22):
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/5SjlttwW0wk?t=97

“Cooley Decision Stalled” (16 NOV 22):
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEUbK83Rpfo&t=48s ]

So then, even though Life Remodeled had been attempting to purchase Cooley for nearly three years—and had a mutually-agreed-upon purchase price—they were still willing to go back to the negotiation ‘table’ one last time, because community members and alumni had asked them to do so.

Sandra Sterling, a leader with the Calvary Community Association block club, who has lived in the area near Cooley for over 54 years, said:

“I’m here today because Life Remodeled is the only group that has come to our community to say anything about doing anything with Cooley High School,” Sterling said. “Do not carry this into another year. We’ve lost too many people who have been fighting for Cooley over the last 10 years.”

So, after a few months of discussions with DPSCD, on March 8, 2023, Life Remodeled offered them two options—one with and one without the property’s athletics facility. The first offer, for the complete property, was for $1,000,000 in cash. The second offer, excluding the approximately 5.7 acres of athletic property, was for $500,000 in cash, with the assurance of an eventual $1,000,000 donation to DPSCD, should it wish to build an athletic complex on its own.

Unfortunately, and remarkably, the DPSCD Board rejected both offers. Despite fervent pleas from neighbors and alumni, the DPSCD Board, without a public vote or discussion, has denied our collective efforts to transform Cooley in the ways the community wishes. As a result, this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what you, the School Board’s constituents, have enthusiastically stated you want it to become.

[ The ‘legal’ details about all of this are in the “Articles” section below. ]

– Francis Roland, a 51-year resident of the Hubbell-Lyndon neighborhood on Detroit’s west side, said in the nonprofit’s Friday letter that the board’s decision saddened her: “They are showing no consideration for the students and the community in our area. The outrageous demands by them (the Board) on the Cooley sale is insulting to people like me who live here and have to deal with the blight, crime, and vandalism at Cooley High School every day.”

– Charlotte Blackwell, 53, who lives in the nearby Happy Homes neighborhood, has spoken out at several school board meetings asking members to sell the school to Life Remodeled. She said she is devastated by the news: “I can’t believe that after fighting for almost three years, that things ended like this.”

– Pastor Ken Woody, 55, said it has been painful watching his alma mater sit vacant for over 13 years: Graduating from Cooley in 1985, some of Woody’s favorite memories are playing on the football field with his friends and getting his ID badge as a freshman. Woody remembers being amazed by the massive campus on his first day of school: “This is the biggest fumble in Detroit history. There is a massive opportunity in front of DPSCD to do something incredible that the community wants and they totally dropped the ball.”

– Community members Rob and Kenia Simms said: “This is very disappointing and it don’t make sense! Why would DPSCD decide not to sell a school that has been abandoned and neglected for 13 years at that sales price when we all know it isn’t even worth that much. The Cooley community and Detroit residents deserves better!”

– Pastor Willie Council said: “This is tragic. My heart is broken over this. I am stunned by the indifference I have seen on this matter. A dear friend of mine who works with youth always reminds me that we have a responsibility to reduce the barriers to learning for our youth. This is a quality-of-life issue not only for the youth but all the residents in the Cooley area.”

The Six Day Project primarily focused on a two-square-mile area south of Puritan Avenue, east of Greenfield Road, west of Wyoming Road, and North of Grand River Avenue and Jeffries Service Drive. [ Note: Some volunteer groups also worked on some small ‘projects’ in the city’s Denby neighborhood, on the east side, where Life Remodeled had just announced plans—just a few weeks earlier—to repurpose its second opportunity hub in a former school building. (More about that below.) ]

Chris Lambert, CEO and founder of Life Remodeled, said that “We appreciate the support of so many business and community group volunteers from across Metro Detroit as we celebrate our relationships with neighborhoods who want to benefit from our hubs of opportunity. We are happy to be back one more time in the great Cooley neighborhood. We had hoped to create a permanent hub here and will always value the trust that residents have shown in Life Remodeled.”

The “Presenting Partner” for the project, Amazon, contributed $100,000 toward Life Remodeled’s mission, in addition to sending many volunteers. Ian Conyers, Head of Community Engagement at Amazon, said that “There is no better partner when it comes to wellness and neighborhood revitalization, and Amazon is excited to be partnering with them as the presenting sponsor of the Six Day Project and providing hundreds of volunteers who will be investing their time this week beautifying the Cooley neighborhood.”

Other major corporate support came from companies that had been supporting Life Remodeled for many years: BASF, Cummins, General Motors, Masco, L&L Products, Rocket Mortgage, and Taubman.

The following photos show a few select typical ‘activities’ that happened during Life Remodeled’s 2023 Six Day Project:

[ PHOTO: Life Remodeled’s Six Day Project Partners ]

[ PHOTO: Going Out Into The Neighborhoods]

[ PHOTO: Detroit Police Kept Volunteers Safe ]

[ PHOTO: Over 4,300 Volunteers Did A Great Job ]

[ PHOTO: They Caught Me Taking Pics Of A Volunteer Hydrating (Absopure supplied all the water for the Project.) ]

[ NOTE: To see many more pics of the volunteers, click on the following link to see more than 4,800 pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/liferemodeled2023/albums ]

Life Remodeled has said that it is eager to serve alongside the Denby community so it will thrive and benefit more Detroiters—as it has in the Durfee Innovation Society—where more than 22,000 residents take part in programs every year. Residents of Denby’s zip code, 48224, are challenged with significant poverty and lack access to opportunities related to educational attainment, job opportunities and health and wellness resources. Collaboratively, Life Remodeled and the Denby community aim to foster an environment that genuinely transforms the lives of Detroit’s children and families through this equitable and sustainable development project.

Lambert said that Life Remodeled is honored to pick up the ‘baton’ and help move the neighborhood forward just like they did in the Central High School neighborhood with the Durfee Innovation Society (DIS): “The Winans reached out to us when they found out about our model and they said, that’s the kind of legacy we want to continue with this building. And so, we were very, very honored to be invited into this incredible space.”

The Marvin Winans Academy of Performing Arts, which closed its doors after this past school year, was a kindergarten through eighth grade public charter school with a specialized performing arts curriculum and traditional academic coursework that follows Michigan Department of Education standards. Founded in 1997 by Detroit native, Grammy Award- winning Gospel singer and actor Marvin Winans, the school offers courses in orchestral and contemporary music, voice, dance, drama and art. The school produces a yearly winter and spring concert. Students have traveled and performed nationally and internationally, winning first place at Walt Disney World and Cedar Point Music in the Park competitions. Marvin Winans Academy is located on two campuses—a kindergarten through fifth grade campus and a nearby sixth through eighth campus.

[ PHOTO: Marvin Winans Academy of Performing Arts ]

Lambert said that he is proud of the Winans Academy’s work and the building’s historic roots: “So for us to be able to fall in that tradition of two institutions that were really beacons of hope for academy, athletic and social advancement, and we carry that on now by making those opportunities available, not only for children but for residents of all ages.”

Lambert continued saying, “Our three specialties have always been youth programs, health and human services, and workforce development. And those are actually the top three things that the Denby Neighborhood Alliance said they want in this space.”

The moment was bittersweet for Pastor Marvin Winans of Perfecting Church Detroit said that “It is sad because we had plans to be here forever. We’ve been a school for over 25 years and this was a difficult decision to make, but it was necessary. But we still have Rutherford Winans Academy on the west side.”

Now, while the academy kept the building in good condition, Life Remodeled is planning to do a bit of renovation and updating. There is no opening date for the hub yet, but Life Remodeled plans to have the facility reach near full capacity by the end of 2025. The building is more than 87,000 square feet and at least 50,000 square feet is expected to be leased by nonprofit partners.

Plans for the new hub include a significant presence for arts and culture programs, to continue the tradition of the Winans Academy and also to build upon neighborhood priorities for those programs, supporting the development of the Whittier Corridor as a destination for art and technology.

Sandra Turner-Handy, the president of the Denby Neighborhood Alliance, said during the press conference, “Thank you, Life Remodeled for coming back to support the work of transforming our community through raising the quality of life for our residents. The residents and businesses are invested in continuing the amazing work started with Life Remodeled years ago. We are honored to welcome and continue to support through actively working with Life Remodeled in planning and designing what will become a vital and much-needed resource space in our community.”

Pastor Marvin Winans said that “We are happy for the acquaintance of Life Remodeled and excited for what they will add to our community with momentum and focus on children, families, and culture. We are confident the community will welcome them.”

“This is huge for Whittier and for the Denby (Neighborhood) Alliance,” Kenzie Current, a business liaison for the city’s District 4 said during a building tour after the formal press conference ended. “It’s a lot of great things coming this way and I’m excited to have been a part of such a passionate community and business community.”

One of the residents in attendance for the press conference was Norma Danzie, a 69-year-old member of the Denby alliance, who has lived in the community for the past 25 years. Danzie said she worked with Life Remodeled in 2016 and is glad to have them back in the neighborhood: “When they were at Durfee, they remodeled and did all kinds of things with that building. The kids in this neighborhood really need a place that’s close. We don’t have a recreation center in this immediate area and I’m hoping that there’ll be chances for them to get into different activities and keep them busy and occupied.”

Alonzo Marable, 56, who has also worked with Life Remodeled in the past—volunteering with cleanup projects in Cody Rogue, Denby, Osborn, and Durfee—grew up in the neighborhood and graduated from Denby High School. He commented that “I’ve seen the work that they’ve done and I believe in them.”

At the end of the conference, Lambert said that “We want to make sure we get it right, based on the continued feedback we are receiving from the community.” Life Remodeled said that they want to coordinate with the vision for the Denby Neighborhood Alliance: “Serving the community with health, human services, and workforce development.”

The neighborhood hub will be similar to Life Remodeled’s “Durfee Innovation Society” on the west side, offering after-school programs, community resources, and health services. Life Remodeled said that they will also continue the tradition of the Winans Academy by providing arts and culture programming.

Life Remodeled will raise funds via philanthropy to complete the needed work on the building and property, but has not yet finalized financial requirements. This project will create life-transforming access to educational youth programs, workforce development initiatives, health and wellness services, and more.

[ VIDEO: Life Remodeled Press Conference Announcing Purchase of the Marvin Winans Academy of Performing Arts (11 JUL 23):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPE7wYA_sFA ]

Sadness comes in many forms. Dealing with sickness. Struggling through a pandemic. The loss of a job. The loss of ‘something’ dear to someone. Or, the death of a friend or family member. It is the deep, dark sadness that comes with loss.

So, how can you cope without someone or something that has been such a key part of your life?

YOUR SORROW WILL ‘TURN INTO’ JOY
Now, it is one thing to ‘read’ about sorrow, sadness, and suffering, but quite another to ‘experience’ it.

Jesus was also preparing the disciples for how they would carry on His ministry after He departed. Jesus was telling the disciples that they were going to soon face something that they would find very difficult—something that would bring them much sorrow and circumstantially would leave them with no hope or joy.

Jesus said:

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”… “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy”
[ John 16:16; 16:20 ].

Now, the first “little while” refers to Jesus’ death, whereas the second “little while” refers to His resurrection. When Jesus was crucified, the disciples would weep and lament, while Jesus’ enemies would rejoice. However, after the disciples saw the risen Lord, their sorrow would be turned to unbelievable joy, which no one would be able to take from them (John 20:22d).

The thing is, we have to remember something about the disciples at this time. They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah and that He was going to ‘establish’ His Kingdom—overthrow the Romans, overthrow the hypocritical Jewish leaders, and establish Himself as King. However, Jesus says that in a little bit He is going to die and the world will rejoice. What?!

So, why would the world rejoice at the death of Jesus, the ‘promised’ Messiah? Well, previously, Jesus said that “People love darkness rather than light, for their works are evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed” [ John 3:19c-20 ].

Rejection of Jesus is not an ‘intellectual’ issue, it is a ‘moral’ issue. More specifically, it is a ‘HEART’ issue. There are only two responses to Jesus. You either bow to Him as Lord and Savior and embrace Him in the fullness of faith and love, or you reject Him in hatred and in love for your sin.

However, Jesus goes on to say that their sorrow will be turned into joy—a truth that would be able to be applied to all of life. The disciples are still not grasping what Jesus is teaching—that their sorrow will be turned to joy.

So, Jesus uses an illustration to help the disciples understand how sorrow is turned into joy: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come”. That hour is the hour of delivery or we could say hours sometimes of delivery—and it brings real, genuine pain and because of that, sorrow. “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world” [ John 16:21 ].

See, the delivery of the baby is something the disciples can relate to. It is something that many of you can relate to, too. A mother goes into delivery and often they are brought to tears in pain, in anguish. But, once that baby is born, those tears of pain and anguish turn into tears of joy.

So then, why does the mother have joy? Is it because the sorrow and anguish was gone? Well, no. She does not have joy because the sorrow and the anguish are gone, because it is still there. So, what happened? Well, the sorrow and anguish have been ‘swallowed up’ or overcome by the ‘joy’ of the baby.

Now, they still would weep, feel pain, and experience abandonment. Their mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish would be like the physical anguish a woman feels in giving child-birth, all the while their enemies were laughing, taunting, and rejoicing about Jesus’ death.

BUT, just as Jesus predicted, it would all change. Sadness would give way to joy, pain would be eased, troubled hearts would be soothed, tortured souls would be relieved, and sadness would be turned to gladness because Jesus resurrected from the dead. The ‘grave’ could not hold Him, and the Devil could not stop Him. So then, on resurrection Sunday sad hearts became glad hearts.

Then, to encourage a bit more, Jesus promises that “No one can take your joy from you” [ John 16:22 ]—because it is an ‘ETERNAL’ JOY! This is not just joy for when the disciples are sorrowful over the death of Jesus. This is joy that will be with them FOREVER, through all of life’s sorrows and BEYOND!

The thing is, this sorrow-conquering joy is for ‘EVERY’ BELIEVER, and that it will never ‘leave’ them. Real joy and fullness are available to every believer despite of their circumstances—even in the ‘bleakest’ of circumstances.

So, here is a question for you: “Do you really believe this? Honestly? That the fullness of joy is available to every believer despite how bleak the circumstances seem?

[ FYI: For more details about having joy within bleak circumstances, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/having-joy-through-trials-v198/ ]

The thing is, the believer’s life is ‘between’ the now and the not yet. Jesus demonstrated this to us by facing the greatest anguish and suffering any human being will ever face under the wrath of God for His people: “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross.” It doesn’t mean the Cross didn’t hurt and that one’s pain is not real. That is not what I’m talking about here. (The Bible never says to put on a fake smile and act like everything is okay.)

[ FYI: For more details about ‘proper’ expectations, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/realistic-expectations-v281/ ]

[ FYI: For more details about the ‘presence’ of God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/presence-withdrawn-v257/ ]

Joy is the fundamental disposition or temperament of the follower of Jesus. After Jesus admonishes the disciples to keep His commandments, He explains His loving motivation when He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” [ John 15:11 ].

In that one statement, we see that not only does Jesus have joy, He wants His joy to be ‘in’ them—and in the believer today—to experience joy to the fullest. That is why He wants the believer today to show their love for Him by their obedience to Him—that they then might know HIS JOY!

The New Testament teaches that the main aim of the Christian life is NOT being a good, moral person. What?! That is Islam and many other religions, but it is not biblical Christianity. Christianity is about knowing, loving, and finding our highest joy ‘IN’ Jesus, and bringing glory to God the Father. [ The “Westminster Shorter Catechism” says that the chief end of man is to “Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” (1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 145) ]

The believer is ‘commanded’ to find their joy in God: “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing” [ Psalm 100:1-2 ], “Delight yourself in the LORD” [ Psalm 37:4 ], and “Rejoice in the Lord always; again. I will say, Rejoice” [ Philippians 4:4 ].

Jesus also emphasized this by telling a parable: “The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” [ Matthew 13:44 ]. If finding joy in God is not the believer’s daily passion and pursuit, then they have the wrong goal in life. THAT should be on their minds from our earliest waking moments in the morning. Finding their joy ‘in’ God.

St. Augustine wrote in his “Confessions” book: “Everywhere a greater joy is preceded by a greater suffering.” So, suffering is a ‘gateway’ to joy. [ NOT exactly an American cultural value, but as I will show, it is clearly taught in Scripture. ]

So, again, knowing this truth about this God-established pattern for one’s life is REALLY important, because it shows one that suffering, and the sadness it brings, are not simply bad experiences to be endured and gotten over, and they are not ‘unnecessary’ interruptions in one’s joy. No, they ultimately bring about some ‘means’ of joy. Hmmm… really? Yes!

Now, expanding on the nature of a BELIEVER’S joy ‘IN’ Jesus, this is a joy that overwhelms and overlaps sorrow, but it does not ‘eliminate’ it. When Jesus mentioned the woman giving birth to a baby (John 16:21), He didn’t say that the mother no longer remembers the anguish. He also did not say it erased the pain as if no pain ever existed. What He did say was that even though the joy of childbirth does not ‘eliminate’ the pain, the joy that comes from the birth of one’s child is so great that it causes the memory of the pain to be ‘dim’ by comparison.

A truth revealed here about joy in Jesus is that joy is not rooted in our earthly circumstances. This is implied in what I have said so far, but it is worth saying it explicitly. Even though one may have sorrow now, “no one will take your joy from you” [ John 16:22 ].

This is an amazing truth! If you are a follower of Jesus, no one and no circumstance can take your joy from you unless you voluntarily ‘surrender’ it. No one has the power to rob you of your joy because NO ONE can change the truth of the Gospel, which is the ‘source’ of one’s joy. Biblical joy is far more ‘durable’ than one’s circumstances and the pain they are experiencing. The Bible clearly teaches that if a believer is not experiencing joy on a regular and increasing basis, something is badly wrong because there is NOTHING that can take their joy from them!

This is where joy differs from happiness. The English word “happy” comes from the Middle English word “hap” which means “chance” or “luck.” The etymological meaning conveys that if, by chance, good things happen to you, you will be happy. So, happiness, by definition, is rooted in what is happening ‘to’ you—within your circumstances. However, if your circumstances go from positive to negative, you go from being happy to hapless.

HOWEVER, biblical joy is very different because it is not rooted in what happens to us. As we have seen, real, biblical joy is ultimately rooted in a Person, Jesus. The joy-giving truths of the unchangeable Gospel do not change. Because the believer’s joy is rooted in them, their joy should not evaporate when life becomes difficult.

[ FYI: For more details about having joy when experiencing ‘trials’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/having-joy-through-trials-v198/ ]

Now, this should be a reminder to the believer that they must be very careful NOT to pursue satisfaction the way the world does, through the uncertain, fleeting pleasures of this life. The world says, if life gets hard, make a change, ‘run’ away, move to a new state, avoid that difficult person, complain, gripe, and whine—desperately work to “fix” whatever is broken with your life so you can be “happy” again.

Well, that is a ‘recipe’ for frustration. If you have lived a few decades, you know that if you are looking for happiness from your circumstances, you will experience profound disappointment!

The thing is, a ‘healthy’ believer going through trials trusts that God will use those trials to conform them to the image of Jesus. So, if conformity to Jesus is their aim—as it should be—then the assurance of that WILL bring joy in the midst of sorrow.

English poet William Cowper, in his hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” says it as well as anyone I have read has:

“You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread–are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for his grace, behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour: The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.”

Do you ‘see’ this pattern of joy coming out of sorrow in Cowper’s hymn? The dark ‘clouds’ of suffering and difficulty threaten to bring fear to the believer, but the truth is—those clouds are actually filled with hidden mercy and blessing. Likewise, as Cowper says, there is often in our life, a “frowning providence.” That is, difficult outward circumstances. But the truth is—behind the “frown” of that outward difficulty, there is “a smiling face”—the face of God who loves His ‘children’ and who is at work in them for their own good (Romans 8:28) through the difficulty. Likewise, after the “bitter bud” of painful circumstances, a “sweet flower” of blessing is produced!

Now, for some of you, ALL that you are experiencing in your trial is the ‘taste’ of the “bitter bud.” You know only the anxiety that comes from the dark clouds of difficulty in life. You are overwhelmed by what Cowper calls God’s “frowning providence.” The thing is, you must know that this is NOT Christian thinking.

One must remember that their trials are only external and temporary. One must trust God and rejoice in faith for the blessings that will soon fall from the “dark clouds” filled with God’s mercy, as well as trust and rejoice in the smiling ‘face’ of God that lies behind the frowning providence. By faith, one must rejoice in the “sweet flower” that always comes after the bud’s bitter taste. Only a person who ‘knows’ Jesus can find joy even in the midst of pain. As the Scripture teaches, pain is intended, by God, to lead the believer to ultimate joy—Heaven.

Joy should be the ‘natural’ state of the believer. If they are not experiencing it, it is because they have allowed something to steal it from them. If you claim to be a believer but have never experienced a joy that can overwhelm your painful circumstances—seek God to see if your conversion was genuine. A joyless believer is an oxymoron!

Now, life contains both highs and lows—‘mountain top’ experiences as well as the dark ‘valleys’. If one lives long enough, they are sure to experience both many times throughout their lives. They will see there are many ‘forces’ affecting their life that lie beyond their power to control them. This is where one can find reassurance in Jesus’ promise of future joy!

Make no mistake about it, I understand your pain, bewilderment, confusion, and dismay. You may be questioning why you have no joy in your life. Well, you might need to take time away from everything and everyone to rest and grieve. Grief is a natural part of life, and working your way through it will not come quickly. However, you must PRESS ON! It WILL come eventually, if you focus on Jesus!

As you move forward, plan to, each day, spend time ‘with’ Jesus. Developing your relationship with Him will lead you toward that day of ‘joy’. Recognize that, if you are a believer, God WILL provide a ‘way’ through the situation you find yourself in and that “no one will take away your joy.”

On “Maundy Thursday” evening—the day before the Crucifixion—in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” [ Matthew 26:38 ]. Jesus understands and wants to give you comfort in the middle of all of the sorrow and sadness you are going through!

Now, sometimes, by God’s grace, a believer will experience joy right here on earth. Life can change in a flash—for the ‘good’! However, more typically, joy doesn’t come for many months or many years. But then, as one looks back, they realize that God had this planned to be revealed just at the right time.

Now, sadly, sometimes the sorrow doesn’t ever go away—at least not in this life. Sometimes depression is like the ‘cloud’ that follows you everywhere you go. But again, that’s what Heaven is all about—‘EVERLASTING’ JOY! We just have to endure these sorrows for “a little while” (on average, as the Bible purports, 70-80 years).

That is why, on His last night, Jesus gave His disciples—and every believer since—such beautiful promises:

– “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”
[ John 14:1-3 ].

– “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”
[ John 14:27 ].

– “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
[ John 16:33 ].

– “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy”
[ John 16:20d ].

So, in the meantime, the believer has a powerful ‘tool’ from Jesus: “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” [ John 16:23-24 ].

You don’t have to carry any burden alone. You don’t have to hide any anxiety inside. God the Father—the Maker of the heavens and earth—invites you to bring it all to Him!

Just remember, when the tears come, Jesus PROMISED this: You will be sorrowful now, but your sorrow will turn to joy, in a “little while”!

– Disappointment When Something Doesn’t ‘Happen’ As Was Hoped
– Confusion Over ‘Circumstances’
– Seeming Triumph Of ‘Evil People’
– Living In A ‘Fallen’ Creation

– Disappointment When Something Doesn’t ‘Happen’ As Was Hoped
The comment of the men on the Emmaus Road to Jesus (whom they did not yet recognize) was no doubt one that all the apostles would have agreed with (Luke 24:21): “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” They thought that the Messiah would come and establish His reign over Israel, bringing in times of peace and blessing, as prophesied in the Old Testament.

The disciples had forsaken everything to follow Jesus in the hopes that He was this promised Messiah. But now, contrary to all their hopes, He was falsely accused and executed. They were deeply disappointed. In the same way, when you have hoped and prayed and worked for something that you believed to be God’s will, but it didn’t happen, you will experience sorrow.

– Confusion Over ‘Circumstances’
The disciples were confused over what Jesus was telling them, but they would be even more deeply confused in the next few hours as they watched their beloved Lord suffer the most shameful, painful death imaginable. In spite of Jesus’ repeatedly telling them that He was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, the disciples didn’t get it. They could not conceive of a Messiah who did not come to establish His kingdom and reign (Psalm 2:6-9; 68:18; 110:1). They understood part of the Scriptures, but not all of them (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53).

In the same way, it is easy for the believer to get confused because they do not understand the totality of the Bible’s teaching on something. They have preconceived ideas about how things should turn out, and when they don’t go their way, they are confused and saddened.

– Seeming Triumph Of ‘Evil People’
People with perverted values seem to prevail, while the righteous suffer. Jesus tells the disciples that the world would rejoice over His death. The smug religious leaders congratulated one another over finally getting rid of this ‘pesky’ preacher from Galilee, who threatened their power. In our day, when one sees the horrific evil of a religious extremist gloating over killing innocent people, one feels deep sadness and grief.

– Living In A ‘Fallen’ Creation
Because of Adam’s sin, the whole creation has been subjected to futility and death (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20, 22). Although Jesus conquered sin and death at the Cross, the believer still lives in a ‘fallen’ world and in bodies that are subject to disease and death. They still have to fight against the ‘flesh’—which is prone to sin—with its painful consequences. When others sin against them, they suffer sadness and sorrow. Sometimes the deep pain takes years to work through. Being a believer does not insulate them from experiencing such sorrow and pain.

However, Jesus promises to turn a believer’s sorrows into lasting joy—in His time.

‘HOW’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
Well, briefly, there are four ‘WAYS’ Jesus does this:

– Showing The ‘Glory’ Of The Cross
– Giving Believers An ‘Eternal’ Perspective
– Being The Believer’s ‘Mediator’
– His ‘Defeat’ Of Death

– Showing The ‘Glory’ Of The Cross
The amazing truth is that in all of their writings, the apostles did not portray the Cross in depressing, mournful tones, but rather as something glorious and triumphant. It was the center of their apostolic preaching because it was the basis upon which God could forgive our sins (Acts 2:23; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 1 Corinthians 2:2). The Apostle Paul even wrote that he gloried or boasted in the Cross (Galatians 6:14).

The significant thing here is that Jesus does not say that the disciple’s sorrow would be ‘replaced’ by joy, but rather that He would ‘turn’ their sorrow into joy (John 16:20), using the analogy of a woman in labor (John 16:21). In that day, before anesthesia, you could hear a woman crying out in anguish one minute and a few minutes later she was beaming with joy over the very thing that had caused her such anguish. Namely, her newborn baby.

The Apostle Paul wrote that the believer’s sufferings bring us into fellowship with Jesus in His sufferings (Philippians 3:10-11), and so they attain to the resurrection of the dead. He said that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). The writer to the Hebrews tells us that as we fix our eyes on Jesus and His suffering, we can then submit to God’s discipline in our lives, which yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12). Jesus will turn the believer’s present sorrow into joy as they get a deeper understanding of the glory of the Cross.

– Giving Believers An ‘Eternal’ Perspective
Jesus did not answer the disciples’ questions on the spot, such that they would face the Cross—the next day—with a clearer understanding. However, He did give them instruction that enabled them to look back later on this traumatic event with clarity and understanding. After the Resurrection, as He opened the Scriptures to show them how the Messiah needed first to suffer and then enter His glory (Luke 24:26, 46-47), they got the ‘big picture’ of what God was doing in history. That ‘eternal’ perspective enabled them later to endure suffering for the sake of His Kingdom.

– Being The Believer’s ‘Mediator’
Jesus repeats the promise to answer the disciples’ prayers offered in His name ((John 16:23-24; John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16). As I had shown previously, to ask “in Jesus’ name” is to ask ‘in line’ with His will for that which will further His kingdom and His glory. It is to ask for what Jesus would want, based not on one’s merit, but on His blood and righteousness. So, when a believer asks He WIIL answer and their joy will be made full.

Now, there will be many times when a believer asks for something in Jesus’ name that you think will further His kingdom and glorify His name, but He does not answer as you asked. At such times, they have to trust that He will work in ways that are beyond what they could ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20). He often accomplishes His purposes in ways that seem ‘backward’ to the believer. Since they don’t understand all that God is doing—and He doesn’t usually explain it to them—they may go to their ‘graves’ not knowing why He seemingly did not answer their prayers. However, when they do pray and He answers, it ‘floods’ them with great joy.

– His ‘Defeat’ Of Death
Jesus said that the disciples would see Him again and then their hearts would rejoice and no one could take that joy away from them (John 16:16-17, 22). They saw Jesus physically, which we cannot do. However, the believer can ‘see’ Him spiritually as they believe the apostolic witness.

The Apostle Peter wrote to suffering Christians, “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” [ 1 Peter 1:8 ]. It is often in times of suffering that a believer will ‘see’ Jesus more clearly as the Holy Spirit gives them understanding. Now, of course, the believer’s ultimate, eternal joy will sweep all of their sorrows away forever the instant they ‘see’ Jesus return in power and glory (or ‘see’ Him after they are raptured).

So then, note that the world’s joy comes from things that are temporary. Their joy will be turned to sorrow when those things perish and they face God in judgment. However, when Jesus returns, the believers’ temporary sorrows will be turned to eternal joy! Woo-hoo!

‘WHY’ DOES JESUS TURN SORROWS INTO JOY?
Well, briefly, there are two reasons ‘WHY’ Jesus does this:

– Creating ‘Christlikeness’ Through Suffering
– Comforting Others With His ‘All-sufficiency’

– Creating ‘Christlikeness’ Through Suffering
The Apostle James exhorts the believer to consider it all joy when they encounter various trials, because through those trials, they will become more like Jesus (James 1:2-5). The Apostle Paul says something similar when he says that he exults in his tribulations, knowing that they produce perseverance, proven character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5). So, one might say, “Couldn’t we just skip the sorrow part and move directly into the joy?” Well, the writer to the Hebrews said that even Jesus learned obedience through His sufferings (Hebrews 5:8)—although He was not disobedient. However, through suffering, He experienced, humanly, what obedience was all about. So then, through a believer’s sufferings, they will learn to be more like Jesus if they ‘trust’ Him through the process.

– Comforting Others With His ‘All-sufficiency’
It is only when the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies that it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). The Apostle Paul also said that God comforts the believer in their affliction so that they will be able to comfort others in their afflictions with the comfort with which God comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:4).

[ FYI: Pastor, theologian, and author Tim Challies wrote a book describing the sorrows he, his wife, and his family went through after the sudden death of their son, Nick. It just might comfort someone who has experienced a close family member passing away: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310136733 ]

An illustration from the “Our Daily Bread” devotional might help here:

“Many years ago, a Salvation Army officer was preaching in Chicago when a man spoke out in front of the crowd, ‘You can talk about how Christ is dear to you, but if your wife were dead, as my wife is, and you had babies crying for their mother, you couldn’t say what you are saying.’

A few days later, that preacher’s wife was killed in a tragic train accident. At the funeral service, the grieving husband stood beside her casket and said, ‘The other day when I was preaching in this city, a man said that if my wife were dead and my children were crying for their mother, I couldn’t say that Christ was sufficient. If that man is here, I tell him that Christ is sufficient! My heart is crushed, bleeding, and broken. But there is also a song in my heart and Christ put it there. The Savior speaks comfort to me today.’ The man who had raised the objection was present, and he surrendered his life to Christ.”

THE ‘MINISTRY’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Now, even though the believer does not ‘see’ Jesus physically, He has left another “Helper” to be a guide for them—in all truth.

The Greek word translated “Helper” (“parakletos”) literally means “one who is called alongside.” (The King James Version translates it “Comforter,” which is one of its meanings.)

The Holy Spirit is not a ‘mystical’ power, He is a person just as Jesus is a person. He is not some ‘ghostlike’ emanation. (It is unfortunate that the translators of the King James Version used the term “Ghost” instead of “Spirit.”) For generations, people have had the idea that the Holy Spirit is an apparition, something like Casper the Friendly Ghost, the 1950s and 60s comic book and cartoon character! However, He is NOT a ‘ghost’, He is a Person (of the “Trinity”).

Now, all believers have two ‘paracletes’: the Spirit of God within us and the Son of God in Heaven. “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” [ 1 John 2:1 ]. The Greek word translated “Advocate” is “parakletos.”

The disciples must have been greatly encouraged and comforted to hear Jesus say that He would send another Helper to minister to them when He left. But, Jesus’ promise extended beyond that, too. His next words beautifully culminate the message of comfort: “that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16). Not only would the Holy Spirit come to dwell ‘within’ them, but He would also never leave them.

The Apostle Paul said that Jesus ‘in’ us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), and that Jesus promised His Spirit would reside in the believer (John 14:17), permanently. Jesus said that “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and that He would “never leave or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).

Jesus essentially was saying that “I am going away to My Father, yet I will come to you in the form of My Spirit to dwell within you.” That is a WONDERFUL ‘PROMISE’ EVERY ‘BELIEVER’ HAS! (The Apostle Paul emphasized this by saying: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” [ 1 Corinthians 3:16 ]).

A ‘Supernatural’ Teacher
Jesus had spoken only the Father’s words, but the disciples always had trouble understanding Him during His earthly ministry. For example, the Apostle John said, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him” [ John 12:16 ]. Jesus Himself said, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” [ John 16:12 ].

So, because of that wonderful promise, the disciples were later able to recall the precise words Jesus had spoken to them. Once they recorded them as Scripture, those words would be perfect and error-free. In addition, the Spirit revealed ‘new’ truths to only them (and new revelations ‘ended’ with them).

Now, the Holy Spirit’s main role to the apostle was that of ‘teacher’—teaching “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). So then, how does the promise that the Holy Spirit will instruct the believer and bring all things to their memory apply today?

Well, the Holy Spirit teaches the believer by convicting them of sin, affirming truth in their hearts, and opening their understanding to the depth of God’s revealed truth. Many believers have probably experienced, many times, something that the Holy Spirit ‘brings to mind’ at just the right moment of need. “The anointing which you have received from Him [Christ] abides in you… as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” [ 1 John 2:27 ].

So, the Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus, ‘lifting’ Him up such that the believer may ‘behold’ Him. The Holy Spirit will help the believer achieve joy in their lives here on earth, while knowing the joy will be ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ when they arrive in Heaven.

WRAP-UP
Sadly, after a few months of discussions with the “Detroit Public School Community District” (DPSCD) Board, unfortunately, and remarkably, rejected both offers Life Remodeled made for the Cooley High School property to transform Cooley in the ways the community was wishing. As a result, this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what you, the School Board’s constituents, have enthusiastically stated you want for it to become.

HOWEVER, sadness turned into joy when the “Winans Academy of Performing Arts” (previously the home of the “Dominican High School” from 1940 to 2005), REQUESTED that Life Remodeled transform their closing charter school into a ‘Hub of Opportunity’ as they did with the Durfee Middle-Elementary school for the past six years!

The thing is, this is kind of a ‘homecoming’, since Life Remodeled partnered with the Denby community in 2016 to bring to life a vision of a park next door to the Denby High School. They worked with Denby High School students to enhance Skinner Park and volunteers removed blight on 303 blocks and boarded up 362 vacant houses.

‘WAYS’ OF LETTING GO
So, the following are some highly effective ‘ways’ to let go of sadness:

– Be ‘Grateful’
Gratefulness drives out doom and gloom and is a highly effective way to increase joy and counter sadness.

– Focus On The ‘Positive’
Stay productive and have a forward focus. If you are going to rehearse the past, ONLY rehearse your history with God, and then begin to sing and shout about His faithfulness!

– Connect With The ‘Body’ Of Christ
One of the ways we are able to receive the ministry of Jesus is to intentionally put ourselves in fellowship with Him through His Body, the Church. He created us to connect with others, and it is important that we stay connected when feelings of sadness are trying to overwhelm us. The support of Jesus, through our church family is one of the best ways to increase our happiness and joy.

– Be ‘Kind’ To Yourself
Abandon your own critical voice, and start speaking to yourself the way God does. Learn to speak positively and productively to yourself.

– Give To Others
One of the quickest ways to ‘ditch’ sadness and inner emptiness is to shift out of what “I’m feeling” and ‘connect’ with the needs of others. Get involved in helping others, and before you know it, you won’t be thinking about how bad you feel, but how GOOD you feel!

– Forgive
Don’t ‘hang on’ to hurts or disappointments. It will make you bitter, not better. Forgiveness releases you from a self-imposed prison of pain. Spend some time at the cross. Meditate on what God has done for you, and then release that same mercy to yourself and those who’ve done you wrong. I guarantee you that sadness will leave!

For example, some have the ‘MISTAKEN’ notion that because they believe in Jesus, He will protect them from major suffering. Then, when tragedy hits, they feel that God has ‘abandoned’ them. Others were taught to ‘claim’ healing by faith and when that didn’t work, they were told that they didn’t have enough faith. Both are ‘BAD’ THEOLOGY!

Just before Jesus went to the Cross, He was preparing the disciples for the overwhelming sorrow that they would experience in the next few hours as they watched Him be arrested, mocked, scourged, and crucified. Their ‘world’ would come crashing down around them. They had put their hopes and staked their futures on their belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel (who was supposed to overthrow the Romans, overthrow the hypocritical Jewish leaders, and establish Himself as King right then).

The thing is, the previous Sunday, their hopes were really high as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the “Hosannas” of the crowd. But now, less than a week later, everything that they had hoped for would come to a sudden, shocking end as they watched Jesus suffer and die. Jesus prepares them (and us) for suffering by teaching that:

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” [ John 16:20d ] and that “no one will take your joy from you” [ John 16:22d ].

For the believer, Jesus WILL turn their sorrows into lasting joy. He ‘PROMISED’ to do so!

Now, looking at these truths that extend beyond the original disciples, the first truth Jesus teaches us about joy is that just as life flows from death, joy can be, and often is, birthed out of sorrow. In the passage I am using, Jesus is consistent with all New Testament teachings by revealing that there is in life a flow—a God-ordained ‘rhythm’ for believers. That rhythm in the life of every believer, is typically sorrow followed by joy (here on earth) or death followed by life (in Heaven). The ‘template’ that establishes this for the believer’s life is Jesus Himself, whose death was followed by His resurrection.

The disciples were about to be thrust into something that would bring all of their hope crashing down, and on the ‘surface level’, it seemed like everything was ending and it was all over. The thing is, the truth that Jesus is teaching is true for EVERY BELIEVER in their lives. He said:

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you”
[ John 16:22 ].

Jesus tells His disciples that their sorrow will be turned to joy when they see Him again. This is reminiscent of the Psalmist’s words (probably Ezra): “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” [ Psalm 126:5-6 ].

This is a glorious truth for all believer’s lives. Jesus then tells them ‘how’ it can be a reality:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”
[ John 16: 23b-24 ].

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that whoever asks receives, whoever seeks finds, and whoever knocks will find an open door (Matthew 7:7-8). However, like all verses in the Bible, one must examine the ‘context’. Jesus goes on to say that God will not fail to give His children good things (verse 11). So, this is one ‘condition’ to the promise of “ask and receive”: what we ask for must be ‘good’ in God’s estimation. God will give advantageous gifts to His ‘children’ and will not give them bad or injurious things—no matter how much they clamor for them.

Another ‘condition’ to the promise of “ask and receive” is that “You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.” Here, Jesus does not promise His disciples anything and everything they want. Rather, He instructs them to ask “in My name.” To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray on the basis of Jesus’ authority, but it also involves praying according to the WILL of God (John 6:38). One’s requests must be congruent with the will of God.

The thing is, the promise of “ask and receive,” even with its conditions, will never disappoint. There is no chance of things that the believer ‘needs’ not being in God’s will. He promises to supply what they need when they “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Now, of course, what they want is not always what they need. If what they want is not in God’s will, then they really don’t want to receive it. God knows what is good for them and is faithful and loving to say “no” to selfish and foolish prayers, no matter how much they want what they are asking for.

God will ALWAYS give the believer ‘good’ things. Their job is to understand what is good, so that they know what to ask for. The natural mind cannot understand this, but when they offer themselves as “a living sacrifice” and are transformed by the renewing of their minds—with the help of the Holy Spirit—then they “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). Then, by for what they need in faith, they will have all they need for life, godliness, and fullness of joy (John 16:24).

Consider what King David said: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” [ Psalm 37:4 ]. This verse does not give the believer a way to manipulate God, nor does it mean that, if they obey, He will reward them with whatever treat they crave. Rather, it means that, when a believer delights themselves in God, then they will find everything they want and need ‘in’ Him. The key here is that the ‘heart’ of the seeker is changed—when they delight in God. His desires become their own.

When the believer truly desires God and is passionate to see His will accomplished in this world, He is eager to give them anything they ask.

Although Jesus encouraged His disciples, He didn’t ‘sugarcoat’ what was about to happen. The disciples were about to enter a time of suffering.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”
[ Revelation 21:4 ].

‘HINDSIGHT’ IS 20/20
So, have you ever heard how “Hindsight is 20/20”? To us two centuries later, Jesus’ words make sense. Jesus was talking about the great events that a believer’s faith and life are based on. However, back then, in a little while—that very night—Jesus was going to leave. He was going to be arrested and condemned and crucified for the sins of the world—including a believer’s sins today.

In a little while, those disciples weren’t going to see Jesus anymore. But what makes Good Friday “good” is that after another little while, they are going to see Jesus again. In three days, Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated death and sin and the Devil: “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” That is a wonderful summary of everything Jesus did for the believer!

So, what is the point? The sadness, grief, and heartache of this life are real. Try telling any woman who has gone through labor that it is not a big deal. That it really isn’t that bad. (Hopefully, she will ‘slap’ you!) It is! Just like the sadness, grief, and heartache of this life are real, hard, and painful. Those disciples were going to cry real tears and grieve with real despair. But, Jesus wanted them to know that their sorrow was going to have an end. In a little while, it would be gone. In fact, it would be ‘forgotten’! Their grief would turn to joy. A joy that no one could ever take away from them!

Just so you know how much Jesus wanted to emphasize “In a little while,” He said it SEVEN times in just this one passage! As the mother-to-be enters the delivery room, can you picture the nurse taking her hand and saying, “In a little while, it will all be worth it”! Jesus took His disciples ‘hands’ and made them the same promise: “In a little while, your grief will turn to joy. You can trust me. I know it’s going to look dark. But wait a little while. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

As Jesus was promising His disciples the joy they would be soon experiencing, He also was telling them that He was going to go back to Heaven, but would send another “Advocate”—the Holy Spirit—to be with them and to “teach them all things” (John 14:26).

What the disciples went through in those three days from Good Friday to Easter mirrors what life is like for all believers here on earth today. We don’t see Jesus ‘physically’ right here with us. It seems like He is gone, and it seems like it is going to be this way forever. It seems like we will never be happy again, just like Jesus promised: “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.”

Is that true today? Absolutely! BUT, there is just a bit more—Jesus PROMISE: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” That was true for Jesus’ disciples during their time and it is true for the believer today!

THE “JOY OF THE LORD”
The “joy of the Lord” is the gladness of the ‘heart’ that comes from ‘knowing’ God, ‘abiding’ in Jesus, and being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was born, the angels announced “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Even before His birth, Jesus had brought joy, as attested to in Mary’s song (Luke 1:47) and by John the Baptist’s response to hearing Mary’s voice as he “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:44). [ All who ‘find’ Jesus knows, with the shepherds of the nativity, the joy He brings. ]

In the Old Testament, Nehemiah told the repentant Israelites that “the joy of the Lord would be their strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The early Church was characterized by gladness and the joy of the Lord (Acts 2:46; 13:52), and “joy in the Holy Spirit” is a distinguishing mark of the Kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). Those who are part of the Kingdom—believers—share in the Kingdom’s ‘delight’.

Joy is also ‘part’ of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In fact, the Apostle Paul says it is a believer’s ‘duty’ to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). Then, the believer is “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

The thing is, because of its ‘supernatural’ origin, the joy of the Lord—the believer’s gladness of heart—is present even through the ‘trials’ of life. The believer knows that they are ‘children’ of God, and no one can take us away from Jesus (John 10:28-29). They are heirs to “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,” and no one can steal it from them (1 Peter 1:4; Matthew 6:20). They see the “Author and Finisher of our faith”—Jesus—wins in the end (Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 2).

The ‘joy of the Lord’ is a believer’s strength, and adverse circumstances, instead of hindering their faith, can actually enhance their joy. The Apostle Paul and Silas knew adversity as they sat with their feet in the stocks in a Philippian jail cell. Their legal rights had been violated. They had been arrested without cause and beaten without a trial. However, at midnight, since they couldn’t sleep, they sang—VERY loudly—the praises of the Lord they were serving (Acts 16:25). Then, “Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” [ Acts 16:26 ].

The apostles in Jerusalem were arrested—twice—and ordered not to preach in Jesus’ name. The second time they faced the court, they were beaten. Unfazed, they returned home “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” and ready to preach some more (Acts 5:41). Of course, the apostles were only following the example of Jesus, who had “for the joy set before him… endured the Cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2).

The thing is, the ‘joy of the Lord’ is inexplicable to the one who does not possess it. However, for the believer in Jesus, the joy of the Lord comes as naturally as grapes on a vine. As they abide in Jesus—the True Vine—they, the ‘branches’, are full of His strength and vitality, and the ‘fruit’ they produce, including joy, is His doing (John 15:5).

[ FYI: I created a website, “Fruits Of The Beatitudes,” that talks about the ‘fruit’ that the believer produces because of the character that they have been imbued with because of being a ‘branch’ of the True Vine, Jesus:
https://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/ ]

[ NOTE: There is a “Prayer of Repentance” below to help guide you in talking to God about becoming one of His ‘children’. ]

So, even though you have sorrow now—which Jesus will help you get through—what will you care of the suffering here on earth 10,000 years into Heaven’s ‘rest’? The suffering now will only intensify the coming joy. Those who suffered most in ‘battle’ have the greatest thankfulness when it is over. So, even though this might seem a bit absurd to say, if suffering is the ‘path’ to more joy, it almost makes one long for a bit more suffering to intensify Heaven’s joy.

This should make the believer realize, that there are ‘rewards’ of joy waiting for them in Heaven, and that there will be joy that NEVER ‘DIMINISHES’!

[ FYI: For more details about ‘rewards’ in Heaven, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/heaven-on-earth-v289/ ]

SO, regardless of what is going on in your life today, stay focused on Jesus and you will find your sorrow WILL BE transformed into a ‘JOY’ BEYOND MEASURE!

[ Excerpts by: Ethan Bakuli; Micah Walker; Chris Lambert; Rhonda Evans; Nivine Richie; Steven J. Cole; Zondervan; Nathan Nass; Jesse Barrington; Got Questions ]

RELATED POSTS:

“Journey Toward ‘Maturity’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/journey-toward-maturity-v295/

“What Are You ‘Responsible’ For?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-are-you-responsible-for-v294/

“Are You ‘Adopted’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-adopted-v293/

“‘Home’ At Last!!!”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/

“‘Heaven’ On Earth?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/heaven-on-earth-v289/

“There’s No Place Like ‘Home’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/theres-no-place-like-home-v288/

“Preparing For The ‘Future’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/preparing-for-the-future-v286/

“Being ‘Thankful’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/being-thankful-v285/

“Repurpose And ‘Transform’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/repurpose-and-transform-v284/

“Developing One’s ‘Character’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/developing-ones-character-v283/

“Realistic ‘Expectations’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/realistic-expectations-v281/

“‘Investigating’ Something”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/investigating-something-v277/

“‘WHAT’ Have You Done Lately?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-have-you-done-lately-v272/

“It’s ‘WHO’ You Know”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/its-who-you-know-v271/

“What Really ‘Matters’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/

“A Sense Of ‘Urgency’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/

“Being ‘Discerning’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/being-discerning-v266/

“Gaining A Deep ‘Understanding’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/gaining-a-deep-understanding-v264/

“Learning To ‘T.R.U.S.T.’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/

“Persistently ‘P.U.S.H.’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/persistently-p-u-s-h-v261/

“Continually ‘Transforming’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/continually-transforming-v260/

“Two ‘Choices’, One Way”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/

“The Only ‘Way’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/

“Still ‘Transforming’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/still-transforming-v248/

“‘Benefits’ Of Assurance”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/benefits-of-assurance-v244/

“‘Outworkings’ Of Grace”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/outworkings-of-grace-v241/

“‘Growing’ In Grace”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/growing-in-grace-v240/

“Continued ‘Transformation’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/continued-transformation-v236/

“‘Repurposing’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/repurposing-v223/

“The Purpose of ‘Tests’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-purpose-of-tests-v213/

“A ‘Remodeled’ Life”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-remodeled-life-v211/

“Are You ‘Prepared’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-prepared-v210/

“‘Remodeling’ Produces Hope”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/remodeling-produces-hope-v199/

“Having ‘Joy’ Through Trials”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/having-joy-through-trials-v198/

“‘Hope’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/hope-v187/

“‘Perseverance’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/perseverance-v184/

“‘Metamorphosis’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/metamorphosis-v170/

“The ’Spirit’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-spirit-v174/

“A ’New Start’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-new-start-v172/

“Being ‘Remodeled’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/being-remodeled-v163/

“It Is ‘Finished’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/it-is-finished-v158/

“‘Remodeling’ Your Service”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/remodeling-your-service-v157/

“Life Remodeled”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/life-remodeled-v148/

‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple.

In the parable, we read of a Pharisee and tax collector who pray in the Jerusalem Temple. The Pharisee thanks God that he is more righteous than others, giving evidence to prove it such as that he fasted twice a week (Luke 18:10-12). He far exceeded the demands of the law, which requires fasting only on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).

Reformed theologian John Calvin states in his commentary that the Pharisee’s problem does not lie in a rejection of the necessity of grace for salvation. His thanksgiving to God implicitly recognizes that his good works come from grace and are given to him by God—otherwise, there would be no need to thank God for his righteousness. The issue, Calvin argues, is that the Pharisee trusts in the merit of his works for salvation. It is not enough to confess that our good works come from God Himself, but we must also recognize that as good as these works may be, they are never perfect on this side of glory and cannot merit heaven. “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” [ Isaiah 64:6 ].

Now, many first-century Jews regarded the Pharisees as paragons of true righteousness and tax collectors as terrible sinners. Thus, they were no doubt shocked when Jesus said that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went away from the temple justified—that is, declared righteous. He was justified because he did not trust in his own works, even works given to him by God. The tax collector forsook his own righteousness, admitting his sin and humbly asking for mercy. Instead, he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ to God (Luke 18:13-14).

John Calvin writes, “Though a man may ascribe to God the praise of works, yet if he imagines the righteousness of those works to be the cause of his salvation, or rests upon it, he is condemned for wicked arrogance.” God gives His people good works to do, but our salvation is not based on those works. It is based only on Christ and His righteousness, which we receive by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” [ Ephesians 2:8-10 ].

So, if you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus. [ See Psalm 51 ].

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, you will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance (Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

<<< RESOURCES >>>

“Turning Sorrow Into Joy: A Journey of Faith and Perseverance”
By: Kent Christmas

Rejected. Broke. Unsuccessful. These are not words one associate with a pastor whose church has more than 3,000 members and whose services and podcast are viewed online by more than 200,000 people in nearly 100 nations each week. But Pastor Kent Christmas has lived these words. Jobless, near penniless, and nearly killed, on more than one occasion . . . yet ever laboring to become all that God would have him to be. This was Kent’s story.

But God . . .

God uses broken people with broken hearts and lives to bring healing and salvation to a broken world. In Turning Sorrow Into Joy, you will learn how God took Kent from floundering small-town preacher to world-renowned pastor, from brokenness to healing, from adversity to blessing, and from despair to victory. For Kent, God truly did restore the years that the locust had eaten (Joel 2:25).

Are you struggling to fulfill what you believe to be God’s purpose for your life but can’t seem to gain any traction? Is your story one of heartache, betrayal, rejection, and struggle, and you fear that your past will be your future? Kent Christmas has been there, yet he triumphed against all odds.

And so can you.

Kent’s story didn’t end where it began. Read it and be encouraged. God has a plan for you. He will fulfill it in His time.

“Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow”
By: Nancy Guthrie

In this paradigm-shifting book, Nancy Guthrie gently invites readers to lean in along with her to hear Jesus speak understanding and insight into the lingering questions we all have about the hurts of life: What was God’s involvement in this, and why did he let it happen? Why hasn’t God answered my prayers for a miracle? Can I expect God to protect me? Does God even care? According to Nancy, this questioning is not a bad thing at all but instead an opportunity. It’s a chance to hear with fresh ears the truth in the promises of the gospel we may have misapplied. It lets us retune our souls to the purposes of God we may have misunderstood.

“Turning My Mourning Into Dancing”
By: Henri Nouwen

How do you find hope in hard times? Learn not only how to survive the difficult seasons, but to live a full life in the midst of them and beyond. Grounded in God’s constancy and rooted in eternal hope, Nouwen guides you towards the kind of life that you can dance to—even through the darkest night.

Deeply comforting and profoundly realistic, Turn My Mourning into Dancing discusses five movements we experience during hard times:

– From Our Little Selves to a Larger World
– From Holding Tight to Letting Go
– From Fatalism to Hope
– From Manipulation to Love
– From a Fearful Death to a Joyous Life

Healing begins with taking our pain out of its toxic isolation and seeing our sufferings in communion with all humanity, and all creation. Nouwen teaches us that our lives participate in something much larger. Turn My Mourning into Dancing is a must read for:

– Those seeking growth and insight on the struggles of life
– Anyone going through the grief process and searching for real solutions
– Those who have experienced a loss, betrayal, or hard times

Everyone grieves differently. It is a process, not a science experiment. Mourning shouldn’t last forever. Do you want the kind of life that allows you to dance even in the middle of the darkest night? Get the answers and find hope within your hard times.

“We Go On: Finding Purpose in All of Life’s Sorrows and Joys”
By: John Onwuchekwa

Do you often ask the question “What is my purpose in life?” Rich with black-and-white photography, powerful stories, and life-changing reflections from the book of Ecclesiastes, We Go On, by pastor and entrepreneur John Onwuchekwa calls you to find the true answer to the question: Why am I here?

In a world that encourages us to find meaning in temporary things, we long to know that who we are makes a difference after we’re gone. This hope-filled exploration of this biblical book of wisdom turns our attention to what our true purpose is and how to let that purpose shape our relationships, career, and life choices. Along with biblical insights, John Onwuchekwa weaves together meaningful challenges that even from difficult beginnings, we can continue to trust God’s path.

In this book, you’ll discover a more meaningful, fulfilling life as you explore themes such as:

work, wealth, and power
sexuality, social relationships, and justice
religion and family
Inspiring black-and-white photography paired with a modern cover make this a perfect gift to give to men and women for holidays, graduations, birthdays, new jobs, or to anyone seeking a deeper relationship with God. We Go On will help men and women:

experience deeper peace in a changing world
see biblical imagery in a fresh way
persevere through difficult circumstances
find new motivation for living with intention
This unique book reminds you that deeper purpose is available as you look beyond your circumstances and find meaning in the God who never changes.

“Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God”
By: Tim Challies

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
An honest look at grief and fears, faith and hope. Combining personal narrative, sound theology, and beautiful writing, this is a book for anyone who has loved and lost.

On November 3, 2020, Tim and Aileen Challies received the shocking news that their son Nick had died. A twenty-year-old student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he had been participating in a school activity with his fiancée, sister, and friends, when he fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground.

Neither students nor a passing doctor nor paramedics were able to revive him. His parents received the news at their home in Toronto and immediately departed for Louisville to be together as a family. While on the plane, Tim, an author and blogger, began to process his loss through writing.

In Seasons of Sorrow, Tim shares real-time reflections from the first year of grief—through the seasons from fall to summer—introducing readers to what he describes as the “ministry of sorrow.”

Seasons of Sorrow will benefit both those that are working through sorrow or those comforting others:

– See how God is sovereign over loss and that he is good in loss
– Discover how you can pass through times of grief while keeping your faith
– Learn how biblical doctrine can work itself out even in life’s most difficult situations
– Understand how it is possible to love God more after loss than you loved him before

“Suffering Is Never for Nothing”
By: Elisabeth Elliot

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
Hard times come for all in life, with no real explanation. When we walk through suffering, it has the potential to devastate and destroy, or to be the gateway to gratitude and joy.

Elisabeth Elliot was no stranger to suffering. Her first husband, Jim, was murdered by the Waoroni people in Ecuador moments after he arrived in hopes of sharing the gospel. Her second husband was lost to cancer. Yet, it was in her deepest suffering that she learned the deepest lessons about God.

Why doesn’t God do something about suffering? He has, He did, He is, and He will.

Suffering and love are inexplicably linked, as God’s love for His people is evidenced in His sending Jesus to carry our sins, griefs, and sufferings on the cross, sacrificially taking what was not His on Himself so that we would not be required to carry it. He has walked the ultimate path of suffering, and He has won victory on our behalf.

This truth led Elisabeth to say, “Whatever is in the cup that God is offering to me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief along with the many more joys, I’m willing to take it because I trust Him.”

Because suffering is never for nothing.

“Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression”
By: Zack Eswine

Christians should have the answers, shouldn’t they? Depression affects many people both personally and through the ones we love. Here Zack Eswine draws from C.H Spurgeon, ‘the Prince of Preachers’ experience to encourage us. What Spurgeon found in his darkness can serve as a light in our own darkness. Zack Eswine brings you here, not a self–help guide, rather ‘a handwritten note of one who wishes you well.’

“He Will Turn Your Sadness Into Joy: 365 Devotional Journal for Grief and Loss”
By: Mischa A McMorris

Physical death is inevitable, and mourning and grieving the loss of a loved one is a normal process every human will experience at least once in his or her lifetime. Whether the loss of a loved one is expected or unexpected, God desires you to depend deeply on Him during this challenging season of your life. God desires this for you so He can provide you with the comfort, peace, community of people, and love you will need to support you during this journey. God also desires you to depend deeply on Him so that your faith and focus remain in Him. Many of God’s people have become stagnated in life and have lost hope because they did not have an understanding of His promises to be with them in this time and provide every tangible and intangible need they needed. However, this will not be you. You will receive and know God’s goodness, grace, promises, and unshakeable love for your life. Hold on to EVERY word of this devotional written just for you, and remain confident during this season of your life and the seasons to come that God is with you always. May God’s love, peace, and grace be multiplied to you!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SPECIAL ‘GENERAL’ RESOURCE

“ApologetiX Songbook”
(An interactive PDF)

It features the lyrics to every song on every CD and every “download” from 1993-2020

Special features:

indexed by title, original song, original artist, subject, and Bible verse
each song’s page has icons showing what albums it appears on
each song’s page has a commentary from lyricist J. Jackson
each album’s page includes liner notes and track listing
print any pages you like or use for slides in church
photos from ApologetiX’s debut concert in 1992
discography of out-of-print cassettes
downloadable in PDF format

New features in this edition:

all song commentaries from J. Jackson updated and expanded
also indexed by year when original song spoofed was a hit
J.’s original handwritten rough lyrics to 40 ApX classics
scads of photos from ApX 25th-anniversary concerts
list of 40 ApX parodies most likely to be redone
over 200 new parodies and journal entries
list of the first ApX concerts in each state
six new full-length feature articles
DVD discography and synopses
never-before-seen rare photos
lyrics for over 700 parodies
over 1000 pages!

Interactive features:

click on any page number in indexes or TOC to go to that page
click on any album icon to go to its liner notes and track listings
click on any song title on an album page to go to that song

Note: This e-book is a download-only and doesn’t include sheet music.

The songbook is available for a donation of $50 or more. After we receive your donation, we’ll send you a follow-up email with the link.

Get the Songbook for a donation:
http://www.apologetix.com/store/store.php#songbook

Songbook Demo Video: https://rumble.com/vfazhl-apologetix-songbook-2020-demo.html

“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEBSITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further about what it really means to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d1_1of10.html ].

<<< ARTICLES >>>

“Cooley High School sale is off as Detroit school board rejects nonprofit’s latest offer”

March 17, 2023, 6:16pm EDT

The Detroit Public Schools Community District has formally rejected offers by nonprofit Life Remodeled to acquire the vacant Cooley High School, setting back plans to rehabilitate the dilapidated building.

The decision comes over a year after the organization publicly bid to buy the former high school and redevelop it as a community hub over three years through an investment of $37.5 million.

“The District, through the School Board and Superintendent, rejected the latest Life Remodeled offer because it did not include commitments prior to the sale that the building and land would be used as the sale proposal outlines,” district spokesperson Chrystal Wilson said in a statement Friday afternoon.

“The School Board is committed to ensuring that if the building and land were sold then the planned use occurs. Since the negotiations regarding the sale have concluded, the District will now move forward to explore alternative uses for the building and land.”

Chalkbeat wants to make it easier for busy Detroiters to stay informed of important school board happenings every month. To sign up to receive monthly text message updates on Detroit district board meetings, text SCHOOL to 313-385-4796 or type your phone number into the box below.

DPSCD was preparing to sell Cooley last fall to Life Remodeled for $400,000. But Superintendent Nikolai Vitti revoked his initial recommendation of the sale in November, citing opposition from some board members about whether the district was underpricing the property, and about how its future owners would use the site.

At the time, Vitti signaled that the two parties would begin renegotiating terms of their agreement. But according to Chris Lambert, founder and CEO of Life Remodeled, there was little negotiation in the following months.

“Despite fervent pleas from neighbors and alumni, the DPSCD Board, without a public vote or discussion, has denied our collective efforts to transform Cooley in the ways the community wishes,” Lambert said in a news release.

“As a result this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what you, the School Board’s constituents, have enthusiastically stated you want for it to become.”

Lambert said Life Remodeled made two final offers to the district on March 8: either $1 million for the school property, excluding the athletic fields, or $500,000, with the inclusion of a $1 million donation to the district.

The district rejected both offers. According to the Life Remodeled release, the district sought the addition of financial and construction benchmarks to indicate whether the nonprofit had secured enough donations to complete the project.

Lambert said that those guidelines would “handcuff Life Remodeled” and provide DPSCD “with too much discretion to either withhold its approval … or to claw back the property without due process.”

Back in November, Vitti said that those benchmarks would provide added security that the future of the site would be “aligned to the proposal and beneficial to the community of DPSCD.”

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, board members deliberated in a closed-door session over the negotiations between DPSCD and Life Remodeled, disclosing only after the session that the discussions were ongoing.

“We are still in active negotiations,” board President Angelique Peterson-Mayberry said at the meeting. “Our legal team has language to go back to the bidder so that it can be considered for acceptance.”

The board has been working to update new members elected last November on conversations surrounding Cooley’s sale, Peterson-Mayberry added.

Located in northwest Detroit, Cooley opened in 1928 and became one of the city’s most storied high schools, revered for its athletic programs as well as its Mediterranean Revival architectural style. In 2011, a year after the school closed, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017, the building suffered severe damage from a fire in its auditorium.

In the past decade, neighborhood residents and alumni have called on the district to address the blight, either by selling or reopening the high school.

“I’m here today because Life Remodeled is the only group that has come to our community to say anything about doing anything with Cooley High School,” Sandra Sterling, a leader with the Calvary Community Association block club and longtime area resident, said after Vitti’s decision in November. “Do not carry this into another year.”

[ Ethan Bakuli ]

“Cooley High School redevelopment plan rejected by Detroit school board”

March 17, 2023 5:35 pm

After years of negotiations, the board of Detroit Public Schools Community District has rejected a local nonprofit’s proposal to turn the former Cooley High School into a community hub.

Life Remodeled, which aims to revitalize neighborhoods with the help and cooperation of neighborhood organizations, announced the news Friday in a letter to area residents, Cooley alumni and community partners. The group made two final offers earlier this month–one with and another without the property’s athletics facility, founder and CEO Chris Lambert said in the letter.

The board rejected both offers during a closed session at Tuesday’s school board meeting, according to the organization.

“The first offer, for the complete property, was for $1 million in cash,” Lambert wrote. “The second offer, excluding the approximately 5.7 acres of athletic property, was for $500,000 in cash, with the assurance of an eventual $1 million donation to DPSCD, should it wish to build an athletic complex on its own.”

One side of the vacant Cooley High School on Detroit’s west side. Known in its heyday for its academics, athletics as well as its Mediterranean Revival architectural style, the building has decayed in recent years following its closure in 2010.

Lambert said “despite fervent pleas” from neighbors and alumni, the board denied the proposals “without a public vote or discussion,” noting the group worked for more than three years to reach a deal that would allow for the transformation of the former school “for you and your neighbors to thrive.”

“As a result, this formerly grand building will continue to be in a state of decay for the foreseeable future rather than becoming what you, the School Board’s constituents, have enthusiastically stated you want for it to become,” Lambert added.

Chrystal Wilson, assistant superintendent of communications for the district, in a Thursday statement to BridgeDetroit, confirmed that the plan was turned down.

“The school board has rejected the latest Life Remodeled offer because it did not include commitments prior to the sale that the building and land would be used as the sale proposal outlines,” she said in an email. “The school board is committed to ensuring that if the building and land are sold then the planned use occurs.”

Wilson added on Friday that since negotiations over the sale have now concluded, the district will explore alternative uses for the building and land.

Differences arise
Life Remodeled began conversations with the district in February 2020. The following year, the nonprofit publicly announced its plan for a Cooley community hub.

Then last fall, Life Remodeled responded to a district-issued Request for Proposal (RFP), and, in November, DPSCD almost sold Cooley to Life Remodeled for $400,000 over another interested bidder, Pennsylvania-based Bridging the Gap Development.

But Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the Life Remodeled proposal raised concerns among some board members over whether the district was underpricing the property, and how future owners would use the site, specifically a football field that was to be gifted to a junior college. Vitti at the time noted that plans for the field weren’t explicitly stated in the proposal.

Under district policy, DPSCD recognizes itself as a steward of publicly owned land and real estate and has an obligation to ensure that potential buyers of district property use it properly.

“The district made a formal recommendation (last year) to the school board that they selected Life Remodeled to be the purchasers of Cooley High School,” Life Remodeled COO Diallo Smith told BridgeDetroit. “At that point, the board didn’t have to approve the recommendation. And since then, they have vacillated back and forth on what they want to come out of the deal.”

After months without an update, Vitti discussed the project during an academic committee meeting last month after community members inquired about the status of the property. Vitti said that the deal was being held up over differing viewpoints on the terms of the sale.

“I do not anticipate recommendations to sell Cooley to Life Remodeled for the March agenda items,” Vitti said at the time.

“At some point, we would have to come back together as a superintendent and board team and decide what we would like to do, considering that what was laid out as far as we wanted to see in an agreement is not going to be reached,” he said. “We have to discuss what the future of the Cooley property will look like.”

According to the group’s letter, the board members dismissed the offers because they did not include “conditions, benchmarks, permitted use restrictions or other restrictive covenants, claw backs and/or profit-sharing clause(s) that the Board requires for the sale of Cooley High School and other district owned property.”

BridgeDetroit made several attempts to contact school board members about the project.

Life Remodeled officials said they intend to seek out an alternative site to build the proposed facility or something similar. It’s unclear what the district’s next steps are.

Meanwhile, Life Remodeled will work with the Cooley community later this year for their blight removal and beautification event Six-Day Project Oct. 2-7.

From architectural gem to an eyesore
Located at 15055 Hubbell Avenue, Cooley opened in 1928 and became one of Detroit’s most storied high schools, revered for its athletic programs as well as its Mediterranean Revival architectural style, reported Chalkbeat.

Following a decline in student enrollment, the district closed the school in 2010. The next year, the school building was listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

Since its closure, residents in the community have called on DPSCS to either sell Cooley or reopen the school.

The former high school is one of the largest empty public schools in Detroit, according to city documents. The 302,600-square-foot building is more than twice the size of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

For its community hub, Life Remodeled planned to house various nonprofits at Cooley, including a pediatric mental health center, vocational college and after school programs, Smith said.

Nine tenants had signed on to operate out of the hub, such as Methodist Children’s Home Society, to offer the pediatric mental health center; the Detroit Training Center for those wanting to learn about skilled trades and Blue Cross Compete, which would have brought a health care resource center to the site.

Life Remodeled has a similar facility at the old site of Durfee Elementary-Middle School called the Durfee Innovation Society. In 2017, when the school district was under emergency management, the organization won a $1-a-year lease for the site.

Residents, Cooley disappointed in board’s decision
Francis Roland, a 51-year resident of the Hubbell-Lyndon neighborhood on Detroit’s west side, said in the nonprofit’s Friday letter that the board’s decision saddened her.

“They are showing no consideration for the students and the community in our area,” said Roland, 77. “The outrageous demands by them (the board) on the Cooley sale is insulting to people like me who live here and have to deal with the blight, crime, and vandalism at Cooley High School every day.”

Charlotte Blackwell, 53, who lives in the nearby Happy Homes neighborhood, has spoken out at several school board meetings asking members to sell the school to Life Remodeled. She said she is devastated by the news.

“I can’t believe that after fighting for almost three years, that things ended like this,” she said.

Ken Woody, 55, said it’s been painful watching his alma mater sit vacant for 13 years.

Graduating from Cooley in 1985, some of Woody’s favorite memories are playing on the football field with his friends and getting his ID badge as a freshman. Woody remembers being amazed by the massive campus on his first day of school.

“This is the biggest fumble in Detroit history,” he said. “There is a massive opportunity in front of DPSCD to do something incredible that the community wants and they totally dropped the ball.”

[ Micah Walker ]

“DPSCD Board rejects $1 million final offer from Life Remodeled”
(The ‘legal’ portion of Life Remodeled’s 17 MAR 23 e-Blast)

The obvious question is “Why?” Here is what we received from the District’s legal counsel:

“…neither (offer) include conditions, benchmarks, permitted use restrictions or other restrictive covenants, claw backs and/or profit-sharing clause(s) that the Board requires for the sale of Cooley High School and other district owned property.”

Below are some of the many new requirements the DPSCD Board sent Life Remodeled after we were awarded the Request for Proposal:

The Board decided to withdraw the Purchase Agreement attached to the RFP, and instead is willing to engage in a 5-year Development Agreement with a license, and the Development Agreement can be revoked at any time by DPSCD at its discretion.

Occupancy: LR will not occupy Property or permit any 3rd party to occupy the Property during the 5-year term of the Development Agreement.

Lease: Life Remodeled is not permitted to sign lease agreements with prospective tenants of Cooley until after receipt of Certificate of Occupancy from City of Detroit.

Community Communications Regarding Status of Project: All such communications by LR must be prior approved by DPSCD and the parties will agree on the schedule of such communications.

Benchmarks and Proof of Securing 100% of Development Budget:

Phase 1: Quiet Phase
i. Show proof of having secured $5M of $20M donations/common equity goal

Phase 2: Public Milestone Phase (Jan. 1. to December 31, 2024)
i. Show proof of having secured $10M of $20M donations/common equity goal

Phase 3: Next Level Phase (Jan. 1. to December 31, 2025)
i. Show proof of having secured $15M of $20M donations/common equity goal

Phase 4: Fulfillment Phase (Jan. 1. to December 31, 2026)
i. Show proof of having secured $18M of $20M donations/common equity goal
ii. Show proof of $6.5M of $11,570,995 line of credit/loan goal

Phase 5: Final Phase (Jan. 1 to December 31, 2027)
i. Show grant award letters, balance sheets and evidence showing $20M in donations/common equity that have been received and available for development
ii. Show term sheets from lenders evidencing $11.5M in credit/loan (100% of senior debt goal)
iii. Show new market tax credit reservation letters for $6,013,523 (100% of preferred equity goal)

To be clear, none of these requirements were proposed by DPSCD during the original proposal process, nor were they stated in the District’s publicly-available Request For Proposal. Life Remodeled responded in writing by stating:

The rigid financial and construction progress benchmarks would handcuff Life Remodeled and prevent it from successfully being able to attract donation commitments and a loan or other forms of financing.

Life Remodeled is not allowed to sign lease agreements with tenants until after receiving a certificate of occupancy and it has fulfilled all of DPSCD’s many requirements. It would be impossible to secure donations and other financing for this project without first securing lease agreements with tenants.

Contains too much uncertainty and requires Life Remodeled to spend large sums of money to investigate the condition of the site and building, design the improvements and pursue the municipal entitlement process without any guarantee that Life Remodeled will be allowed to purchase the property.

Provides DPSCD with too much discretion to either withhold its approval (where required) or to claw back the property without due process.

Additionally, DPSCD board members have verbally informed Life Remodeled staff they are interested in demolishing the Cooley High School building and creating a DPSCD athletic complex on the property.

[ Life Remodeled ]

“Abandoned Detroit Cooley High School with The Proper People”

Urban Exploring the Abandoned Detroit Cooley High School with The Proper People

In this adventure I travel to Detroit Michigan, this will be my fifth visit to explore the many abandoned places in the city of Detroit.

Todays trip however is a special one as I am finally meeting up with my friends Bryan and Michael from The Proper People, Bryan and Micheal were on a cross country tour of the United States and the closest they would be to me is in Detroit, so it was a perfect opportunity for us to finally meet in person.

For those who don’t know, The Proper People are two friends, Bryan and Michael, who take as along on their adventures as they explore some of the coolest abandoned places around the world. They run a very popular YouTube channel where they feature very high quality videos of their abandoned adventures.

Filmed, edited and narrated by both of them and featuring beautiful cinematic scenes mixed in with raw exploring footage, The Proper People’s YouTube videos are by far the best on YouTube and I highly recommend you subscribe to them using the link in the video description.

Once we met, got acquainted and had breakfast it was time to explore, with a robust map between the three of us, we had many options of locations to choose from. Our first location was an abandoned hospital, one that I had never seen before.

We managed to get inside and see the power building but we were unable to get access to the main hospital.

Our next location was one that I had attempted in the summer of 2018 but when we arrived, the school had been freshly sealed off with a new form of deterrent, thick plexiglass covering every window.

In 2018 RiddimRyder Photography and I stopped by here on our trip to Detroit and arrived to find that every window and door had been freshly sealed with a very thick plexi-glass material to keep vandals and scrappers out. We also learned that just a few days before a womans body was found beaten to death behind the old school.

Fast Forward now to the spring of 2019 and it was looking like things had not changed, every window and door was well sealed with plexiglass. We had just about given up and moved on when all three of us spotted a very small opening and we quickly made our way inside.

Built in 1927 and closed in 2010 this the abandoned Detroit Cooley High School has been a must see for curious explorers and abandoned enthusiasts ever since its closure.

In 1927, even as the school was under construction the district realized that enrolment would far outstrip the designed capacity of 1,500 students, and additional units were being planned.

The first unit of this school was completed and opened in September of 1928 a cost of $753,270.

The school was an architectural masterpiece, designed by the firm of Donaldson & Meier in the Spanish Baroque style with orange Flemish-bond brick and ornamental terracotta features. Cooley’s floor plan, which followed an E-shape that put the classrooms in outer wings that connected to a central core that housed the auditorium, library, offices, and athletic facilities was duplicated in other high schools built throughout the city.

Thomas M. Cooley, the school’s namesake, had been chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Justice from 1864 to 1885.

In 2010, DPS announced that it would be closing 42 schools due to low enrolment and high maintenance costs. Cooley High School was on the list. Despite renovations just a few years’ prior, the 83-year old school had significant maintenance problems. Enrolment was barely 1,000 students in a building designed for 3,400. Over the protests of students and alumni, who offered to revamp the school, Cooley was closed in June of 2010.

ARTICLE (With Photos): https://freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit-cooley-high-school-with-the-proper-people/

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVlTBQr0RvY

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwpcGbGmco

“2023 Six Day Project Kick-off Together w/ Amazon“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBAb9G9Uu0Y

“Life Remodeled 2023 Six Day Project / FOX 2 Detroit“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnw66uaUSIw

“Life Remodeled 2023 Six Day Project / WDIV Channel 4“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbpOFEN36Lw

“Life Remodeled 2023 Six Day Project / WXYZ Channel 7 Detroit“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACYhiSWIKLw

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – Amazon“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQlV-dy2lH4

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – GM“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ece3yYSvi5M

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – BASF“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNdan7fp4iA

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – Cummins“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7j-wzpesRg

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – L&L Products“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRNzTAkpxVQ

“Six Day Project 2023 – Recap“

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbRRDJXJnU

“Life Remodeled Announces Plans For New East Side Detroit Neighborhood Opportunity Hub”

Published On: July 6th, 2023

DETROIT (July 11, 2023) – Life Remodeled, the Detroit-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming properties into neighborhood hubs of opportunity, announces plans for a new site, similar to the organization’s Durfee Innovation Society on Detroit’s west side. Life Remodeled is in the process of acquiring a 7.55-acre site in the Denby neighborhood on Detroit’s east side, which had been the site of the Winans Academy of Performing Arts after it was the home of Dominican High School from 1940 to 2005.

“Denby is the ideal location for our first hub on the east side. It is a neighborhood that is engaged, invested and close to the heart and soul of Life Remodeled,” said Life Remodeled’s founder and CEO, Chris Lambert. “In 2016, we partnered with students and community leaders for one year to work toward revitalization together. This new hub will continue that commitment in ways that will make a broader and deeper impact for the long-term.”

Life Remodeled is eager to serve alongside the Denby community so it will thrive and benefit more Detroiters, as it has in Durfee, where more than 22,000 residents take part in programs every year. Residents of Denby’s zip code, 48224, are challenged with significant poverty and lack access to opportunities related to educational attainment, job opportunities and health and wellness resources. Collaboratively, Life Remodeled and the Denby community aim to foster an environment that genuinely transforms the lives of Detroit’s children and families through this equitable and sustainable development project.

“When the Winans Academy asked us to consider repurposing their building, the Denby Neighborhood Alliance leaders told us loud and clear that they wanted to partner with us to turn this beautiful school building into a hub of opportunity similar to our Durfee Innovation Society. We are inspired and encouraged to move forward,” added Lambert.

Life Remodeled plans to ensure the facility reaches near full capacity by the end of 2025, after a period of design and construction inside and outside of the former school building. Plans for the new hub include a significant presence for arts and culture programs, to continue the tradition of the Winans Academy and also to build upon neighborhood priorities for those programs, supporting the development of the Whittier Corridor as a destination for art and technology.

“Thank you, Life Remodeled for coming back to support the work of transforming our community through raising the quality of life for our residents,” said Sandra Turner-Handy, the president of the Denby Neighborhood Alliance. “The residents and businesses are invested in continuing the amazing work started with Life Remodeled years ago. We are honored to welcome and continue to support through actively working with Life Remodeled in planning and designing what will become a vital and much needed resource space in our community.”

“We are happy for the acquaintance of Life Remodeled and excited for what they will add to our community with momentum and focus on children, families and culture,” said Pastor Marvin Winans. “We are confident the community will welcome them.”

Life Remodeled will raise funds via philanthropy to complete the needed work on the building and property but has not yet finalized financial requirements. “We want to make sure we get it right, based on the continued feedback we are receiving from the community,” said Lambert.

[ Rhonda Evans ]

“Life Remodeled brings its community hub vision to Denby neighborhood”

July 11, 2023 6:46 pm

Life Remodeled CEO Chris Lambert announces that the former Winans Academy of Performing Arts will be the new site for a long-awaited project from the nonprofit. The group first spent years negotiating with DPSCD in an attempt to acquire the former Cooley High School. (Photo by Quinn Banks)
Months after a local nonprofit’s proposal to turn the former Cooley High School into a community hub was rejected by the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the organization has found another home for its project on the city’s east side.

Life Remodeled announced during a Tuesday news conference that it’s acquiring the Winans Academy of Performing Arts and turning the 7.55-acre site into a neighborhood opportunity hub for the Denby High School community. The organization repurposes vacant school buildings to revitalize neighborhoods with the help and cooperation of community groups.

The news comes after the DPSCD school board rejected multiple offers from Life Remodeled for the Cooley building in March amid concerns over the proposed sale price and sufficient commitments for the buildings and land. Life Remodeled planned to house various nonprofits at the Cooley site, including a pediatric mental health center, vocational college and after school programs.

“This is huge for Whittier and for the Denby (Neighborhood) Alliance,” Kenzie Current, a business liaison for the city’s District 4 said during a Tuesday building tour. “It’s a lot of great things coming this way and I’m excited to have been a part of such a passionate community and business community.”

Life Remodeled COO Diallo Smith responded by recalling an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go together.”

The cafeteria space inside the now-closed Winans Academy of Performing Arts. The building will be used for a community space being created by the nonprofit Life Remodeled. (Photo by Quinn Banks)

Winans Academy, a K-8 charter school, closed its doors after this past school year, said Brandi Haggins, vice president of opportunity hubs for Life Remodeled. Residents like Sandra Turner-Handy, the president of the Denby Neighborhood Alliance, are excited to see the building’s new chapter. She talked during the news conference about the nonprofit’s previous projects in Denby. In 2016, the organization worked with Denby High School students to enhance Skinner Park and volunteers removed blight on 303 blocks and boarded up 362 vacant houses.

“Together we will bring a new asset to our community that is going to benefit residents no matter what age, and that is what we need in this community in order to keep transforming and moving forward,” Turner-Handy said.”

Life Remodeled CEO Chris Lambert said Turner-Handy was the first person he met in the neighborhood in 2016 and was quickly impressed by her work in Denby. However, he noticed she wasn’t doing the work alone and that she had a team behind her.

“This was a community that was united, that had its stuff together, that had incredible leaders all throughout a four-and-a-half square-mile area,” Lambert said. “One of the greatest strengths you have going for you in this community is the Denby Neighborhood Alliance that has been alive and well.”

The interior of the Winans Academy of Performing Arts. It will be used in the future for community-based activities and health services. (Photo by Quinn Banks)
Lambert then referenced the failed Cooley deal, saying he was devastated when plans didn’t work out.

“I told our team, ‘it’s probably going to take about a year before something like that materializes because real estate deals like this; they don’t happen that quickly,’” he said. “And when Pastor (Marvin) Winans reached out and told me the address of this location, immediately, my heart started beating before I even saw what the building looked like because of the address, because of the Denby community.”

From school building to community hub

The building, located at 9740 McKinney Street, has served the Denby community for decades. The space was the former home of Dominican High School and was in operation from 1940 to 2005. Winans, a pastor and gospel artist, then moved into the site and founded the academy.

After the deal with DPSCD fell through, Winans reached out to Life Remodeled about repurposing the academy building, Haggins told BridgeDetroit. The organization then purchased the school. Haggins did not disclose the amount.

The neighborhood hub will be similar to the organization’s Durfee Innovation Society on the west side, offering after school programs, community resources and health services. Haggins said Life Remodeled will continue the tradition of the Winans Academy by providing arts and culture programming.

“As we talk to the community, we’re reaching out to different partners to try to recruit them into the building,” she said. “So, we want to make sure that we’re bringing in what the community actually wants to see.”

A tour through the halls of the now-closed Winans Academy of Performing Arts on July 11, 2023. Life Remodeled has acquired the building and will turn it into a community hub. (Photo by Quinn Banks)
Haggins said while the academy kept the building in good condition, Life Remodeled is planning to renovate and add its style to the building. There is no opening date for the hub yet, but Life Remodeled plans to have the facility reach near full capacity by the end of 2025. The building is more than 87,000 square feet and at least 50,000 square feet is expected to be leased by nonprofit partners.

Haggins is a lifelong westsider with family on the east side and said she’s excited that Life Remodeled will have locations on both sides of Detroit.

“To me, the more places we are, the more the community can get served,” she said.

Endless possibilities

One of the residents in attendance for the news conference was Norma Danzie. The 69-year-old is a member of the Denby alliance and has lived in the community for 25 years. Danzie said she worked with Life Remodeled in 2016 and is glad to have them back in the neighborhood.

“When they were at Durfee, they remodeled and did all kinds of things with that building,” she said. “The kids in this neighborhood really need a place that’s close. We don’t have a recreation center in this immediate area and I’m hoping that there’ll be chances for them to get into different activities and keep them busy and occupied.”

Alonzo Marable, 56, has also worked with Life Remodeled before, volunteering with cleanup projects in Denby, Osborn, Durfee and Cody Rogue. Marable, who now lives in Rosedale Park, grew up in the neighborhood, graduating from Denby High and opening his business, Ultimate Party Supply and Rental on Whittier Avenue.

Marable hopes the new hub will bring the community back to the way it used to be when he was a child.

“I’ve seen the work that they’ve done and I believe in them,” he said.

[ Micah Walker ]

“Life Remodeled Press Conference, July 11, 2023“

Life Remodeled announces new neighborhood hub on Detroit’s east side.
For more information, visit: https://liferemodeled.org/denby/

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPE7wYA_sFA

“Denby Opportunity Hub Announcement (WXYZ)“

On July 11, 2023, in partnership with members of the Denby community, Life Remodeled announced it is purchasing the Winans Academy of Performing Arts (formerly Dominican High School) on Detroit’s east side and will repurpose into its next opportunity hub.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMzi0VX1tTs

“Lippert Leadership Partners with Detroit Based Non-Profit, Life Remodeled“

October 3, 2023

Elkhart, Ind. ─ Lippert Components, Inc. (Lippert™), a leading supplier of highly engineered components for top original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) in the recreation and transportation product markets and their related aftermarkets, is excited to announce a new way for team members to serve their communities. In collaboration with the Detroit-based nonprofit Life Remodeled, this experience provided Lippert with an opportunity to extend their community outreach efforts beyond Elkhart County, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change.

On September 28th, members of Lippert’s Elkhart County, IN, Leadership team joined forces with team members from their Sterling Heights, MI, location to support Life Remodeled, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community revitalization and making a positive impact in underserved neighborhoods. Together, 110 Lippert volunteers worked to uplift and transform a community in need, embodying Lippert’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement in this first-of-its-kind domestic serving trip.

During their time with Life Remodeled, the Lippert team actively contributed to the organization’s mission of transforming vacant properties into vibrant hubs of opportunity for entire communities. They supported this vision by helping demo three stories of classrooms in a recently purchased school building, ripping out carpets, removing wall hangings and ultimately filling over four dumpsters with discarded items. The building is slated to become the nonprofit’s second “Opportunity Hub”, furthering their commitment to filling these revitalized spaces with the best and brightest nonprofit organizations, ultimately creating comprehensive support systems to help families thrive. The Lippert team’s dedication exemplified their commitment to fostering positive change and making a lasting impact in underserved neighborhoods.

“At Lippert, we are committed to investing in the communities where our team members live, work and play. This trip allowed us to dive deeper by taking service on the road and meeting up with Lippert team members in Sterling Heights to accomplish a truly meaningful project together,” said Michilah Grimes, Director of Corporate & Community Impact at Lippert. Grimes continued, “Team members from both locations serving together outside of Northern Indiana shows Lippert’s commitment to creating impact in every Lippert community, another element that made this project with Life Remodeled so special. Between the mission of the organization and the comradery between team members, this was one of the most meaningful events we have ever done. Everyone put away distractions to be available to grow as one team and show what’s possible when we are fully present.”

“Life Remodeled has just begun the process of repurposing a second vacant school building, and Lippert was the very first team to volunteer here,” said Chris Lambert, CEO of Life Remodeled. “Their valiant efforts saved us around $10,000 in demo costs, and half their team drove 200 miles to make that happen. Amazing!”

For President & CEO Jason Lippert, it was key for Lippert Leadership to participate in this event, as their active involvement served as a powerful example to the entire organization. It underscored his vision of Making Business a Force for Good in the World and reflected his dedication to corporate citizenship and community engagement.

[ Lippert ]

“Six Day Project 2023 Sponsor – MASCO“

Our friends from MASCO joined the Six Day Project in a slightly different way this year– volunteering their time to help as one of the first groups at our newest property on the eastside of the city! Their support through sponsorship as well as their willingness to help wherever it is needed most illustrates their unwavering support for our mission and projects!

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiNM_uxGadg

“Grief Will Turn to Joy | The Life of Jesus | #39”

The Life of Jesus: Grief Will Turn to Joy. In the midst of hearing all of these terrible things that would soon come to pass, Jesus tells his disciples not to be discouraged. He says, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” (John 16 Verse 21)

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc98rTNi1Dw

“Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy (Day 49)”

Read Jeremiah 31:15-40

Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was the symbolic mother of the northern tribes, which were taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Rachel is pictured crying for exiles at Ramah, a staging point of deportation. This verse is quoted in Matthew 2:18 to describe the sadness of the mothers of Bethlehem as the male children were killed. The weeping was great in both cases.

These words picture grief and mourning. Although, the northern kingdom, had sunk into the most degrading sins, God still loved the people. A remnant would turn to God by repenting of their sins, and God would forgive. God still loves you despite anything you may have done. He will forgive you if you turn back to him.

The people tried to blame God’s judgment on the sins of their fathers. One person’s sin does indeed affect other people, but all people are still held personally accountable for the sin in their own life (Deuteronomy 24; Ezekiel 18). What excuses do you use for your sins?

God, though, would ultimately make a new covenant. God would write His law on their hearts rather than on tablets of stone, as He did the Ten Commandments. In chapter 17, their sin was engraved on their hearts so that they wanted above all to disobey. This change seems to describe an experience very much like new birth, with God taking the initiative. When we turn our life over to God, He, by His Holy Spirit, builds into us the desire to obey Him.

The old covenant, broken by the people, would be replaced by a new covenant. The foundation of this new covenant is Christ (Hebrews 8). It is revolutionary, involving not only Israel and Judah but even the Gentiles. It offers a unique personal relationship with God Himself, with His laws written on individual’s hearts instead of stone. Jeremiah looked forward to the day when Jesus would come to establish this covenant. But for us today, this covenant is here. We have the wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start and establish a permanent, personal relationship with God.

God has the power to do away with the laws of nature or even to do away with His people. But he will do neither. Verses 35-37 is not a prediction; it is a promise. This is God’s way of saying that He will not reject Israel any more than He will do away with nature’s laws.

Verses 38-40 mark the boundaries of restored Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah. Gareb and Goah are unknown. The graveyard and ash dumb are probably the valley of Hinnom, where children were sacrificed in pagan worship.

[ New Life Fellowship Church ]

“He Will Turn Our Grief into Joy”

God doesn’t only promise to replace our grief with joy, but to turn it into joy. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:20–22).

Jesus could have said, “Your grief will end, and joy will begin,” or, “Joy will replace your grief.” But these would separate the grief from the joy. Christ’s words connect them: your sorrow will turn into joy (verse 20, ESV). It could be translated “your grief will become joy.” The Message puts it, “You’ll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness.” (Similarly, sorrow turns into joy in Esther 9:22, wailing turns into dancing in Psalm 30:11, and mourning turns into gladness in Jeremiah 31:13.)

A woman giving birth suffers in a way directly connected to her impending joy. The child comes through suffering, and therefore the joy of having the child flows out of suffering. God transforms suffering into joy. Joy both eclipses and redeems the suffering.

Moffatt translates Romans 8:22, “The entire creation sighs and throbs in pain.” There’s a radical difference between death pangs, which anticipate an ending and look backward, and birth pangs, which anticipate a beginning and look forward. The old, fallen, cursed Earth, convulsing and groaning in the final pains of childbearing, will birth a New Earth. Earth will not merely survive, it will live forever, in ever-increasing wonder and glory—as will we, its caretakers, redeemed and birthed through the pains of this present time.

In Tolkien’s Return of the King, Aragorn says, “Dawn is ever the hope of men.” King David wrote, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NASB).

The night may seem long, but the truth is this: once it comes, the morning will never end.

Neither will the joy.

[ Randy Alcorn ]

“From Sorrow to Joy (John 16:16–22)”

We all understand that the Bible presents our Lord Jesus Christ in many different ways. He is presented as Messiah-King. He is presented as a prophet. He is presented as the great High Priest. And when the Scripture speaks of Him as a great High Priest, the One who intercedes for us, it says that He sympathizes with us, that He feels our weaknesses, that He identifies with our infirmities, that He having been “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” is a merciful and sympathetic High Priest.

Another way to say that is it is His desire and His purpose and His ministry to comfort us. And even when He sent the Holy Spirit, He sent the Holy Spirit who is the Comforter, the Comforter. God is the God of all comfort; the Holy Spirit is the Comforter; and Christ is our sympathetic, compassionate High Priest. We know that because the Bible says that. We understand that theologically and doctrinally. But every once in awhile in the text of the gospel record, where we follow the life of Christ, we have an opportunity to see one of His characteristics in a rather bold and dramatic way.

Such is the case of the text ahead of us, starting in John 16:16. Here we see our sympathetic, compassionate High Priest; the One who carries our cares, who feels our burdens and our infirmities; the One who seeks our comfort, and our peace, and our joy. And this is not just some duty to Him; it is an actual passion in His divine heart. The Lord seeks the joy of His people, and that’s what flows out of this rather amazing text.

You know, lack of hope is the ultimate agony in suffering. We all suffer. We all go through disappointments, distress. We have disturbances, things that are completely unlike what we had hoped for, planned for. We live with challenges that are seemingly insurmountable. We’re always looking for some light at the end of the tunnel. People can actually endure almost any trial if they could see an end that is good. If they can’t see an end that is good, life becomes overwhelmingly bleak.

The book of Proverbs puts it this way: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Lack of hope is the ultimate agony in suffering. Lack of hope eliminates joy. Our Lord, however, seeks our joy, and so always gives to us hope. [ more… ]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53o665Z3ziE

“Joy Comes Through the Mourning”

Why Sorrow Must Give Way to Gladness

Scripture: Psalm 30 Topics: Joy, Suffering

Here we are, in mid-July, in what has amounted, for many of us, to be the strangest and most unnerving year of our lives. Think back to just February. How much has seemed to change in so short a span?

Psalm 30 has a word that we need to hear in 2020 as a prosperous and prideful generation that is being humbled. Verses 6–7:

As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

As for us, how many of us would have thought (or assumed) in our prosperity, just a few months ago, “We shall never be moved”? The global economy will never tank with such little notice. March Madness will never be canceled. Or the NBA season, or MLB (for sure, not the NFL and college football). We shall never be moved.

A policeman would never put his knee on a man’s neck for eight minutes, while bystanders captured it on video. Riots would never erupt in such a peaceful and tolerant city as Minneapolis and damage a thousand buildings, and cause more destruction than any other riots since 1992 in Los Angeles. We shall never be moved.

Surely, our healthcare system and our law enforcement and our economy are the best in the world and will not be challenged to the very core in a matter of weeks. We shall never we moved.

Yet we have been moved. By God’s favor, our mountain may stand strong. But when he chooses to hide his face, it crumbles overnight.

“Earthly prosperity is not a sign of God’s eternal favor; nor is poverty a sign of his disfavor.”
One question that Psalm 30 raises for us in 2020 is: How should we as Christians think about earthly prosperity? How many of us now, looking back just a few months, would say life seemed better then, easier then, more comfortable then, more prosperous then? How many of us have felt health and financial and civic anxieties and full-blown fears we have never felt so acutely? Perhaps some of us sail carelessly on with few changes. But many of us here in July of 2020 are not living in the same felt sense of prosperity we took for granted as recently as March.

From Prosperity, to the Pit, to Praise
Psalm 30 is what many have called a psalm of thanks. David, the psalmist, stands on the other side of some great distress and thanks God for rescuing him from a close encounter with death. Perhaps not unlike what many are experiencing right now in ICUs and elsewhere around the world, with or without ventilators to keep them breathing. David almost died, and he cried out to God for help, and God rescued him, and now David writes the psalm to thank God and to draw others into thanks with him.

Last summer when we turned to Psalm 6, we talked about three major types of psalms: (1) psalms of praise (orientation) when all seems well with the world; (2) psalms of lament (disorientation) when some danger threatens, and the psalmist cries out for mercy or justice; and (3) psalms of thanks (reorientation) that renew praise to God on the other side of the threat and his deliverance.

Psalm 30 may thank God for a specific rescue in a particular instance in David’s life, but it also may reflect back on a whole life, or season of life. We don’t know how literal or figurative it is when David says in verse 2, “You have healed me” — and that’s by design. The psalm is meant to draw others into worship, for all sorts of healings and rescues, not just David’s.

This psalm also has an interesting “flashback” (we might call it) in verses 6–10. It begins in the present (verses 1–3), then draws others in to worship (verse 4), and grounds the praise in the timeless nature of God (verse 5), then flashes back to David’s time of trouble, when he was in the pit and how he prayed for help (verses 6–10), and then ends with enhanced praise in verses 11–12.

One way we might summarize the coherence or flow of the psalm is to say it moves in David’s life from prosperity, to the pit, to praise. So, let’s follow that arc and see what the psalm has to teach us about each stage.

Earthly prosperity is a gift, and a test (verses 6–7).
Now we come back to the question about how Christians should think about our seasons of seeming prosperity in this age. The answer is not simple, but it is accessible. Verses 6–7 give us two truths here for how we should think about earthly prosperity:

On the one hand, earthly prosperity is “from God.” Verse 7: “You made my mountain stand strong.” God made David prosperous. It was a gift — not the ultimate gift, but a real, tangible blessing, fragile as earthly prosperity can be. Which means David should not have grown prideful about his seeming strength, but humble. And what would humility in his prosperity have looked like? Gratitude. He should have thanked God for what he had (as should we), rather than slowly swelling to being prideful about it.

On the other hand, God’s temporal favor in this age is not an expression of his enduring favor. Verse 7: “You hid your face.” David was God’s anointed, and yet God’s making David prosperous for a season was not a final word about God’s favor on David. In fact, because God did favor David, he tested him; he humbled him. David almost lost everything, on the brink of death itself.

Prosperity in this world is both a gift (for which to thank God) and also a test (in which to renew trust in God, not self). Both prosperity and poverty serve his eternal designs for his people.

And David now confesses in this flashback that he mishandled prosperity. Verse 6: “As for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’” That is pride talking. Prosperity gave space for David’s pride to swell. He came to think his strength showed he was strong, of his own doing, that he would not be moved. He grew numb to the truth that it was God who made him strong (like a mountain), and that God is able to make mountains crumble at his word, and for our eternal good.

“Both prosperity and poverty serve God’s eternal designs for his people.”
What Psalm 30 shows us is that in this life neither mountain-strength nor God’s hidden face are the final word. The wicked can seem mountain-strong and be prideful; or the righteous can be mountain-strong and be humble; so also the wicked, in the end, will be humbled, and the righteous not only might but will go through seasons where God’s face and favor seem hidden and withdrawn. Earthly prosperity is not a sign of God’s eternal favor; nor is poverty a sign of his disfavor.

If you are in a season of seeming strength and prosperity, the word for you from Psalm 30 is: humble yourself before God now; thank him; realize the fragility of your prosperity; acknowledge his kindness and your unworthiness. Do not say in your prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” Have you seen all the mountains God has crumbled since February?

And if you are in a season where his face seems hidden, don’t take that as God’s final word to you. In Christ, it is not his final word (as we’ll see). We are fragile. Our world is fragile. Our economy is fragile. Our health is fragile. Our peace is fragile. When we are prosperous, God is the giver. And we should humbly thank him and not presume we shall not be moved. And when our mountain does crumble, God has taken it away, and he has eternal purposes for us in it. This is his test to reveal who we really are and purify us for his final favor.

The pit is fearsome, and purposeful (verses 3, 8–10).
Now, let’s finish David’s flashback with verses 8–10:

To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
“What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”

David tells us how he pled with God when he was desperate and near death.

First, he reasoned with God in verse 9: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” In other words, “God, what good is it to you if I die? I cannot praise you if I lose my body, and mouth, and tongue.”

Verse 9 mentions “the pit,” as does verse 3. Another name for this “pit” is “Sheol.” Look at verse 3: “O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”

What is this Sheol he mentions? We’ve seen this before in other psalms (6, 9, 16, 18). In Old Testament times, God had not yet revealed as much about the afterlife as he has now. And in particular, he had not yet altered the landscape of the afterlife by raising Jesus from the dead, and bringing righteous souls with him to heaven.

Sheol — or the pit or Hades — was the dark and shadowy place of the dead where the human soul would go once body and soul were torn apart in death. The body dies, and goes into the ground, and the soul/spirit then would wait in Sheol, where a chasm was fixed between the righteous and wicked (Luke 16:26). So, Sheol was a holding place for the souls of the dead, waiting for the final judgment — no bodies to move, or hands to works, or eyes to see, or ears to hear, or mouths to speak.

And David appeals to this. He knows that God made the world for his glory and that he rightly means to be praised (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14), and David begs that God spare his life to preserve his praise. He reasons with God on the basis of God’s glory. Which is a good way to pray.

“Joy will have the last laugh, the final say, the last note.”
That’s David’s argument in verse 9, but then in verse 10, no more reasoning — he just pleads for mercy: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” And God does show him mercy. He heals him, rescues him, preserves his life and body and mouth and tongue. And David writes Psalm 30 to sing praise and thanks, and to draw others in to sing with him — and more than just sing.

Praise is audible, and bodily (verses 5, 11–12).
In verses 11–12, we come back to the present from the flashback of verses 6–10. David has been rescued, he still has his mouth, and he is using it to ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. And his praise, on the other side of the pit, is not only audible. It is also bodily — and part of what we might call enhanced praise. Verses 11–12:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Here are two things to see in these important, climactic verses. First, sorrow and joy are not equals. In God, and for his people, the sackcloth of sorrow and the garment of gladness are not equal and opposite sides of the coin. Sorrow and joy are asymmetrical for God’s people. Sackcloth always serves gladness. God takes our mourning, and turns it into dancing. That’s the final word. Not the other way around, not in the end. God removes the garment of our weeping and clothes us with joy.

In God, mourning does not have the final say, but morning — joy comes with the morning (verse 5). Mourning gives way to morning. The reason we know this is true for God’s people, and verse 11 celebrates it, is because this is rooted in who God is. Which is what David says in verse 5, at the bottom of Psalm 30 (note the all-important for). God’s people praise him,

For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

God is not only full of favor. He is not only gracious. He also gets righteously angry. But grace and anger are not equal in revealing who he is. Anger serves favor. Weeping does not have the last word for those who are his, but joy sounds the final note.

How can we say that? Because God is God. This is who God is. Because he has revealed himself as the God of verse 5, we can know that verse 11 will come true: that morning will come, rescue will come, relief will come, joy will sound the final note, no matter our present trouble or distress, if we are his people.

Joy Sounds the Final Note
When we sink the roots of our joy into the very nature and character of God (as verse 5 does), our roots of joy go down as deep as possible. Our joy, come what may, is grounded in who God is as the God of joy, who is infinitely happy. There is no greater foundation, no greater source, no greater reason for stability and security and genuine joy, when our joy is hidden in God himself — that his anger (though real and painful) is but for a moment, and his favor for a lifetime. Weeping may indeed tarry for the night. And it does. Oh, how often it does, for many long nights. But in God, morning is always coming — just a little while longer — and joy comes with the morning, and gets us through the night knowing that more is coming.

“God removes the garment of our weeping and clothes us with joy.”
And as sure as David could be of this, as we see in verses 5 and 11, we now, in Christ, are even more sure. Even more secure. Even more enduringly stable. Because in a way David could not yet see we have the cross and the resurrection — which is not only another example of joy sounding the last note, but it is the once-and-for-all, objective accomplishment in history that joy will win. Joy will have the last laugh, the final say, sound the last note. As sure as Jesus conquered the grave, so will we.

Which is no promise about earthly prosperity — whether how soon the pandemic ends or whether any fresh and lasting peace is achieved in our city. The present pandemic might turn out far worse than current assessments. The previous riots might prove to be just the beginning of unrest to come. The nature and person of God doesn’t give us earthly assurances that we will have no nights of weeping. But in Christ, God does give us final assurance. The night will end. Morning will come. Joy will be the final note.

Sing with Your Whole Body
Let’s finish, then, with verse 12, which closes the envelope on “extol” from verse 1, and “praise” and “give thanks” from verse 4. This is the second thing to see in verses 11–12. God turns mourning into dancing, David says, “that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.”

“My glory” — what is that? This phrase “my glory” might be one of the most significant in the psalm. Literally, it is poetic for the whole being (Psalm 16:9; 108:1): “that my whole being may sing your praise and not be silent.” In other words, now, on the other side of the pit, David’s praise has been enhanced. He is not just praising with his mouth, but with his whole being. And what did verse 11 mention? Dancing. He doesn’t just say you turned my mourning into joy. Or my mourning into singing. He says dancing. This is whole-being joy.

In other words, the whole person matters for praising God. The mind matters, and the heart matters. The voice matters. Singing matters. Dancing matters. The whole self matters.

Remember David’s argument in verse 9 for not dying was that his voice would not be able to praise. And now his climactic declaration is that he will praise God with his glory, with his whole being: his heart and voice and whole body. He will dance to praise God with his whole being, clothed with gladness. Which, interestingly enough, is what it means to “image” God in the world: not just to think about him, and love him and praise and thank him inwardly and invisibly, but to speak, to tell, to praise, to extol, and to dance, clothed with good works, to project him into the world for others to see and hear the joy we have in him.

Which brings us to the Table.

Joy at the Table
For David, the bringing up of his soul from Sheol, from the pit, was figurative. He was as good as dead. He despaired of life itself. He thought he was a goner. And God brought him up from a near-death experience.

But for David’s greater Son, it was literally true. He died on the cross. His body and soul were torn apart, and his human soul went all the way to the pit. For Friday evening, and all day Saturday, and into Sunday morning, his spirit waited in the pit. And then God drew him up, and spoiled the joy of his enemies, and brought him up all the way, not just from the brink of death, but from death itself.

Because God hid his face on Friday, Joy came with Easter Sunday morning. And because of Jesus, we experience joy — not wrath — as our final note. Clothed with gladness. And so we are as we’re conformed to his image.

[ David Mathis ]

“Turning Sadness Into Joy – The One Thing”

Turning Sadness Into Joy – The One Thing
My mind bounces from a million miles a minute to stagnant. From the thoughts bombarding me as to what I should be doing, how I should be feeling, and where my thoughts should be.

Should. Should. Should.

The overwhelm pauses with a state of nothing. All the ‘shoulds’ disappear and I am left with blank space. Numb. Exhausted from all the overthinking.

This is how my mind works when I am overwhelmed. It becomes my enemy. Telling me all the ways I am failing, and ending with pure mental exhaustion; incapable of anything but mindless zoning out.

Just do one thing.

In the chaos in my head, I will my mind to just focus. Realize that I won’t be able to solve all my problems by consistently ruminating on them. But if I can focus on just the next one thing I can pull myself out of this spiral.

It often starts with a simple trigger of feeling overwhelmed. It pulls me into the vortex where I find the familiarity of sadness. That weight caused by the grief of losing my husband, struggling with navigating this life without him, fear of the future, finances, my body failing me, my less than perfect housekeeping/cooking/cleaning skills, and on and on and on.

What often starts off as a concrete fear typically spins into a huge web of ‘what if’s’. The land of anxiety where I worry about all the things that could go wrong, and surely are destined to go wrong, if I don’t obsess about them and try and solve all the problems RIGHT NOW.

And so I remind myself once again……One thing, Tania. Just one thing.

Before I allow myself to become numb from the mental exhaustion, I pause.

I breathe and remember where I am.

Feel the ground beneath me. Pause and become centered.

What is one thing I can do right now to pull myself out of my controlling head?

Yesterday I was in my dark place. I allowed myself the time to sit there for awhile without judging or feeling I ‘should’ be doing something. To mindlessly zone out. But I told myself that today I had to do the one thing.

Today my one thing was church.

This morning I got myself up when I would so have preferred to stay in bed. Put on makeup and did my hair – that really could of been my one thing as I don’t typically do either of those on the weekend.

To be honest, I haven’t been to church in way too long of a time. Somewhere between losing my husband and feeling my life crumble around me, I guess I kind of felt that God really wasn’t in my corner anymore.

But for some reason I felt the pull to go today.

Some friends are starting a church and today was their soft opening. They have supported me and my family so much that I wanted to be there for them on this special day. I was grateful when I entered and the building did not crumble around me. God understood my absence.

What I didn’t expect was the overwhelm of love and joy I felt. Joy in the midst of the darkness.

The message was about how the words we voice can either be used to lift up or tear down. The power we hold in the simple act of speaking. How simple words can pierce through someones heart or wrap them in love.

One of the things I have been struggling with lately is what I’m going to do with my little business I’m trying to build. To be honest, it has been quite challenging. In my life “with Eric” I had the time and resources to devote to growing a business. In my new life “without Eric,” however, I don’t have the luxury of either.

Frustration and overwhelm settle in. What should be easy isn’t. I face challenges and don’t know if I have the emotional energy to find the solutions.

Maybe now just isn’t the right time. My energy needs to be on tangible things that can put food on the table.

But when I listened today at church, I felt the answer.

I have always loved writing. Especially now as it has become such an important part of my healing journey.

My answer was simple. Just keep writing.

I have the power with the words I write to spread hope, cheer others on, become a better person through my own therapeutic writing, and maybe if I am fortunate; be a light in the corner to one person that may be facing similar struggles and feeling all alone.

I didn’t solve all my problems. I still don’t have the answers in how to proceed with my little dream of a business. I do, however, know that the one thing I can continue to do regardless is use my voice for good.

All of this from just one thing. The one thing (church) that moved me to my next one thing (writing).

The power I had within me to change my entire emotional energy. To pull myself out of the darkness by making the conscious decision to do one thing. One thing that ended up being an important message.

One thing. Often times that may be all we have the energy for.

But I think that if we can do that one next thing, before we know it we will be taking more and more steps forward. Pulling ourselves out of that hole of darkness that keeps trying to pull us down. Stopping the cycle.

Out of our head that tries to control us with the bombardment of thoughts, and worries, and insecurities.

One thing.

Maybe that is all we need to turn sadness into joy.

My one thing today was church. Tomorrow it might be talking a walk, snuggling with my dogs, doing the laundry, or making a healthy meal.

The thing isn’t what is important. What matters is moving yourself in the direction of doing versus thinking….and thinking….and worrying….and wrapping yourself in that never-ending cycle.

So start today with just one thing.

[ Tania ]

“Turning Sorrow to Joy”

—Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3a, NASB).

This lesson comes from what may rightly be regarded as the chief chapter of Isaiah. Chapter 53 is the prophecy of the Suffering Servant, who is none other than Jesus Christ.

How do we know that Isaiah 53 is speaking about Jesus Christ? The Ethiopian Treasurer was reading this chapter. He asked Phillip, “Of whom does the prophet speak?” Then Phillip preached to him Jesus. (Acts 8:26-40)

The sorrow portrayed in Isaiah 53 is sorrow that turns into joy. There are three ways this is true.

1 Death Turned to Intercession
Our Lord’s death, that he might make atonement for our sins, was followed by his exaltation, that he might make intercession for us.

His Sorrow: “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3a NASB).

His Joy: “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be lifted high and lifted up, and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13 NASB).

Atonement
Christ suffered death to atone for our sins. Atonement means to make “at one” with God those who are separated from him by sin (1John 2:1-2).

“If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous. He himself is the atonement for our sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:1-2).

Intercession
Christ arose to intercede for us as our great High Priest who ever lives. Intercession means being our advocate with God, representing us before God. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25-27).

“It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us”” (Romans 8:34 NKJV).

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV).

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26 ESV).

“He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:28 ESV).

2 Guilt Turned to Forgiveness
Our sorrow in sin can be replaced by our justification and forgiveness.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6, ESV).

“As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11, NASB).

“[Righteousness] will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:24-25, ESV).

3 Trials Turned to Eternal Joy
Our sorrows and tribulations in this life will be replaced by joy in heaven.

“Surely our pains He Himself bore, And our sickness He carried” (Isaiah 53:4a, NASB margin).

“This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:17, cf Isaiah 53:4).

Matthew has just told us that Jesus, by healing the sick, fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:4 that Jesus bore the pains and sickness of humanity.

Even today, Jesus supports us in our tribulations. He comforts us with the knowledge that eternal glory awaits us after our trials (Romans 8:18, Revelation 21:4)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV).

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, ESV).

“He will see his offspring, he will prolong his days…” (Isaiah 53:10b, NASB).

Summary
Christ’s death for atonement was turned to exaltation for intercession.
Our guilt for sin was turned into the magnificent blessing of forgiveness.
Our trials and troubles for this life will be turned into heavenly and eternal gladness.
“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy” (John 16:20).

[ Ron Graham ]

“John 16:16-24 – “Your Grief Will Turn to Joy” – May 22, 2022″

Are you sad today? Discouraged? Feeling depressed? More of us are then we’d like to admit. We smile and pretend everything’s going well, even though it’s not. It’s not at all. There’s so much despair and sorrow in our world. You’re not alone. Jesus understands. In fact, Jesus promises: “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy…. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:20,22). I hope you can watch this sermon: “Your Grief Will Turn to Joy.” God bless you!

[ Nathan Nass ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueaIcXzBtJ8

“SADNESS TURNS TO GLADNESS”

THE FULL TEXT OF THIS TRACT IS SHOWN BELOW. (Do you want to print this tract in a different version than the one listed? Contact us and let us know what you’re looking for—we may be able to create the alternate version for you at no charge.)

Grief stricken, eleven Apostles of Jesus and the rest pondered past recent events. Suddenly, One took a stand among them. “Peace be to you!” He said. Luke 24:36 Ampl.

Startled and terrified, they thought that they had in their presence a spirit. Was it a spirit? Not as though they had not seen enough horror recently in Jerusalem, now this! What had been the horror?

Their Companion had been nailed to a wooden cross with arms outstretched. Nails were driven in His hands and feet. The cross was planted then in the earth between two thieves. He was ridiculed.

“…About the sixth hour…darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour…and the curtain of the temple was torn in two”…With a loud voice, “He cried out, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!’” He died. Luke 23:44-46 Ampl.

He was buried and three days later at His empty tomb some heard, “He is not here: He has risen, as He said.” Matthew 28:6 Ampl.

Now when these ones, assembled there in the city, got this report from some in their midst, they didn’t believe He was alive, but He had told them prior. (Matthew 17:22-23 Ampl.)

They listened on to the visitor. “Why are you disturbed and troubled,… See My hands and My feet that it is I Myself! Feel and handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

Seeing still their unbelief, He asked, “Have you anything here to eat?”

“They gave Him a piece of broiled fish…He took [it] and ate [it] before them.”

“Then He thoroughly opened up their minds to understand the scriptures.” Luke 24:38-45 Ampl.

Joy flowed! They saw His body alive. They saw it with their own eyes, Jesus alive!

His friends personal time soon ended for awhile. A cloud received Him later, when out near Bethany, up into heaven.

“And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold two men [dressed] in white robes suddenly stood beside them, who said,…This same Jesus…will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10-11 Ampl.

Looking at the pretty trees, hearing the birds sing, and gazing at the sky, is there further Word?

Jesus said, “You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” Matthew 24:44 Ampl.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

The Apostles looked at the visitor and listened and found joy. This is still available to all.

“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth…” Isaiah 45:22

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

[ Moments With The Book ]

“He Turns Our Sadness Into Joy”

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Thursday, December 30, 2021

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems. Deb ♥

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. (Author unknown)

Today’s scripture reading:

[He turns our sadness into joy]

Psalm 30:1-12 – I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.”

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Quoted verse: You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. –Psalm 30:11 (NIV)

“Story” – Kim Harms (Iowa, USA) titled her story “OVERCOMING SADNESS;” here is a portion of Kim’s story:

“Every once in a while I’m overwhelmed by fears that my cancer will return. The fear often catches me off guard and leads me to despair. I don’t relish the sad days, but I know it’s okay to have them. On the hard days, however, I know that God still loves me. As I endure the melancholy and tears, I know the pain will eventually pass.

“Recently, on the evening of a sad day, a group of my son’s friends came for dinner. They come every week and fill my house with laughter . . . My sadness almost caused me to cancel the gathering, but something happened as they all happily crammed around our dining table. My sadness lifted and was replaced with joy. Those boys will likely never know it, but God used their happiness to bring me peace.

“Much in life can bring deep sadness. But God is good and a giver of good things. Life itself is a gift. My sons are a gift. Their friends are a gift. My time on the earth is a gift – every sad second and every joy-filled moment.”

[ Deb ]

“Sorrow Turned Into Joy”

Jesus taught and promised amazing things to His disciples the night before He died. One of these amazing promises is that they would have fullness of joy that no one would be able to take away. He promised joy that would remain with them even in the midst of suffering.

[ Jesse Barrington ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkVkJ4bnYvs

“Can Joy Come in Sorrow? Lessons for an Authentic Christian Life”

Can Joy Come in Sorrow?
Lessons for an Authentic Christian Life
Virtual Conference in Europe and Asia
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:10 Topics: Joy, Suffering
Subscribe
Apple
Spotify
One of the most natural questions in the world is to ask how joy relates to sorrow in our lives. Or we could rephrase the question: How does happiness relate to pain or weeping?

The reason I say it is a natural question is because all of us experience both of these regularly. Sad, painful, disappointing, frustrating, damaging realities come into our lives more or less regularly. Sometimes they’re big. Sometimes they’re small. But no human goes very long in this world without something happening which we would call sorrowful or painful or disappointing.

And it is just as true that virtually everybody, some more frequently than others, experiences moments that make us happy, cheerful, pleased, content, satisfied. For some, the pain is dominant. For others, pleasure is dominant. But it is natural — indeed, inevitable — that we experience both, whatever the proportion.

So, it’s a natural question to ask how these two different experiences relate to each other.

Age-Old Question
Not only is it natural for me personally to ask this about myself, but also, in my experience, people around me are regularly asking this question. For example, my son Barnabas just published a book called Hoping for Happiness. I just finished reading it three days ago. And there it was again, right there in chapter 7, titled “Living in Times of Trouble.” Now, how would he handle this? I wondered. Here’s the key section from page 84:

The Bible reframes happiness for us by [making it more complex]. We tend to think of being happy or sad, but Scripture depicts a sort of happiness in the midst of sadness. In this life we will have trouble, but in this life we will have happiness. And this doesn’t mean being on an emotional yo-yo (even though it will sometimes feel that way), but rather experiencing two things at once: one being the damage caused by sin and the other being the happiness given by God. (emphasis added)

“The present, fallen, sinful age in which we live is the season of tears and mourning and crying and pain.”
So, he’s putting the emphasis on the experience of happiness and sadness at the same time. He’s arguing that this experience is what’s special about being a Christian. Is that right? If so, what’s it like? Does the Bible describe it for us, and help us live our lives that way?

Here’s another example of how this issue is pressed in on me recently. Just last week I sat down to record five sessions of Ask Pastor John. And the first question that Tony, the host of the program, pitched to me was this:

In Psalm 30:5, the psalmist says joy is found on the other side of suffering — weeping lasts for the night, “but joy comes with the morning.” But Paul’s testimony in the New Testament claims that he found joy together with his suffering. He said this in 2 Corinthians 6:10, talking about being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” So does joy follow suffering? Or is there joy inside suffering? And did something change in the new covenant?

In other words, do Christians have a new kind of experience on this side of the cross, which the psalmists did not have on that side of the cross? So here we are in this message about joy in sorrow, and I am brimming with fresh thoughts about an old topic, because of having to think about these things from several new angles recently, and because of drawing in some texts that I had not thought about in this regard before.

Strategy for Theology
Here’s what I think will be helpful — at least, this is helpful for me. First, we will walk through a series of biblical passages that puts the focus on the sequential nature of sorrow and joy — first the one, then the other. Then, we will walk through a series of biblical passages that emphasize the simultaneous experience of sorrow and joy — not one after the other, but both at the same time. Then, we will step back and ask, How can this be? What kinds of qualifications or definitions do we have to apply to sorrow or suffering, and to joy or happiness or pleasure, in order for both of these groups of passages to be true?

I hope you see the importance of doing it this way — that is, gathering two groups of passages that express truths that don’t seem to fit together, and making sure that both of them have their say, and then going deep to the common root of both of them, so that we can see the more profound meaning of each.

So many times, we make mistakes in biblical thinking because we focus entirely on one group of passages that support something we like, or condemn something we don’t like, and ignore the other passages that seem to say something different. What I have found over decades is that, because the Bible is God’s word, and therefore is consistent and doesn’t contradict itself, there are deeper things to be seen when both groups of texts are put together than if we only focused on one group or the other. The upshot of this approach is that we not only see the deeper unity between the texts, but we see with greater clarity what each group itself means.

“Christian joy doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain. And when we feel it, tears come.”
So, I hope you see a strategy of doing theology here. And not just doing theology, but preaching and building up the congregation, and the effort to raise up a mature people. Imagine a church whose pastor only preached and taught that there are seasons of sorrow and they are followed by seasons of joy: sometimes you’re in the one, sometimes you’re in the other. And that’s all he ever said. You would not have a mature congregation. Their experience would not be fully biblical and mature.

Or imagine a church whose pastor only preached that every time you are sorrowful, you should have joy in that sorrow. And he never mentioned texts like “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). You wouldn’t have a biblical and mature congregation. They would only have half the truth. Half-truths don’t make mature people.

So, what I’m doing here is both an effort to understand our real experience of sorrow and joy, and how we as church pastors and leaders can grow biblically rooted, mature, stable Christians.

Texts for Joy Following Sorrow
Let’s put the first group of texts in front of us: two from the Psalms, one from Jesus, one from Paul, and one from John.

Psalm 30:5
[God’s] anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

In some sense, the joy that comes in the morning wasn’t there in the evening of weeping. And presumably the weeping that was there in the evening went away in the morning. That’s a real sequence. And a real experience.

Psalm 126:5–6
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

The picture is that the farmer is weeping while he sows his seed, and then at the harvest, there are shouts of joy. That’s a real sequence: first one, then the other.

John 16:20–22
Here we have the words of Jesus about what it will be like for his disciples to see him die and then live again:

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

The disciples walked through hours in which there was sorrow followed by rejoicing. And Jesus compares it to a woman in labor pains followed by the joy of holding the little baby. Those are very different experiences. First, the cries of birthing and, then, the joys of the baby that was born.

Romans 12:15
This is a simple command from the apostle Paul:

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

“Tearful joy in God will be replaced with tearless joy in God. Painful joy in God will be replaced with painless joy in God.”
In other words, just because Paul says in another place, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), don’t plan the funeral as though it were a festive wedding. And just because Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting,” don’t throw a blanket of gloom on the bride’s joy by bringing your weeping to the wedding celebration. “For everything there is a season . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4).

Revelation 21:3–4
Finally, in this group of texts, a word from the apostle John about what we might call the cosmic sequence of sorrow and joy:

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

There is a sense in which we can say that the present, fallen, sinful age in which we live is the season of tears and mourning and crying and pain. Then Jesus comes at the end of this age, and all of that is over — “the former things have passed away.” So, there’s a kind of cosmic, or historical, sequencing of weeping and rejoicing — an age marked by much, much weeping and pain, followed by an everlasting age with no weeping and no pain.

There we have the first group of biblical texts — namely, the ones that focus on sorrow followed by joy, rather than joy in sorrow. Those texts are really there. They really do mean sequence, and so they describe a real dimension of true Christian experience.

Texts for Joy in Sorrow
Now we turn to texts that focus on the simultaneous experience of joy in weeping, joy in pain, joy in sorrow. If you’re like me, you’re starting to get impatient, because you want me to give a clear definition of joy and of sorrow and sadness and pain. I don’t blame you for wanting me to define those as soon as I can. I think that’s a good instinct for you to have. Speakers ought to define their terms so they don’t create unnecessary controversy or confusion.

But in this case, I think the definitions need to come after we see the texts, instead of before, because it’s the apparent conflict between these groups of texts that demand certain definitions for joy and sorrow. So here are some of the passages that focus on joy in sorrow. Let’s start with the one we have seen already.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

He did not have to say “always” — “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And what makes this even more striking is that immediately before that verse, he’s dealing with the painful disunity between Euodia and Syntyche. And five verses before that he says, “Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). Paul had just said before that in verse 17, “Join in imitating me.” And the first act he gives them to imitate is tears over the enemies of the cross — followed in a few verses by, “‘Rejoice always,’ and lest you think I’m writing carelessly, I’ll say it again: ‘Rejoice.’”

Paul is not a careless writer. So, I conclude that even while the tears are flowing for the enemies of the cross (according to Philippians 3:18), there is a kind of joy in Paul’s heart that can’t be shaken. The enemies of Christ cannot succeed with emotional blackmail against Paul — that is, they cannot manipulate him by demanding the ruin of his joy because of their unbelief. Paul’s tears for their sake do not undermine his joy in the very Christ he wants them to rejoice in. How could he weep over their not rejoicing in Christ, if he ceased to rejoice in the very one he wants them to rejoice in?

Lest we think that Paul’s sorrow over the unbelief and the perishing of lost people is perhaps just an occasional interruption to his joy, listen to Romans 9:2–3,

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

The issue in those verses is that Paul’s Jewish kinsmen are rejecting Christ and therefore are accursed and cut off from Christ and headed for eternal destruction. Paul lives with this sorrow day and night. He calls it “unceasing anguish.” That’s amazing for a man who says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Either Paul is a careless communicator or has a poor grasp of his own experience. Or Paul carried in his heart a constant anguish for lost loved ones, and along with it — at the same time — unceasing joy in the very Christ that he wishes and prays they would rejoice in (Romans 10:1).

Consider just two more passages from Paul about joy in suffering, not just after it.

Romans 5:3–5
We rejoice [or exult] in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

“There is no condemnation now or forever. And Jesus is an all-satisfying treasure and friend.”
This is the most extended probing into the reason why Christians can exult in suffering and not just after it. Suffering, he says, produces the endurance of faith, and when faith survives and flourishes in a crisis of suffering like that, it reveals a character that God approves, and that steadfast approvedness confirms that we are real and strengthens hope, and that hope does not let us down, because it is sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit pouring into our heart the real experience of being loved by God.

Isn’t that amazing?! Paul actually believes that such a sequence of solid, experiential, theological argumentation in the mind and heart of the believer can keep joy alive in the midst of suffering. Amazing. There are so many people who think that truth, and the interlocking of truths, can’t produce powerful affections in the heart that sustain us in the worst of suffering. If that’s what you think, you should rip Romans out of your Bible and throw it away. And while you’re at it, most of the other books are going to have to go as well.

2 Corinthians 6:10
Finally, the passage that we quote around here most often to sum up this group of passages about simultaneous joy and sorrow is 2 Corinthians 6:8–10:

We are treated . . . as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich.

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

Lessons for the Christian Life
We’ve seen two groups of biblical texts: one group focusing on the fact that rejoicing follows sorrow, and the other group focusing on the fact that Christian joy is real in sorrow. Now let’s step back and make three observations that I think make sense out of this, and become really important lessons for living an authentic Christian life.

Reasons for joy and sorrow can converge.
One of the reasons there can be joy and sorrow simultaneously is that the reasons for each of them are different, and those reasons can both be true simultaneously in our experience. The best way I can make this clear is to recall the way I experienced my mother’s death.

I was 28 years old and married with a 2-year-old son. My mother and father were leading a tour in Israel. I got one of those dreaded phone calls from my brother-in-law, and he said, “Johnny, your parents were in a bus accident, and your mother is dead, and we don’t know if your dad is going to make it. That’s all we know. I’m sorry. I’ll keep you posted.”

I gave my wife the facts, went to the bedroom, knelt down, and wept for a long time — as I had never wept before, with uncontrollable sobs. And as I wept, joy kept bursting up out of the depths:

“Thank you, Father, that she was a spectacularly good mother to me.”
“Thank you, Father, that I had her for 28 years.”
“Thank you, Father, that in recent years we had cleared the air from teenage years of ingratitude.”
“Thank you, Father, that evidently she did not suffer long but died quickly.”
“Thank you, Father, that she is happier right now in the presence of Jesus than I am sad.”
“And thank you, Father, that my father is alive. Please save him.”
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is not a contradiction to say that I was profoundly sorrowful and profoundly joyful at the same time. Because the different reasons for both of them were true. The loss of a person you cherish is painful and brings tears, unbidden. And yet, reason after reason poured out of my memory for joyful thanks.

Pain and joy are grounded on different realities.
We can see from Revelation 21:4 that tears correlate with death and loss, and crying correlates with pain. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Pain and loss hurt. And hurt brings physical weeping and emotional sorrow. That’s what pain is. Pain is what causes weeping and sorrow. Christian joy doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain. And when we feel it, tears come. We don’t decide for them to come; they come. And the Bible speaks about that pain in relation to joy in two ways — two real, true ways.

“Nothing can dislodge this boulder of joy in all that God is for us in Jesus.”
When the psalmist says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5), he means tearful joy in God will be replaced with tearless joy in God. Painful joy in God will be replaced with painless joy in God. The tears will be wiped away, the pain will be healed. You can’t stop pain and tears from coming, but you can keep joy from going. Because the pain and the joy are grounded on different realities.

Nothing can dislodge our joy in Jesus Christ.
My third observation is a word picture. Picture joy as a great granite boulder on the rugged seacoast of your life. It is solid because it is built out of the sovereignty of God, and the forgiveness of sins, and the preciousness of Christ. God is in charge of what happens to you. There is no condemnation now or forever. And Jesus is an all-satisfying treasure and friend. This is an unshakable boulder of joy — real gladness, real satisfaction in all that God is for you in Jesus.

In the calm seas and the sunshine along the coast of your life, the granite glistens and shines with silvery laughter. And when the storm comes and the waves rise, they crash over that boulder and submerge it out of sight. The bright, shimmering laughter disappears, and on the surface, all is tears and the surging of the waves of weeping and sobbing.

But nothing can dislodge this boulder of joy in all that God is for us in Jesus. It cannot be broken in pieces, and it cannot be sucked out into the sea. And when the waves recede — as the grief of my mother’s loss eventually did — the boulder shimmers again in the sunlight with laughter. Tearful joy gives way to tearless joy.

So, I urge you to embrace all the Scriptures about joy and sorrow. And grow your families and your churches into mature, strong, biblical Christians who know from experience and from Scripture that weeping lasts for the night, and joy comes in the morning. And who know that the night of weeping is also a night of unshakable joy.

[ John Piper ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsqYzk74EGE

“Sorrow at the Cross Turned into Joy”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon November 3, 1878
Scripture: John 16:20-22
From: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 24

Sorrow at the Cross Turned into Joy

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” John xvi. 20 — 22.

WE were singing just now a hymn in which the first verse started a difficult question—

“‘It is finish’d;’ shall we raise
Songs of sorrow, or of praise?
Mourn to see the Saviour die,
Or proclaim his victory?”

The case is very well argued in the second and third verses—

“If of Calvary we tell,
How can songs of triumph swell?
If of man redeem’d from woe,
How shall notes of mourning flow?

“Ours the guilt which pierced his side,
Ours the sin for which he died;
But the blood which flow’d that day
Wash’d our sin and guilt away.”

The conclusion at which we arrived in the concluding verse seems to me to be the right one—

“Lamb of God! Thy death hath given
Pardon, peace, and hope of heaven:
‘It is finish’d let us raise
Songs of thankfulness and praise!”

The chief thought connected with the Redeemer’s death should be that of grateful praise. That our Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross is a very natural cause for sorrow, and well may they who pierced him, and we are all among the number, look unto him and mourn for their sin, and be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Before we know that we are pardoned our grief may well be exceeding heavy, for till sin is put away we stand guilty of the Saviour’s blood. While our souls are only conscious of our guilty share in the Redeemer’s blood, we may well stand aghast at the sight of the accursed tree, but the case is altered when by faith we discern the glorious fruit of our Lord’s sufferings, and know that on the cross he saved us and triumphed in the deed. The feeling of sorrow at the sight of the crucified Saviour is one to be cultivated up to a certain point, especially if we take care to avoid mere sentiment and turn our grief into repentance: then it is “godly sorrow,” which worketh after a godly sort, and it is likely to create in us an intense horror of sin, and a strong determination to purge ourselves from all fellowship with the works of darkness. We do not therefore condemn those who frequently preach upon the sufferings of our Lord, with the view of exciting emotions of grief in the hearts of their hearers, for such emotions have a softening and sanctifying influence if attended by faith, and directed by sound wisdom. There is, however, a middle path in everything, and this needs to be followed, for we believe that such preaching may be carried too far. It is most remarkable and instructive that the apostles do not appear in their sermons or epistles to have spoken of the death of our Lord with any kind of regret. The gospels mention their distress during the actual occurrence of the crucifixion, but after the resurrection, and especially after Pentecost, we hear of no such grief. I can scarcely find a passage from which I could preach a sermon upon sorrow on account of the death of Jesus, if I confine myself to the sayings and writings of the apostles; on the contrary, there are many expressions which treat of the crucifixion in the spirit of exulting joy. Remember the well-known exclamation of Paul — “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He had, no doubt, as vivid an idea of the agonies of our Lord as any of us have ever attained, and yet, instead of saying, “God forbid that I should cease to weep at the sight of my crucified Master,” he declares that he glories in his cross. The death of Jesus was to him a thing to rejoice in, and even to glory in; he kept no black fasts to commemorate the world’s redemption. Note well the exalted key in which he speaks of our Lord’s death in the epistle to the Colossians: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” When you turn to John’s epistles, where most of all pathos and tenderness would naturally abound, you hear no weeping and wailing, but he speaks of the cleansing blood, which is the very centre of the great sacrifice, in a calm, quiet, happy manner, which is far removed from bursting grief and flowing tears. He says, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This allusion to the blood of atonement rather suggests joy and peace than woe and agony. “This is he,” saith John, “that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood;” and it is evidently to him a theme of congratulation and delight rather than a cause for sorrow that Jesus did come by blood as well as by water. So Peter, also, when he mentions the death of his Lord and Master, speaks of “the precious blood of Christ,” but not in words of sadness, and he describes our Lord’s bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, but not in the language of lament. He says of those who suffered for the gospel, “Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers in Christ’s sufferings.” Now, if he finds joy in those sufferings of ours which are in fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, much more I gather did he find ground for rejoicing in the sufferings of Christ himself. I do not believe that the “three hours’ agony,” the darkened church, the altar in mourning, the tolling of a bell, and all the other mock funereal rites of superstition derive even the least encouragement from the spirit and language of the apostles. Those practical charades in which the crucifixion is mimicked in many churches on Good Friday are more worthy of the heathen women weeping for Thammuz, or of Baal’s priests crying and cutting themselves with knives, than of a Christian assembly who know that the Lord is not here, for he is risen. [ more… ]

SERMON: https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/sorrow-at-the-cross-turned-into-joy/#flipbook/

“Biblical verses about turning one’s sorrow into joy, and the comfort they will experience”

Psalms 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Isaiah 51:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Isaiah 65:11 But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

Isaiah 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

Isaiah 66:12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. 12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. 13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away

“21 Bible Verses About Joy”

In the English Standard Version of the Bible, the words “joy,” “rejoice,” or “joyful” appear a total of 430 times, compared with “happy” or “happiness,” which appear only ten times. Joy is lasting, and it satisfies the heart in a unique and marvelous way.

Joy is characteristic of God’s people, found in his presence. As Pastor Colin says, “Christian joy flows from realizing our position in Christ: who you are in him, and what he has done for you.”

Here are 21 Bible verses about joy to encourage you when circumstances look bigger than Christ:

Lasting Joy
Sorrow and suffering will pass, but joy continues in spite of hardship. Eternal joy is promised to come and, when it does, it lasts.

Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Recommended Article: How to Find Joy When Life Is Hard by Pastor Colin Smith

Satisfying Joy
Unlike happiness, joy is true satisfaction. Several times, God’s Word describes joy as “full” or “complete.” Joy satisfies the heart in a way that temporary happiness never can.

Psalm 4:7
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Philippians 2:1-2
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Recommended Sermon: Restore Joy by Pastor Colin Smith

Ever-Present Joy
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, fullness of joy is found in the presence of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 16:27
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.
Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Roman 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Spirit-Filled Joy
No power of positive thinking can bring lasting joy. Instead, joy is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in us, and characterizes the people of God.

Esther 8:6
The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
1 Kings 8:66
On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Sacrificial Joy
Building our own kingdoms and following our agendas may offer temporary joy, but not lasting joy. Building God’s kingdom offers a special joy that can’t be replicated.

Luke 10:17
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
Luke 15:6-7
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Acts 15:3
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

Deliberate Joy
We are commanded to be glad, rejoice, and shout for joy. Joy is a deliberate act of obedience in response to who Christ is and what he has done.

Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

In happy or sad times, in comfort or difficulty, we find joy in the presence of the Lord. Focusing on Christ—who he is, what he’s done to save us, and his promise to keep us—brings a supernatural joy that can’t compare with temporary happiness.

[ Nivine Richie ]

“What does it mean to seek God’s face?”

Many times in Scripture, God’s people are encouraged to seek the face of God. A familiar verse declares, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). If we can’t see God’s face, how do we seek God’s face?

The Hebrew word for “face” in the Old Testament is often translated “presence.” When we seek the face of God, we are seeking His presence. The call to seek God’s face was issued to His people because they had abandoned Him and needed to return to Him.

A person’s face reveals much about his or her character and personality. We see the inward emotions of a person expressed outwardly on the face. We recognize a person by looking at his or her face. In a sense, one’s face represents the whole person. For the writers of the Bible, the human face could represent the entire person.

In Psalm 105:4, God’s faithful ones were called to “seek his face always.” Even if we have not abandoned God, there are times when we neglect to pursue Him. God’s face, His holy character, is often obscured by our human condition and fleshly desires. That is why the Lord urges us to seek His face continually. The Lord desires to be our constant companion in every experience of life. He wants us to know Him through and through. If we draw close to Him, God will draw close to us: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world” (James 4:8, NLT).

When we approach God in prayer, we are seeking His face: “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:3–6).

The true nature of worship is to seek God’s face. The Christian walk is a life devoted to seeking God’s presence and favor. The Lord wants us to humbly and trustingly seek His face in our prayers and in our times in His Word. It requires intimacy to look intently into someone’s face. Pursuing God’s face is equivalent to developing an intimate relationship with Him: “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!” (Psalm 63:1–3, NLT).

Having God’s face smile on us is an expression of His blessing, love, and favor: “May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25, NLT; see also Psalm 80:3, 7, 19). When we draw close to God, we are blessed with His shining favor. We do not pursue Him only to give Him a list of wants and needs because we know God is already aware of what we need (Matthew 6:7–8, 32–33). We trust that He will take care of us.

Seeking God’s face means desiring to know His character and wanting Him—His presence—more than any other thing He can give us.

[ Got Questions ]

What does it mean that the Holy Spirit will teach you all things?

In John 14:26 Jesus says to His disciples, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” As we study this passage, as with all passages, we need to address the immediate context and then draw applications to ourselves for our day.

Let’s look first at what Jesus was saying to His disciples and the effect of the Holy Spirit upon them. It is clear from many gospel passages that the disciples didn’t understand the ultimate meaning of Christ’s teaching regarding His death, burial, and resurrection. An example of this is found in John 13:31–38. After the Lord’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples as recorded in Acts 2:1–13. Note, immediately after that, Peter addresses the crowd and explains what is going on at that moment and preaches the resurrection of Christ. Thus, the first fulfillment of John 14:26 occurred. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things,” and on the day of Pentecost the disciples understood what happened regarding Jesus and especially the meaning of His death and resurrection.

Also, the Holy Spirit reminded the disciples of Jesus’ teachings and the details of the events in His life so as to record them in the gospels and explain them in the epistles. The apostle John later wrote, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31). And Peter wrote, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing” (1 Peter 3:9)— a clear reference to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:43–47). Again, Jesus had promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you,” and we have the New Testament as a result.

For believers today, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible for us. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwelt us, and we were given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). As the Lord told Israel, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:27). Without the Holy Spirit enabling us to understand the Bible and God’s commands, we could not understand or obey them. Paul states this reality in 1 Corinthians 2:13–14: “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” Thus, for us today, the Holy Spirit enables us to understand, live out, and apply God’s Word in our lives.

In summary, in John 14:26 Jesus promises His disciples in the upper room that the Holy Spirit would enable and equip them to remember, write, and apply the life and teaching of Jesus. The Holy Spirit guided them to record and write the New Testament (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). For us today, the Holy Spirit enables us to understand and live out God’s Word as we follow Jesus, and He brings to our remembrance “the word planted in you” (James 1:21).

[ Got Questions ]

<<< SONGS >>>

“Joy Of The Lord”

Though tears may fall
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
Though my heart may fail
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
While there’s breath in my lungs
I will praise You, Lord

In the dead of night
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
When the waters rise
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
While there’s hope in my heart
I will praise You, Lord

The joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy of the Lord is my strength
In the darkness I’ll dance
In the shadows I’ll sing
The joy of the Lord is my strength

When I cannot see You with my eyes
Let faith arise to You
When I cannot feel Your hand in mine
Let faith arise to You
God of mercy and love
I will praise You, Lord

Oh You shine with glory Lord of light
I feel alive with You
In Your presence now I come alive
I am alive with You
There is strength when I say
I will praise You, Lord

When sorrow comes my way
You are the shield around me
Always You remain
Like courage in the fight
I hear You call my name
Jesus, I am coming
Walking on the waves
Reaching for Your light

[ Rend Collective – “As Family We Go” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3gLeCiMJqI

“Joy of the Lord”

Verse 1
I’m pulling on joy from Heaven’s reserve
He’s stored up enough for every winter I’m served
I’m seeing beyond my circumstance
This joy that I have is my inheritance
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord

Chorus
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh oh oh He is my hope
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength

Verse 2
There is a Savior in the valley place
He’s walking beside me and He knows my pain
God, the beginning and the end
God right there in the midst of it
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord

Chorus
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh oh oh He is my hope
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength

Bridge
There’s gonna be glory
There’s gonna be glory
There will be glory after this

No need to worry
this present suffering
There will be glory after this

Chorus
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh oh oh He is my hope
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength

Verse 3
There is a King seated on His throne
Prepared a place that I’ll call my home
There I will see Him face to face
He’ll wipe every tear from my face
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord
Joy, this is the joy of the Lord

Chorus
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh oh oh He is my hope
The joy, the joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength

[ Maverick City Music (feat. Katie Torwalt, Dante Bowe & Naomi Raine) ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbFq7YQM1Js

“I’ve Got Joy”

I’ve got joy in the struggle
I’ve got peace in the storm
I’ve got strength in the battle
I don’t fear anymore
I’m a child of heaven
And my hope is secure
I’ve got joy cause I’ve got Jesus

He gave me beauty for ashes
Turned my life around
He broke my chains
And now I dance on solid ground
For all He’s done to save me
I will raise my voice
I’ve got Jesus
So I’ve got joy

He bore all of my burdens
Yeah my debt has been paid
Then He said to my dry bones
Rise up out of that grave
He has all of my worship
All the honor and praise
I’ve got joy cause I’ve got Jesus

He gave me beauty for ashes
Turned my life around
He broke my chains
And now I dance on solid ground
For all He’s done to save me
I will raise my voice
I’ve got Jesus
So I’ve got

Joy like a river running through my soul
Joy all around me everywhere I go
Even in the desert still it overflows
Oh I’ve got joy
Yeah I’ve got
Joy never-ending cause He called my name
Every breath I’m breathe a testament of amazing grace
Oh hallelujah everything has changed
Oh I’ve got joy
Yeah I’ve got joy

He gave me beauty for ashes
Turned my life around
He broke my chains
And now I dance on solid ground
For all He’s done to save me
I will raise my voice
I’ve got Jesus
So I’ve got joy

Joy like a river running through my soul
Joy all around me everywhere I go
Even in the desert still it overflows
I’ve got Jesus
So glad I have Him
I’ve got Jesus
So I’ve got joy

[ CeCe Winans – “From Believe For It” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LFpy9tRTw8

“Joy”

Is anybody gonna enjoy the Lord tonight?
Sing whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

You’ve turned it all around
Where I was hurting now I’m rejoicing
In your love I’m found and I have joy (uh-oh)
You took away my pain
You turned my mourning into dancing
I can smile again ’cause I have joy (uh-oh)

Let the celebration begin
Make a joyful noise unto him
Come on everybody
Let’s give him praise for he is good

You have given me a joy that won’t stop
And will never leave, so I will praise you with gladness
For you are good (oh)

You took away my pain
You turned my mourning into dancing
I can smile again ’cause I have joy (uh-oh, come on baby)

Let the celebration begin
Make a joyful noise unto him
Come on everybody
Let’s give him praise for he is good (uh-uh-uh)

You have given me a joy that won’t stop
And will never leave, so I will praise you with gladness
For you are good (you have)
You have given me a joy that won’t stop
And will never leave, so I will praise you with gladness
For you are good

You’ve turned my sadness into gladness
You’ve turned my sorrow into joy
Now I’m singing and I’m dancing
And I will shout for joy
You’ve turned my sadness into gladness
You’ve turned my sorrow into joy
Now I’m singing and I’m dancing
And I will shout for joy

You’ve turned my sadness into gladness
You’ve turned my sorrow into joy
Now I’m singing (I’m singing) and I’m dancing
And I will shout for joy

You have given me a joy that won’t stop
And will never leave, so I will praise you with gladness
For you are good
You have given me a joy that won’t stop
And will never leave, so I will praise you with gladness

For you are good, for you are good
For you are good
For you are good (he is good)

[ Planetshakers – “This Is Our Time” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoyHjjHTO14

“Mourning Into Dancing”

He’s turned my mourning into dancing again
He’s lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for His joy has come
He’s turned my mourning into dancing again
He’s lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for His joy has come

Where there once was only hurt
He gave His healing hand
Where there once was only pain
He brought comfort like a friend
I feel the sweetness of His
Love piercing my darkness
I see the bright and morning sun
As it ushers in His joyful gladness

He’s turned my mourning into dancing again
He’s lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for His joy has come

You’ve turned my mourning into dancing again
You’ve lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for Your joy has come
Where there once was only hurt
You gave Your healing hand
Where there once was only pain
Your brought comfort like a friend
I feel the sweetness of Your
Love piercing my darkness
I see the bright and morning sun
As it ushers in Your joyful gladness

You’ve turned my mourning into dancing again
You’ve lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for Your joy has come

Your anger lasts for a moment in time
But Your favor is here
And will be on me for all my life time

You’ve turned my mourning into dancing again
You’ve lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for Your joy has come
You’ve turned my mourning into dancing again
You’ve lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing for Your joy has come

[ Ron Kenoly – “Lift Him Up” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnX6kqTbkrE

“Sing for Joy”

If we call to Him
He will answer us
If we run to Him
He will run to us
If we lift our hands
He will lift us up
Come now praise His name
All you saints of God

O sing for joy to God our strength
O sing for joy to God our strength our strength

Draw near to Him
He is here with us
Give Him your love
He’s in love with us
He will heal our hearts
He will cleanse our hands
If we rend our hearts

[ Don Moen – “I Will Sing” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFcV6O2PQjc

“Turn Our Sorrow into Joy”

[ City Rev Worship ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0BFTB0YagA

“Restoration”

[Intro: Choir & Marvin Winans]
Restore me, restore to me the joy
(This is my prayer today, yes)
Restore me (Restore to me the joy)
Restore to me the joy

[Chorus: Marvin Winans]
Restoration has finally come
Been restored back to my place in God
Restoration has finally come
Been restored back to my place in God

[Verse 1: Marvin Winans]
What would I know about being restored
If I never lost my place?
And what would I know about his mercy
If I hadn’t got out of grace?
Restoration

[Chorus: The Winans & Marvin Winans]
Restoration has finally come
(Been restored) Been restored back to my place in God
(Oh, restoration) Restoration has finally come
(Been restored) Been restored back to my place in God

[Verse 2: Marvin Winans]
It reminds me of the prodigal son
After his righteous livin’ all the evil he had done
Yet when he returned, his father received him home
Gave him a ring of gold, put him on a robe
Killed the fatted calf
Gave him somethin’ he never ever had
Restoration

You might also like
Count It All Joy
The Winans
Long Time Comin’ (Holdin’ On)
The Winans
ONE MORE TIME
blink-182

[Chorus: The Winans & Marvin Winans]
Restoration has finally come
(I’ve been restored)
Been restored back to my place in God
(I’m gonna say it one more time)
Restoration has finally come
(Been restored, my brother)
Been restored back to my place in God

[Bridge: Marvin Winans]
Oh, what would I know about being restored
If I never lost my place?
What would I know about his mercy
If I hadn’t got out of grace?
It sort of reminds me of the prodigal son
After his righteous livin’, all the evil he had done
Yet when he returned, his father received him home
Gave him a ring of gold, put him on a robe
Killed the fatted calf
Gave him somethin’ he never ever had
Restoration

[Chorus: The Winans & Marvin Winans]
Restoration has finally come
(I have been restored)
Been restored back to my place in God
(Hey, restoration)
Restoration has finally come
(I have been restored)
Been restored back to my place in God
(Oh oh oh)

[Outro: The Winans & Marvin Winans]
Restore the joy of my salvation
(Give me back, ah)
Give me back my consecration
(Restore the life)
Restore the life that I once knew
(I’m giving my life back to you, yes)
I’m giving my life back to you

And we’d just like to say restore me
Hey, restore the joy, yes
Restore me
Restore to me the joy, yes
Restore the joy
I wanna tell ’em back home, yes
Restore me
Won’t you bring me back, Lord
Restore the joy
I need to be restored, Lord
Restore me
Restore to me the joy
Restore the joy
(I’m restored) I’m restored
(I’m glad about it) I’m glad about it
(Said I’m restored) I’m restored
(I’m glad about it) I’m glad about it
(I’ve been renewed) I’ve been renewed
(I’m glad about it) And I’m glad about it
(I done been renewed) I’ve been renewed
(I’m glad about it) And I’m glad about it
(And I’m glad about it) And I’m glad about it
(I’m glad about it) And I’m glad about it
(I’m glad about it) And I’m glad about it
(I’m glad) And I’m glad about it
(I will sing) Glad, and I’ll sing about it
(I’ll sing about it) I’ll sing about it
(And I’ll shout about it) I’ll shout about it
(Shout about it) I’ll shout about it

[ Winans – “The Winans: The Definitive Original Greatest Hits” album ]

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmPVxOdGX24

<<< APOLOGETIX SONGS >>>

“Sad Today in the Dark”
(Parody of “Saturday in the Park” performed by Chicago)

They’re sad today in the dark
I think they want a source of true light
They’re sad today in the dark
I think they want a source of true light
People can’t see — it’s so nasty
They can’t tell the right things
We need to tell them all:

Hey, compadre
If you’re not saved
Man, you need it
Just like me
And I sure waited such a long time
To find the way

Another day in the dark
The people lost the source of true light
Another day in the dark
The people lost the source of true light
People mockin’ and revilin’
A man on a big cross (A man on a cross paid the cost — paid all)
Was hanging for us all

Will you help Him change the world?
Can you bring it?
Yes I can!
While we wait there’s such a long line
Of folks to save

Rome crucified Him
On account of us that day
The Prophets still said
His story’d twist that way
He fulfilled them all on that cross
All on that cross, oh-oh whoa oh-oh-oh

Find a way in the dark
To let them see the source of your light
Shine the way in the dark
And let them see the source of your light

Keep on preachin’
Keep on lovin’
And we’ll tell the nations
Waiting for us all (Waiting for us all)

Everyone that feels unwanted
Can you bring it?
Yes I can
Why you waiting such a long time?
Go today!
Hey-ey yeah yeah-eh-eh
Hoo-oo hoo hoo
Mm mm mm mm
Mm mm mm mm

[ ApologetiX – “Septuagint” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAnY5jaFDjg

“An Old King in the New Age”
(Parody of “Anarchy in the U.K.” by The Sex Pistols)

Quite loud! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I am in debt to Christ
And I am bought with a price
Don’t know what I was but I know I regret it
I wanted this joy God supplied
Now I wanna please Him and our King
No doubts about it!

And our King’s more than you say
He’s coming sometime — it may be
A really long time off or rapidly
The future greets men with shocking speed
‘Cause Christ was our priest and our King
And He still is!

How many ways to God did you want?
Christ is the best – why use the rest?
Why choose the enemy? I choose John 14:6
I’m gonna believe in our King
That’s the only way for me!

“Is this the end?” people say
What is with the huge delay?
But He’s patient, why aren’t they?
My God, He wants all you saved
Read Second Peter chapter 3
And then 2:4 First Timothy

Christ wants to free men like me
And Christ wants us free and happy
And Christ wants us free and our kids
You dare not miss – this – joy!

[ ApologetiX – “I Know You Are, but What Am I?” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfzgYNvOAJE

“Jews Lost Hero”
(Parody of “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner)

Laid Him in the grave – with their heads hung low
Couldn’t have predicted – they wouldn’t hold out hope
Heard the roar of the crowd – crucifixion decreed
Saw Him nailed to the cross – surprised He didn’t scream
His words stunned the guard – just blew him away
Saw love in His eyes – through His very last day

But the beat-up victim – couldn’t take it anymore
Took a Roman to say it – but he knew for sure
That Son of God – was good till the end
He didn’t do wrong – to other men
That One they scarred – One they’d brought low
Was the One predicted – from a long time ago

So they brought a rock in
And laid it on the top
Lotta people talkin’
Some say God’ll raise that dude back up
To be the Jews’ lost hero
(God’s Son will arise)
He’s the Jews’ lost hero
He’s the Son of God
(Jews’ lost hero — Son will arise)
Jews’ lost hero
(Son will arise)
He’s gonna rise to life

In Isaiah 53 — in a passage now ignored
God described a Man of sorrows – my exact same Lord
Like the Scriptures at last – that day finally came
When that one they scarred — made the whole world change

Now I hear some people knock Him
They just can’t stop
Gotta read more often
That poignant spot Isaiah’s got
To see the Jews’ lost hero
(God’s Son did arise)
He’s the Jews’ lost hero
(God’s Son did arise)
Yeahhhh — Jews’ lost hero
(Son did arise)
With that Son of God
(Son did arise)
We’ll come alive
Come alive through Christ
LEAD

Yeahhhh
A lotta people mock Him
They just can’t stop
But I think you’d like Him
That joy I’ve got you may have sought
You need the Jews’ lost hero
(God’s Son is alive)
He’s the Jews’ lost hero
(God’s Son is alive)
He’s the Son of God (Jews’ lost hero)
God’s Son is alive
‘Cause He’s the Jews’ lost hero
Jews’ lost hero
Jews’ lost hero
Jesus Christ is alive
Christ is alive

[ ApologetiX – “Nichey” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXv8vh5Lh-g

“Thankfully”
(Parody of “Faithfully” by Journey)

I may run — turn into an in-flight son
Still, Lord I have found — You’re on my side
Reckless heart — seems it won’t do right
Spendin’ all my life — among the wild

They say that the Romans Road makes us part of family
I’ve read Jeremiah 31 verse 3
And I’m just a stupid man — ain’t always what I’m s’posed to be
But, oh, Lord — You said and I read
I’m forever Yours — thankfully

Such is life — under this big-rock world
We all need the ground to help us hide
Through grace that’s kind — always You love us though
Wandering, wayward lambs — lost without You
And beggin’ Your pardon’s easy, but it wasn’t fair
You came to Earth and all You got was pain
And I get the joy that we discover in You
Oh, Lord, You bled, and I’m freed
I’m forever Yours — thankfully

Whoa oh-oh-oh

Whoa oh-oh-oh oh

Whoa oh-oh-oh oh-whoooooa-oh

Thankfully

I’m still Yours
Thankfully

On the Romans Road
Not alone
Thankfully

[ ApologetiX – “From Hair to Eternity” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25cOxStne9o

“The Power Above”
(Parody of “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News)

The power above is a glorious thing
Baby, one man’s weakness is another man’s strength
Change your heart through a little white dove
The Holy Spirit – has the power above

Thumb through the Bible, and it’s quite clear
You’re stronger and smarter when you have God’s Spirit
If you have Him, good – if you don’t, then why?
The power above can give you a whole new life

And you don’t need money, only faith
Don’t need to sweat it ’cause the price is paid
Yes, all of a sudden in a room sometimes
Then a mighty wind blows by
That’s the power above, that’s the power above

The fruit of the Spirit it’s not grapes of wrath
It’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness
And goodness, gentleness, self-control
That’s the power above in the world below

And it don’t take money, only faith
Don’t need to study hard to find these traits
Your soul is a garden — it can bear fruit sometimes
That you’ll find in Galatians 5

The spiritual gifts God prepared
Yeah, for you to share
In First Corinthians (Chapter 12)
You’ll find a list of them
And with a little faith, hope, and love
You’ll feel the power above
Feel the power of above
Can you feel it?

And you don’t need money, only faith
Old Peter said it back in Acts chapter 8
He’s talking to Simon, he talks to us still
You don’t need nothin’ to be filled
Be filled with power, be filled with power above
Got the power? Get the power above
Be filled with power above
Be filled with power above
Be filled with power above

[ ApologetiX – “Wise Up and Rock” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBjNGcA-ds

“Good News/Bad News”

This is a Gospel presentation and personal testimony of J. Jackson, lead vocalist of ApologetiX from their 20th anniversary concert. It is available on 20:20 Vision.

VIDEO (audio only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q21Jnaq-EL8

<<< DEEP THOUGHTS >>>

“Joy is hidden in sorrow and sorrow in joy. If we try to avoid sorrow at all costs, we may never taste joy, and if we are suspicious of ecstasy, agony can never reach us either. Joy and sorrow are the parents of our spiritual growth.”
[ Henri Nouwen ]

“Trust life, and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know.”
[ James A. Baldwin ]

“Life consists of two sides… light and dark. Joy and sorrow. Without a balance, one cannot fully experience a full and well-rounded life.”
[ JoAnn Ross ]

“Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.”
[ Thomas Moore ]

“In this world, full often, our joys are only the tender shadows which our sorrows cast.”
[ Henry Ward Beecher ]

“Joy and sorrow are like milk and cookies. That’s how well they go together.”
[ Neil Gaiman ]

“Understanding of our fellow human beings…becomes fruitful only when it is sustained by sympathetic feelings in joy and sorrow.”
[ Albert Einstein ]

“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”
[ Eleanor Roosevelt ]

“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.”
[ Jim Rohn ]

“The Resurrection was the greatest ‘eucatastrophe’ possible in the greatest Fairy Story — and produces that essential emotion: Christian joy which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love.”
[ J. R. R. Tolkien ]

“Sorrow is better than laughter; for, by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better.”
[ Solomon ]

“Your sorrow itself shall be turned into joy. Not the sorrow to be taken away, and joy to be put in its place, but the very sorrow which now grieves you shall be turned into joy. God not only takes away the bitterness and gives sweetness in its place, but turns the bitterness into sweetness itself.”
[ Charles H. Spurgeon ]

“And ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned intojoy’ (John 16:20). So, the more of it the better! If your sorrow is to be turned into joy, then the more sorrow, the more joy! Happy is he who endures trial, since his trial is to be turned into happiness!”
[ Charles H. Spurgeon ]

“When I honestly express my sorrows, my Savior Jesus transforms my pain into His peace.”
[ Boyd Bailey ]

“We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn,’ and I accept it. I’ve got nothing that I hadn’t bargained for. Of course, it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.”
[ C. S. Lewis ]

“Life is eternity’s sunrise.”
[ Mark Besh ]

RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

Sadness:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sadness

Sadness Turned Into Joy:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sadness_turned_into_joy

Letting Go Of Sadness:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/letting_go_of_sadness

Sorrows:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sorrows

Sorrow Turned Into Joy:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sorrow_turned_into_joy

Weeping For A Night But Joy In The Morning:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/weeping_for_a_night_but_joy_in_the_morning

Joy From Sadness:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy_from_sadness

Joy:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy

Source Of Joy:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/source_of_joy

Joy Of The Lord:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy_of_the_lord

Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy_of_the_lord_is_my_strength

Lasting Joy:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/lasting_joy

“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and receive ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ’pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing. I would like to give credit where credit is due!

<<< FOCUS VERSES >>>

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
[ Psalm 37:4 ]

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing.”
[ Psalm 100:1-2 ]

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
[ Psalm 126:5-6 ]

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [ Matthew 11:28 ]

“The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” [ Matthew 13:44 ]

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”
[ Matthew 26:38 ]

“People love darkness rather than light, for their works are evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed” [ John 3:19c-20 ].

“These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him”
[ John 12:16 ]

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
[ John 14:1-3 ]

“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
[ John 14:25-26 ]

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
[ John 14:27 ]

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
[ John 15:11 ].

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now”
[ John 16:12 ]

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
[ John 16:16-24 ].

“Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.”
[ Acts 16:26 ]

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
[ 1 Corinthians 3:16 ]

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
[ Philippians 4:4 ].

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
[ Philippians 4:6 ]

“And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
[ 1 Peter 1:8 ]

“If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” [ 1 John 2:1 ]

“The anointing which you have received from Him [Christ] abides in you… as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
[ 1 John 2:27 ]

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
[ Revelation 21:4 ]

If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes and inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright is used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

Mark

·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘> ·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((‘>

	Can ‘AI’… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	Preparing For The… on Is Death a ‘Dead End…
	Being ‘Thankfu… on “Pay It Forward”…
	Repurpose And… on Concept ‘Refinement…
	Realistic ‘Exp… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	‘WHY’ Do… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	‘WHEN’ W… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	GAINING A DEEP ‘UNDE… on The “BIG Story”…
	Learning To ‘T… on ‘Who’ Can You Trus…
	Persistently ‘… on Too Busy to ‘Wait’…
	Persistently ‘… on Overloaded Lives p2 [v74]
	Persistently ‘… on Overloaded Lives p1 [v73]
	Continually ‘T… on “Life Remodeled” […
	Continually ‘T… on ‘Remodeling’ Your Service…
	Continually ‘T… on Being ‘Remodeled’…

LIFE'S DEEP THOUGHTS