tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25723085.post-1144594895569104242006-03-19T23:59:00.000Z2006-04-09T16:01:35.570+01:00<p align="center"><em>For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.</em><br /><strong>Romans 14:17</strong></p><p>This week Cheltenham has been experiencing another deluge of Delancys, Donovans and Dougals in what must be one of the worlds premier race meetings. Whilst it has been an exciting event five horses have died racing. As they say,' life is full of hurdles and pitfalls' and, as Christians, we are not exempt. But one of the great blessings we can experience amidst those tough times is what I call 'artesian springs of joy!' Do you remember in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas have been beaten up and thrown into prison for shining the light of Christ into their dark world? After midnight they start having a praise meeting. It was going to prove earth shaking!</p><p>It was Selwyn Hughes who used the speech about, 'Living over the Circumstances'. One of the great encouragements we can experience as Christians living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit is that we will continually find ourselves, in spite of our circumstances, 'snuck upon by joy!'</p><p>But the Bible is quite clear that we need to choose to allow that joy to bubble through! We need to be walking in step with the Holy Spirit and not grieving him by our words or actions. We need, each morning as we wake, to 'choose joy!' to say, 'I'm going to live over the circumstances and not under them - always!'</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/25723085-114459489556910424?l=gorsley.blogspot.com'/></div>John Lewis - Gorsley Chapelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657989495797534537noreply@blogger.com0