Joy Giving Relationships Are Built on the Gospel of Jesus Part 1

Nick Minerva • Sep 06, 2021

An Example Of Joy

Cyprian was a Bishop of the 3rd Century in Carthage, Tunisia and he demonstrates what real joy looks like. Not long after he was elected as the bishop in Carthage, Christians began to experience persecution in Northern Africa and all over the Roman Empire as Emperor Decius began what has become known as the Decian Persecution. About 6 years later a new wave of persecution broke out against Christians under Emperor Valerian. Cyprian led his church to stay faithful to God though and he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods and continued to firmly profess Christ. This lead to years of banishment and his ultimate public execution. After receiving his sentence and being told he would be made an example and publicly executed he said “Thanks be to God. 1

In one of his writings, Cyprian wrote to a friend and said the following:

“This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden under the shadow of these vines. But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out over the wide lands, you know very well what I would see; thieves on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the amphitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds, under all roofs misery and selfishness. It really is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad word. Yet, in the midst of it, I have found a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not…These people, Donatus, are the Christians, and I am one of them.” 2

I don’t know about you, but I want that type of joy. 

Jesus, Not Circumstances

In Philippians 1:3-8 we see the Apostle Paul giving thanks to God, praying with joy, and expressing confidence in the work of God, all while sitting in a Roman prison. Spirit-given, joy-filled confidence is not rooted in earthly security or tangible evidence. We typically feel happiness or confidence when we have a lot of money in the bank, or when life is going easy, or when we can control our circumstances so that our life is comfortable. But that isn’t the context of Philippians.

Paul is at the tail-end of his ministry and he isn’t retiring off to some tropical island to enjoy his twilight years because he planted a bunch of churches and wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament. He is sitting in a Roman prison. Not exactly an ideal situation for comfort and security. He isn’t even able to be physically present with the people to who he is so close. But he is filled with thanksgiving, confidence, and joy. Why?

Joy despite our circumstances flows from our union with Christ. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. You need to know Jesus to experience the type of profound joy we see on display in Paul’s life and the type of joy that the Holy Spirit calls us to throughout this little book. There has to be a daily communion with Christ to experience the joy that is deeper and more profound than simple happiness because of circumstances.

Relationships Are A Conduit Of Joy

There is a difference between happiness because I’m in Disneyland and happiness because I am in Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, Disneyland is amazing. It’s a ton of fun. But there comes a moment when you are no longer IN the happiest place on earth and you are left with the realization of how much money you just spent. Happy is not usually the word for that feeling. 

But joy, because we are IN CHRIST, is permanent because we are never OUT of Christ. So we can always experience deep-soul level joy. And as people grow together in their communion in Christ they develop this type of joy-giving relationship that we are going to see here. But all of this grows out of what we see in verse one. That we are saints  IN CHRIST. 

What I love about these verses is that you begin to see the close relationship Paul has with this church and how God uses this relationship as a profound sense of joy in Paul’s life. In an  earlier post , we saw the difficult circumstances that led to the birth of this church and it seems like from that beginning there was a permanent bond of affection between Paul and this church. God was using this church as a conduit of joy in Paul’s life. And he wants to use his church as a profound source of joy in your life as well.

It would be great to connect with you on  Facebook  or  Instagram. I also wrote a  book ! If you  subscribe  to my weekly newsletter, I will send you the digital version for free.

  1. W. H. C. Frend (1984).  The Rise of Christianity. Fortress Press, Philadelphia. p. 319.
  2. Christensen, Max L. Heroes and Saints: More Stories of People Who Made A Difference. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997.

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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