The Joy of Jesus is Peace for You

Sunday, March 04, 2012


Inner Peace

The peace of God flows through me now.

As the song proclaims, "I've got peace like a river in my soul." Peace is like a river, for peace is the steady stream of God's presence. It saturates my being. I am sustained and fulfilled by the flow of divine peace within me.



Even as I experience the twists and turns of life, the peace of God is steady, carrying me gently along. Nothing can disturb the calm peace of my soul.



I feel that peace now. I feel it permeating my life, expressing through my everyday activities. I experience peace in my mind, in my heart, in my body, and peace in my soul. I draw strength from God's peace. Its energy blesses me with vitality, graces me with divine ideas and leads me on the right path.



Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.--1 Samuel 25:6

What God Will Do

4:10-19 It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds, imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have not got, and fickle disrelish of present things, make men discontented even under favourable circumstances. Let us pray for patient submission and hope when we are abased; for humility and a heavenly mind when exalted. It is a special grace to have an equal temper of mind always. And in a low state not to lose our comfort in God, nor distrust his providence, nor take any wrong course for our own supply. In a prosperous condition not to be proud, or secure, or worldly. This is a harder lesson than the other; for the temptations of fulness and prosperity are more than those of affliction and want. The apostle had no design to urge them to give more, but to encourage such kindness as will meet a glorious reward hereafter. Through Christ we have grace to do what is good, and through him we must expect the reward; and as we have all things by him, let us do all things for him, and to his glory.

A Great Place for You

Psalm 91

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Good Friday to You

Acts 9:1-25
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed , he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said , Who art thou , Lord? And the Lord said , I am Jesus whom thou persecutest : it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said , Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? And the Lord said unto him, Arise , and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do . 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened , he saw no man: but they led him by the hand , and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight , and neither did eat nor drink . 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said , Behold , I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise , and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold , he prayeth , 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in , and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight . 13 Then Ananias answered , Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake . 17 And Ananias went his way , and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said , Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest , hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight , and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose , and was baptized . 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened . Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed , and said ; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength , and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 23 And after that many days were fulfilled , the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Joshua 3:1-17
1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over . 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3 And they commanded the people, saying , When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go : for ye have not passed this way heretofore . 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying , Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying , When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither , and hear the words of the LORD your God. 10 And Joshua said , Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. 12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. 14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed , and were cut off : and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Joshua 4:1-24
1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying , 2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3 And command ye them, saying , Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm , twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying , What mean ye by these stones? 7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off : and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. 8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded , and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. 10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over . 11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over , that the ark of the LORD passed over , and the priests, in the presence of the people. 12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: 13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying , 16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan. 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying , Come ye up out of Jordan. 18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. 19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. 21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying , When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying , What mean these stones? 22 Then ye shall let your children know , saying , Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over , as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over : 24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
Joshua 5:1
1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over , that their heart melted , neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
Job 22:1-30
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said , 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous ? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect ? 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? 5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? 6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink , and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken . 10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; 11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see ; and abundance of waters cover thee. 12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! 13 And thou sayest , How doth God know ? can he judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. 15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden ? 16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: 17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? 18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19 The righteous see it, and are glad : and the innocent laugh them to scorn . 20 Whereas our substance is not cut down , but the remnant of them the fire consumeth . 21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace : thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive , I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up , thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down , then thou shalt say , There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

Freedom in Christ Jesus is Key

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Free from what? First, from the power of indwelling sin. Not that the sinful nature is eradicated or even slain, but that the heart is delivered from its dominion. "Being now made free from sin" (Rom. 6:22). That which was once loved, is now hated. Those solicitations which were gladly heeded, are now resisted. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). None have been made wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15) unless there has been implanted in their hearts a filial respect for God. And, "the fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13), and "by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). The heart of a saved person is set upon pleasing God.

Second, the Christian is delivered from the power of the world. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God, whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (Jam, 4:4). The friendship of the world consists of indulging worldly lusts, following worldly vanities, fellowshipping with worldlings. It is for the heart to find its satisfaction in the perishing things of time and sense. From this the grace of God delivers its favored subjects, by fixing their heart upon One who is "altogether lovely." Before Christ saves him, a man seeks happiness in the pleasures, honors, or riches of this world; but when He delivers "from this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4), his affections are drawn unto things above. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). The heart of a saved person finds its delight in God.

The Bible Reading Today

Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com
April 1, 2011 - King James Version
Matthew 25:1-30
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept . 6 And at midnight there was a cry made , Behold , the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out . 9 But the wise answered , saying , Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy , the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut . 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying , Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said , Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh . 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country , who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods . 15 And unto one he gave five talents , to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey . 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh , and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying , Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said , Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said , Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown , and gathering where thou hast not strawed : 25 And I was afraid , and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed : 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given , and he shall have abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath . 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Numbers 30:1-16
1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying , This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded . 2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. 3 If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; 4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand , and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand . 5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth ; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand : and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. 6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; 7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand , and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand . 8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect : and the LORD shall forgive her. 9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced , wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. 10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath; 11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand , and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand . 12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand : her husband hath made them void ; and the LORD shall forgive her. 13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void . 14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. 15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity. 16 These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
Numbers 31:1-54
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying , 2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying , Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. 4 Of every tribe a thousand , throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. 5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. 8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. 9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives , and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. 11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. 12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho. 13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. 14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. 15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive ? 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. 18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day. 20 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood. 21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses; 22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean : nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. 24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean , and afterward ye shall come into the camp. 25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying , 26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation: 27 And divide the prey into two parts ; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation: 28 And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep: 29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD. 30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD. 31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. 32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught , was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep, 33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves, 34 And threescore and one thousand asses, 35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him. 36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep: 37 And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen . 38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and twelve . 39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one. 40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons. 41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. 42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred , 43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep , 44 And thirty and six thousand beeves, 45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred, 46 And sixteen thousand persons ;) 47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. 48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses: 49 And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us. 50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten , of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD. 51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels. 52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (For the men of war had taken spoil , every man for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
Job 1:1-22
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about , that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said , It may be that my sons have sinned , and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said , From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said , Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. 13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said , The oxen were plowing , and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away ; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking , there came also another, and said , The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking , there came also another, and said , The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away , yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking , there came also another, and said , Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead ; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 20 Then Job arose , and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped , 21 And said , Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave , and the LORD hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

The Greatest Gift for You

THE GRACE OF GOD

Grace is a perfection of the Divine character which is exercised only toward the elect. Neither in the Old Testament nor in the New is the grace of God ever mentioned in connection with mankind generally, still less with the lower orders of His creatures. In this it is distinguished from mercy, for the mercy of God is "over all His works" (Ps. 145-9). Grace is the alone source from which flows the goodwill, love, and salvation of God unto His chosen people. This attribute of the Divine character was defined by Abraham Booth in his helpful book, The Reign of Grace thus, "It is the eternal and absolute free favour of God, manifested in the vouchsafement of spiritual and eternal blessings to the guilty and the unworthy."
Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favour of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who have no merit in them and for which no compensation is demanded from them. Nay, more; it is the favour of God shown to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own, but who are thoroughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving. It is completely unmerited and unsought, and is altogether unattracted by anything in or from or by the objects upon which it is bestowed. Grace can neither be bought, earned, nor won by the creature. If it could be, it would cease to be grace. When a thing is said to be of grace we mean that the recipient has no claim upon it, that it was in nowise due him. It comes to him as pure charity, and, at first, unasked and undesired.
The fullest exposition of the amazing grace of God is to be found in the Epistles of the apostle Paul. In his writings "grace" stands in direct opposition to works and worthiness, all works and worthiness, of whatever kind or degree. This is abundantly clear from Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. If it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work." Grace and works will no more unite than an acid and an alkali. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9). The absolute favour of God can no more consist with human merit than oil and water will fuse into one: see also Romans 4:4,5

A Word about Faith

THE EYE OF FAITH

Arthur W. Pink

"I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee" (Job 42:5). What did Job signify by this? Obviously his words are not to be understood literally. No, by employing a common figure of speech, he meant that the mists of unbelief (occasioned by self-righteousness) had now been dispelled, and faith perceived the being of God as a glorious and living reality. ("Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord" Ps. 25:15), by which is meant that his faith was constantly in exercise. Of Moses it is said that "he endured as seeing Him who is invisible" (Heb. 11:27), that is, his heart was sustained through faith’s being occupied with the mighty God.
Faith is frequently represented in Scripture under the metaphor of bodily sight. Our Lord said of the great patriarch, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56), meaning that his faith looked forward to the day of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. Paul was commissioned unto the Gentiles to "open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18); or, in other words, to be the Divine instrument of their conversion through preaching to them the Word of Faith. To some of his erring children he wrote, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently (plainly) set forth, crucified among you" (Gal. 3:1).
Now what we wish to point out in this article is, that when scripture speaks of faith under the notion of bodily sight, its writers were doing something more than availing themselves of a pertinent and suitable figure of speech. The Author of Scripture is the One who first formed the eye, that marvelous organ of vision and without a shadow of doubt He so fashioned it as to strikingly adumbrate in the visible that which now plays so prominent a part in the Christian’s dealings with the invisible. Everything in the material world shadows forth some great reality in the spiritual realm, as we should perceive had we but sufficient wisdom to discern the fact. A wide field is here opened for observation and meditation, but we shall now confine ourselves to a single example, namely, the eye of the body as it symbolizes the faith of the heart.
1. The eye is a passive organ. The eye does not send out a light from itself, nor does it give anything unto the objects it beholds-what can the eye communicate to the sun, moon, and stars, when it gazes upon them! No, the eye merely receives the print or image of them into the mind (on the retina, which is then transmitted to the brain) without adding anything to them. Just so is it with faith: it gives nothing unto God, or to what it beholds in the Word of His grace. It simply receives or takes them into the heart as they are presented to the soul’s view in the light of the Divine revelation. What did the bitten Israelites communicate unto the brazen serpent when they looked unto it, and were healed? As little do we add unto Christ, when we "look" unto Him and are saved (Isa. 45:22).
2. The eye is a directing organ. The man that has the light of day and his eyes open can see his way, and is not so likely to stumble into ditches or fall into a precipice as a blind man, or one who walks at nighttime. So it is with faith: "The way of the wicked is as darkness, they know not at what they stumble," but "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:19, 18). Of Christians it is said that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). By "looking off unto Jesus" (faith’s viewing our Exemplar) we are enabled to run the race which is set before us.
3. The eye is a very quick organ, taking up things at a great distance. Within a fraction of a moment I can turn my gaze from things lying on the ground and focus it upon the mountains which are many miles away; nay, more, I can look away altogether from the things of earth and mount up among the stars, and in a second view the entire expanse of the heavens. What an optical marvel is that! Equally wonderful is the power of faith: it is indeed a quick-sighted grace, taking up things at a great distance, as the faith of the patriarchs did, who saw the things promised "afar off’ (Heb. 11:13). So too, in a moment faith may look back to an eternity past and view the everlasting springs of electing love, active on its behalf before the foundations of the earth were laid, and then, in the same breath, it can turn itself towards an eternity yet to come, and take a view of the hidden glories of an invisible world within the vail.
4. The eye, though it be little, is a very capacious organ. The man that has the light of day and has his eyes open may see all that comes with the range of his vision: he may look around and see things behind, forward and view things ahead, downward upon the waters in a well or a stream at the bottom of a deep ravine, upwards and gaze upon bodies in the distant heavens. So is it with faith: it extends itself unto everything that lies within the vast compass of God’s Word. It takes knowledge of things in the distant past, it also apprehends things that are yet to come; it looks into Hell, and penetrates into Heaven. It is able to discern the vanity of the world all around us.
It is true that there may be a genuine faith that takes in but little of the light of Divine revelation at first. Yet here again the earthly adumbration accurately shadows forth this spiritual truth. The eye of an infant takes in the light and perceives external objects, but with a good deal of weakness and confusion, until as it grows more its vision extends further and further. So it is with the eye of faith. At first, the light of spiritual knowledge is but dim: the babe in Christ is unable to see afar off. But as faith grows deeper and deeper into the Divine mysteries, until it comes at length to be swallowed up on open vision (John 17:24).
5. The eye is a very assuring faculty. Of the five bodily senses, this is the most convincing. What are we more sure of, than what we see with our eyes! Some fools may seek to persuade themselves that matter is a mental delusion, but no one in his right mind will believe them. If a man sees the sun shining in the heavens, he knows that it is day. In like manner, faith is a grace which carries in its very nature a great deal of certainty: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Skeptics may deny the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures, but when the eye of faith has gazed upon its supernatural beauties, the point is settled once for all. Others may regard the Christ of God as a pious myth, but once the saint has really beheld the Lamb of God, it can say "I know that my Redeemer liveth."
6. The eye is an impressing organ: what we see, leaves an impression upon our minds, that is why we need to pray often "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity" (Ps. 119:37); that is why the prophet declared "mine eye affecteth mine heart" (Lam. 3:51). If a man looks steadily at the sun for a few moments an impression of the sun is left in his eye, even though he turn his eyes away from it, or shuts them. In like manner, real faith leaves an impression of the Sun of righteousness upon the heart: "they looked unto Him, and were lightened" (Ps. 34:5). Even more definite is 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." As the mighty power of Christ will, in a coming day, transform the bodies of His people from mortality to life and from dishonor to glory, so also does the Holy Spirit now exert a moral transforming power on the character of those who are His, and that by calling faith into exercise, the activity of which more and more conforms the soul to the image of God’s Son.
7. The eye is a wondrous organ. Those who are competent to express an opinion, affirm that this particular member is the most curious and remarkable of any part of the human body: there is much of the wisdom and power of the Creator to be discovered in the formation of the visive faculty. So too faith is a grace that is curiously and wondrously wrought in the soul. There is more of the wisdom and power of the Divine Workman discovered in the formation of the grace of faith than in any other part of the new creature. Thus we read of the "work of faith with power" (2 Thess. 1:11), yea, that the same exceeding great and mighty power which was put forth by God in the raising of Christ from the dead is exerted upon and within them that believe (Eph. 1:19).
8. The eye of the body is a very tender thing: it is soon hurt and easily damaged. A very tiny cinder will cause pain and make it weep and it is very striking to note that that is the very way to recovery-it weeps out the dust or mote that gets into it. So too faith is a most delicate grace, thriving best in a pure conscience: hence the apostle speaks of "holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience" (1 Tim. 3:9). The lively actings of faith are soon marred by the dust of sin, or by the vanities of the world getting into the heart where it is seated. And where ever true faith is, if it be hurt by sin, it vents itself in a way of godly sorrow.
N.B. For most of the above we are indebted to a sermon preached by Ebon. Erskine in 1740.

Faith is Our only Hope

God is the Giver of his faith and the One who has "wrought all our works in us" (Isa. 26:12)! God’s favorable regard of His people originated not in anything whatever in them, either actual or foreseen. God’s grace is absolutely free, being the spontaneous exercise of His own mere good pleasure. The cause of its exercise lies wholly within Himself. The purposing grace of God is that good will which He had unto His people from all eternity: "Who bath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. 1:9). And the dispensing grace of God is but the execution of His purpose, ministering to His people: thus we read "God giveth more grace," yea, that "he giveth more grace" (James 4:6). It is entirely gratuitous, sovereignly bestowed, without any inducement being found in its object.
Furthermore, everything God does for and bestows on His people is for Christ’s sake. It is in no wise a question of their deserts, but of Christ’s deserts or what he merited for them. As Christ is the only Way by which we can approach the Father, so He is the sole channel through which God’s grace flows unto us. Hence we read of the "grace of God, and the gift of grace (namely, justifying righteousness) by one man, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:15); and again, "the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:4). The love of God toward us is in "Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39). he forgives us "for Christ’s sake" (Eph. 4:32). He supplies all our need "according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). He brings us to heaven in answer to Christ’s prayer (John 17:24). Yet though Christ merits everything for us, the original cause was the sovereign grace of God. "Although the merits of Christ are the (procuring) cause of our salvation, yet they are not the cause of our being ordained to salvation, They are the cause of purchasing all things decreed unto us, but they are not the cause which first moved God to decree these things unto us."

The Joy of Jesus is Calling

The challenges for civilization today are overwhelming. The Joy of Jesus is seeking to bring into sharp focus the need and source of love. We are looking for one-million people to join this movement with any obligation.

The Joy of Jesus has so many services for people to access. We offer centers in; education,health,jobs,peace,green technology,business, and parenting. There is also a Christian Education Center as well.

The Joy of Jesus On-line Church needs one-million people to place their best hopes in love. Join this group by visiting http://thejoyofjesuschurchonline.blogspot.com/

Sermon: The Greatest Love

Scripture: John 3:16 (King James Version)BP8AM74ZRVWM

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

Prayer: Dear God. We pray for love today. We love you with all of our minds, bodies and soul. We worship you for your grace, mercy and love. Lord, we praise Thee for everything in Christ Jesus. A-men.

Sermon: Love is the word that move people in extraordinary ways. We celebrate the greatest love in your name. God so loves the world that He gave us Jesus. God's love is all wrapped-up in The Christ in that He gave His life and shed Hid blood on the cross for our inequities. God resurrected Jesus on the third day and ascended Jesus back to Heaven. Jesus will return with all power, honor and Glory. This is the greatest love story ever told.BP8AM74ZRVWM

We need love so much today. Love is almost forgotten or lost in the commercial of making money and true love. God is Love.

In closing, let us celebrate in the gift of love.The Greatest Love is God. The key word in our scripture is the fact that God gave. Love is in the giving. We give you these words in love. We pray that this love will return to us so that we may give our love to others in return. Praise God for His love all in Christ Jesus. A-men

Devotion: Praise The Lord of All Light and Love

Prayer: Praise God, The Lord of all light and of all love;
We humble ourselves of all sin and forgive and pray for all people in the name of Jesus.

Glory to God for being The Lord of all Light and Salvation.
Glory to God of all Light and Love. God is indeed Love.
Weeping may endure for a night.
But JOY comes in the morning.

Jesus is love and the light.

Praise God Today and Forever in Jesus name,A-men.

Devotion:Love is in the air for whom know and understand that it is love that created the universe and that God is love in its purest element. We embrace love because it is a bright light in a dark place. We need love in our lives to make from day to day. One must have love to give it and share it the way that God loves us. He gave His Son so that we may live forever in His love.

Therefore we too must walk in the light of love. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross is the greatest act of love ever know to life it self.Let us give love everyday in every way. Jesus is the light of love. God is love. We love you so much today. Praise God for the gift of love that we are to care and share
Psalm 30 (King James Version)

Psalm 30
1I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

6And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

7LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

9What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12To 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.

Prayer & Scripture for Life

The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2000.
The Psalms
23

The LORD Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.


1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters. Rev. 7.17


3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.


4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.


6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.




Prayer: Dear God in Heaven, The Father of The Lord Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit,

We praise God and Thank God for All thins found in Christ Jesus.

We pray for all people for all reasons, that they will be blessed with the gift of Joy.

We ask that you continue to bless this ministry to bless others in the name of Jesus.

Praise God for whom all blessings flow.

The Lord is our Shepperd.

Bless His Holy Name.

Glory to God in The Highest. A-men

Worship The Lord with Gladness & Joy

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.


Sermon:

We praise God today for His goodness and joy in Christ Jesus and The Holy Spirit of God.

The Lord is my strength and salvation. Lord we pray for the world and all Thy people.

We thank God for each and every blessing in the spirit of God in Christ Jesus.

Glory to Glory to God.

Prayer: O' God of our many years and silent tears, we love you. The blood of Christ heals us of all suffering and pain. God raised Jesus on the third day. Jesus will return with all power, glory and power.

Pray for The World

Scripture:

John 17

Christ's prayer for himself. (1-5) His prayer for his disciples. (6-10) His prayer. (11-26)

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven and all the earth. We praise Thee with all power, glory and honor in the name of Jesus for world healing. Thank you Lord for all spiritual in Christ Jesus. We pray for all people to be blessed. Praise God in Christ Jesus and The Holy Spirit of God. In Jesus name we pray...

Sermon: Pray for the World.

Our message is so simple; it almost appears ridiculous. People around the world are concern on a number of fronts. Jobless, natural disasters, and poverty have eaten away all hope and joy for the average person. Yet our scripture paints and different story. Jesus prayed for all people.

We are so precious in the eyes of God. It is our job to do as Jesus did. Jesus prayed for all people. We too follow His Lead. We indeed pray for all people. We pray for peace, hope, love and joy for all people. We ask in the name of Jesus that all people be blessed. The real question is how and why?

In closing, our message is clear. We at The Joy of Jesus have ginuine concern and love for all people. Jesus is the answer to all questions.The question as to why, is equally clear. Jesus came so that we (the world) may be saved from sin. Jesus gave His life on the cross, shed His Blood, by His Stripes we are healed. God raised Jesus from the grave on the third day. Soon, Jesus will return with all power , honor and glory. This is our prayer.

Prayer: We love You Lord. We pray for Peace, Hope, and Love for all people in Christ Jesus name. Glory to Glory, to Glory... All to God and Christ Jesus we pray. A-men

Convocation: Prayer and The Cross

Prayer: Dear God in Heaven, Father of The Lord Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit of God in Christ Jesus: we pray for Peace, Hope and Love for all.

We pray for all those who are in need. We pray for those who are in trouble. We pray for the sick, the homeless, the jobless,and the elderly. We pray for all the saints of Jerusalem.

Thank You Lord for this ministry. People have been so blessed by it. We continue to ask that you bless our members and keep them well with Your words from the cross. Forgive them Lord.

We Thank God and Praise God for all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Let us walk in the light of The Lord of our Salvation. We give You all the power, Honor and glory in Jesus name. A-men.
Convocation:
What We Behold
On The Cross
by Augustine of Hippo (c. 354-430)
"As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul." Please share your comments and concerns.

Sripture for Life: Rev. Dr. James A. Lee

THE PSALMS

Chapter 27

Psalms 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"
When the Lord is your light and salvation, you do not need to fear anyone. The Lord is the strength and power for my eternal life, so why would I be afraid of anyone or any thing. If YHVH Father is my assurance and the strength of my life, I have nothing to fear. We are speaking of your soul, for only God can end the life of your soul; for it is not man's to take or to give.

Psalms 27:2 "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, They stumbled and fell."

God's truth and His Word can stand the test of time, and just as God's Word can past the test, so also can you, when your light and salvation is in the Lord. Again, it doesn't matter what foe is around you and the numbers against you are so overwhelming, God is your salvation, and He can protect you as you stand firm as a child of the Living God. God is giving you assurance that He loves you that much that He will protect you. You simply do not have to be afraid of anything, including the devil, as long as you use good judgment and common sense.

Psalms 27:3 "Though an host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should arise against me, In this will I be confident."

Though an entire army should surround you, I will not fear. When they come against you with all that they have, be confident that the strength of the Lord will put them down. No matter where you are or what your enemy is, God is there to protect you. Satan is sending his entire army of evil spirits against God's elect in this generation, Yet God will provide the protection we need, when we have armor of the Lord on and in place. That armor is give to us in Ephesians 6:10-20. When you open your mouth to take a stand and do the work of the Lord, then that army of Satan will arise against you. They will attack you, even through the mouths of the ones you love, but with this confidence you can stand because our God loves you.

Psalms 27:4 "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple."

Praise God for this promise that he is giving directly to you and me when we seek after the ways of the Lord. We will see His beauty when we seek the Lord in His temple. Where is His temple? In Christ! Jesus said; "I am the way the truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father but by Me".

Psalms 27:5 "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: In the secret of His tabernacle shall He hid me; He shall set me up upon a rock."

So when is this time of trouble? It comes in the end times, the final generation. That secret place where Father shall hide me, is upon a rock. That "pavilion" is a secret dwelling place; that place will be know to you because have eyes to see and ears to hear the truth, but to all others that are not in Christ and in the truths of His Word, they will not know where that place is. They are blinded to it. That Rock spoken of here is God our heavenly Father himself. He will give you all the protection that you need. In fact you are not to even premeditate how that protection will come, for in Mark 13:11 we are told that His Spirit will even give you the words that you are to speak in that hour. It will not be you that speaks, but the Holy Spirit speaking through you.

Psalms 27:6 "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord."

It just doesn't matter how many enemies there are, my head will be lifted up above all of them. When you look around you at all the things that are going on in the world today, don't be sad for everything you see is part of God's prophecy, He told you it would happen and now you see coming to pass. That is the time to sing His praises for Our God keeps his Word, and if you can see those things coming to pass, you know He has the power and will to protect you from all your enemies. Now don't forget to sing those praises to the Lord every day for He has given you the eyes to see and ears to hear those truths prophesied within His holy Word.

Psalms 27:7 "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: Have mercy also upon me, and answer me."

Prayer: Eternal God of our salvation,We pray for Peace, Hope and Love all in Christ Jesus. We pray for all people. Thank You Jesus for Your Love and Grace in Your name, A-men.

Sermon: The Reason for Our Joy

Scripture:-- 1 Peter 1 -- Next Chapter >
1.Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2.Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4.To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5.Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6.Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7.That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Sermon: The reason for anything is generally why people do and have the things in life that defines ones station in the universe. Our message today is the reason to have joy and why it is important to seek it as well.

The word of God comes from St. Peter. It is the reason for pure joy. God has a plan, that before He created the universe He thought about you and I and our joy. Jesus would come into the world and save us from our sins. Our salvation is based upon our faith in Jesus. This faith is more precious that the finest of gold. It is a promise that God made to you and I.

Moreover, we may be experiencing temptations to divert out attention from our incredible gift from God, we stay focused on the gift of God. In this we rejoice. We find joy in knowing that God is good and loves us in spite of any problems we may face today.

Joy is something that comes from the soul. It is found deep in ones heart. We sing. We jump. We shout of the joy that mo one can take away from us. Joy is a gift from God in Christ Jesus.

The cross is a symbol of pain, suffering and death. Jesus overcame the cross to establish eternal life for all who believe in His name. This is the reason for our joy.

Prayer: Praise God the father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. We Praise God for His Joy in Christ Jesus. We ask in the name of Jesus that all people may experience such Joy in The Lord. We ask for peace, hope and love rule in our lives. Glory to God in the Highest in Jesus name we pray. A-men

The Power of Prayer

Dear God the Father of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. We humble ourselves of all sins and pray for all people to do as Your Will be done. We thank You Lord for all and each spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. We ask in the name of Jesus to save all people as we pray for the people of Haiti and for all those who are helping in their own way.

Dear Lord, we pray for this ministry and for all of our followers in all special ways. We pray for their families and friends. We ask in Your name that they are blessed in all that they do.

Lord we love you. We praise You today for all that you have done and will do. We Glorify Thy name and blood that takes away the sins of the world. We praise Thee for Your return with all power, honor and glory for your righteousness. Lord we praise Thee for for your peace,hope,love and joy in your name. Praise God all ye land in Christ Jesus we pray for all of your power and glory, A-men.

Let us Pray

Scripture 2 Thessalonians 3
Request for Prayer
1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

Sermon: Our message today is one of prayer. The two major components of life as a person of faith is Prayer and The Word of God. We are faced with interesting challenges around the world and at home as well. The pressures to do what is right, just and fair is an open question.

What should we be doing during these days of concern? Our scripture is clear. We are to pray for the Word of God to run swiftly and be glorified. We are to look out for evil.God is faithful. He will protect you. God will direct your heart in the patience of Christ Jesus.

Let us pray for all people. Let us pray for all in need around the world. Let us pray for The Word of God in Christ Jesus. Let us pray thank God will direct our hearts. The question as to why is in order?

Jesus was born to save the world. He was beaten, shed his blood, and died on the cross for all who believe. Jesus was raised from the grave and sits in heaven with God the Father. Jesus will return with all: Power, Glory and Honor. We Thank God and Praise God for all in Christ Jesus. Let us pray. A-men