Bible Study from The Joy of Jesus

Our Eternal Salvation
Are you really sure of your eternal salvation? This is a very important question, and one that will have lasting eternal consequences. If you were to die today, do you know for certain that you would go to heaven? This is a question about which we cannot afford to be wrong, because eternity is very permanent. One day each of us will know the true answer to this question, "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ", Romans 14:10. Every one of us have two appointments that have already been made for us and that we will definitely keep, whether we want to or not. They are, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment", Hebrews 9:27. These two appointments, death and the judgment, cannot be cancelled.

The tragedy of what happened in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001 shows the uncertainty and brevity of life. God tells us in James 4:14, "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

We must not make an error concerning our salvation in following what "seems right" to us, or that we "feel in our heart that we are saved". The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death". Our feelings are not a safe guide, but only the Bible is.

What prior assumptions have we already made about our salvation? Many of these assumptions, that people make, contradict what God says in his word to us. All we have to do is to look around at all of the many differing doctrines that are being taught, and then compare them to what God says in the Bible, and we can see a great difference. Our Lord says in Mark 7:7, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men". Our worship is vain if it comes from the doctrines of men and not from God. Can we say that all these many differing doctrines have come from God? I think not. I Corinthians 14:33 says that, "God is not the author of confusion." Or are they from men? Where else could they have come from, if they did not come from God? This becomes a very serious question. Our worship becomes vain and useless, if our doctrines come from men when they meet in their conventions and conferences to decide what they are to believe and do.

As the apostle Peter told the Jewish council in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men". Do not believe anything that I tell you, because we are not going to be judged by what I say. Do not believe anything any other person tells you, because we are not going to be judged by what some other person says. In fact, we are not going to be judged by what we personally believe. On the Day of Judgment we are going to be judged only by what the Lord says in the Bible. That is going to be the only standard for judgment, for our Lord says in John 12:48, "The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day". So, if I or any other person cannot point to it in the Word of God, then please do not believe it, because there is too much at stake – your soul!

Our soul is worth more than the whole world and everything in it. Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Our soul is the part of us that is going to continue to live on forever throughout all eternity. We cannot afford to lose our soul and be eternally punished.


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Questions Lesson 1

Our Eternal Salvation
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Romans 14:10) Who will appear before the judgment seat of Christ?

Only the lost.

Only the saved.

All people.


2) If we are wrong about our salvation we will be los

3) (Proverbs 14:12) The way that seems right unto man leads to

Eternal life.
Spiritual death.

Success

4) Our feelings are a safe guide when it comes to our eternal salvation.


5) (Mark 7:7) If we follow the doctrines of men

It is vain.
It doesn’t matter.

God is still well pleased.


6) It is pleasing to God if we follow the doctrines of men in our wors

7) (John 12:48) What will be the standard of judgment on judgment day?

What we think.
The words of Christ.

What my preacher say

8) Just because we feel in our heart we are saved does not mean we are s

9) (Hebrews 9:27) What two appointments have already been made for us?

Doctor.
Dental.

Death and Judgment



10) We can cancel our appointments with death and judgment.

The Power of The Joy of Jesus in Scripture

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

Philippians 4:13



If you just read the first part of this verse, it would immediately sound an alarm indicating arrogance: "I can do all things." This was the spirit that attempted to build the tower of Babel. This was the downfall of men like Saul or the Egyptian Pharaoh. Many today infected by humanism and without any trust in God - make the same claim: "I can do all things."

But the next two words in the verse take this out of the context of arrogance altogether: "through Christ." It is not a boast of self: "I can do all things." It is, I can do all things through Christ! There is a huge difference. It is one thing for someone to say, "I can do all things." It is quite different to confess, "I can do all things through Christ."

To get the impact of this, stop and think about what you couldn't do without Him! You could not effectively and thoroughly know your lost condition. Without Him, you could not have adequate concepts of God. Without Him, you could realize no victory over sin. Without Him, we would all be a victim of the wrath to come. Jesus said to His disciples "without Me you can do nothing," (Jno. 15:5). In Ephesians 2:12 teaches outside of Christ, we have "no hope" and we are "without God in the world."

So with Christ through Him; in our relationship of active faith in Him we have strength we could not have any other way! Strength to adequately evaluate ourselves. Strength to know the difference between right and wrong (by faithfully applying His Word). Strength that comes through the remission of our sins. Strength in response to prayer we offer to God through Him. Strength of character as we follow His example and obey Him. This is strength in such abundance, we are able to do everything God wants us to do. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

"Of the strength which Christ can impart, Paul had had abundant experience; and now his whole reliance was there. It was not in any native ability which he had; not in any vigor of body or of mind; not in any power which there was in his own resolutions; it was in the strength that he derived from the Redeemer. By that he was enabled to bear cold, fatigue, and hunger; by that, he met temptations and persecutions; and by that, he engaged in the performance of his arduous duties" (Barnes).

The Spirit Life in The Joy of Jesus Today

Can a person have a new life in this world? In other words, can a person be born again? This is a central question in the life of the believer. Jesus offers an answer that is of tremendous value given the complexities of today.

Once, a man came to Jesus in the middle of the night and asked Jesus how can a man be born again? We must take under consideration the fact that we are born once. A physical birth is something that all life experiences.

The idea of a second birth is a gift of God in Christ Jesus. The blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross makes life brand new for the believer. God raised Him from the dead so that by our faith we are saved. A spiritual re-birth is all found in the absolute Joy of Jesus.

The Power of The Holy Spirit Rev. James A. Lee

Scripture: Peter Addresses the Crowd Acts 2
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'[c]

Sermon: The Spirit of God.

We praise God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. After the resurrection of Christ Jesus the disciples were experiencing despair. The government wanted to arrest them and kill them for promoting a new kingdom. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come and give them a new power.

The Holy Spirit came in like a rushing wind. People began to praise God in their own dialect. Peter explained that the people would dream, dreams and the Earth would see darkness and that Jesus would return.

We praise God for Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. We thank God for Jesus. The blood take He shed on the cross removes the sins of the world. Jesus was raised from the grave by the power of God. Jesus will return to make all things right. Just call on the name of Jesus and you will be saved.

There are so many problems in the world today. All of our institutions appear to have fallen short of their goals to serve people. We must hold strongly to our faith in Christ Jesus. We must continue to trust in God and The Holy Spirit that Jesus will return and indeed save us from all sin.

Prayer: Dear God, we praise Thee and Worship You Today in Christ Jesus. We humble ourselves of all sin. We forgive all(enemies) in Your name.

We thank You Lord for all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. We Glorify Thee Lord. We praise Thee for The Holy Spirit in our lives. We pray for The Joy of Jesus and all that love Thee. Praise God for Whom all Blessings Flow in The Name of Jesus we pray...

The Sunday School Lesson The Joy of Jesus online

Love Within the Community (1 John 2:7-17)

“There is nothing like the church online when it is working right.” When the church is at its best, needs are met, people are cared for, and lives are changed. We see an example of this in the early days of the church: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44, 45). This serves as an excellent example of true Christian community.

And yet we seem to know very little about community in our modern culture. We drive to work alone. We put on headphones so we can exercise alone. We pull our car into the garage at the end of the day and close the door before we get out. We may go days without seeing our neighbors. We live isolated lives and experience very little community.

John writes our Scripture text to a group of believers who may, in fact, have needed reminding of what the Christian community is supposed to be: one marked by love. His ”new” command was, in fact, not new at all. Christ spoke of it when asked about the greatest command: “Love the Lord your God and love others as yourself” (see Luke 10:27).

And so John’s words are simple. We need to love one another. We need to care for one another. We need to carry one another’s burdens and help meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. If we love, we are in the light. But if we hate, we are in the dark.


Living in Darkness
“But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness” (1 John 2:11).

Plainly and simply, we cannot see in the darkness. We cannot see what’s in front of us or around us. In fact, when it’s completely dark we cannot even see our hand in front of our face. Darkness hides things.

Spiritual darkness is no different. As John states, when we hate, we walk in the darkness. In this state, we fail to recognize our true need for a Savior. We ignore the instructions and commands of God’s Word, and in doing so, deceive ourselves of our right relationship with God and the relationships he has given us with other believers.

In order to love, we must get out of the dark and into the light.


Living in Light
“Whoever loves his brother lives in light” (1 John 2:10).

When it is light, everything is out in the open. Everything can be seen. We show our true selves, as imperfect as we are, because we understand it’s only by God’s mercy we are saved and made right with him. We live in the light of God’s truth and grace.

John writes these words to believers, young and old—new Christians and mature Christians. Our lives and our communities are to be marked by love.

Over the years, I have been in several different small groups in the various churches I’ve served. And one thing I have noticed is a small group works best when true community takes place. The strongest and longest-lasting groups are the ones where love is freely given, grace is extended in abundance, and needs (whether spiritual, emotional, or physical) are met with compassion. This does not come easily . . . true community doesn’t happen by chance. But when it takes place, lives are changed, hearts are encouraged, and God is glorified.

Just recently, my current small group was discussing this whole idea of caring for and loving one another. It reminded us that love requires sacrifice. It requires us to go out of our way and to notice the little things in one another’s lives. It means going beyond just saying, “I’ll pray for you”—we must actually pray, and then perhaps follow it up with a phone call. It means preparing a meal during a difficult time or simply being there to listen. That is what true Christian community is all about.

Hatred has no place among true believers of Christ living in community with fellow believers. Our lives and our relationships must be marked by love. And as simple as that sounds, John’s reminder is just as relevant and needed today. In our world of lives lived in isolation, true community is absolutely necessary. What a powerful effect this could have on our world if we all truly took these words to heart.

Please Pray for The People of Poland

The Joy of Jesus Church Prays for the people of Poland. We pray that they can continue to move forward with their development as a nation and people. We pray for their leaders and family members lost in the plane crash in Jesus name.

Prayer for Miners and Their Safety

We ask that you pray for the Miners in harms way and their safety.
Dear god hear our prayers in Jesus name.