The Joy of Jesus (Church Online)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Seasons Of Ups And Downs

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September 19, 2011 — by Dennis Fisher

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:4

Bible in a year:
Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Most of us would agree that life has its ups and downs. Wise King Solomon believed this and reflected on our responses to fluctuating circumstances. In Ecclesiastes, he wrote: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (3:1-4).

Solomon’s father, David, was called “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). Yet David’s life illustrates how life is filled with seasons of ups and downs. David wept over his and Bathsheba’s first child who was fatally ill (2 Sam. 12:22). Yet he also wrote songs of praise and joyous laughter (Ps. 126:1-3). With the death of his rebellious son Absalom, David experienced a time of deep mourning (2 Sam. 18:33). And when the ark was brought to Jerusalem, David, in spiritual ecstasy, danced before the Lord (2 Sam. 6:12-15).

We do a disservice to ourselves and others when we portray the Christian life as peaceful and happy all the time. Instead, the Bible portrays the believer’s life as consisting of seasons of ups and downs. In what season are you? Whether a time of joy or sadness, each season should motivate us to seek the Lord and trust Him.

Dear Lord, help us to turn to You not only in sadness
but also in joy. We know You give us both good times
and bad to draw us to You and help us grow.
May we learn to trust You in all seasons of life. Amen.

Every season needs faith to get us through it.

John 19:16-42 "Then delivered he him therefore unto them..." KJV - Online Bible Study

John 19:16-42 "Then delivered he him therefore unto them..." KJV - Online Bible Study Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified . And they took Jesus, and led him away . ¹⁷ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: ¹⁸ Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one , and Jesus in the midst. ¹⁹ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was , JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰ This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. ²¹ Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said , I am King of the Jews. ²² Pilate answered , What I have written I have written . ²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout . ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be : that the scripture might be fulfilled , which saith , They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did . ²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by , whom he loved , he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! ²⁷ Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. ²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished , that the scripture might be fulfilled , saith , I thirst . ²⁹ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said , It is finished : and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. ³¹ The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken , and that they might be taken away . ³² Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: ³⁴ But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. ³⁵ And he that saw it bare record , and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe . ³⁶ For these things were done , that the scripture should be fulfilled , A bone of him shall not be broken . ³⁷ And again another scripture saith , They shall look on him whom they pierced . ³⁸ And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave . He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. ³⁹ And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. ⁴⁰ Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury . ⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid . ⁴² There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

2 Chronicles 30:1-27

¹ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. ² For the king had taken counsel , and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. ³ For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently , neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. ⁴ And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. ⁵ So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written . ⁶ So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying , Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see . ⁸ Now be ye not stiffnecked , as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. ⁹ For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive , so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. ¹⁰ So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn , and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. ¹² Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD. ¹³ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. ¹⁴ And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away , and cast them into the brook Kidron. ¹⁵ Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed , and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. ¹⁶ And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified : therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD. ¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written . But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying , The good LORD pardon every one ¹⁹ That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. ²⁰ And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. ²¹ And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD. ²² And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. ²³ And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness. ²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. ²⁵ And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced . ²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard , and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

Psalm 86:1-17

¹ Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. ² Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. ³ Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. ⁴ Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ⁵ For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. ⁶ Give ear , O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. ⁷ In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. ⁸ Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. ⁹ All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. ¹⁰ For thou art great, and doest wondrous things : thou art God alone. ¹¹ Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. ¹² I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. ¹³ For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. ¹⁴ O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. ¹⁵ But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering , and plenteous in mercy and truth. ¹⁶ O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. ¹⁷ Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed : because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

Daily Word

Home | Daily Word: "GUIDANCE
Spirit leads me on a level path to my highest good.
When life seems to be an uphill battle, I pause, rest and seek inner guidance. On every mile of my journey, over rocky hills or through lush green valleys, Spirit is with me and within me. While I may only be able to see a few steps ahead, Spirit has the greater perspective and knows the way. Indeed, the Spirit of God knows what I need before I even ask.

Once I have made the decision to move forward, I begin to look beyond the roadblocks and notice the divine detours. If an obstacle persists, I stop and give thanks for the solution that is already unfolding. I open myself to inspiration and inner guidance. I walk a level path to my highest good.

Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.--Psalm 143:10"

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Daily Word The Joy of Jesus Today

Home | Daily Word: "SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
I am grateful for my spiritual practice.
My spiritual practice is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes I put pressure on myself to be the perfect expression of God. I imagine I must meditate in a specific manner, pray in a certain way, or connect with Spirit using one technique or another. I tell myself I must be a perfect spiritual student and role model at all times.

No wonder I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders! When I pause in the silence, I realize this is a spiritual practice and I am a work in progress. Each day I set the intention to be my personal best and then I take authentic action. If I misstep, I simply forgive myself and begin again. I practice being an expression of God in my own, unique, perfectly imperfect way.

Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.--1 Timothy 4:15"

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Our Daily Bread

Daddy!

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September 18, 2011 — by Anne Cetas

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: 2 Kings 19:10-19

Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, OLord, and see. —2 Kings 19:16

Bible in a year:
Proverbs 30-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Twenty-month-old James was leading his family confidently through the hallways of their large church. His daddy kept an eye on him the whole time as James toddled his way through the crowd of “giants.” Suddenly the little boy panicked because he could not see his dad. He stopped, looked around, and started to cry, “Daddy, Daddy!” His dad quickly caught up with him and little James reached up his hand, which Daddy strongly clasped. Immediately James was at peace.

Second Kings tells the story of King Hezekiah who reached up to God for help (19:15). Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, had made threats against Hezekiah and the people of Judah, saying, “Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you . . . . You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered?” (vv.10-11). King Hezekiah went to the Lord and prayed for deliverance so “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God” (vv.14-19). In answer to his prayer, the angel of theLord struck down the enemy, and Sennacherib withdrew (vv.20-36).

If you’re in a situation where you need God’s help, reach up your hand to Him in prayer. He has promised His comfort and help (2 Cor. 1:3-4; Heb. 4:16).

When serving the Lord and you lose your way,
Just hold out your hand and let Jesus lead;
He’ll come to your aid, and you’ll hear Him say,
I’ll show you the way and meet every need. —Hess

John 18:38-40 "Pilate saith unto him, What is..." KJV - Online Bible Study

³⁸ Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. ³⁹ But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? ⁴⁰ Then cried they all again, saying , Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

John 19:1-16

¹ Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. ² And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, ³ And said , Hail , King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. ⁵ Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! ⁶ When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out , saying , Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. ⁷ The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die , because he made himself the Son of God. ⁸ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid ; ⁹ And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? ¹¹ Jesus answered , Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. ¹² And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out , saying , If thou let this man go , thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. ¹³ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! ¹⁵ But they cried out , Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered , We have no king but Caesar. ¹⁶ Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified . And they took Jesus, and led him away .

2 Chronicles 29:1-36

¹ Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. ² And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done . ³ He in the first year of his reign , in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. ⁴ And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, ⁵ And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. ⁶ For our fathers have trespassed , and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. ⁷ Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. ⁸ Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble , to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. ⁹ For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. ¹⁰ Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, be not now negligent : for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense . ¹² Then the Levites arose , Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah: ¹³ And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah: ¹⁴ And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel. ¹⁵ And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came , according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. ¹⁶ And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron. ¹⁷ Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify , and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end . ¹⁸ Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said , We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. ¹⁹ Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified , and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD. ²⁰ Then Hezekiah the king rose early , and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. ²¹ And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD. ²² So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. ²³ And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them: ²⁴ And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. ²⁵ And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. ²⁶ And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. ²⁷ And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began , the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. ²⁸ And all the congregation worshipped , and the singers sang , and the trumpeters sounded : and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished . ²⁹ And when they had made an end of offering , the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped . ³⁰ Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped . ³¹ Then Hezekiah answered and said , Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings. ³² And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought , was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. ³³ And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. ³⁴ But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended , and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. ³⁵ And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order . ³⁶ And Hezekiah rejoiced , and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

Psalm 85:1-13

¹ LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. ² Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.Selah. ³ Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. ⁴ Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease . ⁵ Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? ⁶ Wilt thou not revive us again : that thy people may rejoice in thee? ⁷ Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. ⁸ I will hear what God the LORD will speak : for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. ⁹ Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. ¹⁰ Mercy and truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ¹¹ Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. ¹² Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. ¹³ Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

The King James Version is in the public domain.

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