The Joy of Jesus (Church Online)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

| Daily Word Dr. James A. Lee

Home | Daily Word: "OPEN HEART
I open my heart and pray for others.
During Jesus' ministry, he often opened his heart to the needs and concerns of others and enfolded them in prayer. Following his example, I pray for others often. Whether I am at work, church, the grocery store, driving my car or doing household activities, I can hold another in prayer.

My prayer may be as simple as "Thank you" or "Bless you." Every moment in which I turn my thoughts inward to the spirit of God at the core of my being is a prayer. I am grateful for such moments, for they enable me to express my faith and bless the people whose lives touch mine. My prayers are loving, compassionate and supportive. By opening my heart in prayer, I send love to others and become a channel for good.

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.--Philippians 2:4"

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Shine On!

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October 6, 2011 — by Cindy Hess Kasper

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9-10

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

Bible in a year:
Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2

I was frustrated that despite my repeated calls, the streetlight in front of my house was still out. Because we don’t have sidewalks and there is such a large distance between the streetlights, it’s important that each light is functional to illuminate the darkness. I worried that I might hit one of the school kids as I pulled out of my driveway in the early morning hours.

The idea of light is used frequently in the Bible. Jesus said that He is the Light of the world (John 9:5). We are told to “put on the armor of light” by clothing ourselves with the Lord (Rom. 13:12-14). AndMatthew 5:16 instructs that we should “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify [our] Father in heaven.”

A light that doesn’t shine has lost its usefulness. Jesus said that no one hides a light under a basket but puts it on a lampstand to illuminate everything around it (Matt. 5:15). Our light (our actions) should point people to the One who is the Light. We don’t have any light in ourselves, but we shine with the reflection of Christ (Eph. 5:8).

God has placed each of us in a specific environment that will best allow us to shine with His light. Don’t be like a burned-out streetlight. Shine on!

Lord, help us always put You first
In everything we say and do
So that Your light will shine through us
And show the world their need of You. —Sper

Whether you’re a candle in a corner
or a beacon on a hill, let your light shine.

Revelation 6:1-17 "And I saw when the Lamb opened..." KJV - Online Bible Study

¹ And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard , as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying , Come and see . ² And I saw , and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering , and to conquer . ³ And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say , Come and see . ⁴ And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. ⁵ And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say , Come and see . And I beheld , and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say , A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. ⁷ And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say , Come and see . ⁸ And I looked , and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. ⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held : ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying , How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled . ¹² And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo , there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together ; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand ?

Nehemiah 8:13-18

¹³ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe , even to understand the words of the law. ¹⁴ And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: ¹⁵ And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying , Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches , and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written . ¹⁶ So the people went forth , and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so . And there was very great gladness. ¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

Nehemiah 9:1-37

¹ Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. ² And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers , and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed , and worshipped the LORD their God. ⁴ Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. ⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said , Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. ⁶ Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. ⁷ Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; ⁸ And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: ⁹ And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; ¹⁰ And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. ¹¹ And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. ¹² Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go . ¹³ Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: ¹⁴ And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: ¹⁵ And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. ¹⁶ But they and our fathers dealt proudly , and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, ¹⁷ And refused to obey , neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. ¹⁸ Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said , This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; ¹⁹ Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light , and the way wherein they should go . ²⁰ Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. ²¹ Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old , and their feet swelled not. ²² Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. ²³ Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. ²⁴ So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. ²⁵ And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged , vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat , and were filled , and became fat , and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. ²⁶ Nevertheless they were disobedient , and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. ²⁷ Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours , who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. ²⁸ But after they had rest , they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies , so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned , and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; ²⁹ And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly , and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do , he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear . ³⁰ Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear : therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. ³¹ Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. ³² Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. ³³ Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly : ³⁴ Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. ³⁵ For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. ³⁶ Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: ³⁷ And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

Psalm 101:1-8

¹ I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing . ² I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. ³ I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. ⁴ A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. ⁵ Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off : him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer . ⁶ Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. ⁷ He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. ⁸ I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Daily Word Dr. James A. Lee

Home | Daily Word: "CONFIDENCE
I greet life's opportunities with increasing confidence.
When a baby is learning to walk, the spills outnumber the successful steps. Early falls are important to the baby's process of learning to keep his or her balance. The stumbling doesn't discourage the baby. The support and encouragement of others provides the incentive to keep trying.

I take this lesson to heart as I explore my own untapped potential. I am grateful to know that I am divinely supported and guided as I learn new things and expand existing skills. When I experience difficulties, I keep pushing on. With practice, I make progress; with progress, I gain confidence.

By taking baby steps toward new opportunities, I build confidence in my God-given abilities.

I often boast about you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with consolation.--2 Corinthians 7:4"

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Our Daily Bread The Joy of Jesus

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Location, Location, Location

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October 5, 2011 — by Joe Stowell

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Colossians 1:3-14

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son. —Colossians 1:13

Bible in a year:
Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

Buying and selling real estate in the US is tricky business these days. Housing prices have dropped significantly, and if you’re trying to unload commercial property it’s even more difficult. So, in the game of real estate, it remains important to keep this old adage in mind: “The three most important things to know about buying and selling property are location, location, location!”

The same is true of living for Jesus. Knowing our location spiritually is critical if we are to succeed in navigating through the greatly devalued territory of our world. Paul reminds us that we have a new location in Christ, having been delivered “from the power of darkness and conveyed . . . into the kingdom of the Son” (Col. 1:13). Knowing that we have been relocated by His amazing grace into the kingdom of Jesus makes a difference. Jesus now reigns as King in our hearts and minds, and we are His grateful subjects. His will is our will and His ways become patterns for all of life and behavior. And when we are forced to make a choice, our allegiance is to Him.

So, when the temptations and the seductions of the darkness from which you have been removed threaten His reign in your heart, remember your new postal code: Colossians 1:13!

Where Jesus reigns there is no fear,
No restless doubt, no hopeless tear,
No raging sea nor tempest dread,
But quietness and calm instead. —Anon.

The subjects of the kingdom
should display the manners of the court.