Christian Education The Joy of Jesus Today

The Parable of
The Pearl of Great Price
Matt 13:45,46 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (web)

Discussion Questions
How does this parable differ from that of the parable just before it of the hidden treasure (Matt 13:44)?
How did the merchant know the value of the pearl?
What evidence is there that he had really come to value it?
What has God's treasure cost you?


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Comments
Once again as in the parable of the hidden treasure, this is about seeking and recognizing the value of God's gift.. Though the man in the previous parable may have simply run across the treasure by chance, this man purposely sought the treasure, making it his profession and purpose in life. Such an attitude is a characteristic of saving faith as the author of Hebrews writes
Heb 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
At first the merchant may not be aware that such a great pearl existed. In the process of examining other pearls he may have caught rumor of such a pearl. Or he may have discovered it on his own. Seekers often have gone through the process of examining a number of religions, philosophies and ideas. And indeed the scriptures reckon as virtuous those who are skeptical, carefully evaluating the ideas proposed rather than accepting them gullibly with a blind faith:
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11

Rap
There once was a merchant looking for pearls
Thinking of them like nuts to squirrels
But one day he found a pearl of great price
And sold all he had, all his merchandise
To buy the pearl he sought the most
Which in the end would be his boast.
There are those who seek from place to place
What can be found only through God's grace
The pearl of great price is Jesus our Lord
When you find Him you'll find that you can afford
To replace your trust in other things
With the One from whom eternal life springs

Convocation: The Joy of Jesus and The High Calling

Scripture: Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Prayer: Dear God in Christ Jesus and The Holy Spirit; we praise Thee.
Glory to God in The Highest.

We submit to Thy perfect will.
We love Thee and Thank Thee today for all things in Christ Jesus.

We pray for all people.
We pray for Peace.
We pray for the children.
We pray for The Joy of Jesus.

Glory to God for whom all blessings flow, as we move to the high calling in Jesus name.

The Joy of Jesus is at the End

Everyone wants to know the end game. People can not wait to learn when the end will happen. The real question is what should one dot be ready for the end?

Jesus said that no one knows the end but God. However, we need to know what we should be doing as time moves on to that particular time?

Jesus told His disciples to watch, pray and be ready. That advise is as good as one could ever receive. We pray that God's will be done.

The Joy of Jesus is our salvation. We pray for the Lords, righteousness, truth, peace, faithfulness and word of God in Christ Jesus. We love the Lord. We pray for the day of His return.

Jesus gave His life and shed His blood so that we may live forever. Jesus and His full joy is to return and set all things right. The power of God raised Him from the dead and will return Jesus with all power, honor and glory.

We all need Prayer

The time has come when our governments and people are far apart on what is really important on life. Our businesses and churches are failing to address our core needs as people. What are we to do?

Prayer: Almighty God,Christ Jesus and The Holy Spirit we come to You in deep prayer. We humble ourselves of all transgression. We forgive all in the name of Jesus.

Lord we pray for Thy peace today. We thank you for all of Your love in Christ Jesus. We pray for all people in need. We ask in the name of Jesus that you bless this ministry to bless others in your name.

Praise god for whom all blessings flow in the name of Jesus we pray....

Vote for Hope 10million for The joy of Jesus

People are losing hope today due to the economy and jobs. The Joy of Jesus Church is aware of this situation and calling for positive thinking around the world to make a difference. One campaign for 10 million people to stand up for Hope and Opportunity is a real start to a new beginning.

The joy of Jesus Pastor The Rev. Dr. James A. Lee is in deep prayer for families around the world. The Joy of Jesus has programs that promote opportunity in the following ares: Jobs, Business, Education,Health Care, Peace Studies, Green technology, and Poverty Studies to improve the quality of life for all.

Join our Campaign for Hope. Give to The Joy of Jesus through our free toolbar or visit our sponsors today. We are looking for 10 million people that starts with yo today, help us help others http://thejoyofjesuschurchonline.blogspot.com/

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).