Friday, April 30, 2010

Convocation: The Joy of Jesus is Faith

Is your faith ever been in question? There are so many issues today that the average person must stop and ask what will happen next? We go from one situation ti another without any real solutions. War and poverty, crime, corruption, and schools firing much needed teachers are all on the table. What dose faith have to do with anything?

Jesus was a person of tremendous faith. He died on the cross for the sins of the world. We as believers must trust that this is the case in spite of the riggers of life as we know it. God raised Jesus from the dead as an act of faith. We too must hold on to our faith until the end.

Our faith is in the Christ and Hid love. We too must continue to love and keep our faith centered on God's Love in Christ Jesus. We pray that our faith will remain strong even under the most trying circumstances. We praise God and Thank God for you in Christ Jesus. Our prayer is that The Joy of Jesus is Faith; God's Grace will do all that we need to live in peace with God forever in heaven. In Jesus name we pray. A-men..

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bible Study with 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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 lost.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 worship.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

What we think.
The words of Christ.

What my preacher says.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Love and Joy of Jesus

The Holy Spirit of God is one of pure love and joy. God gave this tremendous gift to keep us in the proper frame of mind regarding Christ Jesus in the life of the believer. We are to walk in the light of the Lord of our Salvation.

However, there are stories about people simply walking past other people in need without any concern or regard. There is one story whereas one person was being robbed with a knife and another person went to help. This person was stabbed and no one helped him as he died on the street. There were a large number of people who walked by him as he laid there dying. Not one person did anything.

We live in a world where the love of Jesus may be hard to find. We pray for all of the people involved. The robber, the robbed and the poor person who gave their life. Yet more importantly the people who simply walked by and did nothing. We pray that the Holy Spirit will indeed speak to our hearts and fill us with the Christ-likeness to do what is proper in the sight of the Lord. All this is for the love and joy of Jesus in your life.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Joy of Jesus is LOVE

Sermon: The Joy of Jesus is all about love. We see that love has lost a great deal of meaning in today's society. People mistake love with lust and wants. Jesus spoke of a love of sacrifice, one of giving and sharing and of compassion.

The Joy of Jesus believes in what God said and what God does to advance the kingdom of heaven. We must return to loving one another as Jesus loves.

Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins. Jesus was beaten and shed His blood for people who did not deserve such favor. Jesus will return with all power, honor and glory.

We must love one another as God has loved us with His grace. We thank God for His grace in Christ jesus. The power that raise Jesus from the grave will also save us who believe that this is true by faith. Praise God for all spiritual blessings in the Joy and love of Jesus.Hear our prayer in Jesus name, A-men.

Scripture:
John 15

King James Bible

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Three Reasons for The Joy of Jesus Church

What are the three things in life that are important regarding your heart and soul? There are so many issues that tear at our attention. We are living in a world where the media bombards us with millions of messages that have nothing to do with ones soul. Jesus offers a new life. Faith, Hope and Love are three important steps toward heaven.

We are to wrap ourselves in Hope, Faith and Love of Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus, in him we find that our faith will result in eternal life.

The Bible is so rich in love. Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins. God raised Him on the third day with all power, honor and glory. We thank God in Christ Jesus until his return.

Meanwhile, what are we to do until the return of Jesus? We are to wrap our ourselves in The joy of Jesus with Faith, hope and love, We are to love Jesus because He first loved us. Praise god for all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus and to His absolute Joy.

The Joy of Jesus is all about Hope, Faith & Love


Corinthians 13 >>
New Living Translation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love Is the Greatest

1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;a but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languagesb and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.c All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
a 13:3 Some manuscripts read sacrificed my body to be

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day from The Joy of Jesus

Genesis 1
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.


Footnotes:
a.Genesis 1:2 Or possibly became
b.Genesis 1:26 Hebrew; Syriac all the wild animals

Today is Thee Day