Joy Today

We see, my "walking with Jesus" friend, that the Master has been very intense with preaching and healing for several days. What do you think, would that call for considerable physical and spiritual energy? So, one would need to rest and re-charge the spiritual batteries. Right? How did Jesus do that? Luke 5:16, explains: " And Jesus withdrew himself into a mountain and prayed." Sincere, believing, concentrated prayer connects us to our Creator. We are to "Pray without ceasing"(1 Thessalonians 5:17) We are to "... pray, and not faint." (Luke 18:1) We are to "... ask in the name of Jesus."(John Jesus counsels us:" When you pray, go alone into your closet, and, WHEN YOU HAVE SHUT THE DOOR [shut off distractions: TV, tablet and phone] pray to your Heavenly Father in secret. And your Heavenly Father who sees in secret, will reward you openly."(Matthew 6:6) "Pray without ceasing."(1 Thessalonians 5:17) "...pray and...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend, I am glad we got up early and came into this town where Jesus and his disciples are...oh look "...a man full of leprosy (that horrible skin disease) has just seen Jesus...O my, he has knelt in front of Jesus. He is begging Jesus: 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' [ leprosy is so highly contagious...you can get it if you touch someone with it...what would YOU do? What will Jesus do? Let's watch] Jesus had compassion on the man. He reached out his hand and touched the man, saying, 'I will. Be clean!" Luke 5:13, reports: "And immediately the man became clean. And Jesus said to him, now don't be going around telling everyone. Instead, go to the temple. Show the priest that you have been healed, and make an offering for your cleansing according as Moses commanded. Well, Jesus' fame kept spreading anyway, and great multitudes gathered to hear him, and to be healed by him of their infiri...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend, I am glad we got up early and came into this town where Jesus and his disciples are...oh look "...a man full of leprosy (that horrible skin disease) has just seen Jesus...O my, he has knelt in front of Jesus. He is begging Jesus: 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' [ leprosy is so highly contagious...you can get it if you touch someone with it...what would YOU do? What will Jesus do? Let's watch] Jesus had compassion on the man. He reached out his hand and touched the man, saying, 'I will. Be clean!" Luke 5:13, reports: "And immediately the man became clean. And Jesus said to him, now don't be going around telling everyone. Instead, go to the temple. Show the priest that you have been healed, and make an offering for your cleansing according as Moses commanded. Well, Jesus' fame kept spreading anyway, and great multitudes gathered to hear him, and to be healed by him of their infiri...

Please, visit the prophet Isaiah 40:28-31, with me this morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend." Have you not KNOWN? Have you not Heard? that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not faint or grow weary, His understanding is too great to comprehend. He gives PIWER to the faint, and to them that have no might, He INCREASES STRENGTH....They who WAIT upon the LORD, shall RENEW their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall RUN and not 've weary, they shall WALK and not faint." Oh, my friend, how great are the blessings Almighty God has for all those who: "...wait..."/ who listen for and follow the Word of the Lord. May we keep our hearts turned to the Lord, our ears open to hear His voice, our hands and feet ready to do His will. To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you because you indicated that you...

What would be helpful today, my "walking with Jesus" friend? Psalm 28:7, declares:" The Lord is my strength and shield. <So, what difference does THAT make? > My heart TRUSTED in the Lord, and I am HELPED. < And what is my response? > Therefore, my heart rejoices, AND with my song I WILL Praise Him." Yes, Praise strengthens. my faith, connects me to Christ, the finest "change agent," minimizes trouble, dispels confusion, brightens the day! Praise is a habit worth having. "I will praise the Lord with my WHOLE heart," declares Psalm 9:1. Shall we do the same? To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you because you indicated that you'd like to receive email notifications for text messages. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please update your email notification settings . Google LLC 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy Mountai...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Have YOU ever gone fishing and caught nothing? It's frustrating and a little worrisome if you depend on fish to feed your family and to sell in the market. Well, Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen had fished all the night before...and...caught nothing. Along comes Jesus, preaches from Peter's boat, then says launch and let down your nets. (For more frustration? Peter may have wondered.) At the Word of Jesus, they let down the nets, and caught so many as to fill two boats, as we noted yesterday in Luke 5:4-8. " All the men were astonished at the judge catch of fish, including fellow fishermen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon Peter. And Jesus said to all of them:' Fear not. From now on you will be fishers of men.' And when they had brought the ships to shore, they left their life of fishing to follow Jesus." Having seen the POWER of God, in the Person of Jesus, their hear...

Were your toes in the cool lake water as we listened to the Master My "walking with Jesus" friend? "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and then, all these other things will come your way," Jesus has said. (As documented in Matthew 6:33.) Here,(Luke 5:4-8) from the fishing boat, "Jesus finished speaking, then [had a fish fry? No!] Then he tells Simon:" Launch out into the deep. Let down your nets for a large catch." But Simon said,' we worked our nets all last night and caught nothing, BUT, if YOU say so, we will launch and let down our nets ' When they did, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking. And they called to their partners in the other boat , to come and help. They came, and filled BOTH boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus feet, saying, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' " In the Presence of the Holy God, we see our sin [wrong doing]. Give us the co...

The Gospel writer Luke must have been right there, my "walking with Jesus' friend. Right there with Jesus! How wonderful to see Him heal the sick and cast out demons, bringing the POWER of God to bear on people's real problems. Through believing prayer, the power of God STILL wrestles with and helps to overcome your problems and mine. Now, in Luke 5:1-3, Jesus went down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee/aka Lake Gennesaret, (which, in size, is 30 miles around) "And the multitude pressed about him to hear the Word of God. [ what would YOU do, with the crowd pressing in closer and closer, and you right there on the edge of the lake? What did Jesus do?] Jesus saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to his disciple Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the multitude from the boat." He came to preach the Kingdom of ...

Let's keep our sandals on, a crowd is gathering. It's amazing how fast word about the healing work of Jesus travels throughout the villages. "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with diverse diseases brought them to Jesus; and he laid hands on every one of them, and healed the. And devil's also came out of many, crying out and saying, 'You are Christ, the Son of God', and he rebuked them and told them not to speak that they knew he was Christ. And when it was day, he departed into a desert place: and the people went looking for him, and came unto him and sought him, that he should not depart from them. And he said to them, 'I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also: it is for that purpose that I am sent.' And he went about preaching in the synagogues throughout the province of Galilee."(Luke 4:40-44) Clear purpose directed the choices of Jesus. Clear because of his closeness with His Heavenly Father. Are WE staying...

There is sand between our toes here on the northern Shore of the Sea of Galilee at the town of Capernaum. But, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we best put back on our sandals and get into town. We heard that the mother of Jesus' disciple Simon is sick, and I think Jesus will go there. Luke 4:38-39 reports: "And Jesus arose out of the synagogue (Jewish place of worship), and went to Sim.on's house. And Simon's mother was ill with a great fever; and they begged Jesus to heal her. And Jesus went, and stood next to her bed. And he rebuked the fever; and it left her: and IMMEDIATELY the fever left her, and she got up and ministered to them." Wow! Jesus SPOKE to the fever. Told it to LEAVE...and it left! We see the POWER of the Person behind the words. The Gospels tell us of many times when Jesus spoke or touched, and healing came. The presence of the Lord and the prayers of believers STILL can bring healing. We are so thankful when healing comes. Do we under...

There is sand between our toes here on the northern Shore of the Sea of Galilee at the town of Capernaum. But, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we best put back on our sandals and get into town. We heard that the mother of Jesus' disciple Simon is sick, and I think Jesus will go there. Luke 4:38-39 reports: "And Jesus arose out of the synagogue (Jewish place of worship), and went to Sim.on's house. And Simon's mother was ill with a great fever; and they begged Jesus to heal her. And Jesus went, and stood next to her bed. And he rebuked the fever; and it left her: and IMMEDIATELY the fever left her, and she got up and ministered to them." Wow! Jesus SPOKE to the fever. Told it to LEAVE...and it left! We see the POWER of the Person behind the words. The Gospels tell us of many times when Jesus spoke or touched, and healing came. The presence of the Lord and the prayers of believers STILL can bring healing. We are so thankful when healing comes. Do we under...

Buckle on those sandals, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we have places to go and people to see. Let's hurry. Jesus went into the synagogue. "And in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, which cried out with a loud voice. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit. 'Hold your peace. Come out of him,' Jesus commanded. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him and did not hurt him. [What would YOU and I say when WE saw such a thing?] The people were all amazed, and spoke among themselves saying, what effective word is this? for with authority and power this Jesus commands the unclean spirits and they come out. And his fame went out into every place of the country round about."( Luke 4:33-37) Marvellous miracles of deliverance and healing are seen in the works of Jesus. The love of God changed things for the good then...and it still does NOW. In the mighty name of Jesus, healing and deliverance STILL come...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. What shall we do today? Psalm 100, employs seven verbs/action words, to advise us: "MAKE a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord, everyone. SERVE the Lord with gladness. COME before His Presence with singing. KNOW that the Lord, He is God, it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. ENTER into His gates with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. BE THANKFUL unto Him and BLESS His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth ENDURES to all generations." Let's walk in praise today, my friend. See how many others we can bless in the mighty name of Jesus! To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you because you indicated that you'd like to receive email notifications for text messages. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please upda...

Yes, it is Inaguration Day in our Republic, my "walking with Jesus" friend. And, whatever your political views, when you and I join the family of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, THEN, our FIRST loyalty must be to our Heavenly Father. And He says, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, " If MY people, who are called by MY name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land." Does this verse tell us that we have critical spiritual work to do? What about the statement of one ofour Founding Fathers/ the Third President (1801-1809) Thomas Jefferson:" Man must choose to be governed by God, or he condemns himself to be ruled by tyrants." Shall we pray for personal wisdom from the Lord, and pray and work for peace in our nation? Let's buckle-up/or lace up our sandals, there is work to do, my "walking with Jesus" friend. To respond to this text message, ...

"Hometown guy turns out to BE THE MESSIAH." Was THAT what the people in Nazareth said about Jesus after he read the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1, about all that Messiah would do,he closed the book and said: "This day that scrioture is fulfilled in your ears." essentially saying: I AM THAT MAN! Well, the hometown crown wanted none of it. " They rose up and threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill...thinking to push him over the cliff, But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way, coming down to Capernaum, a city of the province of Galilee, on the northern Shore of the sea of Galilee. And there, he taught in the synagogue. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power."( Luke 4:18-32) The words of Jesus are STILL " with power." Do we receive them graciously? Do we orient our lives to live by the powerful, God-sent words of the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ? Could we do better? Shal...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Yes, let's be sure we have put on the Whole Armor of God. There. Now we are prepared and watchful. Going back to Jesus, after the time of temptation in the wilderness, Luke 4:14-21, reports: "And Jesus returned, in the POWER of the Spirit, to Galilee: and there went, throughout the region, word of his fame. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified everywhere he went. And then he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, on the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue. And they gave him the book of Isaiah, the prophet. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written:"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokeb-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recobmvering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Then sa...

Why not ask yourself: Am I super SERIOUS about standing up against the devil/ about being victorious in overcoming temptation? Yes? Well then, my "walking with Jesus friend, Ephesians 6:10-18 gives valuable instructions:"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might.[EVERY day], PUT on the Whole Armor of God, so that you may be able to STAND against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore, put on the Whole Armor of God, so that you may be able to with STAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND. STAND, wearing the BELT OF TRUTH, and the FRONT COVERING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, And on your feet the PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. Above all, take the SHIELD of FAITH. With which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Put on the HELMET of SALVATION. Take the SWORD of the SPIRIT...

Why not ask yourself: Am I super SERIOUS about standing up against the devil/ about being victorious in overcoming temptation? Yes? Well then, my "walking with Jesus friend, Ephesians 6:10-18 gives valuable instructions:"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might.[EVERY day], PUT on the Whole Armor of God, so that you may be able to STAND against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore, put on the Whole Armor of God, so that you may be able to with STAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND. STAND, wearing the BELT OF TRUTH, and the FRONT COVERING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, And on your feet the PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. Above all, take the SHIELD of FAITH. With which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Put on the HELMET of SALVATION. Take the SWORD of the SPIRIT...

He has been unsuccessful in tempting Jesus with food or possession of kingdoms, my "walking with Jesus" friend. What else might he try? " And He brought Jesus to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him:'If you ARE the Son of God, throw yourself down from this pinochle, for it is written, He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'[ that is a direct quote from Psalm 91:11] [ How would I answer that temptation...the temptation to demonstrate one's power in a foolish, "show off" kind of way?] JESUS, answering, said to the devil:' It is written, you shall not test the Lord your God.' [ You shall not do something dumb, stupid or foolish to challenge the promises of God. God gives us intelligence and His Word righty to govern our choices and conduct. "And when the devil had ended all the temptations, he depa...

Good morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Would you like to encounter a roaring male lion on the way to your car? No? Well, the completely reliable, wise-to-listen-to-it Word of God advises: " Be sober. Be vigilant. [Why?] Because your enemy, the devil, prowls around, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour, disrupt, damage and destroy." [Whoa. That sounds bad. What can I do?] "First, put yourself into God's hands. THEN, Resist the devil, and he WILL flee from you."(James 4:7)Now, back to Jesus in the wilderness. The devil tried another angle on Jesus. I have power over many kingdoms, he told Jesus, worship me and I will give you all my kingdoms. [What did Jesus say to that "offer"/ what should we say to any similar "offer" from the devil?] JESUS told him: "Leave me alone! For it is written:'You shall worship the LORD your God and Him ONLY shall you serve.' " Am I tempted? Everyone is tempted. The t...

Good morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Would you like to encounter a roaring male lion on the way to your car? No? Well, the completely reliable, wise-to-listen-to-it Word of God advises: " Be sober. Be vigilant. [Why?] Because your enemy, the devil, prowls around, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour, disrupt, damage and destroy." [Whoa. That sounds bad. What can I do?] "First, put yourself into God's hands. THEN, Resist the devil, and he WILL flee from you."(James 4:7)Now, back to Jesus in the wilderness. The devil tried another angle on Jesus. I have power over many kingdoms, he told Jesus, worship me and I will give you all my kingdoms. [What did Jesus say to that "offer"/ what should we say to any similar "offer" from the devil?] JESUS told him: "Leave me alone! For it is written:'You shall worship the LORD your God and Him ONLY shall you serve.' " Am I tempted? Everyone is tempted. The t...

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Say that YOU are in charge. And you have a great big job that needs to be done. You have chosen a man for the job. You have confidence in him. But it seems wise to test him...to make SURE that he can handle the job. Are you following me? My walking with Jesus" friend. Mankind needed to be saved from sin. God sent Jesus to do that. But God has an enemy: satan/the devil, who is always trying to undermine what God is doing. So, after his baptism, the Spirit of God leads Jesus into the wilderness of Judaea for a time of testing. Luke 4:1-13, reports:"And Jesus was 40 days in the wilderness, enduring temptations by the devil. In those days he ate nothing...And the devil told him, you can turn these stones into bread. You are hungry, why not do that? With strength, Jesus replied," No. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Would we be wise to remember to live by the Word of God? To respond to this text message, reply t...

You're looking good this morning, my "walking with Jesus'" friend. It's very nice here by the river. Luke 3:21-22, tells us: "Now, when all the people had been baptized, John also baptized Jesus. And as he prayed the heavens opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus, and a voice came from Heaven saying:' You are My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.' " We are in awe that Almighty God so greatly loved the humankind that He created that He sent His only Son from the splendor of heaven to the dust of earth to show us and teach us how to live a life pleasing to God. The Lord saw people living selfishly and wildly, ignorant of the laws of the Lord. Lives filled with sin and wickedness. The call of God to honor Him in thought, word and deed was proclaimed by Jesus when He walked on earth, and, because He rose from the grave, He is ALIVE today and interceeds for us with God in Heaven. See my believing person, Lord, my p...

Who is that, coming over the hill my "walking with Jesus" friend. John is saying:" Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." Let's tie the Bible facts together: In old times, a spotless lamb was sacrificed in the temple to "pay" for sins.(Numbers 28:3) Remember, when Jesus was going to be born, an angel told Joseph, "You shall call his name Jesus, for He shall save his people from their sins."(Matthew 1:21) It's a principle of life that sin has a cost. And it's a fact that "life is in the blood. God says: "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission/ forgiveness, of sins."(Hebrews 9:22) Do we want to walk around with a back breaking burden of sin all the time? No, of course not. Sacrifice a lamb periodically to cover our sin? No. But, I can choose to understand and believe that the sinless Son of God paid my sin-debt when He shed His blood on the Cross. THEN, when He rose from the dead, H...