Joy Today

Now, please tell me, my "walking with Jesus" friend, when you see a friend with a problem, the usual way to help that friend is just, as kindly as possible, to. "tell it like it is," to lay out the truth to your friend, yes? Well, THAT is how Paul sees things: So, he writes:" Dear Brothers and sisters, when I was with you, I could not talk to you as mature Believers, because, although you were babes in Christ, you were still carrying on as if you belong to the world. One might say that I needed to feed you milk, not meat, because you could not yet handle mature teaching. And, it appears that you STILL are not ready, for you R still allowing yourselves to be controlled by sinful desires and habits. You are jealous of one another, instead of cooperating, you are arguing and quarreling. That conduct proves that you are allowing yourselves to be controlled by selfish desires, like the world, instead of yielding control to the Holy Spirit of God, as strong Believer...

What shall we do today? Psalm 98:1, wonderfully directs:"O sing unto the LORD a NEW SONG, < Why? > For He has done marvellous things, <Such as > His right hand and His Holy Arm have gotten Him the victory <and > The Lord has made known HIS salvation and His righteousness." Let us rejoice, therefore and "Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with PRAISE, Let us be thankful unto Him and bless His Name."( Psalm 100:4) 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 Mountain View CA 94043 USA

Let's review HOW and WHEN the Holy Spirit of God was given to the disciples, and then passed on to the disciples and to Paul. Please, rejoice, with me, my " walking with Jesus" friend, to remember our " walking" in the Bible book of Acts. Yes, in Acts 1:8, Jesus announces to his disciples: " You shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." So, as you recall: the disciples waited in Jerusalem. Then, on the Day of Prntecost, when they were gathered together, "Suddenly, there came a sound from Heaven like a mighty rushing wind. And it filled the place where they were gathered. Then tongues of flame appeared on each of them, and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit..."(Acts 2:1-4)Then Paul received the Holy Spirit when he studied with the disciples in Damascus. And he passed on the blessing to those who became Believers ...

Here's a question for us, my "walking with Jesus" friend: how does the Apostle Paul KNOW these things of God? Realizing that the Corinthians might have that question, Paul writes:"We know these things because GOD has revealed them to us by His Spirit. His Spirit searches even the deep things of God. Think of it this way: No one can know what anyone else is thinking, except that person only. And no one can know the thoughts of God, except the spirit of God. But now, through Christ, God has given us His Spirit to live in us, and let us know wonderful things about God, His salvation, His grace and His plans for us. When we tell you this, we speak what has been given to us by the Holy Spirit of God. We realize that people who do not Believe in Christ, do not understand all this about the Spirit of God."(1 Corinthians 2:10-14) Are WE clear with God and "tuned" to hear prompting of the Holy Spirit of God? When we "walk in the Light, as He is in the Ligh...

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul reminds the Believers the he brought them messages of the wisdom of God, "The wisdom we spoke of with you is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in the past, even though the Lord created His Wisdom for our benefit before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood that wisdom; if they had understood it, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord Jesus. THAT is what the scriptures (Isaiah 64:4) are talking about when they say:"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has been able to imagine the beyond awesome, amazing things God has prepared for those who love Him." " That, in the ages to come, God intends to show the EXCEEDING riches of His Grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus," says Paul in Ephesians 2:7. Are YOU sitting down? Can you, and I, take some deep breaths here in awe of even trying to image the amazing plans Almighty God has in "...the ages to co...

Paul wants to MAKE SURE that his Corinthian brothers and sisters in the Faith UNDERSTAND that God often chooses what looks weak to display His strength. So, my "walking with Jesus" friend, he uses himself as an illustration. He writes:" Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you, I did not use fancy words or philosophical language to tell you the message from God. Instead I used everyday language to tell you about the Son of God, his death, Resurrection and saving power. I came to you in weakness. The message I brought, and my preaching were simple. But the Holy Spirit of God moved in a powerful way among you. What you saw and experienced inspired you to trust in the Lord, and not in human wisdom," Paul concluded. He could also have quoted Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LIRD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will rightly direct your paths." My friend, are WE making the choice greatl...

Hi, my " walking with Jesus" friend, like every effective teacher, Paul summarizes his message and gives an illustration of his main point:" YES, dear brothers and sisters, GOD alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit, God made Christ to be wisdom itself, and it is through Christ that we become acceptable to God. Christ purified and sanctified us when He gave Himself for our sins. As the Scriptures say in Jeremiah 9:24, "The person who wishes to boast should boast ONLY in what the LORD has done."( 1 Corinthians 1:30-31) Shall we take a thoughtful look around, at ourselves and our life, see, give thanks, and "boast" about all the goodness of God in our lives. Even in difficulties, there are touches of the mercy and grace of God. We can ask God to give us eyes to see His goodness, no matter what, and praise Him. "From the rising of the sun until the going down of the same, the Lord's Name is to be praised."(Ps...

Presidents Washington and Lincoln looked to the Lord for wise counsel. Consulted the Bible and prayed regularly. In fact, it is recorded that George Washington MOST OFTEN did his praying OUT LOUD. Surely He would have read Psalm 5:3, which directs:" My voice shall You hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct NY prayer to You and look up/look for Your answers." It seems to me that we all would do well to follow the example of strong Bible reading and sincere seeking prayer set by these two God-honoring leaders, our presidents Washington and Lincoln. What do YOU think, my "walking with Jesus" friend?. 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 ...

May the Good Lord super bless you this Sunday morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Please, let me ask: what do you do well? Do you excel in basket ball? Are you very good with computers? Can you plow a straight furrow? Negotiate a good deal? Settle arguments? Bring good cheer wherever you go? We all are good at something, according to the gifts and skills God has given us.Do we sometimes boast about our abilities? Want to know what GOD says about boasting? In Jeremiah 9:23-24 We find: "This is what the Lord says, Let not the wise man boast about his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his strength, let not the rich man glory in his riches. If you are going to boast about something, boast/ glory in that you know ME, that I am the Almighty God who exercises lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness in the earth for in THESE things I delight, says the Lord." What can WE do today that will enable us to know the Lord and His lovingkindness better, and to show H...

Now, Paul tried to open up some understanding of the wisdom of God. How would YOU approach that challenge, my "walking with Jesus" friend? Here's what Paul wrote: "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, very few of you were wise, powerful or wealthy in the eyes of the world, when God called YOU. So, you can see that God deliberately chose "plain folks" ( whom the world might consider to be foolish) in order to put to shame those who proudly think they are "wise." And He chose persons who have no power in themselves, to bring to shame those who are powerful. Think of it this way: God chose persons looked down upon by "the world," people who were counted as nothing at all, and used THEM to bring to nothing things that "the world" considers to be important. You see, THAT WAY no one can EVER boast in the presence of God, "I made that happen," instead, it will be CLEAR that it was the POWER of GOD that worked miracles and t...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Paul certainly realizes that "the world" does not understand the Cross of Christ. But he rejoices that those who have been "called by God to salvation, know that Christ IS the mighty power of God, and the awesome wisdom of God. The plan of salvation, considered foolish by the world, demonstrates that God is far wiser than the so called " wisest" of the world and God is stronger than any human strength."(1 Corinthians 1:24-25) Proverbs 2:6-7, counsels us: "For the LORD gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He provides sound wisdom to the righteous, to those who are following His ways, He is a shield to those who walk uprightly." " Happy is the man that finds wisdom."(Proverbs 3:13) Now, what do you think of this idea?: pick up your Bible. Read in the book of Proverbs. Find wisdom and rejoice to be happy. To respond to this text message, reply to this ema...

Paul declares that God has made the philosophers, scholars and debaters of this world look "foolish." God has shown their "so called wisdom" to be useless. Here is how Paul explains it to the Corinthian brothers and sisters: ( see what YOU think) "Since God, in His Wisdom, saw to it that " the world" would never find Him through human wisdom, He has used our preaching to save all who will Believe. We realize that God's way seems foolish to the Jews, because they want a sign from Heaven to prove it is true. And our preaching is considered foolish to the Greeks because they only believe something if it agrees with their own wisdom. So, we conclude that when we preach that Christ was crucified in payment for our sins, the Jews take offense and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. BUT to those who are blessed to be CALLED by God to salvation, both Jews and Greeks, Christ IS the mighty power of God, and He is the awesome wisdom of God."(2 Cori...

We generally appreciate someone who will "tell it like it is." Well, my "walking with Jesus" friend, see what you think about Paul's directness as he continues his first letter to the Corinthian Believers. "You have doubters and mockers all around you. I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to people who, by their lives, are on the road to destruction. BUT, we who are being saved recognize that the message of the Gospel IS the very power of God. For it is written in Scripture, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."( Isaiah 29:14)Where IS the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputed of this world? Hasn't GOD shown that the so called "wisdom" of this world is foolish? WE realize that the world calls our preaching "foolishness." The world does not realize that by the power of God, preaching brings salvation."(1Corinthians 1:18-21)...

Hi, my " walking with Jesus" friend. Ever had an argument? I hope not, because: Arguments divide. On the other hand, FACTS set the record straight and make way for harmony. As Paul continues his letter to the Corinthians, he deals with this kind of issue. "Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the LORD Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be facts and agreement so that there will not be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, United in thought and purpose. Some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments, dear friends. Some of you are saying, 'I am a follower of Paul.' Others are saying, 'I am a follower of Apollos.' Or, 'I follow Peter,' Or, 'I follow only Christ.' Come on, think about it: can Christ be divided into pieces? Was I, Paul, crucified for you?" Remember the FACTS, my friends, it was Christ who was crucified for you, and raised ...

Providing a strong beginning for his letter, my "walking with Jesus" friend, Paul starts with praise and compliments. Let's read 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, "I thank God continually for all the generous gifts He has given you now that you belong to Jesus Christ. God has enriched your church. With the gifts of eloquence and every kind of knowledge. This shows that what I told you about Christ and His blessings is true. Now, you have been given every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you blameless on that great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will surely do this for you because He always does exactly as He says He will.. God is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, into the fellowship of those who have received Salvation. And now walk in the grace of God through Faith." Are WE staying close wit...

How do YOU describe yourself at the beginning of a letter, my " walking with Jesus" friend? Now, how does Paul describe himself at the beginning of his first letter to the Believers in Corinth? Here is 1 Corinthians 1:1, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ <how? > through the will of GOD." < Wow! This whole apostleship of Paul is a choice GOD made, and GOD implemented. Whom ever GOD calls to serve Him, GOD strengthens and enables; it's an awesome arrangement. We saw it at work when we " walked" through the Bible book of Acts, and we certainly "see" the enablement of God at work through the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Believers. > And, Paul says that a Believer named Sosthenes is with him as he writes. Has God called you or me to do something specific for Him? When we are walking with the Lord, following His Word, let's be careful to listen for His directions/for His calling on our lives, and obey...

Now, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we have a fresh spiritual adventure as we step into the busy, port city of ancient Corinth...located east of the modern city of Athens, Greece. Corinth was the "sin city" of its day, full on immorality and idolatry. Paul first visited Corinth on his second missionary journey in 49-51A.D. Many people turned to Christ there in response to his preaching and teaching. After the visit Paul returned to Jerusalem. But, word came to him that the Corinthians were struggling spiritually. How DOES a Believer maintain high moral standards and a godly life in the midst of a corrupt culture, they needed to know, (and WE need to know). Paul's first letter to the Corinthian Believers stresses that issue. Paul calls all Christians to be careful NOT to "blend in" with the culture, but to STAND OUT, as lights, shining to overcome darkness. He gives them clear instructions and strong encouragement. "May God our Father and the Lor...

I think we can agree, that Paul has given a lot of very specific, strong counsel in this second letter to the Believers in Thessalonica. So, my "walking with Jesus" friend, how do you think Paul will conclude his letter? More scolding? More about the Second Coming of Christ? More about dealing with persecution and/or false teachers? What would YOU write, "in conclusion"? What important thought/ or thoughts would you leave with them?We find Paul's closing thoughts in 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18( the last three verses of the letter): "Finally, may the Lord of Peace Himself always give you Peace, no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all. [ Paul would have been dictating the letter to a scribe, who would write it for him, so now, Paul says] See, here is my greeting which I write myself. I add my own greeting in my own writing at the end of my letters, for proof that they are really from me. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." Toda...

Yesterday we considered 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, including the advice to be a hard working person.Yes, my " walking with Jesus" friend, Paul follows up on that theme in 2 Thessalonians 3:11-13, writing: "In spite of our clear example and straight-talk teaching, we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. In the Name of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people...no, actually we COMMAND such people:" Settle down. Get to work. Earn your own living. And, to everyone in the fellowship, we say, dear brothers and sisters, "For the sake of the love of Christ, never get tired of doing good." How would YOU summarize Paul's advice (and commands)? If I summarize by saying: work hard. Take responsibility. Always be doing good. Would you agree? Are you and I honoring the Lord and shining the Light of Christ by governing our lives with the counsel Paul gives? To respond...

What is a primary distinguishing characteristic of a successful person...especially a Christian? What would you say, my " walking with Jesus" friend? Yes, in spiritual things: a vigorous prayer life. And, in practical terms, how about the virtue of HARD WORK. Anyway, from the next part of Paul' s letter, see what YOU think the issue was."And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and does not follow the discipline of hard work that we exemplified. For you know that you ought to be following our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to you. It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to provide for us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. We even gave you this rule:" Whoever is able, but refuses to work, should not eat." Are you for the "Ever...

After appropriate warnings and advice, (big sigh of relief), my "walking with Jesus" friend, some great words of encouragement:"We always thank God for you dear brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. You are loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation; salvation that came through the Spirit of God, who works in you to bring holiness. God called you to salvation when you received the Good News we taught you. Now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With all these things in mind, we urge you to STAND FIRM in your faith and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you when we were there, and through our letters. Now, we pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father, who loves us, and, in His love gives us everlasting comfort and good hope, be With you to comfort you and give you strength in every good thing you say and do "(2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)As we think about this message, let's s...

What additional information does Paul emphasize in his SECOND letter to the Thessalonians? What questions does he answer for them? Let"s find out, my "walking with Jesus friend."What is currently "holding back" the "man of lawlessness"? Yes, you remember what we taught: it is the Holy Spirit of God that is restraining the lawless one, for He be revealed ONLY when the appointed time comes. Be aware, this lawlessness is already secretly at work, and the secrecy will remain until the time the Lord has appointed. At THAT time the"man of lawlessness" will be revealed. And the Lord Jesus will consume him with the breath of His mouth and destroy the lawless one by the splendor of His coming. In the meantime, we are wise to be aware that the evil one comes to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power, signs and " miracles." He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are already on their way to destruction because they ...

Sunday morning in the bustling port city of Thessalonica. Yes, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we can imagine that the 1st Century Believers are eagerly gathered together reading the SECOND letter sent to them by the apostle Paul. Have you ever wanted to warn someone not to be fooled or misled? If, "Yes," then you will quickly understand the urgent tone of Paul's second letter: "And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ, and how we will be gathered to meet him. Please, do NOT be easily shaken or troubled by those who say that the Day of the Lord has already begun. Even IF they claim to have had a vision or a revelation, don' t believe them. Do NOT be fooled by what they say. I am telling you the truth: THAT DAY will NOT come until there has been a great rebellion against God and the "man of lawlessness" is revealed-the one who brings destruction. You will know him by his actions: He will ex...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Let's pause here, on the 5th, to rejoice and "speak" with the Lord, and be encouraged by the counsel of God in Psalm 5, selected verses 1-12:" Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation...My voice shall You hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning, I will direct my prayer to You, and will look up...You hate the workers of wickedness...But I choose to worship You, Lord...Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness...make Your way straight before my face...Let all those who put their trust in You Rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them, also, let all those who love Your Name BE JOYFUL in You, Lord. For the LORD will bless the righteous, with favor He will compass them about as with a shield." In how MANY ways can we let the Lord know, TODAY, that we love Him? To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email...

"People who refuse to obey the Goid News of our Lord Jesus Christ," continues Paul, "Will be punished...and separated from the Lord and from His glorious power when He comes to receive glory and praise from His Holy people. And you Thessalonian Believers will be among those who will be praising Him on That Day, because YOU BELIEVED the truth about Jesus Christ. And so, we keep on praying for you, asking the Lord to make you worthy of the life in Christ to which He has called you. And we pray that, by His Power, God will bless your faithful deeds, then everyone will give glory to God. All this goodness is possible because of the Grace, the unearned favor of God."(2 Thessalonians 1:8-12) How are you and I handling the Word of God? Is His Word inspiring us to deeds of kindness and words of love? If Jesus comes again TODAY, will he find you and me doing His will? Caring for others? Spreading His truth? Always praying for you and with you, my "walking with Jesus...