Joy Today

"Assembly required." How many times have we seen that phrase, my "walking with Jesus" friend?☺ Anyway, in relation to salvation through Jesus Christ, there is some "Assembly required." We need to fasten into our lives the new "nuts, bolts, screws and fasteners" that create New Life in Christ. The Apostle Paul writes about this to the Believers in Rome. "So since the Grace of God has set us free from religious law, does this mean we can continue to be sinful? Absolutely NOT! Think of it this way: Whatever you choose to obey becomes your master. If you choose to sin, which leads to spiritual death, then sin is your master. Is THAT what you want? OR, do you want to turn away from sin, choose to obey Christ, and be blessed with fellowship with Almighty God, our gracious Heavenly Father! It's a fact that you WERE caught up in and obedient to sin as your master. You WERE. But through Christ you have a NEW master and have become obedient to t...

Good Morning my "walking with Jesus" friend. Do you have a "plain-speaking," very direct friend? Praise the Lord, if you do, and when you "make friends " with the Apostle Paul and the Word of the Lord, you also have a "plain-spoken friend." Here's how Paul continues his letter to Believers in Rome. "Brethren, do not let sin control the way you live, do not give in to it's lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. INSTEAD, live in the joy of giving yourselves completely to GOD since He has given you New Life in Christ. Yes, Brothers and Sisters in the Faith, I pray that you will use your whole body to do what is right, for the glory of God and the building of His Kingdom. Think of it this way: Through Christ, sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer under a long list of religious laws, which no one can really keep properly and which, therefore enslaves you to sin...

Who/ or what is ruling over you, my "walking with Jesus" friend? The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans: "Dear Believers, since we have been united with Christ in his death, through believing and bring baptized, we will also be raised as he was. Our old, sinful selves were, symbolically crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we "died"[by baptism] with Christ, and then raised up, as Christ was raised, [you know what?] WE WERE set free from the power of sin. And since we "died" with Christ, as I said before, we know we will also share his new life. Death lost its power over Christ and now has lost its power over us! Christ died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. In the same way, you, my Believing Brothers and sisters, should consider yourselves dead to sin and enabled to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus!"(Romans 6:5-11) Let's rejoice ...

On the 27th, Psalm 27:1-5. Who is the Lord to you, my "walking with Jesus" friend? And what difference does that make in your life? Are we saying, with King David of old:"The LORD is my Light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they STUMBLED and FELL. Although a whole army should rise up against me, my heart shall not fear, I will remain confident in the Lord. In fact, one thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to study in His temple; because, in a time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me, and He shall set me up on a ROCK." Be confident in the Lord and you will be blessed with peace in your heart, my friend. To respond to this text message, reply ...

Powerful "Word pictures" are part of how the Apostle Paul sometimes chooses to communicate. Here's Romans 6:1-4, "Let me ask you a question, dear Brothers and Sisters: Should we keep on sinning/disobeying God, so that God can show us more and more mercy and forgiveness? OF COURSE NOT! Think of it this way: since we have chosen to "die" to sin by repenting of sin and turning to Jesus, why would a person keep on in such a way? We must remember that when we became Believers we were baptized to symbolize having become one in Spirit with Christ Jesus. Down into the water symbolizing having been buried with him; and, just as Christ was raised from the dead to new life by the Power of God, so, you were raised UP from the waters of baptism to New life in Christ Jesus." We leave the old life behind. We walk in "newness of life," doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord, confessing our sin when we fall short, asking for and receiving forg...

May we always find it amazing and wonderful, my "Walking with Jesus" friend. "For the Grace of GOD, that brings salvation has appeared to all men, Teaching us that, turning away from ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works."(Titus 2:11-14) Let's be praising God and praying for one another, my 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 Amphitheatre Pkwy Mountain View...

Do we have a clear understanding of how sin came upon human beings, and then, how God provided a way for sin to be cleansed? Well, my "walking with Jesus" friend, Paul wants to make SURE that is CLEARLY understood by the Believers in Rome. So, he continues: "Dear Brothers and Sisters, the sin/disobedience to the ways of God, of one man, Adam, the first man, brought condemnation upon all mankind, BUT, the OBEDIENCE to GOD of one man, CHRIST, makes a way for all men to become right in the sight of God and have the hope of Eternal Life. Look at it this way: people had been told the laws of the LORD. But human nature, by itself, tends to make selfish, wrong decisions. We need to be rescued from doing and thinking things that lead to Spiritual death. Because God loves the people He created, and because GOD is gracious and merciful in His love, God made a way of rescue, a way for mankind to be able to have right-standing with GOD." (Romans 5:18-21) As Jesus Christ exp...

Who is in charge? What is the best plan? My "walking with Jesus" friend, The Word of God answers: "The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He RESTORES my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. Yes, even though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You, LORD, are with me. Your ROD of correction and Your staff of protection, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever."(Psalm 23, all six verses) Memorize this Psalm, let it's wisdom keep your thoughts and actions on a God-conscious track. 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 y...

Are you into considering RESULTS, my "walking with Jesus" friend? "Jesus Christ brought forgiveness to many through the bountiful gift of God. And the RESULT of the gracious gift of GOD is very different from the result of the sin of the first man, Adam. Adam's sin resulted in condemnation. But Christ's life, death and Resurrection RESULTED in us being accepted by/reconciled to God when we Believe in Jesus, and accept the free gift of forgiveness for our sins. Yes, all who choose to receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through the One man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:16-17) "But if we walk in the Light, as Christ is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all UN...

Now, my "walking with Jesus" friend, Paul discusses the CONTRAST between the first man and the Christ. "When Adam sinned (Genesis 3:1-19), sin [disobedience to God] entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law of the Lord was given. And although there was no law to break (since it had not yet been given), they all died anyway - even though they did not disobey any specific command of God, as Adam did. Now, think about the very great CONTRAST between Adam who disobeyed GOD, and Christ, the sinless Son of GOD. And what a huge difference between our sin and the loving and generous gift of God's forgiveness through Christ. We know that Adam brought death through his sin. By CONTRAST, the man Christ Jesus, brought forgiveness to many through the bountiful gift of God. And think about the results of the actions of these two completely different men. Adam's sin ...

The Apostle Paul always wants the Believers to understand the Gospel, so he spells it out, again in Romans 5:6-11, my "walking with Jesus" friend. "Yes, when we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Think about it: no one is likely to choose to die for another "good person," although someone might be willing to die for a "super good" person. BUT GOD showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us, even though we were all still sinners! Amazing! And since we have been made right in God's sight when we Believe that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, he will certainly save us from the judgement of God. For, because we were brought into friendship with our Holy God by having our sins paid for by Christ, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by His Resurrection. So, let us rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ ...

OK, my "walking with Jesus" friend, is there a right attitude toward troubles and challenges? the Apostle Paul says that there is: "We can REJOICE, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure in the strength of the LORD. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us, for we know how dearly God loves us, BECAUSE He has given us His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."(Romans 5:3-5) May our love-filled hearts overflow into words and deeds that bring glory to Almighty God, my 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 up...

Good Morning my "walking with Jesus" friend. How exciting and encouraging it is that Abraham was absolutely convinced that God is able to do anything He promises to do! "And because of Abraham's great Faith, God declared him to be righteous! Now this wonderful truth- that God declared Abraham righteous-was not just to bless Abraham. It was for US TOO, assuring US that God will also declare US to be righteous if and when WE BELIEVE in GOD, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead. We acknowledge that he had been handed over to die because of our sins, a perfect sacrifice and payment acceptable to God for our sins. But THEN, he was raised to life by the power of God to give us New Life. Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight BY FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our FAITH, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully ...

We grow to admire the Apostle Paul for his persistence. He keeps hammering home the facts he presents. And we are blessed with his persistence my "walking with Jesus friend, because he helps us understand God's point of view. Continuing about Abraham and faith, Paul writes: "OK, so Abraham and his wife were well past child-bearing age. Yet God PROMISED Abraham that he would become the father of many nations [Genesis 17:5], and Abraham BELIEVED GOD. God also said, 'Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars [Genesis 15:5]' Now, even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible at the time, Abraham's Faith did not waver. His faith in the promise of God stayed strong, even though he knew that he was 100 years old and his wife was also old and had never been able to have children. Still his faith grew. He was absolutely convinced that God IS able to do anything He promises. And, because of Abraham's Faith, God declared him to be righteous. And, ye...

Good morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Yes, the Apostle Paul, continues:" HAVING FAITH is the basis for a. NEW relationship with God. The promise of God, to give the whole earth to the descendants of the man an-of-Faith, Abraham, was not based on obedience to the law, but on Faith. So, you see, you can not claim that the promise of God is for those who OBEY the law and therefore think they are:"good enough" in the sight of the Lord...The law brings punishment. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) Do you see that FAITH brings freedom. Freedom to respond to the love of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit of God! Yes, FAITH is the key to a relationship with God. The promises of God are a free gift. We are certain to receive those gifts, how? yes, by FAITH, and not by following any religious customs or any law. If/WHEN we have Faith like Abraham, then Abraham is our spiritual Father and the promise of God to Abraham in G...

"Now then, is this blessing: of sins forgiven and put out of sight, it it only for the Jewish people? Or is it for the Gentiles/for everyone else also?" (Romans 4:9a) Those are the questions Paul asks next, my "walking with Jesus" friend. "What about Abraham, the Father of the Jewish people? Well, we have been saying that he was declared to be righteous/right with God BECAUSE OF FAITH, not because of any religious ceremony...So, we can consider that Abraham is the spiritual father of all those who have Faith. Abraham led the way...It is clear then, that God's promise to Abraham:'In you shall all nations be blessed,' was based on Abraham's Faith, not on following some religious ceremony, its based on a NEW relationship with God that comes by Faith."(Romans 4:9-13) Let's pray, O LORD, strengthen my FAITH, so that I will walk more steadily with You in Your Way, honoring You in all that I do and say. I pray in the mighty Name of Jesus. Am...

The Apostle Paul likes to get people to THINK things through. Here's how he continues, talking about Faith, first pointing out a contrast, my "walking with Jesus" friend. "Brothers and sisters, please consider this: when people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But, THROUGH the grace of God, people are declared righteous because of their FAITH, not because of their work. King David of old spoke of this, describing the great happiness of an undeserving sinner who exercises FAITH💕 and is, therefore declared righteous by the Lord: "O what great JOY for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what JOY for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord."(Psalm 32:1-2, quoted in Romans 4:4-8) May we all exercise FAITH, be forgiven, and know that JOY. To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent...

When you and I desire to make something VERY clear, I think that we often chose to explain a thing in several ways. Right? My "walking with Jesus" friend! That appears to be Paul's thinking as he continues his letter to Believers in Rome on the subject of Faith:"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, humanly speaking, we recognize Abraham as the father of our Jewish nation. So, I ask you: what were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by Faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If by good deeds, then he would have had something to boast about. But no person, not even Abraham can do enough deeds, or good enough deeds to get God's salvation. From God's point of view, Abraham had, and none of us have, any basis for boasting. The Scriptures tell us: "Abraham BELIEVED GOD, so THAT is why God declared Abraham to be righteous/to be right in His sight."[se e Genesis 15:6] (Romans 4:1-3) Let's rejoice, knowing that ...

"...worship the LORD in the SPLENDOR of holiness."(Psalm 29:2b) Yes, my "walking with Jesus" friend, we are called, by Jesus, to "worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth."(John 4:23) We may ask: "How can a young man <or anyone > keep his way pure? <Psalm 119:9, answers > By guarding his way according to the Word of God. <let me say > With my whole heart, Lord, I seek You, let me not wander from Your Commandments! I have stored up Your Word in my heart that I might NOT sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your statutes. With my lips I declare all the rules from Your mouth. I DELIGHT in Your testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I WILL <we are making promises here > delight in Your statutes: I WILL NOT forget Your Word."(Psalm 119:9-16) Let's follow the Light of The Word of God and be blessed in Fellowship with The Lord, my friend. To respon...

"God is entirely fair and just in the present time when He declares dinners to be right in His sight BECAUSE they believe in Jesus to have forgiven their sins/ to have paid the price for their sins, " writes Paul to Believers in Rome in 57A.D. How about THAT, my "walking with Jesus" friend? Paul continues, asking a question: "Can we boast, then, that WE have done anything to be accepted by God? No, no, no!! Our aquittal is NOT, and can never be based on anything we can do. Our aquittal is based on Faith, which IS A GIFT OF GOD BY HIS GRACE. Yes, so you see, we are made right with God through Faith, and NOT by obeying a set of rules...There is only ONE God, and there is only ONE way to be accepted by Him. He makes people right with Himself only by FAITH. And, when we have Faith and exercise Faith, THEN we are filling the Spirit of the law/ fulfilling the intention of the law, which is to order our thinking and our conduct in ways that honor Almighty God, Creat...

Back in Rome, the Believers continue to consider their letter from the Apostle Paul: Romans 3:23-25. "We need to acknowledge that all have sinned; all of us fall short of the glorious standard of God. Yet NOW, in His gracious kindness God declares us "not guilty," through Christ Jesus who has freed us by taking away our sins. God sent His Perfect only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sins. We could not pay for our sins, we are not perfect. Only a perfect sacrifice can pay for sin. Why must sin be paid for? Because God wants us to be with Him in heaven when we are finished here on earth and He can not look upon sin. So God arranged for our sin to be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. WHEN we BELIEVE in Jesus we are made right with God. WHEN we BELIEVE that Jesus shed His blood/sacrificed His life for us, then was raised to life by the power of God. So, we were dead, spiritually, without Christ. But have been raised to New Life by believing that Christ paid ...

Good Morning my "walking with Jesus" friend. We need excellence! We are SURE of excellence in Almighty God. Psalm 8 declares: "O LORD, our LORD, how EXCELLENT is Your Name in ALL the earth. You have set Your glory above the heavens...You have made man just a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with Glory and Honor. < Crowned US? with Glory and Honor? We can rise to THAT and shine for Jesus! > Yes, Lord, you have given man dominion over the works of Your hands, You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and cattle, yes the beasts of the field; the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the sea. We rejoice to say, again, O LORD, how EXCELLENT is Your Name in ALL the earth."(Psalm 8, all 9 verses) May we walk with our EXCELLENT Lord today, and every day, my 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 yo...

"Reality check!" Hi, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Do we sometimes need to slow down and make a "Reality check," on our perspective? It's wise to do that, of course, and Paul points that out to the Believers. "Just because you may have been born a Jewish person who has the laws of God, you are no better than anyone else, because, ALL people fall under the power of sin. The Scriptures tell us: 'No one is good, not even one person. No one has real understanding. No one is seeking God. Everyone has turned away from God and done wrong.' <Psalm 14:1-3&53:1-3)... They all have no fear of God to correct and control them...BUT GOD has shown us a way to become RIGHT in His sight...we can be/ we are made right in the sight of God WHEN we trust in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, to take away our sins. Every person CAN be saved in this way, no matter who we are or what we have done. Reality check: All have sinned and fall short of the glor...

"Walking with Jesus," my friend, sometimes means discovering new ways of understanding Who God is and how He works. Paul writes to the Romans along these lines in Romans 3:4-8. "Live rightly before God, my brothers and sisters. God is TRUE. As the Scriptures say. GOD will always be proven right and will prevail. Now, some people reason this way: our sins serve a good purpose because people will see the goodness of God when he forgives us sinners. God is JUST. Therefore HE IS qualified to judge the world/ to judge our conduct. Some people wrongly think that if they sin more and therefore are forgiven more, it brings more glory to God, the righteous judge. THAT is foolish thinking. We must desire to sin LESS and therefore always walk more closely with the Lord and shine more of His Light into the world to chase away the darkness. Yes, THAT is the emphasis of my preaching, dear brothers." Jesus said, "Let your light so SHINE before men that they may see your good ...

Good Morning my "walking with Jesus" friend. Let's join the Strong purpose is expressed in Psalm 5:3-8. "My voice shall You hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning I will direct my prayer to You and watch for Your answers. For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. BUT, as for me, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, I will come to worship You, I will bow down toward Your Holy Temple with awesome respect. LEAD ME, O Lord, in Your righteousness. Because of my enemies, I call on You, Lord, to make Your Way straight before my face." Let's be praising the Lord for His Holy Word and the Light it gives to our lives, my friend To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was ...