SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

Apologetics

1. Be light o the world    Mathew 5:14    Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

2. Be ready with answer    1 Peter 3:15    But, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

3. Be salt    Matthew 5: 13    Ye are the salt of the Earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, where with shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men

4. Contend for the faith    Jude 3    Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

5. Paul reasoned with the Jews and the Gentiles    Acts 17:2; 18:4,9    And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scripture. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

 

 

 

 

Paid In Full

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said "with all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, a sudden feeling of sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt.7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because we can't see past our own desires?

SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

Meditation

Meditate on God's Law.....Joshua 1: 8....This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Meditate on God's principles.....Psalm 119: 23,48.....Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counselors.

Meditate through the night.....Psalm 63: 6-8.....When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Ponder God's great works.....Psalm 143: 5-6, 8.....I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Reflect on god's ways.....Psalm 119: 15,16.....I will mediate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

 

 

DAILY MEDITATION

Let us be still for a few moments

Without moving even our little finger

So that a hush descends upon us.

There would be no place to go,

Nor to come from,

For we would have arrived in this extraordinary moment

There would be a stillness and silence,

That would fill all of our senses,

Where all things would find their rest.

Everything would then be together in a deep connection.

Putting an end to 'us and them', this against that.

We would not move in these brief moments

For that would disturb this palpable presence;

There would be nothing to be said nor done

For life would embrace us in this wondrous meeting

And take us into its arms as a loving friend.

 

 

 

Prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, I commit my thoughts to You today.

I purpose in my heart to stay focused on You and the good plan You have for me today.

Holy Spirit, remind me of God's Word so I can fill my heart with His promise of victory today

SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

Regeneration

God creates clean heart....Psalm 51: 10.....Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me.

God creates new hearts....Ezekiel 36:26. 27.....A new heart will I also give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:  and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

God creates tender hearts....Ezekiel 11: 19, 21.....And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:   But a for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.

God removes all impurities....Isaiah 1: 25.....And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purge away thy dross; and take away all thy tin

God writes law on hearts....Jeremiah 31: 33.....But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it  their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jesus gives living water ....John 4 :10.....Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

Jesus is a life-giving vine....John 15:1,3.....I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman

Jesus is bread from heaven....John 6: 50, 51, 57.....This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven:  if a man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  As the living fatherahath sent me, and I live by the father:  so he that eateth me, even shall he live by me.

New birth....John 3: 5; 1 Peter 1: 23 .....Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Our lives are characterized by necessary losses.  Birth, puberty, menstruation, marriage, menopause, balding--all are little deaths with subsequent rebirths, heralding change and opportunities for growth. 
We cannot live except as an ongoing succession of births, deaths, and rebirths. 
To have life, we must lose it, like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground to produce a rich harvest.

Multitudes of people are continually keeping away from the higher and better things because they are forever clinging to the old. 
If they would use, and pass on the old, room would be made for new things to come.
If a tree holds on to it's leaves each year after they have served their purpose, where would be the full and beautiful new life that will be put forth in the Spring?

Push...when you get your next pain, because God is bringing you out...developing your character for the next level.   
Wherever Jesus is, someone is going to get out..be loosed...be blessed...and be healed

Situations helps us connect to where He wants us to be.  Trouble will stop when it accomplishes what God sent it to do. 
Trouble is never meant to kill us, but to bless us, and no blessing comes without going through something.
No victory comes without conflict...

We have to keep saying, "I'm coming out" 
At our wit's end, we should say, I'm still here. 
Thank God for what we have left.
 
The victory is in what you have left to grow on.  

Our vision needs to come up with our prayers.  

We should shout when we go into trouble, be confident when trials come, because God is  getting the glory out of it..  

God is trying to plant new seeds into our hearts.  We think we've been through too much to be happy, but our future can be brighter than our past...if we only believe it.






The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning is a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some monetary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently swept your house
empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.  

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

JALAL AL-DIN RUMI



If we take the example of music, letting go of one note to hear the next, then our pleasure can be constant through the vibrations change.