Faith is a very essential part of life. Yes it is! But, the basis of our faith must be first and foremost in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sir Donald Malcolm Campbell, the British car and boat racer and holder of several world speed records, lost his life while racing a fast boat on one of the lakes of Scotland. The boat exploded and rapidly sank. The only thing that ever surfaced was a toy stuffed animal which was Campbell's good luck charm. The stuffed animal was powerless to help him in the fatal and final moments of his life. Which concludes that faith is only as good as its object is. The comedian Steve Martin once said, "It's so hard to believe in anything any more…I guess I wouldn't believe in anything if it weren't for my lucky Astrology Mood Watch." In dealing with people I realize that everyone believes in something; they do have faith. The only difference is in the object of their faith and its dynamics. Hugh Schonfield's "Passover Plot" is one of the feeble attempts to explain away the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it, like all the others, relies on that ancient lie that circulated in the first century by the Roman soldiers who were paid to say that the friends of Jesus had come and stolen His body away. But no one has ever been able to explain how the massive stone was rolled away from the tomb while the soldiers stood and guarded it. The truth is, the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most phenomenal event to ever take place at any given time in history. So dynamic are the occurrences of Christ's life that all civilized nations have set their calendars to B.C. and A.D. Still there are many who cannot believe that Christ's record is true. Even one of His own disciples, Thomas, had a difficult time believing that Jesus Christ was resurrected and alive. After hearing the testimonies of those who had seen Christ up and about he said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Eight days later Christ appeared on the scene and said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and My God. Jesus said, "Thomas, because you have seen me you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:27-29). For the benefit of our faith there is much more proof that Christ arose from the grave and is still alive. He appeared to more than 500 men at one time and taught them the principles of the Kingdom of God. And "while He was speaking He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight..." (Acts 1:1-11). Blessed is the man whose faith and hope is in Christ Jesus. He shall be like a tree that is planted and flourishing. For more info you can go to www.JoyChristianMinistries.com If you were born in the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s here’s an important memo for you: You survived being born to moms and dads who spanked you or pulled you by the ear. You took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, Twinkies, and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Your baby crib was covered with bright colored lead-based paints and you played in the streets as the mosquito jeep sprayed DDT into the air. You had no child-proof lids, doors, or cabinets and when you rode your bike you had no helmet. When you took a trip across town you dared to hitchhike. As a child you would ride shotgun in the family car without a seat belt or air bag and there would be times you would hang your arm out the window. You were known to ride in the back of a pick-up on a warm day as you enjoyed the wind in your hair. You drank water from a garden hose, shared a soda with your friends from one bottle and no one ever got sick and died. You ate cupcakes, cheese, white bread, real butter, drank iced tea with S & H Sugar, and you weren’t overweight because you ran, jumped, skipped, and enjoyed the outdoors. You would leave home in the morning and play all day just as long as you were home by dinner. No one was able to reach you all day, but you were o.k. You would spend hours building a go-cart out of scraps then ride down a hill only to discover your feet were the brakes. Later on you would nail a stick next to the wheel to serve as a better braking system. You didn’t have cable, video games, cell phones, or a PC, but you had friends because you went outside and found them. You fell out of trees, got cut, and nobody sued. You ate worms and mud pies and stayed healthy. You had a BB gun, made swords out of sticks, and you had the fun of your life. You built a fort in a tree, slept overnight in it, and nobody fell out. You got into trouble with the law and your parents backed up the police not you. Your school teacher called your dad to complain about your behavior and you got disciplined big time. You are from the generation that produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever. You were free to succeed or fail and to learn the knocks of life. You knew the 10 commandments and you respected them. You placed your hand over your heart proudly declaring “One nation under God” when pledging allegiance to the flag. You went to church on Sunday or at least stayed at home and rested on the Sabbath. Life was very simple. Fixes were easy. The past 50-60 years, because of you, have been an explosion of innovation, inspiration, and creation. You were tough and very sensitive to the needs of others. It was a sure thing that you enjoyed life to the fullest. Sadly, your generation is swiftly coming to an end, and it hurts. Now all you can do is thank God for what you got to experience. They are good memories. For more info you can visit us at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com. |
Pastor J.C. Myers, III
Pastor J.C. founded Joy Christian Ministries in 1992. He was Sr. Pastor at Joy Christian Ministries in West Sacramento, California from 1992-2016. He was succeeded by his 2nd son, Pastor Brandon Myers who had been under his father's ministry and teaching for 39 years. Archives
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