 Some people would have you believe that you don’t have any promises in life or any blessings coming your way. But that simply is not true. The Lord promises spiritual and physical blessings to “all” who believe His word. When God says “all” He means “all”. Paul wrote, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). And “all” your needs includes “all” your needs. Surprisingly, some people do not believe this scripture; therefore, “all” their needs are not met. Don’t listen to those folks. Listen to God’s word: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (you & me) through Jesus Christ...and if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:14). You are abundantly provided for, so, praise God forever!!
 Oftentimes it is little children who come up with profound thoughts that few adults would dare express. Here is one such example. The lawyer made it a habit to put his little girl to bed at night by reading her a Bible story. This particular night he read to her the story of Job. As she learned about the man who lost his wife, cattle, and children and whose body was racked with boils and whose friends forsook him, she was finally compelled to ask, “Daddy, why didn’t Job sue God?” Humans can curse God, blame God, abandon God, and yes, even try to sue God, but the smart ones cling to God in time of trouble and refuse to forsake him.
Jesus had a biological brother (from the same mother but different fathers) by the name of James and he wrote a very profound book entitled “James.” In the first chapter of his book he says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers (several) temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” The key to being happy is to keep a positive attitude in the bad times knowing that the trying of our faith produces patience. We must not sink into a sad or angry frame of mind which would only make us heavy laden and discouraged. But we must strive to keep our spirit up by “counting it all joy.” We must be assured that something positive is coming. When gold is put into the fire it is purified and so must we. Instead of letting temptation draw us into sin we must be made pure. “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). By keeping a good attitude in the midst of trouble we set ourselves up to make the best of it. Therapy and philosophy may instruct us to be calm under pressure, but God’s Word teaches us to be joyful, because this will produce patience, love, growth instead of anger. I especially like what Paul said: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We know that something great is in the making when we are being tried, because no promotion comes without a test first. No one says that life is easy but keeping a good attitude sure does help. No one can get a handle on you when you are joyful, because, joy keeps you in control. Joy will keep you from succumbing to the negative side of life. So, keep your chin up, square your shoulders, plant joy in your heart and nothing will get you down. Your life will be amazing. There’s a significant key to keeping joy in your life before the mud hits the fan. Speak loud and clear ten times every morning these words: “This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). You will notice a sense of well-being and genuine peace come over you. Only God through His word can give such dynamic confidence. Make this a habit by repeating it every morning. You’ll be glad you did.  Some baleen whales are up to 100 feet long and 40 feet around weighing in at 300,000 pounds. A Mediterranean fish was recently caught and exhibited in Beirut which had a head that weighed 6 tons. A man standing on the lower jaw could not reach the upper jaw, the opening being about 8 feet across. The April 4, 1896 Literary Digest gave a story of a Mediterranean whale that demolished the harpoon boat. Two men were lost. One was found alive in the whale’s belly a day and a half after it was killed. James Bartley lived with no after effects except his skin was tanned by the gastric juices. A pure fish was caught off the Florida coast that weighed 30,000 pounds. It was 45 feet long and 8 feet thick. It had a 1500 pound fish in its stomach besides a large octopus. A man could easily stand up in its stomach. It could have swallowed 10 men. (Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible; Matthew 13:41; note S)
Jesus confirmed the story of Jonah and the whale then said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 13:40). It happened just as He said for a sign to the world that God has power over life and death. So, if you are a child of God there is nothing to worry about. The God of promise will keep and hold you up. Knowing that Jonah was kept alive in the belly of a whale at the bottom of the sea is confirmation that God can do anything and that He will rescue you. Of course you have to understand that Jonah repented and went on to do God’s will. There are many people who, like Jonah, get into trouble because they disobey God. But when they repent they are elevated to do God’s will. Yes, God can turn death into life simply by calling upon Him. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The story is told of an atheist who died after willing his farm to the devil. This gave the court cause for some head scratching, but after several months of deliberation it handed down the following decision: “It is decided that the best way to carry out the wish of the deceased is to allow the farm to grow weeds, the soil to erode, and the house and barn to rot. In our opinion, the best way to leave something to the devil is to do nothing.” Therein is a truth. Few people would will their possessions to the devil, but many will disobey God and postpone the great decisions of life which gives everything over to him. Wasted years amount to having no accomplishments. Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons of school is the challenge to meet a goal within a deadline. We may forget history and science but hopefully we will remember how to make those deadlines work for us throughout life. For without a goal or a vision or a purpose we lack determination. So, look up, be determined, for good things will come to you. |
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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Joy Church is a Jesus loving, Spirit filled, Christian church in West Sacramento, California. We exist to 'Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.' We are a church that honors the Holy Spirit, a church that wins souls, a church that makes no apologies and feels no guilt for believing the Bible, and a church that is a blessing to your family and to this nation.
Joy Church is a Jesus loving, Spirit filled, Christian church in West Sacramento, California. We exist to 'Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.' We are a church that honors the Holy Spirit, a church that wins souls, a church that makes no apologies and feels no guilt for believing the Bible, and a church that is a blessing to your family and to this nation.
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825 Sunset Ave. West Sacramento, CA 95605
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