 In an interview, Billy Graham was asked this question: “If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?” He answered, “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough. I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should have been studying and preparing. Donald Barnhouse said that if he knew the Lord was coming in three years, he would spend two of them studying and one preaching. I’m trying to make it up” (Christianity Today; September 12, 1977; p.19).
It’s amazing the time we spend on trivialities and almost no time at all on the most essential matters of life. If we spent more time studying and preparing we would spend less time apologizing, fixing, and repairing. Look at all the relationships that are ship-wrecked just because time isn’t taken to study the situation and true research into the matter is not made. Judge Judy is good at putting time, thought, and study into cases that come before her bench. And a large percentage of the time she uncovers the real cause of problems to be that the people did not put enough study, thought, and time into the situation. Most people move on a whim or a flam. Alexander Graham Bell said, “Don’t keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone. Leave the beaten track occasionally and drive into the woods. You will be sure to see something you have never seen before. It will be a little thing, but do not ignore it. Follow it up, explore all around. One discovery will lead to another and before you know it you will have something worth thinking about.” When time and study are put into a matter a discovery is made. The Apostle Paul said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). When a person gives himself to the study of God’s Word he will receive revelation knowledge. A fresh understanding will be minded. And in the same way when a person applies himself to study a matter, a problem, a puzzle he will receive new clarity. A good lawyer will put research and time into a case. Excellent doctors put much study into their profession. A mechanic who is in demand constantly studies the new designs. If we were to put more study time into our relationships there would be less falling out, fighting, and separation. Too many people give up on relationships and will not take the time to study the art of keeping it strong and healthy. Yes, study is work, but so worth it. The results are rewarding. The half-brother of Jesus said, “Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). How wonderful it is to know that our relationship can be fixed and restored. The simple remedy is confession. Just by saying, “I’m sorry! Forgive me! I love you!” can do wonders to a broken relationship especially, if we mean it. You can visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.  All afternoon a little boy tried to put together his birthday gift from his father: a picture puzzle. Some of the pieces were bright, some dark, some seemed to go together, others seemed to fit nowhere. Finally, frustrated and exhausted and with nothing to show for his efforts, the boy gathered the pieces, put them in the box, and gave it to his dad. “I can’t do it,” he murmured. “You try it.” To his amazement, his father assembled the entire puzzle in a few minutes. “You see,” he said, “I knew what the puzzle was like all the time. I saw the picture in the puzzle, but you saw only the pieces.”
Paul says, “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plan” (Romans 8:28; Living Bible). “All that happens to us” are the pieces of the puzzle and, “if we love God,” all of the pieces will fit together to serve the plan He has for us. That is the picture. Are you perplexed or frustrated over events that happen in your life? Do not take the situation out of God’s hand, but let Him work it into your life’s design. God made the picture your life is composed of and He will complete it if you will let Him. If you love Him, just remember: He loves you more than you will ever love Him. So, do not worry about a thing, trust Him and He will put the pieces together in His perfect time. Paul goes on to say, “What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son for us, but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also surely give us everything else?” (Romans 8:31-32; Living Bible). What an amazing truth! God gave His Son to save us from the demolisher, to heal us from all disease, to break the chains that bind, and to give us hope and perfect peace. If God gave us His Son to do all of this, what’s our problem? An English town had a church whose stone walls were covered with ivy. Over an arch was originally inscribed the words: “We Preach Christ Crucified.” There had been a generation of godly men who did precisely that. They preached Christ crucified. But times changed. The ivy grew and pretty soon covered the last word. Now it read: “We Preach Christ.” Pastors came and preached Christ the example, Christ the humanitarian, Christ the ideal teacher. As the years passed, the ivy continued to grow until finally the inscription read: “We Preach.” And the generation that came along did just that. They preached economics, social gospel, book reviews, politics, arts, education, and just about everything. The truth of the Gospel was not heard anymore leaving people ignorant of God’s full picture for their lives. Therefore, the problem today with many people, including church goers, is they do not hear the full uncompromising Word of God. One of the minister’s duties is to preach the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. For more about Joy visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.  “The way to stop violence in America is to stop spanking children,” argued psychologist John Valusek. In a 1977 speech to the Utah Association of Mental Health, Valusek declared that parental spanking promotes the thesis that violence against others is acceptable. “Spanking is the first half-inch on the yardstick of violence,” said Valusek. “It is followed by hitting and ultimately by rape, murder, and assassination. The modeling behavior that occurs at home sets the stage: I will resort to violence when I don’t know what else to do.”
His logic is airtight, isn’t it? Why, just think, is feeding a child the first half-inch on the yardstick of gluttony? Is hugging a child the first half-inch on the yardstick of immorality? Unfortunately, Mr. Valusek did not realize that there is a qualitative difference between discipline and violence just as there is between eating and gluttony, hugging and immorality, and all other acceptable human behaviors and their exaggerated extremes. To not see the difference is to surrender a part of our humanity to inhuman machines and for Christians it means being disobedient to God’s will for parents. The Word of God states clearly, “He who spares his rod of discipline hates his son, but he who loves him diligently disciplines and punishes him early” (Proverbs 13:24). I believe that the greatest element involved in building a child is loving discipline. Denote: Love makes the difference! Love keeps everything balanced. Love promotes the best in a person. And love must be the motivating factor for disciplining our children. The Lord says, “And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you His child? He said, ‘My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when He has to show you where you are wrong. For when He punishes you, it proves that He loves you. When He whips you it proves you are really His child,’ so let God train you, for He is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all, that you don’t really belong in His family” (Hebrews 12:5-8). This raw truth has held strong for millenniums, but the humanists have worked aggressively to degrade it by calling it antiquated and out of place. So answer these questions for yourself: Are we better off today than when most people followed the tenets of God’s Word? Is our world a safer place today? Are our children better educated than before W.W.II? The Humanist Manifesto declares that the traditional dogmatic religions that place God or creed above human needs or experience do a disservice to the human species. Oh really! The Word of God is the manual that God gave us to operate by and if we will get back to its basics we will see the world a better place. For more information you can visit us online 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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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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