Author: Pastor Page

Happiness doesn’t bring joy, and joy isn’t the byproduct of happiness. Joy is something grander than happiness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and when we find joy it’s infused with comfort and wrapped in peace. It’s an attitude of the heart and spirit, often synonymous with but not limited to following Christ Jesus and pursuing a Christian life.

• Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The Message

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV

16 Rejoice always,

• Philippians 4:4‭-‬7 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

17 pray continually,

• Ephesians 6:18 NIV And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

• Romans 8:26‭-‬27 NIV In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

• Ephesians 5:17‭-‬20 NIV Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 6:4‭-‬6 NIV Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Matthew 22:36‭-‬40 NIV “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Boasting (13–17). Life is short and the future unknown, so do the will of God today. When you make plans, always say, “If the Lord wills” (Prov. 27:1). “It is right for the church to be in the world; it is wrong for the world to be in the church. A boat in water is good; that is what boats are for. However, water inside the boat causes it to sink.”

James 4:13‭-‬17 NIV Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

• Luke 12:16‭-‬21 NIV And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

• 1 John 2:16 NIV 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

• Forgive
• Show Mercy
• Love
• Be Thankful

Therefore

Live

Psalms 118:24 NIV The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

Laugh

Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Love

• Ephesians 4:29‭-‬30 NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

• 1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8 NIV Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

The Whole Story of Joseph: Genesis 37—50

Chapter 48 Jacob Blesses Joseph’s sons

Chapter 49 Jacob Blesses His sons

Jacob is not afraid to castigate some of the tribes, in particular, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The tribes suffered the fate they did, and thus explains the small territory of Reuben, the firstborn, compared to Judah, as being due to Reuben’s incest (mentioned at Genesis 35:22 and 49:3-4). As Simeon’s territory was located completely within that of Judah, and Levi only had a few scattered cities, their fates were attributed to their wickedness. Other tribes have an ascribed characteristic, whether it be seafaring or beautiful princesses.

The Heart of God

Genesis 50:15‭-‬21 NIV  15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”

16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:

17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬19 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The King’s Heart

When it comes to the perfect righteousness God gives us in Jesus, our hearts echo the cries of Joseph’s brothers, who said, in essence: “Our debts are too great. We deserve to die — surely he hasn’t completely forgiven us. There must be something we can do to pay him back. Maybe we can serve him as slaves.”

• So like Joseph’s brothers, we offer our service.
• We’ll work for righteousness. We’ll live rightly, not from a forgiven heart filled with gratitude, but from a distant and skeptical one.
• Our right living gives us a false sense of self-assurance, as if we can bring anything to God.
• But it does something much more tragic: It keeps us from free-falling into the endless depths of God’s love and goodness.
• People who wrongly believe they’re earning God’s acceptance keep one foot on shore, unable to swim in the endless ocean of God’s complete love.

Note:

Joseph’s complete forgiveness of his brothers mirrors the heart of God. “My child, you don’t understand. You’re forgiven. You’re righteous. And I want friends, not slaves. Come close. I will take care of you.”

Guidance. God’s purpose is to make His children like His Son, and He will succeed. The Spirit intercedes for us and guides us as we pray, and the circumstances of life work for our good, no matter how painful they may be.

Opening

John 14:15‭-‬18 NIV

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

• Hebrews 4:15‭-‬16 NIV For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of gracewith confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 8:22-‬28 NIV

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

• Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

• Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.
• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

When you are born of God, you are born to assurance, and you can know that you have eternal life. You are also born to talk to your Father in prayer and receive from Him what you need.

The Two-Fold Command:

1 Belief

• We believe in the name of Jesus Christ
  • 1 John 3:23 NIV And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
• We Love One Another

Remember:

• No one is perfect (all fall short)
  • Romans 3:23 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..
• It is how the world knows Christ is real (by our love one for another)
  • John 13:35 NIV By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
• The foundation of God’s appeal is Love (for God so loved the world)
  • 2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Fellowship with God

• Doing what is pleasing in the Father’s sight…
• Do we dwell in God?  (if so there will be fellowship) 1 John 1:L7
• We need to stay in the rain… (not run out in the morning, then run in at night)
  • Joshua 1:8

• Psalms 1:1‭-‬2 NIV Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
• Mediate day and night scripture

The Message

1 John 5:11‭-‬15 NIV 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

• Ephesians 1:13 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

If you will confess Jesus is Lord and believe

• Romans 10:9‭-‬11 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

• Hebrews 4:16 NIV Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

• Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.
• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

Principles of Confidence

• He who has a clear conscience comes to God with confidence
• Confidence of faith ensures the answer of his prayer.
• Childlike confidence makes us pray as none else can.

Nothing is too big or too small for our Heavenly Father

• We should know that what is very great to a child may be very little to his parent, and yet the parent measures the thing from the child’s point of view.

Remember:

John 3:21 NIV Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

The Message

First the “Therefore”

Hebrews 4:12‭-‬13 NIV For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NIV  14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

• Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

• Empathize: understand and share the feelings of another.

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Confidence – full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.

• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

Parents desire their children

• They do not reward discord
• They withhold and at time discipline until conflict is resolved

Likewise, our Heavenly Father desires His children to Love one another

Remember:

1 John 3:23 NIV And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

The Message

1 John 4:13‭-‬16‭, ‬19‭-‬21 NIV  13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

• 2 Timothy 1:6‭-‬7 NIV For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

• 1 John 1:6‭-‬7 NIV If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

19 We love because he first loved us.

• John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

• Romans 12:9‭-‬13 NIVLove must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
  • Be devoted to one another in love.
  • Honor one another above yourselves.
  • Never be lacking in zeal,
• but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven come.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.

• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

1 John 3:21‭-‬23 NIV  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

Note: The text suggests the necessity of childlike trust

The Message

James 1:5‭-‬7 NIV 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

We ask for wisdom from those we trust

• Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Note: We must trust that the Father can provide.  Too often we are like the prodigal son

• Luke 15:12 NIV  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

Note: We must believe that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

• Matthew 9:27‭-‬29 NIV As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

• Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The text speaks of:

• Faith in the name of Jesus Christ
• Faith in His declared character
• Faith in His gospel
• Faith in the truth concerning His substitution and salvation

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven come.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.

• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

1 John 3:21‭-‬24 NIV Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask,because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

We do not allow children to question the propriety or wisdom of their father’s command; obedience ends where questioning begins.

• Romans 1:17 NIV For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Reflection (Review the Event)

In Numbers 11 remember how He heard the prayer of Israel for meat, and when the meat was in their mouths, it became a curse to them (see Num. 11). Many persons are chastened by obtaining their own desires. We must have a childlike reverence of God so that we feel, “Lord, if what I ask for does not please You, neither would it please me. My desires are put into Your hands to be corrected.

• God was providing what they needed
• They thought they knew better
• They started complaining about God’s provisions
• Even Moses thought the request was impossible for God…

• Numbers 11:23 NIV  The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

The Message

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,present your requests to God.

When Jesus was anxious he ran to his Heavenly Father

• Matthew 26:36‭-‬39 NIV Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Note: Peace comes from trusting the Father knows  best

• 1 Peter 1:14‭-‬16 NIV As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven come.
• Prayer is getting God’s will done on Earth.

• Prayer says I need you God.
• I’m inviting you into my life

1 Samuel 15:22 NIV But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Reflection

While not the only, one of the reasons we see disobedience so prevalent is because of the mishandling or representation of the Word. We also tend to put legalism on the backs of each other when in reality we are no better than the pharisees in the days of Christ.

• Matthew 23:27‭-‬28 NIV “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

The Message

1 John 3:21‭-‬24 NIV Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

The problem:

We know our Heavenly Father’s standards but we choose not to keep them.. However, when we in trouble we rush to do what we know we should have already been doing and expecting Him to deliver us.

• Isaiah 1:14‭-‬17 NIV Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

The matter is not about being saved again but more a matter of receiving all of the blessings of benefits associated with being part of the household family.

• Ephesians 1:13‭-‬14 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

• James 1:5‭-‬8 NIV  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

• 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.