justsayingJesusBless

“Jesus, you’re the center of my joy,
all that’s good and perfect comes from you.
You’re the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do;
Jesus, You’re the center of my joy.”

           {This is me singing} “Jesus You’re the center of my joy, all that’s good and perfect comes from you”. Now I hate to ask, but I will is Jesus the Center of your Joy? I hope so, because He is mines even though I may not have always lived as such. As I reflect on my life and be real with myself, so many other things have been my joy which until Jesus became the center, left me joyless. Singing songs without hopeful lyrics, or always focused on material things only brings forth a temporary joy; not the kind you can hold on too when life seems to tare you down. It seems to me that even having the answer can’t solve the problem. Believing and trusting are not the same. So at one time I believed, but now I trust Him, not because I believe but because He has been the only one there for me through it all. Yet while a sinner He saved me. So when I sing songs now I want to sing songs to my savior Jesus Christ and in that is the hope for the whole world.

So what kind of relationship can you say you have with Him? I hope it one of deliverance, gratitude, hope, love, and all those things that are worthy of the Power of a sinner saving God. I hope one could say that Christ changed me. I hope one can say for Christ I live and for Christ I die. I hope that Christ is you’re all in all. I desperately desire everyone to have the kind of relationship with the Lord that they can say “Jesus you’re the center of my joy”. Every time and season Jesus is the reason for it. Now, how can Christ be the center without Faith? How can one be joyful in a place of despair? Is your life going the way you hoped it would? And if not, is Jesus Christ your tormenter?

Again, Trust in Him through it all. Life is full of sorrows, grief and mourning. Just because you’re saved does not mean that changes. I wished it did, but the biggest challenges in my life have come after coming to Jesus Christ. But as I live and breathe I rejoice knowing that my Lord is a keeper. I need not ask for a blessing, because He has blessed me already and will continue to bless me just because I seek after Him. I need not pray and worry but just pray according to His good will, which may not be always seem good to us. But I would rather die whole in Jesus Christ, than live a thousand years broken. I can say that I’ve been broken, yet it’s because of my brokenness that I value Jesus more than ever for fixing me up. I trust in Him because He hears my cry “Psalm 34:17”. And in my walk with the Lord I’ve learned to turn to Him in good times and in bad. When I lost my brother, only Jesus could console me. When I had no one to talk to, only Jesus would counsel me. When I’ve sinned, only Jesus could forgive me and wipe my record clean. I’ve been saved since 18 and out of all my years going to church alone, the only one who has been there the whole time is Jesus. Most of my own plans have failed. I’ve had so many disappointments I lost count. I’ve lost friends and even had some turn their backs on me. I’ve been ignored, undervalued, disrespected, misrepresented, counted out, made fun of, and talked about.  I’ve been called ugly, suffered from low self-esteem and anger issues. I’ve lived in a home with no heat in the winter and no hot water for a couple of years. Not only have I worked to give food to those who had little but I’ve also been one to receive those handouts. I grew up in the one of the worst projects in Brooklyn New York and lived in one of the worst neighborhoods in Richmond, Va. I’ve been poor and I know what it’s like to struggle financially. Yet I’ve been blessed beyond measure still. Because the only constant in my life is Christ and when I called He answered. I have Joy not because of my circumstance, but because of His faithfulness.

So what is True Joy?

Dictionary.com puts it this way – a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

True Joy for me is Jesus Christ. He is the source of my strength, joy and Happiness. Not for what He can do, but for who He is, and for what He has done for me. I have Joy because He died to set me free. I have Joy because He is the Great I AM. I have Joy because I have hope that even if I perish I have everlasting life. I have Joy Because He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I have Joy simply because God is good all the time. So I would say for those who read this is don’t be like a leaf blowing in the wind to be tossed too and fro, but rather be solid in your faith in Him. Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Remember we live in a cursed world Jesus is neither your tempter, nor your tormenter and outside of His will there is no happiness only hopelessness.

Psalm 34:17

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Zechariah 9:9-17

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 “As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. 13 For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man.” 14 Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will defend them; they shall devour and subdue with sling stones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; they shall be filled with blood like basins, like the corners of the altar. 16 The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land— 17 for how great is its goodness and how great its beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

Matthew 11:27-29

All things have been delivered to me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 91:1

[Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God] He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Romans 15:3-5

3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

Psalms 23

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell[a] in the house of the Lord Forever.

Thanks again for reading my blog. Please enjoy the song by Richard Smallwood and also checkout the PDF attached to this blog from Pure Life Ministries.

Pure Life PDF

Colossians 3:10-12

“10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”

Just Saying, Jesus Bless!!!