joyancejames

Category: faith

  • The birthday of His bride.

    Shavuot (שבועות) / Pentecost

    Shavuot is the second of the three main harvest festivals (Passover and Feast of Tabernacles are the other two), described in Leviticus 23, also called feast of weeks (shavuot is Hebrew for weeks). Pentecost comes from the Greek and means 50, since it is celebrated 50 days from the feast of first fruits (Resurrection Sunday).

    Passover symbolises the redemption of Israel and Shavuot the abundant provision of God.
    It was on this day that Moses recieved the Law at Mount Sinai (according to rabbinical tradition) and it was on this day the promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled and the church was born.
    While the Jews eagerly counted off 7 weeks from Passover and waited for this festival, the disciples were eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit by Jesus. In Acts Chapter 2 the disciples were surrounded by a sound of a violent wind, the Hebrew word Ruach for the Holy Spirit and the Greek pneuma for the Holy Spirit both mean wind or breath. God breathed into Adam and He came alive and now He was breathing over and baptizing the disciples with the Holy Spirit.

    The baptism with the Holy Spirit transformed these unsuspecting, unremarkable and mostly underrated Galilean men and women into the most powerful witnesses and birthed the church. Hence, it became the birthday of the church. What originally was an agricultural harvest celebration became a celebration of the harvest of souls.

    Acts 2:5 says there were Jews from every nation gathered in Jerusalem for the feast and 3000 of them responded to the first sermon by Peter and God added to their numbers daily. These thousands of Jews who accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and received the Holy Spirit would then take the gospel back to their homes in their nations. So the great outpouring on the Pentecost not only have birth to the Church but also to evangelism.

    It’s been ~ 2000 years since then and the world continues to wage war against the church but Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The wind and the fire phenomenon which birthed the church is not a one time event (as erroneously taught by many) but it is for each of us who believe in Jesus.
    Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
    Acts of the Apostles 2:38‭-‬39 NLT

    God bless you.

  • Guest Post: Battle Strategy

    On our Knees, our Stand, our Move
    We all fight battles on a regular basis, whether in our personal front, in our professional, relationship arena or others. But fight we must ,not just to survive but because it’s a fiercely competitive world and only the victors are acknowledged, admired and applauded. The losers, quitters, failures, drop outs are jeered at, mocked, booed out of the arena.
    We should understand clearly –
    1. our opponent, our company/ troop, the Foes and the friends/ allies ;
    2. the battlefield ;
    3. our weapons of offence and defence ;
    4. the target / goal ;
    5. the crown / trophy🏆.
    6. the defender, our Champion who will come to our rescue when the battle is tough, whose roar will silence every shout of the enemy, under whose banner when we stand, the victory is sure.

    The battle is 1st fought on:-

    1. Our Knees. Every soldier bends his knee before his king as he is bestowed his rank, weapon etc.
    So we too daily begin our battle on our knees as we bend them in prayer before the Sovereign King in adoration and HE teaches us the strategy and gives us the Daily Bread, the weapons. Ephesians 6 teaches us how to wear, use and fight. This is possible as we further read, meditate on His Word/ Bible, the Book which has stood all times,centuries, culture, opposition and still stands true.

    2. Our Stand. Then we learn to take our stand in the heat of the battle. He assigns our place.. whether at the front, leading, or in the middle where the battle is the fiercest, or as the rear guard bringing the reinforcements.
    And stand we must against all the attacks, whether it is for justice and truth in a fallen and evil world or to execute the Master’s plan in the face of all opposition.

    3. Our Move. David just didn’t stand on guard in the face of Goliath’s challenge. He made a move – to a place to reinforce his weapons of warfare, a stream to collect his 5 stones, readied his armour, a sling. Then RAN towards Goliath replying boldly to his demeaning challenge. He morally, mentally boosted himself and was not cowed down by Goliath’s towering height, huge sized war weapons or his battle cry and insulting challenge.
    He knew HIS KING who had taught him the battle strategies. Though it all looked so foolish, David fought and brought down the mighty Goliath who had been challenging the Israelite army for the last 40 days.
    And David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head which he carried as his trophy.

    We too can do so. The ONE who defeated sin & death is our Champion who leads us in our battles, Lord JESUS CHRIST. For actually every battle is HIS, we just fight as He directs us through His Holy Spirit.
    Victory according to HIS calculations, ways, time is surely ours.
    Seek HIS FACE, listen to HIS VOICE, follow what HE tells us to.
    God Bless.
    Jamie James

    PS: The author is my mom who is a High School Principal and enjoys free lance writing in her free time.

  • Pesach פסח to Good Friday

    Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) was Israel’s redemption story, Jesus died on a passover to write the redemption story for you and me.
    The first Good Friday in a sense was the culmination of all the Passover celebrations for the centuries preceding it.
    In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because God passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.

    The first Passover, celebrated in Egypt was supposed to be a mirror of the final sacrifice of the sinless Lamb of God, Yeshua on the cross, leading to redemption of not only Israel but for all mankind, those who choose to believe.

    “The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb.”’
    John 1:35‭-‬36 MSG of

    “You must know (recognise) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.”
    1 Peter 1:18‭-‬19 AMPC

    The Passover was meant exclusively for the descendants of Abraham.
    “Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the instructions for the festival of Passover. No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal.”‘
    Exodus 12:43 NLT .
    The final passover with the sacrifice of Jesus removed the exclusivity and welcomed us all at the table.
    “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”
    Galatians 3:28‭-‬29 NLT

    When Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples the night before the crucifixion, He took the bread and wine and constituted the Lord’s supper and welcomed us to do the same, a Passover meal to commemorate the final sacrifice!
    “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”’
    Luke 22:19 NLT .

    The original Passover Seder (meal) consisted of roasted lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs, God specially instructed in Exodus 12:46 not to break any bones of the lamb. In Jesus, our passover lamb we see at the cross none of His bones were broken.
    “These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”’
    John 19:36 NLT .

    The Jews do not include the lamb sacrifice in their passover celebration today, this tradition stopped after the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in AD 70, since Adonai had specifically asked that the sacrifices be made only at the temple in Jerusalem.
    In Jesus our passover lamb, sacrificed for our redemption from the Egypt of our sin and bondage, He abolished the need for repeated blood shed.

    “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
    John 3:16‭-‬17 NLT

    God bless you!

  • Guest Post: God’s faithfulness & man’s response

    When you stop telling the story of God’s faithfulness you start telling yourself the story of fear.

    So every day, check and count the blessings we enjoy because our heavenly Father gives us much more than our daily bread. He meets our every need and we lack no good thing. He is always with us though we cannot see, touch or feel Him.

    The majestic mountains, the rich firmament, the scenic sunrise and sunset,the fresh green leaves, the vibrant blossoming tulips, the chirping of the birds, the flitting butterflies, the playful dolphins, the innocent smile of a baby, the mesmerizing antics of a toddlers, the mind boggling queries of a teenager, the fantastic inventions/ discoveries made by enterprising genius through out the centuries are all testimonies of a caring, sovereign God. He is definitely not an old man with a punishing whip in His hands, playing with us like puppets. But He is very much interested in mankind because He made the 1st man in His Image and breathed life into him and made him responsible for this beautiful earth, His Creation. So we are accountable for the protection and development of the planet, earth. We are supposed to nourish and take care of it and the living creatures on it.
    But greed, hatred, lust for more or what is not ours and desire to control, possess and rule leads to violence, killing and war.

    Man, O man, day of accounting and judgement is not far. Our every unwholesome word, unjust action, time or opportunity wasted will be judged. Let us enjoy what belongs to us and strive to maintain harmonious relations and discharge our responsibilities with integrity. Be bridge builders and peacemakers for its more blessed to give than to receive.

    “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
    Matthew 5:9 MSG

    God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
    Matthew 5:9 NLT

    GOD BLESS.

    PS: Author, Jamie James is a principal in KV SAC Ahmedabad the mother of the legendary Dr Joyance Shalom James.

  • Kingdom vs country

    I am a citizen of my country but I also belong to a Kingdom which crosses international borders and conventional human wisdom and isn’t limited by time.
    My country is temporal but my Kingdom is eternal.
    My country changes it’s ruler (leader) but my Kingdom is reigned by an eternal King who’s reign will never end.

    We live in a broken world with nations fighting and innocents dying but we look forward to the day when the Kingdom will be established in it’s entirety and there will be no more tears.

    We live in a world where the sun sets on many a great dreams but we look forward to the Kingdom come when the glory of the Son (Yeshua) will eclipse the light of the sun.

    Nations will rise and fall and subdue one another but this Kingdom will never end.

    The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
    Psalms 46:6‭-‬7‭, ‬9‭-‬10 NLT

    Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
    Amen.

  • He moved into our neighborhood!

    The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
    John 1:14 MSG

    The first Christmas God moved into our neighborhood and our world changed for the better. Since then He hasn’t left us alone.
    We look forward to a future when this will repeat and the world we see about us will be changed forever. John the apostle after seeing a vision about our final destination writes this in the last book of the Bible:-
    I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
    Revelation 21:3‭-‬5 MSG

    The first time He moved in like a helpless baby born in an obscure town of Bethlehem, but we look forward to a time when He moves in with all His glory and splendor in the New Jerusalem.
    The first Christmas was a reminder that God is with us, the promise of Immanuel. He promised and gave us the Holy spirit (John 14) which is a guarantee of the future to come.

    In this world we will have troubles, hearts will ache, bones will break, but because of Immanuel, we have a future when He’ll wipe every year and remove every pain and the glory of the Son will obscure the light of the sun.


    God bless and have a blessed Christmas! 

  • Impact of a seed

    What if success was measured not by the harvest but by the seeds sown?

    People always remember the medal winners but no one talks about the participants. We just watched the 2020 Olympics from Tokyo, podium finishers were decorated, commemorated, honoured and worshipped but does anyone remember the others who finished the race 4th, 5th and so on, probably facing and fighting insurmountable odds in the process. Medal winners made headlines while the others were frowned over as disappointments.

    When a farmer sows seeds, not every seed that is sown comes to fruition. When a farmer scatters his seeds, some of them may not get buried immediately, some will be picked up by the birds others dispersed by the farm animals. There is a possibility that the dispersed seed is buried elsewhere outside the limits of the farm and bears a fruit there. Hence, the success of the farmer can’t be judged only by his farm produce in a limited time period.

    Let’s learn from apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he writes, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.
    It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”
    1 Corinthians 3:6‭-‬8 NLT

    Against the backdrop of eternity let our lives continually, persistently sow seeds of the gospel, seeds of hope and love in a world starved of love. Our labour may not be rewarded with an instant harvest or even in our lifetime, but one can never estimate the potential of a seed. Let us continue to shine our light and sow seeds of the good news unabashedly in the face of the darkness.

    This little light of mine I am gonna let it shine.

  • For Zion’s sake I will not be silent

    עם ישראל חי
    Am Yisrael chai

    Samuel Clemens who later became the famous  American author under the pen name Mark Twain wrote this about the Jews more than a century ago:
    “If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race.  It suggests a nebulous puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way.  Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.  He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.

    His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.  He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it.  The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, and have vanished.

    The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmaties, of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind.  All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he remains.  What is the secret of his immortality? ” – September 1897 (Quoted in
    The National Jewish Post & Observer, June 6, 1984)

    Well if Mark Twain had opened his Bible he’d have know the “secret of Jews’ immortality”,
    “Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
    Psalm 121:4 AMPC

    “After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.”
    Zechariah 2:8 NLT
    God is speaking of Israel, His covenant people as His most precious possession.

    God promised Abraham when He made a covenant with him.
    “And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].”
    Genesis 12:3 AMPC
    The salvation through Jesus bringing eternal life is the ultimate fulfillment of this promise.

    God has blessed Israel and made it a blessing for the world much more than the world can comprehend.
    Jews constitute only 0.2% of the world population of 7.8 billion plus, still more than 20% of the Nobel prize winners from 1910-2000 were Jewish.*
    A nation which was formed only in 1948, is now one of the leaders in technology, startups, medicine, military and defence research and the list goes on.

    Israel is the only true democracy in middle East. Also the only nation in middle East where women have most freedom, including Muslim women.

    Sadly Israel is surrounded by nations which propogate hatred towards the Jews and even publically call for their annihilation. As children of Yahweh let us pray for peace in the land where Jesus walked. As partakers of the Abrahamic blessings through our faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:14), it is our responsibility to pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters and for the peace of Jerusalem.

    “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.”
    Psalms 122:6‭-‬9 NLT

    Shalom Yisrael! (שלום ישראל)

    * B. Shalev, 100 Years of Nobel Prizes, 3rd edn (Los Angeles, 2005), pp. 57–61.

  • Whine vs Win

    Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.
    1 John 5:4‭-‬5 MSG

    Whining is counterproductive to winning.

    Whining saps the strength, endurance, hope and joy that’s prerequisite for winning.

    Whining is giving consent to the external environment to poison the internal environment.

    People whine about things beyond their control, but as children of the Creator of the universe, we have a direct approach to the One who is sovereign over all.

    Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
    Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 MSG
    Here apostle Paul exhorts us to conserve our breath and energy wasted on worrying, whining and complaining, and instead focus on praising and praying.

    In a crisis situation when the lay people complain and grumble, the King’s family is usually devoid of complaining. The family knows the king their father will control the outcome. If we look around and about us we can conjure up complain lists that can never satiate our appetites for cribbing, but does this behove the children of the King? We live in a broken world but we await a day when there shall be no more suffering no more tears. Till that day comes let us fix our eyes on what is unseen.

    The temporal may cause us to complain but what’s eternal causes us to praise. Our hearts will never find the perfection and peace in this world, cause we are made for another.

  • From the dungeons to the palace, journey of a dreamer.

    Lessons from the life of Joseph.

    Separated from his family at 17 years ➡️, from the pit to being sold as a slave, ➡️ then in an Egyptian household ➡️ then for a number of years in the dungeons of Egyptian prison (wrongly accused).

    The teenage dreams remained unfulfilled, God took him through the dungeons, moulded him into the man before whom his family and all of Egypt and Cannan would eventually kneel down.

    He never stopped dreaming, through the scorn of his brothers, through the betrayal in the prison, till his dreams finally earned for him an audience with the Pharoah and later a seat at his table.
    He remained as humble in the palace as he was in the prison.

    The journey to the fulfillment of your God ordained dreams may be painful, but He is perfecting you and developing a charcter which will not vacillate not stumble when flooded with fame and the fulfillment of the dream.

    Character which is perfected in the dregs of the dungeons will not vacillate in the opulence of the palace.