The Joyful Heart by Jim Hughes: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Jubilee

Jubilee was the most anticipated event Old Testament Jews looked forward to every 50 years! During the time of Jubilee all debts were forgiven; lands that were sold were returned to the tribal owners (every inch of Israel is partitioned off for each of the 12 Tribes of Israel – the sons of Jacob)

Leviticus 25:8-17 (MSG) "The Fiftieth Year Shall Be a Jubilee for You"

8-12 "Count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years: Seven Sabbaths of years adds up to forty-nine years. Then sound loud blasts on the ram's horn on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. Sound the ram's horn all over the land. Sanctify the fiftieth year; make it a holy year. Proclaim freedom all over the land to everyone who lives in it—a Jubilee for you: Each person will go back to his family's property and reunite with his extended family. The fiftieth year is your Jubilee year: Don't sow; don't reap what volunteers itself in the fields; don't harvest the untended vines because it's the Jubilee and a holy year for you. You're permitted to eat from whatever volunteers itself in the fields.

13 "In this year of Jubilee everyone returns home to his family property.

Jubilee therefore effected the Jewish economy! For instance, if you sold your land with just 3 years to go before Jubilee then the price would be very low; for buyers know they would have to give the land back!

14-17 "If you sell or buy property from one of your countrymen, don't cheat him. Calculate the purchase price on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. He is obliged to set the sale price on the basis of the number of harvests remaining until the next Jubilee. The more years left, the more money; you can raise the price. But the fewer years left, the less money; decrease the price. What you are buying and selling in fact is the number of crops you're going to harvest. Don't cheat each other. Fear your God. I am God, your God.

Ezekiel 46:17 (AMP)

17 But if he gives a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his until the year of liberty [the Year of Jubilee]; after that it shall be returned to the prince; only his sons may keep a gift from his inheritance [permanently].

Loans were very high; loaners know that the debts would be forgiven in Jubilee. This is God’s economy! The way He set it up for His nation, Israel about 1,500 years before Jesus, [See Leviticus reference below]

Deuteronomy 19:3 (AMP)

You shall prepare the road and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, so that any manslayer can flee to them.

People were allowed to flee to cities of refuge for their crimes instead of going to prison.

Joshua 20 (AMP)

1THE LORD said also to Joshua,

2 Say to the Israelites, Appoint among you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

3 That the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

4 He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city; they shall receive him to [the protection of] that city and give him a place to dwell among them.

5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously.

6 And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the high priest in those days. [or the Year of Jubilee] Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house.

7 And they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

8 Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they appointed Bezer in the wilderness tableland from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

9 These cities were for all the Israelites and the stranger sojourning among them, that whoever killed a person unintentionally might flee there and not be slain by the avenger of blood until he had been tried before the congregation.

The criminals were allowed to go free in the Year of Jubilee!. Don’t get mad at me, this is exactly what Jesus did!

Luke 4:16-21 Jesus announces Jubilee!

(MSG)

15 Jesus conducted [a practice of] teaching in the synagogues, being recognized and honored and praised by all.

16 So He came to Nazareth, [that Nazareth] where He had been brought up, and He entered the synagogue, as was His custom on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read.

17 And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives [living in cities of refuge] and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],

19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [The Year of Jubilee; the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.]

20 Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him.

Do you want to see this economy turn around? Declare Jubilee! Make your mind up to live in the economy of Jubilee!

References:

Leviticus is approximately 3553 years old! Jerome's Chronicon (4th century) gives 1592 BC for the birth of Moses, the 17th-century Ussher chronology calculates 1619 BC (Annals of the World, 1658 BC) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses#cite_note-6 So using Jerome’s calculations and doing the math, 1592 – 40 = 1552 BC; 40 years old when Moses fled to Median. And another 40 years when he became a shepherd for 40 years. 1552 – 40 = 1512 BC. And another 40 years in the wilderness wanderings, 1512 – 40 = 1472 BC. Moses died about this time as he read from the Book of Leviticus. Add the time of Jesus, 30 AD when he was teaching and you get 1472 + 30 = 1502 years before Jesus; or 1572 + 1981 (the time since Jesus’ teachings) and you get Leviticus was written 3553 years ago! 3553 / 50 = 71.6 Jubilees since Jesus declared it that day > but in all actuality we now live in a continual Jubilee! A perpetual Jubilee! PTL!

Amplified Bible (AMP)—Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

P.S. As I was about to click the publish button TBN broadcasted Joel Osteen's, "Night Of Hope" in Chicago. During his introduction, he spoke about - Jubilee! WOW! Thank you Jesus for Your confirmation! PTL!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Dialog

Always be ready to have dialog with those around you, keep your ear attentive to their cry! To converse, not dictate. Friendship not war!

1 Pet 3:15

(MSG)

Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.

(WMD) Dialog: a conversation between two or more persons; an exchange of ideas and opinions

(KJV)

Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

(WMD) Reason: (noun) – the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational way – a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense

(verb) – the faculty of reason so as to arrive at conclusions:THINK

– to take part in conversation

– to discover, formulate, or conclude by use of reason

Reasonable: not extreme or excessive, moderate and fair, inexpensive – having the faculty of reason – possessing sound judgment [wisdom]

(AMP)

Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

Remember don’t dumb down those you are dialoging with! People are a lot smarter than you think!

(WMD) Dumb down: (noun) – to lower the level of difficulty and the intellectual content of (as a textbook); also : to lower the general level of intelligence in <the dumbing down of society

References:

**King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England

Pursue Me

Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus says,
Are you weary and laden with a heavy load?
Come after Me! Chase after me! Pursue Me!
Get intimately involved with Me!
Pursue Me daily!
Deny yourself daily!
Pick up your cross daily!
Don't follow rules, rituals and regulations to find Me!
Pursue Me!
Drop everything and fall in love with me!
My arms are open wide!
Variation based on 8.28.11 TBN program www.notafan.com

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Our Love For Each Other

1 John 3:14 (CEV)

Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life.

Do you ever doubt your salvation? Do others make you cringe when they approach you? No? WOW! What’s your secret? What is it that makes us run and hide from others on a daily basis? It surely isn’t the life of Christ! Oh yeah, I’m bipolar, I have an excuse for wanting to tear your face off if you look at me cross-eyed!

What? You don’t have excuses for not being happy? There’s no excuse! There is none good! So how can any of us be happy?

Romans 3:10 (KJV)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one

Psalms 53:1-3 (KJV – See: Psalms 14:1-3)

¹The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. ²God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. ³Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Jer 17:9 (KJV)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

What can we do?

Rom 7:15 (AMP)

For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns].

1 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

Paul says that his conscience is clear, so is mine! But it still bugs me. What am I to do?

1 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

It’s not me that makes me innocent and happy. PTL! If it was up to me I’d be frying in hell right now! It’s what Jesus has done in and for me, not what I have tried on my own to be good.

Outside of Christ I don’t have love in me! I don’t have joy in me! I don’t have peace in me! It’s Christ in me the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) [the hope of Christ and His glory – His presence in me] It’s the love of Jesus in me that makes me love others.

I am a new critter in Christ – old ways of doing things has stopped, all new ways of being – of behavior based on a new nature have begun. (2 Cor 5:17) We’re not wearing church masks, hiding our flaws from others.

No! I still mess-up; but what is new is that every time I slip I can get right back up because the new heart I have can be fixed. The old critter I was had to die – he couldn’t be fixed, he had to die – he couldn’t be fixed.

Once you throw a brick thru a plate glass window it’s busted! It’s broken; but it’s the same as if you shoot a bee-bee thru the window – it’s still broken, maybe not as bad as the brick but it’s busted just the same.

So it was with that old sinful, wicked heart, it was broke the moment we took our first breath. Now we have a new birth, a new heart. We’re creatures from another planet. Our earth suits might look the same as everybody else’s earth suit but we are different. We do things different. We don’t hide our flaws!

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (MSG)

Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.

Don’t let anybody pull the wool over you – it’s pretty hard to live on open display, right out in front of the world, like in a fish bowl. Everybody sees your poop floating around! We need someone to scoop the poop! So instead of poop we now have proof that we have passed from death unto life! Thank You Jesus for scooping my poop! Now I can love others thru Your love, thru Your joy, and thru Your peace!

Reference:
Translations retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/ BibleGateway.com © Copyright 1995-2010 Gospel Communications International
Amplified Bible (AMP)—Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Contemporary English Version (CEV)—Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society
King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England
The Message Bible (MSG)—Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV)—Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Jim Hughes (JPH) — Copyright © 2011 The Joyful Heart

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Make A Joyful Noise

Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD

(KJV)

¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. ²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. ⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

[It don’t get better than this – Jim]

(GNB)

¹Sing to the Lord, all the world! [all the nations – Jim]

(MSG)

^1-2On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,

sing yourselves into His presence.

(NLT)

¹Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

[I’m feelin’ better already!]

Down In My Heart

I've got the *joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)

Down in my heart (Where?), down in my heart,

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)

Down in my heart to stay.

And I’m so happy, so very happy,

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart, down in my heart

And I’m so happy, so very happy,

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart, down in my heart

2. *I’ve got the Peace that passes understanding...

3. * I've got the Love of Jesus Christ My Savior down in my heart...

References:

**King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England

Sunday, August 21, 2011

God’s Decree for me & my family

[Today is my youngest son’s birthday! Happy B-Day Michael! These following verses are promises given personally from God for me & my family!]

Isaiah 54: 13-17 God’s Decree

(MSG)

All my children will have God for their teacher—

what a mentor for my children!

We'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness,

far from any trouble—nothing to fear!

far from terror—it won't even come close!

If anyone attacks us,

we won't for a moment suppose that God sent them,

And if any should attack,

nothing will come of it.

God created the blacksmith

who fires up his forge

and makes a weapon designed to kill.

He also created the destroyer [the devil]—

but no weapon that can hurt us has ever been forged.

Any accuser who takes us to court

will be dismissed as a liar.

This is what God's servants can expect.

He'll see to it that everything works out for the best."

God's Decree. Who is like unto thee!

(AMP)

13 All my children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord (Himself) and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of my children.

14 We shall establish ourselves in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order): we shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for we shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near us.

15 Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from Me [says the Lord]. Whoever stirs up strife against us shall fall and surrender to us.

16 Behold, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals and who produces a weapon for its purpose; and I have created the devastator to destroy [says the Lord].

17 But no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against us in judgment we shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which we obtain from the Lord [this is that which He imparts to us as our justification], says the Lord.

Acts 16:30-31

(AMP)

30 And (the Philippian jailer) brought them out [of the dungeon] and said, Men, what is it necessary for me to do that I may be saved?

31 (Paul & Silas) answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, [take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

(CPV)

"Sirs," the jailer said, "what must I do to be liberated?" They told him, "Put your faith in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be liberated."

[Just as the jailer saw with his own eyes that Paul & Silas were saved & liberated I have the same promise! Today Lord, I am renewed with joy by Your promise of liberation for my whole family!]

Start out References this way by cut & paste from below line

References:

Saturday, August 20, 2011

No Sniveling

Philippians 4:11-12 (AMP) The Secret of being content

¹¹...I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

¹²I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

[I was thinking of being content when a truck passed me with this bumper sticker “No Sniveling” – Jim]

Dictionary (D)

snivel:

a weak, whining, or pretended weeping; a hypocritical show of feeling: a sentimental snivel.

[I wish I could say my thoughts were always happy but seconds before the truck passed me I was mad because so many drivers speed along the road endangering bike riders and pedestrians – then I saw the bumper sticker]

August 20th Completeness (Ozzy)

"And I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once and ask Him to establish rest. Never allow anything to remain which is making the dis-peace. Take every element of disintegration as something to wrestle against, and not to suffer. Say - Lord, prove Thy consciousness in me, and self-consciousness will go and He will be all in all. Beware of allowing self-consciousness to continue because by slow degrees it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is Satanic. Well, I am not understood; this is a thing they ought to apologize for; that is a point I really must have cleared up. Leave others alone and ask the Lord to give you Christ-consciousness, and He will poise you until the completeness is absolute. [emphasis mine]

[This is the secret of being content!]

References:

Translations marked with ** are retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com BibleGateway.com

Friday, August 19, 2011

Thank You—Jesus

Ephesians 5:19-21

(KJV)

¹⁹Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; ²⁰Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

[Giving thanks always for all things – Can you imagine what it would be like if we consistently lived in an attitude of thanksgiving - giving thanks daily in everything we experienced? – Jim]

(AMP)

²⁰At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

[At all times and for everything giving thanks – WOW!]

Philippians 4:5-7 (KJV)

⁵Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[So how am I to give thanks when everything inside me says to cuss and give up!]

Job 2:9 (MSG)

[Job's] wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"

[We were given the secret in the first verse we read today!]

Ephesians 5:19

(KJV)

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

[Speak to yourself! How? People come up to me and ask me how I can remember scriptures – I just tell them I put into practice this verse. What’s the easiest way to remember something? Put it song! Why do you think they all have jingles? Guess what? That’s just how advertisers educate us in commercials. Remember this song: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun – this was describing the Whopper!]

Philippians 4:5-7 (CPV)

Always be glad you are Christians. I say it again, be glad. Let your gentleness show through to all people. The Lord is close by, so don’t fret over anything. Rather, as you thankfully pray, let God in on all your needs. Then God’s peace, which is beyond anything you have ever experienced, will stand watch over your mind and emotions in Christ Jesus.

v4 (MSG)

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them.

References:

**King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England