We Might Need A Pit Stop --- Joy Is Our Strength

WE MIGHT NEED A PIT STOP --- JOY IS OUR STRENGTH.

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and

send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither

be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet

drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord.

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy

might be full.

John 15:11 (NLT) I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy

will overflow!

SOMETIMES LIFE KNOWS WE NEED A PIT STOP ---

LIFE MAY GIVE US WHAT WE NEED --- NOT WHAT WE WANT...

Did you hear about the KING that loved his people so much? This KING loved his family.

The King had the most beautiful palace, and to protect his family he had a huge MOTE

dug around the palace. He had many hungry ALLIGATORS and PIRANHAS placed in the

water. No one dared to try to cross the MOTE.

The King had one child, she was the most beautiful, smartest girl in his kingdom.

There was one problem his daughter had never married and there were no grandchildren

to be HEIR TO THE THRONE.

So the King called his wise advisors to a meeting and they discussed how to find a brave,

handsome young man to marry his daughter and become the next KING.

After the meeting they had a PLAN.

On the date the KING would set, all available bachelors would meet at the south side

of the palace and stand at the mote and listen to the King address the men.

The King made the announcement on how the new king would be chosen.

The young men watched the guards feed the piranhas and alligators at the morning

feeding. The young men looked down the 100 feet embankment and fear terrorized them.

At noon, the KING AND HIS DAUGHTER stood above the wall and the King announced

the contest to decide who would marry his daughter.

WHO EVER WAS THE FIRST TO DIVE DOWN THE 100 FEET ENBANKMENT AND SWIM

ACROSS THE MOTE WOULD BECOME THE NEXT KING...

All the young men discussed this and decided ANY MAN TO TRY THIS WOULD BE AN

ABSOLUTE FOOL. So the young men just stood there.

All of a sudden one young man jumped into the water and started splashing...

THE GATORS and PIRANHAS started in hot pursuit.

Everyone standing around the mote could not believe this young man's brave actions.

A piranha tried to take a bite out of him...

He set a new swimming record that day and finally crossed the mote until the King's guards

pulled him out of the water and wrapped him in a towel. The crowd cheered.

The young man would marry the beautiful young lady...

BUT IF YOU LISTENED REAL CLOSELY YOU MIGHT HEAR THE YOUNG MAN SAYING:

IF I KNEW WHO PUSHED ME INTO THAT MOTE I WOULD HAVE HIS HEAD CUT OFF...

THERE ARE TIMES LIFE'S PUSH AND SHOVE --- MAY BECOME A A PIT STOP ON

THE WAY TO THE PLAN OF GOD...

WE ARE SO THANKFUL LIFE AND THE CHURCH ARE MUCH MORE THAN RELIGION!

THOSE THAT FIND JESUS KNOW THAT FINDING GOD IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP ---

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP--- WITH THE SON OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD...

OUR GOAL AND PURPOSE MUST BE TO KNOW JESUS ---

TO KNOW THE PRESENCE OF JESUS IN A PERSONAL WAY...

Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be

filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above

all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

SUPER BLESSED OUR THE ONES THAT LEARN:

JOY IS THE RESULTS OF KNOWING JESUS AS A PERSONAL FRIEND AND

DEVELOP A LIFE LONG RELATIONSHIP...

2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the

letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT) He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant

not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant,

the Spirit gives life.

WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE FINISH LINE...