The Bible on Laughter - #576 - JCSM's Weekly Devotions

Dear Subscribers,

I hope you had a great weekend.

Please pray for the two kids we support in Kenya. They are growing in the Lord and we're encouraged by their letters. Thanks to everyone who financially supports JCSM because a portion of your donations goes to their education and healthcare each month.

On Sunday, I heard Ken Davis at Shadow Mountain Community Church. He's an excellent comedian and we were also blessed by several of his friends. This devotional message was inspired by their comedy.

My family and I have decided to leave Calvary Baptist Church and regularly attend my home church. I'm excited about returning to Shadow Mountain - where God taught me from birth to age 21 - and we're looking forward to things to come. We tried Calvary for about a year, but were disappointed by the pastor's behavior and many other things. Please pray for our growth, edification, and sanctification. JCSM is still an independent Christian ministry, not under or affiliated with any church.

Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here is your Devotion, some Cool Facts, A Moment of Introspection, JCSM's Challenge, the Word of the Week, a faith-builder from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained," and the Quotes of the Week. Have a fantastic week and God bless you!

Love in Christ,

JCSM

JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"The Bible on Laughter"

Psalm 126:1-3 "When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad."

Proverb 17:22 "A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones."

Ecclesiastes 3:4 "(To everything there is a season) . . . a time to laugh . . ."

Job 8:21, 22 "He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing."

Luke 6:21 "Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh."

Insight: The Bible promotes laughter and says it does good. It can be a reward and a blessing from God. Enjoy times of laughter because it's a gift from God.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for laughter. Thank you for giving us opportunities to see things in a funny way. Help us to have a light heart. Remind us that You are faithful. Increase our faith in You and our love for You and for others. Help us to laugh and to make others laugh, so we can be blessed. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Cool Facts

On March 3, 1899, a collision between two British ships occurred today, the East Goodwin and a steamer. Instantly from across the water came a distress call by wireless radio. It was one of the uses of the radio, invented just months earlier by the Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937). Lifeboats rushed to the scene and rescued the passengers and crew. Today, the world is tied together by millions of radio and telephone signals. The communication is an important gift from the Creator. Radio waves follow the curvature of the earth because of atmospheric reflection, connecting far-distant locations. Satellites also provide near instant contact, a special blessing for remote missionary stations.

This excerpt was taken from Donald DeYoung's book called, "365 Fascinating Facts From the World of Discovery."

A Moment of Introspection

How many Christian comedians can you name?

JCSM's Challenge

Sign up for Bob Smiley's mailing list! He's an excellent Christian comedian who I've seen perform many times. He sends a free newsletter and it's hilarious. Click here to sign up.

God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

Word of the Week

sekhoke (Hebrew, see Psalm 126:2): laughter (in merriment or defiance): derision, laughter, mocked, sport

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Matthew 1:18, 25 - Many Christians believe that Mary was always a virgin, but these verses say that she and Joseph "came together" after the birth of Jesus, their "firstborn son."

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" responds:

After her marriage, Mary did not stay a virgin because she was not required to do so.

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained". This book is on CD and gives over 4,000 answers to alleged Bible errors, regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org. There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

Quotes of the Week

There are no new quotes this week. However, if you like to read wise quotes, you can either visit our Quotations Archive or get a copy of "10,000 Wise Quotes and Spiritual Sayings"! It's the largest collection of Bible-based quotations in the world.

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