Scripture reference: Nehemiah 8: 9-10 (KJV)

9And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. 10Then 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.

The true joy of salvation is gone from this world.

Many popular ideas and activities are making the world turn dark. The world sees evil as good and good as evil.

Satan has been taking his time (many, many years) to remove God from the world. Satan is subtle and sneaky. He starts working on younger generations, and they in turn teach their descendants. He managed to take God and prayer out of schools, sporting events, and most of the government.

Jesus warned of a great falling away, and it’s happening right here! For example, there was a 17 year-old girl killed in Abilene by a stray bullet fired when two men were shooting at each other, and gun play is becoming more common in Anson.

In Nehemiah 8:9 the people were weeping because they learned they were not only living but worshipping wrongly. They were not keeping the Sabath holy and were not sharing their excess food with those who had none. In verse 10, Nehemiah reminds the people the joy of the LORD is their strength. The same is true for us today.

Our joy is in our salvation. We can communicate God’s salvation plan without forcing it down people’s throats. If we communicate with love and share God with joy, Jesus will bless it. In Philippians 4:4 Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (KJV). Our authority to share Jesus with others comes from God through the Holy Spirit.