" BE CALM HAVE NO FEAR "

How are you on this fine day, we have truly had some very warm days that will be remembered for years. It's my prayer, if you don't know the Lord as your personal Savior that you soon will. Lord help me not to forget you in my most stressful times and situations.

In the storms of life we must trust God and have no fear. Fear is an unpleasant and strong emotion caused by expectation or awareness of danger. Like Jesus was laying in the back of the boat sound asleep, so was Jonah sound asleep below deck. They both had a peace within, a calmness, tranquility that the average man does not possess.

Now, the sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water. It is relatively small (13 miles long, 7 miles wide), but it is 150 feet deep, and the shoreline is 680 feet below sea level. Sudden storms often appear over the surrounding mountains with little warning, stirring the water in violent 20-feet waves. " The disciples had not foolishly set out in a storm. They had been caught without warning, and their danger was great " (Matt. 8:24).

Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. As experienced sailors, they knew its dangers, what they did not know was that Christ could control the forces of nature. There is often a stormy area of our human nature where we feel God can't or won't work. When we truly understand who God is, we will realize that He controls both storms of nature and the storms of the troubled heart. Jesus' power that calmed this storm can also help us deal with the problems we face. Jesus is willing to help if we only ask Him. We should never discount His power even in terrible trials.

He said to them, " why are you afraid, you men of little faith? " Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.

Until Next Time...

" REJECTION "

Salutations To You,

How are you fairing out so far this Summer, the past 3-4 days have been cooler below 97'. So that's a Praise God. it's my desire to stay focused and to not take the Lord my God for granted.

He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings,has one who judges him; The word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day (John 12: 48). Just in case you still are not of the knowledge of Jesus' first visit here on earth, it was not for judgment purposes. His divine purposes was to show us the way to find salvation and ultimately eternal life. Listen folks we should be waiting with great expectations for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. When he comes again, one of his main purposes will be to judge people for how they lived on earth. On the day of judgment those of those who have accepted Jesus and chose to live his way will be raised to eternal life.

" But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! (52) It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. (53) For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; Our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. (54) Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this scripture will be fulfilled: " Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? " (56) For sin is the sting that results in death, and the Law gives sin its power. (57) But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as a loving parent feels rejected when a child rebels, so God feels great rejection when we ignore or neglect him. We should strive to stay close to God rather than see how far we can go before judgment comes. A fool rejects his father's discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible (Prov. 5:15).

Always turn to the Lord and make your request known to him. Keep in mind that his answer to you just might be, yes, no or just not right now. have you prayed with good intentions, only to have God say no? This is God's way of directing you to a greater purpose in your life. Accepting God's no requires as great a faith as carrying out his yes.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" CIRCUMSTANCES "

Greetings,

Welcome all, even those of you who are
visiting for the very first time. I want you to know
that Jesus loves you and so do I. This week the subject
is " Circumstances ", so let's get started and get blessed.

Sometimes our plans - even the ones we think God
has approved - have to be put on hold indefinitely. My
wife and I are still being reminded that we have to wait on
the Lord. In our waiting we have learned from each
circumstance(s) That he's an on time God. We can choose
to learn and grow in our present circumstances, whatever
they may be. It's very important that God is always with
us no matter who we may have to face. God will fight with
us and all we have to do is to invite him. We must look at
our situation from God's point of view.

If you are suffering from unfair rejection, don't blame
others and become discouraged. Please understand God
can use you despite your circumstances, please know that
he is able to use you even if you feel rejected by others.
Please grab onto this nugget that viewing impossible
situations from God's point of view helps us put giant
problems in perspective. Once we see clearly, we can
fight more effectively.

Today both believers and non believers may drive
away those who do not fit the norm(s) dictated by our
society, neighborhoods, or churches. Often great potential
is wanted because of prejudice - a refusal to look beyond
ill-conceived stereotypes. As Christians you know that
everyone can have a place in God's family. Can you do
anything to help these people gain acceptance for their
character and abilities? When it is within our reach to
do for another, we must follow through. I believe that
the end times are upon us, when it is within our reach to
save others, we must do so. In life-threatening situations
don't withdraw, behave selfishly, wallow in despair, wait
for God to fix everything.

Last Point: God does not exempt believers from the
day-to-day circumstances of life. Believers and unbelievers
alike experience pain, trouble, and failure at times.
Unbelievers have a sense of hopelessness about life and are
confused over their true purpose on earth. Those who seek
God, however, can move ahead confidently with what they
know is right and important in God's eye's. They know that
God will keep them from being moved off of his chosen path.

Until next Time...

Jim

" PEER PRESSURE "

Good Morning All,

Another week has come and gone and I'm looking
forward to our time together this week. I'm thinking of
you and you are in my prayers, I wish the best for you
and yours. This week we are looking into Peer Pressure,
so sit down and strap in, here we go.

Sometimes we avoid doing what is right because
of what others may think. In the long run it's vital that we
choose to obey God rather than to seek the approval of
others. Imagine standing before a crowd and loudly
voicing an unpopular opinion! We must be willing to
take the unpopular stand to do as God has commanded.
To be effective when you go against the crowd, you must:
(1) Have the facts (2) have the right attitude (3) state
clearly what you believe. Please understand that doing
what is right will not always make you popular. Let's be
clear those who do right will be in the minority, but to
obey God is more important than to obey people.

When the stakes are high it is difficult to stand up
for what is right, and it is easy to see our opponents as
problems to be solved rather than as people to be
respected. When we know what is right but decide not
to do it, the consequences are ours alone. When you
have a difficult decision to make,don't discount the
efforts of peer pressure. Take note beforehand that
the right decision could have unpleasant consequences:
Social Rejection, Career Derailment, Public Ridicule.
Think, and resolve to stand up for what is right no matter
what other people pressure you to do.

When you think back when was the last time that you
knuckled under to peer pressure? Let's face it in this life
we have to make decisions and often during the span of
the day. Many things can tempt us to abandon what we
know is right. The desire to be accepted by others can
lead us into behavior that is unacceptable to the Father.
Don't be pressured into disobedience.

What a difference it makes to those of us who know
Jesus! He cares for us in spite of what the world thinks.
As Christians we don't have to give in to public opinion
and pressure. Don't let circumstances or people's
expectations control you. Be firm as you stand true to
God, and refuse to compromise his standards for living.

Until Next Time...

Jim