" BE ALWAYS JOYFUL "

Good Morning To You,

It's so good to see you today and It's my pleasure to share with you. This week we will discuss " JOY ". The act of being joyful when it's not easy. Joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord. They can rejoice because they are in the Lord. You see joy is a fruit of a spirit led life. Sin in a believers life robs the person of their joy. Joy in the Lord enables people to enjoy all that God has given. As Christians we should rejoice in family, food, celebrations, and fellowship. They share with other believers the joys and sorrows of life. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, weep with them that weep.

Now, the Word Of God also says that I WILL TURN THEIR MOURNING INTO JOY AND WILL COMFORT THEM AND GIVE THEM JOY FOR THEIR SORROW. You know that it's OK to shout aloud with joy. Have you ever felt motionlessness in your spiritual walk, I mean totally stagnant? If so has sin ever driven a wedge between you and the Lord, making Him seem somewhat distant? The Father wants us to be close to Him and to always experience His full and complete life. But sin that remains un-confessed makes such intimacy impossible. Confess your sin(s) to God. You may still have to face earthly consequences, but God will give back the joy of your relationship with Him.

Synonymous words for Joy: happiness, pleasure, delight, gladness, merriment, felicity, and enjoyment. The word Joy is found over 150 times in the Bible. Now if such words as "Joyous" and "Joyful" are included, the number comes to over 200. OK, joy is the fruit of a right relationship with the Father. My dictionary says: Joy is a feeling of happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being... pleasure, bliss... rejoice. Listen I'm aware that bad stuff happens in our lives, but TRUST GOD anyway.

FINALLY,BRETHREN, BE JOYFUL, SECURE PERFECTION OF CHARACTER, TAKE COURAGE BE OF ONE MIND, LIVE IN PEACE. AND THEN GOD WHO GIVES LOVE AND PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU (2 Cor 13:11).

Until Next Time...
Jim

" THE COST OF DISOBEDIENCE "

Well here we are again it's Tuesday morning and it's our time to share. I want you to know that I appreciate you so much, and that you are so very special to me.

With that being said this week we will be discussing " The Cost Of Disobedience ". This is a subject that we once discussed back on 7/13/10. It's been put on my heart once again. If you're not aware yet, our God is Holy and hates sin. Therefore He must punish sinners. Disobedience is sin. It breaks our fellowship with God. But, fortunately, when we disobey, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with him. Now, please understand just how dangerous it is to pretend to obey God when our hearts are far from Him because the Father knows our true intentions. Our actions must match our words. To say that you want to do God's Will, but you constantly disobey, and that makes you phony as you are just going through the motions. When you're at work, and you're given an unlawful order, your faith in God should prevent you from obeying your authority figure. God does not expect us to obey those in authority when they ask us to disobey him or his Word. The Word of God is filled with examples of those who were willing to sacrifice their very lives in order to obey God or save others. So that I'm very clear when ever we are ordered to disobey God's Word, we must " Obey God rather than men ". Don't allow anyone to nag you into disobeying. Persistent nagging may be annoying but persevere and be obedient. Listen, what a pitiful excuse to be disobedient do to the attractiveness of an individual, or their persuasiveness to talk you into doing wrong.

"BUT THIS IS WHAT I COMMANDED THEM SAYING, 'OBEY MY VOICE, AND I WILL BE YOU GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE; AND YOU WILL WALK IN ALL THE WAY WHICH I COMMAND YOU, THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU" 

If we're all honest, we've had many of times when we could have been disobedient. We make excuses for nearly every short coming that we have. We often gloss over our mistakes and sins, trying to justify and spiritualize our actions because of our " special " circumstances. Our excuses, however, are nothing more than disobedience. God knows our true motives. He forgives, restores, and blesses only when we are honest about our sins.

Until Next Time...
Jim,

" IT'S OK TO ADMIT IT "

OK here we are again another week has come and gone and as always I look forward to being with you.

This week we will be diving into the word " ADMIT ". Isn't it time that we admit to any of our short comings and fix them? I need a minute or two. Do you make mistakes from time to time? It is often easier to strike out in frustration and accuse someone else than to admit an error and ask forgiveness. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances? But God knows the truth, and He holds each of us responsible for what we do. 

Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and apologize to God. Don't try to get away with sin by blaming someone else. Disobedience is sin, and it breaks our fellowship with God. But, fortunately, when we disobey, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with Him. As a Christian you are therefore considered a leader in our faith, which means that you stand out. Now a leader must acknowledge when they are wrong and therefore must be willing to admit when wrong. Also to be willing to bear the blame when confronted. Whether or not we have leadership qualities, we share a tendency to be blind toward our own sin.

Listen, we should learn that it is not wise to wait until our errors force us to admit to wrongdoing. It is far better to admit our mistakes openly, to shoulder the blame, and to seek forgiveness. God is in control, far beyond the immediate situation. Procrastination often makes matters worse. Our sin potential: In our enlightened society, it is easy to think we are above gross sin and can control our actions. We think that we would never sink so low. Instead, we should take a more Biblical look at ourselves and admit our sinful potential. Then we will ask for God's strength to resist such evil.

Now until next time, go out and do it, RESIST.

Jim

" A PROMISE IS A PROMISE "

Why are we so cavalier with our words? And why is it that we believe that we can go back on our promises?

The Merriam - Webster Dictionary defines Promise: (1) a pledge to do or not to do something specified (2) ground for expectation of success or improvement.

When the waters of the great flood subsided God had cleansed the earth. Now, when Noah stepped out of the Ark onto the earth, it was devoid of human life. But the Father gave him a a reassuring promise. This covenant had three parts:

1. Never again will a flood do such destruction;
2. As long as the earth remains, the seasons will always come as expected; 
3. Rainbows will be visible when it rains as a sign to all that God will keep his promises. 

The earth's order and seasons are still preserved, and rainbows still remind us of God's faithfulness to His Word. Listen, a long time ago I learned to be very careful what I promised in prayer because in my studies of the Bible I've learned that God may call me up on it. Although we are not in a position to barter with God, He may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise. When you pray, ask yourself, " Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if He grants my request? " It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise especially to God. God keeps his promises, and He expects you to keep yours. A promise is only as good as the credibility of the person making it.

Now, we are told that we have not because we ask not. We are also told to ask for wisdom. In life we must choose between God's Word and another human beings. How quickly we organize our lives around human advice while we neglect God's eternal promises. When choosing between God's Word and anothers, whose will you believe? I can't express this point enough, your promise to God and others must be kept. In days of gone bye a person's word was as binding as a signature. Breaking a VOW meant a Broken Trust and a Broken Relationship. Trust is still the basis of our relationships with God and others. A broken promise today is just as harmful as it was in the day of Moses. Learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you be content. Please grasp this concept, God's promises bring contentment in every situation. Remember that a Promise is a Promise.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" SEXUAL IMMORALITY "

My very best to you, I feel that it's my duty to have this chat with you today. It's my prayer that you will have ears to hear. Outside of marriage, sex destroys relationships. Within marriage, if approached with the right attitude, it can be a relationship builder. God frequently had to warn people against the practice of extramarital sex. Today we still need to hear his warnings; young people need to be reminded about premarital sex, and adults need to be reminded about sexual fidelity. Sexual sin is devastating because it's consequences are so far reaching. We are to resist sin.

Potiphar's wife failed to seduce Joseph, who resisted this temptation by saying that it would be a sin against God. Now, Joseph didn't say, " I'd be hurting you, " or " I'd be sinning against Potiphar " or " I'd be sinning against myself. " Under pressure, such excuses are easily rationalized away. Remember that sexual sin is just not between two consenting adults. It is an act of disobedience against God. Now please hang in with me, this list of commands against sexual sins includes extremely harsh punishments. Why? God had no tolerance for such acts for the following reasons: (1) They shatter the mutual commitment of marriage partners; (2) they destroy the sanctity of the family. (3) They twist people's mental well-being; and (4) they spread disease.

Sexual Sin has always been widely available. But the glorification of sex between people who are not married to each other often hides deep tragedy and hurt behind the scenes. When society portrays sexual sins as attractive, it is easy to forget the dark side. God had good reasons for prohibiting sexual sins: He loves us and wants the very best for us. OK put your thinking cap on. Why did God include so many laws about sexual sin? Instructions about sexual behavior is vital to our well being. As Christians we must realize the importance of strong rules about sex for believers because sexual sins have the power to disrupt and destroy. Sins involving sex are not innocent dabbling's in forbidden pleasures, as is so often portrayed, but powerful destroyers of relationships. They confuse and tear down down the climate of respect, trust and credibility so essential for marriages and secure children.

LAST POINT: The " Wrath Of God " refers to God's judgment on these kinds of behavior, culminating with with future and final punishment of evil. When tempted to sin, remember that you must one day stand before God. We should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed. Just like diseased limbs of a tree, these practices must be cut off before they destroy us. We must make a conscious, daily decision to remove anything that supports or feeds these desires and to rely on the Holy Spirit's power. Sexual Immorality has tremendous power to destroy families, churches, and communities because it destroys the integrity on which these relationships are built. God wants to protect us from hurting ourselves and others; thus we are to have no part in sexual immorality, even if our culture accepts it.

Until Next Time...
Jim