" WHAT JESUS MEANS TO ME "

Good day to you,today I'm feeling so very good and it's so great to be alive. Isn't God wonderful, he has blessed me with everything that I need. A great Wife,three wonderful Children and nine outstanding and unique Grandchildren. I've been sitting here basking in the Love of my Lord and realizing just what Jesus means to me. So I've named this weeks thoughts " WHAT JESUS MEANS TO ME. " I have eternal life through Jesus Christ. He knows all of my thoughts and this is comforting to me as he knows what I'm sincerely seeking when I call upon him. He's not a quitter,but a finisher. He'll get the job done, as he's very focused when it comes to you and me. He loves like no other, and his compassion is also like no other. He's obedient, and the Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice... He in fact sacrificed his life for me. He knows what it means to suffer and to bleed for others. He's kind, reverent and unselfish, you want to know something he's my biggest cheerleader. He speaks to me often during the course of the day, and he's clear in what direction I'm to go in. You know he never disappoints me, and I have total trust in him. He's my hero, He withstood beatings,he was cursed at and just about everyone turned their backs on him accept for the disciples. Jesus says: " HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME; AND HE WHO DOES NOT GATHER WITH ME SCATTERS." Listen it is impossible to be neutral about the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who is not actively following him has chosen to reject him. Any person who tries to remain neutral in the struggle of good against evil is choosing to be separated from God who alone is good. To refuse to follow Christ is to choose to be on Satan's team. ENOUGH SAID. Until next Time... Jim,

" OPTIMISM "

Good morning all, it's my prayer that all is well with you and those whom you care much about. Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I sincerely pray that you will be inspired this day. God's promises are public, and their fulfillment is sure. So why do we ever doubt him? We never have to be uncertain when we have a God of truth and righteousness. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. Anytime that you become fearful about anything just remember the Father. Please take hope in this that faith in God keeps us from losing hope and helps us resist fear. I am comforted as well as optimistic because I know that my God has promised to never leave nor to forsake me, now how about that? I'm confident that my Lord hears my supplication, the Lord receives my prayers anytime that I call out to him. Prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress. trusting God to be our Rock, Salvation, and Stronghold will change our entire outlook on life. No longer must we be held captive by resentment toward others when they hurt us. When we are resting in God's strength, nothing can shake us. We're all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move ahead, someone who believes we can do the task he has given and who will be with us all the way. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future, and his plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God,who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill his mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared Pain, Suffering, or Hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion. " OPTIMISM " (1) An inclination to anticipate the best possible outcome of actions or events. (2) The optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well. (3) The belief that good is ultimately triumphant over the evil in the world. Until Next Time... Jim,

" IF GOD RESTED, WHY NOT ME "

Can we talk,this week the Lord put " REST " on my heart. Time for me to be very candid with you, I only average four to five hours of sleep per night seven days per week. Yes I'm up every morning praying for all of you whom I've promised to Stand In The Gap for. This week I've learned about balance. Jesus' take on the value of rest;we live in an action-oriented world! There always seems to be something to do and no time to rest. Yet God demonstrated that rest is appropriate and right. If God himself rested from his work, then it should not amaze us that we also need rest. Jesus demonstrated this principle when he and his disciples left in a boat to get away from the crowds. Our times of rest refresh us for times of service. Doing God's work is very important, but Jesus recognized that to do it effectively we need periodic rest and renewal. Jesus and his disciples, however, did not always find it easy to get the rest they needed! God's rest has several meanings in scripture: (1) The seventh day of Creation and the weekly Sabbath commemorating it,(2) The Promised Land of Canaan;(3) Peace with God now because of our relationship with Christ through faith; and (4) Our future Eternal Life with Christ. All of these meanings were probably familiar to the Jewish Christian readers of Hebrews. God rested on the seventh day, not because he was tired, but to indicate the completion of Creation. The world was perfect, and God was well satisfied with it. This rest is a foretaste of our eternal joy when creation will be renewed and restored, every mark of sin will be removed, and the world will be made perfect again. Our Sabbath - rest in Christ begins when we trust him to complete his good and perfect work in us. We must rest from our work and from the toil of our hands. Now God offers us the opportunity to enter his ultimate place of rest - he invites us to come to Christ. To enter his rest,you must believe that God has this relationship in mind for you, you must stop trying to create it; you must trust in Christ for it; and you must determine to obey him. Today is the best time to find peace with God. Tomorrow may be too late. " COME TO ME, ALL WHO ARE WEARY AND HEAVY - LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST " (Matt. 11:28). Until Next Time... Jim,

" CONFLICT / DISAGREEMENTS "

Oh, it's you, well come on in I have something that I wish to share with you today. This week I'd like to talk about friction in your life. If you're ready to learn something about yourself as I did about me then strap in and stay focused. People often argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or if you have introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone's character. If you are unjustly criticized, remember that your critics may be afraid to face the real problem. Don't take this type of criticism personally. Ask the Father to help you identify the real issue and deal with it. Rivalries, arguments, and disagreements among believers can be destructive in three ways. (1) They damage goodwill, trust, and peace - the foundations of good human relations. (2) They hamper progress toward important goals. (3) They make us Self-Centered rather than Love-Centered. Jesus understood how destructive arguments among brothers could be. In his final prayer before being betrayed and arrested, Jesus asked God that his followers be " ONE " (John 17:21). Here's a thought, when you face conflict, step back from the hostilities and consider whether you and your enemy have common goals that are bigger than your differences. Appeal to those interests as you work for a settlement. As Christians, we are in conflict with anyone who would discredit the saving message of Christ. All true believers are in this fight together, uniting against the same enemy for a common cause. Facing a potential conflict can reveal your true character. Life is a series of choices. When we stop making choices in God's direction, all that is left is to make choices in the wrong direction. Sometimes conflict is unavoidable. Sometimes, however, it isn't worth the consequences. Always look for agreeable options to solve our problems, even if it is harder for us to do so,I told you this would be hard. LAST POINT: Always try to make peace first, look for the truth, be prepared to negotiate rather than fight a battle that is not necessary. Assuming the worst about the intentions of others only brings trouble. So conflicts can be averted by asking qualifying questions before assaulting. Beware of reacting before you hear the whole story. Now, you see that wasn't so bad, choose your battles carefully. Until Next Time... Jim,