" ABOUT GIVING UP "

Good day to you, I truly appreciate you stopping by and spending a few moments of your time with me.

This week the Lord wanted me to share with you on the topic of " GIVING UP. " Now I'd like for you to keep an open mind, so let's get started.

Surrender: To surrender or admit defeat (2) Hand over somebody or something: to hand over or part with somebody or something. (3) Lose hope for somebody or something: To stop hoping for a good outcome with regard to somebody or something.

This week we will see just what the Lord thinks about us giving up. How many times have you felt that God was slow to act on your behalf? Some may say that they often feel this same impatience. It may be felt at times to us that evil and suffering go unchecked, and we wonder when God is going to stop them. Now in the Psalms, David affirmed that he would continue to trust God no matter how long he had to wait for God's justice to be realized. When you feel impatient, remember the steadfast faith in God's Unfailing Love. NEVER GIVE UP ON GOD...

In his grief, Job wanted to give in, to be freed from his discomfort, and to die. But God did not grant Job's request. He had a greater plan for him. Now our tendency, like Job's, is to want to give up and get out when the going gets rough. To trust God in the good times is commendable, but to Trust him during the difficult times tests us to our limits and exercises our faith. In your struggles large or small, trust that God is in control and that He will take care of you. God's rescue doesn't always come the moment we want it. God will rescue us when He knows the right time is at hand. When you feel that God has forgotten you in your troubles, remember that God has a time schedule we can't see. God does what seems impossible, God answers prayer in His own way and in His own time. He works in " Impossible " situations. So if you want your prayers answered, we must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And we must wait for God to work in His way, and in His time.

Until Next Time...
Jim,

" BEHAVIOR "

It's so great that you decided to stop by today, as our subject for this week is an important one " Behavior ".

Will you give me your word that you will be on your best Behavior or at least you will start working on it?

Do you let others dictate your attitude, etc?

Are you aware that Israel is and was called to be a Holy Nation, separate from and unique among all others?

(" THIS YOU ARE TO BE HOLY TO ME, FOR I THE LORD; AND I HAVE SET YOU APART FROM THE PEOPLES TO BE MINE ") Leviticus 20:26.

God has given us the Bible so that we may obtain all the information we need - and the Bible's teaching is trustworthy. Why do we often allow others' values and actions dictate our attitudes and behavior? Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to be like everyone else? Be careful that the values of your friends or " heroes " don't pull you away from what God says is right.

When God's people want to be like unbelievers, they are heading for spiritual disaster. Repentance is changing the behavior that produces sin. Now when you come to the realization that you have sinned there must be a change. When we repent today, we are unlikely to tear our clothing, as was done in days of old, and as in other countries today. But weeping, fasting, making restitution or apologies (if our sin hurts others) demonstrates our sincerity when we repent. The hardest part of repentance is changing the attitudes that originally produced the sinful behavior.

True repentance does not end with words of confession - that would be mere lip service. It must lead to corrected behavior and changed attitudes. When you sin and are truly sorry, confess this to God, ask His forgiveness, and accept His grace and mercy. Then, as an act of thankfulness, make the needed corrections. It's not enough to follow Jesus in your head or heart alone. You must show your faith by changed behavior. Has your faith resulted in action? What changes do you need to make? Being Born Again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a life long process. " STRUGGLING IN ONE'S OWN STRENGTH DOESN'T SUCCEED. "

Until Next Time...
Jim,

" ALL A MAN'S WAYS SEEM RIGHT TO HIM "

Thanks so much for stopping by as always the Lord has lead me to share with you on a very important subject. The Bible says " ALL A MAN'S WAYS SEEM RIGHT TO HIM, BUT THE LORD WEIGHTS THE HEART " (Proverbs 21:2).

You know people can find an excuse for doing almost anything, but God looks behind the excuse to the motives of the heart. We often have to make choices in areas where the right action is difficult to discern. We can help ourselves make such decisions by trying to identify our motives first and then asking, " Would God be pleased with my real reasons for doing this? "

God is not pleased when we do good deeds only to receive something in return. The " Way which seems right " may offer many options and require few sacrifices. Easy choices, however, should make us take a second look. Is this solution attractive because it allows us to be lazy? Because it doesn't ask me to change my life-style? Because it requires no moral restraints?

The right choice often requires hard work and self-sacrifice. Don't be enticed by apparent shortcuts that seem right but end in death. " All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight." People can rationalize anything if they have no standards for judging right and wrong. We can always prove that we are right.

Before putting any plan into action, ask yourself these three questions:
(1) Is this plan in harmony with God's truth?
(2) Will it work under real - life conditions?
(3) Is my attitude pleasing to God?

Many people claim to know God. How can we know if they really do? We will not know for certain in this life, but at a glance at their life - styles will quickly tell us what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around kingdom priorities. Our conduct speaks volumes about what we believe.

What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life?

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" KNOWING OUR LIMITATIONS "

Good Day To You, I just wanted to let you know that it's alright to recognize the fact that we all have limitations of some kind or another. It's an important part of our growth acknowledging our short comings in life. We all face limitations and we must learn to overcome them or adjust and live with them.Those who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities are especially aware of this. Some may be blind, but they can see a new way to live. Some may be deaf but they can hear God's Good News. Some may be lame, but they can walk in God's Love. In addition, they have the encouragement that those disabilities are only temporary. The Word of God tells us that we all will be given new bodies when Christ returns and that these bodies will be without disabilities,never to die or become sick. This can without a doubt give us hope in our suffering. I for one have experienced a time of ailing in my life. Those who are suffering and who know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior have hope. When we pass over we will have resurrected bodies. Now if you can select your own body, what kind would you choose - strong, athletic, or beautiful? In the Word Of God, Paul explains that we will be recognized in our resurrected bodies, yet they will be better than we can imagine,for they will be made to live forever. We will still have our own personalities and individuality's, but these will be perfected through Christ's work. The Bible does not reveal everything that our resurrected bodies will be able to do, but we know they will be perfected, without sickness or disease. Limitations will be no more. Listen limitations are not an excuse to stop serving God. " I WILL BE WITH YOU," God told Gideon, and God promised to give him the strength he needed to overcome the opposition. In spite of this clear promise for strength, Gideon made excuses. Seeing only his limitations and weaknesses, he failed to see how God could work through him. As Gideon, we are called to serve God in specific ways. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses. But reminding God of our limitations only implies that he does not know all about us or that he has made a mistake in evaluating our character. Don't spend time making excuses, instead spend your time doing what God wants. Until Next Time... Jim,

" PAIN / SUFFERING "

I sincerely pray that you are having a fine day, is all well with you and yours? Thanks so much for stopping by to see about me. This week we will be looking into " PAIN and SUFFERING " again now strap in and let's get started. First things first, God Himself is the standard of Justice. He uses his power according to his own moral perfection. Thus, whatever he does is fair, and so we should appeal directly to him. Now, we all are aware that pain and suffering happens in our world. We must be reminded that we dwell in a fallen world. In our world good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior is not always punished. Now let's be honest when we see a notorious criminal prospering or an innocent child in pain, we say " that's wrong." And it is. Sin has twisted justice and made our world unpredictable and hideous. As did JOB many a good man suffers for no apparent fault of our own. Sadly to say, but our world is like that. Through JOB'S life we can see that faith in God is justified even when our situations look hopeless. Faith based on rewards or prosperity is hollow. To be unshakable, faith must be built on the confidence that God's ultimate purpose will come to pass. Here are six questions to ask ourselves when we suffer, and what to do if the answer is yes. (1) Am I being punished by God for sin? Response: CONFESS known SIN.(2) Is Satan attacking me as I try to survive as a Christian? Call on God for strength. (3) Am I being prepared for special service, learning to be compassionate to those who suffer? resist self-pity, ask God to open up doors of opportunity and help you discover others who suffer as you do. (4) Am I specifically selected for testing like JOB? Accept help from the body of believers trust God to work his purpose through you. (5) is my suffering a result of natural consequences for which I am not directly responsible? Recognize that in a sinful world, both good and evil people will suffer. But the good person has a promise from God that his or her suffering will one day come to an end. (6) Is my suffering due to some unknown reason? Don't draw inward from the pain. Proclaim your faith in God, know that he cares, and wait patiently for his aid. Suffering draws us back to the basics of faith, now let's take a look back at JOB. JOB was experiencing extreme physical pain as well as grief over the loss of his family and possessions. Some might say that he can't be blamed for wishing he were dead. JOB'S grief placed him at the crossroads of his faith, shattering many misconceptions about God (such as: He makes you rich, always keep you from trouble and pain, or protects your loved ones). Job was driven back to the basis of his faith in God. He had only two choices: (1) He could curse God and give up, (2) He could trust God and draw strength from him to continue.From here on out look at those who are suffering with kindness and compassion. Until next Time... Jim,