YOUR RIGHTS / MY RIGHTS

OK, here we are again another week has come and gone. It's my Prayer that all is well with you and those in whom you care so much about. This week we are going to be looking into " RIGHT(S)".

Listen to this: when people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. It is easy for people to say, "No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong." They may think getting drunk can't hurt them, extramarital sex isn't really wrong, or money doesn't control them. But when we make excuses for our actions, we break down the distinction between right and wrong. If we do not take God's Word, the Bible, as our standard, soon all moral choices will appear fuzzy.

Without God, we are headed for a breakdown and much suffering. Listen, the longer we wait to deal with sin, the greater it holds onto us.

Finally, we forget what it means to do right. I have to ask are you on the verge of forgetting? Some of us get to a point where we truly become hardened. It may even seem like nothing shakes or even disturbs us any longer. Now the absence of guilt isn't always a barometer of whether we are doing right. We can deny reality, we cannot measure obedience by our feelings, instead, we must compare what we do with God's standards for living. We will do the right thing despite social pressure.

As sad as it is, sometimes we avoid doing what is right because of what others might think. We must choose to obey God rather than seek the approval of others.

Until next Time...
Jim

UNFAITHFULNESS / SIN

Welcome, take a knee and let's get started. This week we are looking into Sin once again.

Think back when was the last time that your parent or friend rebuked you. Were you hurt, angry, or defensive? If you are rebuked for a serious mistake, it is for your good. Admit your error, repent quickly, and always ask for prayer.

Now being totally honest I've learned by painful experience that because God is Holy and hates sin, He must punish sinners. 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.

After you have sinned do you feel quilt and embarrassment as I do? Now, due to such feelings have you ever tried to hide from God? A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside you that goes off when you've done wrong. The worst step you could take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. Be glad those guilty feelings are there! They make you aware of your sin so you ask God's forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.

David asked God to search for sin and point it out, even to the level of testing his thoughts. This is exploratory surgery for sin. How are we to recognize sin unless God points it out? Then, when God shows us, we can repent and be forgiven. You might consider and make Psalms 139 your Prayer. David reminds us that the Lord " Knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." Knowing who we are and what we wrestle with on earth, God kindly gave us a book at the very heart of our Bibles that will sustain us through it all.

If you ask the Lord to search your heart and your thoughts and to reveal your sin, you will be continuing on God's " Everlasting Way. "

Until next Time...
Jim

" HOPELESSNESS "

Welcome, it's great that you thought to stop by today. This week we're looking into "Hopelessness."

You're situation is never hopeless, especially if you sincerely believe in God. Do you recall the accounting of Joseph? Now, when Joseph became a slave, Jacob thought he was dead and wept in despair. Now on the other hand, big brother Reuben returned to the pit in which Joseph was thrown into to find Joseph, but his little brother was gone. His response, in effect was " What Is Going To Happen To Me? " Rather than " What Is Going To Happen To Joseph? "

In a tough situation, are you usually concerned first about yourself? Consider the person most affected by the problem, and you will be more likely to find a solution for it. Eventually God's plan allowed Jacob to regain not only his son, but his grandchildren as well. Circumstances are never so bad that they are beyond God's help. Jacob regained his son. Job got a new family. Mary regained her brother Lazarus. We need never despair because we belong to a Loving God. We never know what good he will bring out of a seemingly hopeless situation.

When we are completely beaten down, we are tempted to turn from God, give up, and quit trusting Him. When your situation seems hopeless, determine that no matter how bad things become you will continue to pray. God will hear your prayer, and He will rescue you. When others reject us, we need God most. Don't turn from your most faithful Friend.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" FRIEND(S) / FRIENDSHIP "

Good Morning, Is all well in your world today? Hopefully you're not doing life alone. This week we are looking into what and how God thinks of Friend(s)/Friendship.

A description of true friendship to me was David and Jonathan. You see they were more than just companions who enjoyed each other's company, they were True Pals. Now, they encouraged each other's faith in God and trusted each other with their deepest thoughts and closet confidences. These are the marks of True Friendship to me.

Relationships built on Love and Fidelity are a Rare Treasure. True Friends are especially Faithful in times of ADVERSITY as well as PROSPERITY. Our friends and associates can have a profound influence on us, often in very subtle ways. If we insist on friendship with those who mock what God considers important, we might sin by becoming indifferent to God's will.

This attitude is the same as mocking. Do your friends build up your friendship, or do they tear it down? True friends should help, not hinder, you to draw closer to God. Does your spouse call you friend? In a healthy marriage, lovers are also good friends. Too often people are driven into marriage by exciting feelings of love and passion before they take the time to develop a deep friendship. This involves listening, sharing, and showing understanding for other's likes and dislikes. Friendship takes time, but it makes a love relationship much deeper and far more satisfying.

LAST POINT: Loneliness is everywhere - many people feel cut off and alienated from others. Being in a crowd just makes people more aware of their isolation. We all need friends who will stick close, listen, care, and offer help when it is needed - in good times and bad. It is better to have one such friend than dozens of superficial acquaintances. Instead of wishing you you could find a true friend, seek to become one. There are people who need your friendship. Ask God to reveal them to you, and then take on the challenge of being a true friend.

Until Next Time...
Jim