" KEEP IT FRESH "

Oh Happy Days, Here we are again, another week has come an gone and we are here to welcome in another.

This week's title is " KEEP IT FRESH." Fresh is defined as: Full of health and strength; vigorous; brisk; bright; not faded; in good condition; not stale; cool and agreeable; clearly remembered; new; not salt; unpracticed or unused.

No matter how mundane you may be feeling as a Christian, always remember that God still has work for us to do. In living our faith we may find that rejection, disappointment, or hard work has brought us to the point of dependency. But we are still needed.

God has important work for us as well. David's plea was for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing. You know, God wants our hearts to be right with Him. Be honest... do you ever feel stagnant in your faith as though you are just going through the motions? Has sin ever driven a wedge between you and God, making Him seem distant? David felt this way he had sinned with Bathsheba and had just been confronted by Nathan the prophet. In his prayer he cried, " RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION."

God wants us to be close to Him and to experience his full and complete life. But sin that remains UN-confessed makes such intimacy impossible. Confess your sin to God. You may still have to face some earthly consequences, as David did, but God will give back the joy of your relationship with him. It's vital that we stay fresh in the things of Christ.

Now, Jesus took time to pray. He rose early in the morning while it was still dark. He went to a secluded place to pray. Finding time to pray is not always easy, but prayer is the vital link between us and God. Like Jesus, we must break away from others to talk with God, even if we have to get up very early in the morning to do it!

Until Next Time...
Jim

" POPULARITY "

Good morning and thanks for stopping by. This week we will be looking into " POPULARITY."

Doing what is right will not always make you popular. Those who do right will be in the minority. But to obey God is more important than to obey people (Acts 5:29). Don't allow popularity to twist your perception of your own importance. It's comparatively easy to be humble when you're not on center stage, but how will you react to praise and honor?

Don't let your desire for approval, applause, and popularity drive you to immoral actions. Understand that the Christian life is not a popularity contest. After facing much opposition, for His teaching, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, disowned by the Disciples, crucified, and buried. Now, there was a deliberate plot to kill Jesus. Without this plot, there would have been no grounds of popular opinion against Him. In fact, because of Jesus' popularity, the religious leaders were afraid to arrest Him during the Passover. They did not want their actions to incite a riot.

LAST POINT: Christians who faithfully teach God's Word will not win any popularity contests in the world. People don't want to hear their sins denounced. They want to listen to demands that they change their behavior. A false teacher will be well received by non-Christians. Better to be popular in the eye's of God.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" IGNORANCE / IGNORING "

Well here we are again, another week has come and gone. It's my prayer that all is well in your camp. This week we will be looking into " IGNORANCE / IGNORING." It's also my prayer that we will never be ignorant, especially about the things of God.

" IGNORANT ":
1- Lacking Knowledge
2- Resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence
3- Unaware,uninformed.

There is no standard or criterion higher than God Himself by which to judge. God Himself is the standard. Our only option is to submit to His authority and rest in His care. Don't wait until just the right time before turning to God. Do it now while you still have the chance. If you continually ignore God's voice, eventually you will be unable to hear it all. God does not offer special protection to people who ignore Him. We must realize the importance of obeying God from the heart and not merely out of habit.

Now, if we want God's help when we undertake large tasks, we must make staying close to Him our top priority. Listen, before making a commitment I'm of the mind set to seek God's advice first. Now, don't ask God for advice if you intend to ignore it. Real love for the Father is shown not by merely asking for direction, but by following that direction once it is given.

LAST POINT: Malachi was the last of the Old Testament Prophets of Judah. Malachi was angry at the priests because, though they were to be God's messengers, they did not know God's will. And this lack of knowledge caused them to lead God's people astray. Their ignorance was willful and inexcusable. Pastors and leaders of God's people must know God's Word - what it says, what it means, and how it applies to daily life. How much time do you spend in God's Word? It's vital that you "Armor Up" early and daily.

Until next Time...
Jim

" THE WARNINGS AND PROMISES OF GOD "

Good Day, come on in and sit awhile. You know it's great to have you aboard. This week we will be looking into the "Warnings and Promises of God".

" And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

This verse certainly gives us much to ponder. God was asked to make provisions for the people when they sinned. God gave four provisions for when his people disobeyed.

(1) humble yourself by admitting your sins
(2) pray to God, asking for forgiveness
(3) ask God continually
(4) turn from sinful behavior

True repentance is more than talk - it is changed behavior. Whether we sin individually, as a group, or as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness. I believe that God will always answer our earnest prayers.

Now, when we realize that we have sinned, we should quickly ask God for forgiveness and restoration. OK, put your listening ears on... Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves working with His power according to His guidance, not with our own independent effort. Although we do not deserve God's favor, He reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.

In many places, the Word of God warns us not to " HARDEN OUR HEARTS." Now this means stubbornly setting ourselves against God so that we are no longer able to turn to Him for forgiveness. The Israelite's became hard hearted when they disobeyed God's command to conquer the Promised Land (here called " When They Provoked Me,"). Be careful to obey God's Word, and do not allow your heart to become hardened.

Until next time...
Jim