" SHARING "

Good Afternoon All, I wanted to share a word or two with you on the subject of " Sharing." It's truly sad that we don't share automatically from birth. Now the early Church was able to share possessions and property as a result of the unity brought by the Holy Spirit working in and through the believers lives. This way of living is different from communism because (1) The Sharing was voluntary; (2) It didn't involve all private property, but only as much as was needed; (3) It was not a membership requirement in order to be a part of the church. The spiritual unity and generosity of these early believers attracted others to them. This organizational structure is not a Biblical command, but it offers vital principles for us to follow. Do you remember the parable of the Lost Son? " The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my SHARE of the estate that falls to me', so he divided his wealth between them. " OK listen to this: the younger son's share of the estate would have been one-third, with the older son receiving two-thirds (Deuteronomy 21:17). In most cases he would have received this act his Father's death, although fathers sometimes chose to divide up their inheritance early and retire from managing their estates. What is unusual here is that the younger one initiated the division of the estate. This showed arrogant disregard for his Fathers' authority as head of the family. LAST POINT: Another type of SHARING , Paul says, " Filling Up What Is Lacking In Christ's Afflictions, " he does not mean that Christ's suffering was inadequate to save him, nor does he mean that there is a predetermined amount of suffering that must be paid by all Believers, Paul, could be saying that suffering is unavoidable in bringing the Good News Of Christ to the World. It is called Christs' suffering, because all Christians are related to Christ. When we suffer, Christ feels it with us. But this suffering can be endured joyfully because it changes lives and brings people into God's Kingdom. Until Next Time... Jim,

" HONORING PARENTS "

" Honor your Father and your Mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. " This is the first commandment with a promise attached. To live in peace for generations in the Promised Land, the Israelite's would need to respect authority and build strong families. But what does it mean to " Honor " your parents? Party, it means speaking well of them and politely to them. It also means acting in a way that shows them courtesy and respect ( but not to obey them if this means disobedience to God). It means following their teaching and example of putting God first. Parents have a special place in God's sight. Even those who find it difficult to get along with their parents are still commanded to honor them. There is a difference between obeying and honoring, to obey means to do as one is told; to Honor means Respect and Love. Children are not asked to be subservient to domineering parents. Children are to obey while under their parents' care, but the responsibility to honor parents is for life. " The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it" (Proverbs 30:17). Children must be handled with care. They need firm discipline administered in love. Don't alienate them by nagging, or deriding, or destroying their self respect so that they lose heart. Parents should care gently for their children, even if the children are disobedient and unpleasant. Ideally, of course, Christian Parents and Christian Children will relate to each other with Thoughtfulness and Love. This will happen if both Parents and Children put the others' interests above their own-that is, if they submit to one another. Until Next Time... Jim,

" MIRACLE(S) "

Isn't it great that our Lord is still in the Miracle working business? I'm still blown away by the stuff that He does for me, and I'm attempting to make a valiant attempt daily not to take Him for granted. In case you don't believe in Miracles or that they don't still happen, BELIEVE IT. MIRACLE: A Supernatural Event, A Supernatural Intervention by God into the normal and natural course of life. Now Miracles often served as authentication for prophets, Apostles and Others including Jesus as the Messiah and Son Of God. The Merriam - Webster Dictionary defines " Miracles " (N) 1- An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in Human Affairs 2- An unusual event, thing, or accomplishment: wonder, marvel. Some people think, " If only I could see a Miracle, I could believe in God. " Think back to the Old Testament Exodus 8 when God gave Pharaoh just such an opportunity. When gnats infested Egypt, even the magicians agreed that this was God's work ( " The Finger Of God " ) - but still Pharaoh refused to believe. He was stubborn, and stubbornness can blind a person to the truth. When you rid yourself of stubbornness, you may be surprised by the abundance of the evidence of God's work in your life. Now, in the New Testament in the Bible the Galatians knew that they had received the Holy Spirit when they Believed, not when they obeyed the law. People still feel insecure in their faith, because faith alone seems too easy. People still try to get closer to God by following rules. While certain Disciples, Bible Study, Prayer and Service may help us grow, they must not take the place of The Holy Spirit in us or become ends in themselves. By asking these questions, Paul helped to get the Galatians to focus again on Christ as the foundation of the faith. Until Next Time... Jim,

" WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE "

Well here we are again, another week has come and gone. It's my prayer that you have already Trusted Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life. People in Jesus' time, like those in the time of Isaiah, for example would not believe despite the evidence like in (John 12:37). As a result, God hardened their hearts. Does that mean God intentionally prevented these people from believing in him? No, he simply confirmed their own choices. After a lifetime of resisting God, they had become so set in their ways that they wouldn't even try to understand Jesus' message. For such people, it is virtually impossible to come to God-their hearts have been permanently hardened. Other instances of hardened hearts because of constant stubbornness are recorded in Exodus 9:12; Romans 1:24-28; and 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12. Please remember that " Refusing To Believe Leads to a Hardened Heart." BELIEVE: To have religious Convictions (2) To have a firm conviction about something: accept as true (3) to hold as an opinion. Jesus said " WHY DO YOU DISCUSS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE NO BREAD? DO YOU NOT SEE OR UNDERSTAND? DO YOU HAVE A HARDENED HEART? " " HAVING EYE'S, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO NOT HEAR? AND DO YOU NOT REMEMBER." How could the disciples experience so many of Jesus' Miracles and yet be so slow to comprehend who he was? They had already seen Jesus feed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, yet they doubted whether he could feed another large group. Sometimes we are also slow to catch on. Although Christ has brought us through trials and temptations in the past, we don't believe that he will do it in the future. Is your heart too closed to take in all that God can do for you? Don't be like the disciples. Remember what Christ has done, and have faith that He will do it again. Until Next Time... Jim,