" Revenge "

How often have you felt that you must have your way, and anytime someone crosses you, you see Red? Now if someone hurts you in anyway you feel as though you must retaliate. " REVENGE " is defined in this manner: To hurt or punish a person who has wronged you; to get back at someone who has hurt you, When tempted to return evil for evil, leave revenge to God and spare yourself the dreadful consequences of sin. Insulting others and being jealous are not right responses when feel left out. But seeking Revenge for an insult is just as wrong, and very costly. Now the Boomerang effect of Revenge, that we ought to leave justice for God. God will repay those who deserve it (Romans 12:19). Refuse to rejoice when your enemies suffer, and don't try to get Revenge. Seeking Revenge will ruin your own peace of mind and increase the chances of further retaliation. Last Point Today: When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even.Instead Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us! Our desire should not be to keep score, but to love and forgive

" ATTITUDES "

Okay here we are another week has come and gone and it's time for us to get together once again to hear what the Lord has put on my heart. This week we are looking into " Attitudes." When facing a tough decision, don't let the negatives cause you to lose sight of the positives. Weigh both sides carefully. Don't allow potential difficulties blind you to God's power to help and his promise to guide. Effective living begins with a right attitude toward God. Before religious words come to your mouth, make sure they are from your heart. Let Respect, Humility, and Servant hood Characterize your attitude toward God and others. Lashing out is a sign of wrong attitudes. Do You remember Balaam and the donkey? Donkeys were all-purpose vehicles used for transportation, and usually highly dependable, which explains why Balaam became so angry when his donkey refused to move. Now, the donkey saved Balaam's life but made him look foolish in the process, so Balaam lashed out at the donkey. We sometimes strike out at blameless people who get in our way because we are embarrassed or our pride is hurt. Lashing out at others can be a sign that something is wrong with us. Now, don't allow your own hurt pride to lead you to hurt others. LAST POINT: Now I have a very good friend D. A. who once challenged a group of men, me included about outward obedience without a change of heart. (Matthew 5:20) " For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom Of Heaven." Hears the breakdown: The Pharisees' weakness was that they were content to obey the laws outwardly allowing God to change their hearts (or attitudes). They looked pious, but they were far from the Kingdom of God. judges our hearts as well as our deeds,for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies. But just as concerned about your attitudes that people don't see rather than your actions that are seen by all. Now Jesus was saying that his listeners needed a different kind of righteousness altogether (Love & Obedience), not just a more intense version of the pharisees' righteousness (Legal Compliance). Our righteousness must (1) Come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves, (2) be God - Centered, not Self - Centered, (3) be based on Reverence for God, not approval from people, and (4) go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law. Until Next Time... Jim,

" EXCUSES "

Once again another message that will prayerfully enhance your Spiritual Growth. This weeks message we are looking into Excuses, and before you say it...everybody makes them, but is it right? We all make excuses and it's time for us to say what we mean and and mean what we say. If you think real hard we make excuses all the time, I believe that we may just unconsciously do this. Now, as Christians why do we not witness. Sometimes we Christians excuse ourselves from witnessing by saying that our family or friends aren't ready to believe. Jesus, however, makes it clear that around us a continual harvest waits to be reaped. Don't let Jesus find you making excuses. Look Around. You will find people ready to hear God's Word. I always ask, This One Lord, and I will get a Peace whether to approach someone or not. Now let's touch on another subject matter where we make excuses and what we sometimes call pay back. Don't look for excuses to leave your marriage. Jesus said that divorce is not permissible except for unfaithfulness. This does not mean that divorce should automatically occur when a spouse commits adultery. The Word translated " Unchastity " implies a sexually immoral life-style, not a confessed and repented act of adultery. Those who discover that their partner has been unfaithful should first make every effort to Forgive, Reconcile, and Restore their Relationship. We are always to look for reasons to Restore the Marriage Relationship rather than for excuses to leave it. We must not avoid what God wants you to do. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. If God truly is our Master, we must obey willingly. Our Time, Abilities, and money aren't ours in the first place - we are Caretakers, not owners. When we Ignore Squander, or Abuse what we are given, we are Rebellious and deserve to be Punished. LAST OBSERVATION: Now I'm reminded of Pilate in not making a decision he gave the crowd his permission to Crucify Jesus. Although he washed his hands, the guilt remained. Washing your hands of a tough situation doesn't cancel your guilt. It merely gives you a false sense of peace. Now don't make excuses, take responsibility for the decisions you make. Until Next Time... Jim,

" EVIL "

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of Evil (adj) 1- wicked 2- Causing or threatening distress or harm. Countless times throughout the Bible we see God showing his Love and Patience toward men and women in order to save them. Although He realizes that their hearts are Evil, He continues to try to reach them. When we Sin or Fall Away from God we surely deserve to be destroyed by his judgment. But God has promised never again to destroy everything on earth until the judgment day when Christ Returns to Destroy Evil forever. Now every change of season is a reminder of his promise. As Christians, we cannot avoid every kind of Evil because we live in a sinful world. We can, however, make sure that we don't give a foothold by avoiding tempting situations and concentrating on obeying God. When tempted to return Evil for Evil, leave revenge to God and spare yourself the dreadful consequences of sin. Sometimes curiosity can cause us to stumble. Knowledge of evil is harmful if the evil becomes too tempting to resist. To resist curiosity about harmful practices shows discretion and obedience. Last Point: Have you ever wondered why God doesn't punish all evil immediately. You know we're not alone when we wonder why evil seems to prevail (Job 10:3; 21:1-18; Jeremiah 12:1; Habakkuk 1:2-4, 12-19). God promises to deal with sin, but in his time, not ours. Actually it is good news that God doesn't punish us immediately because we all have sinned and deserve God's punishment. Until Next Time... Jim,

" LEARNING TO OVERCOME NEGATIVITY "

Welcome One and All, it is not by accident that you are reading this. Now do yourself a favor and take all the time you need to hear and understand today's message. " Whatever things are True...Noble...Just...Pure...Lovely ...of Good Report, If there is any virtue and if there's anything Praiseworthy-Meditate on these things " (Philippians 4:8). Now those of you who know me, recognize the fact that I speak pretty much using Scripture. It's my intention to crowd out impure thoughts with Scripture Memory. Push aside anxious thoughts with Biblical Promises ( The Promises Of God ). This is so important for us to know and understand that we are told in Matthew 1-4; Mark 1-12-13, and Luke 4: 1-13 to battle adverse situations using Biblical Promises. Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because He not only knew Scripture but He Also Obeyed It. Are you hearing me, you don't have to get beat down by sin any more. In James 4:7 we are told " Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (with the Holy Spirit's power, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us). Now back to what I was getting at earlier, Ephesians 6:17 says that God's Word is a sword for us in Daily Spiritual Combat. Knowing Bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the devil's attacks, but we must also obey the Bible. Note that Satan had memorized Scripture, but he failed to obey it. Knowing and obeying the Bible helps us follow God's desires rather than the devil's. Oh, side note: Satan will misquote Scripture, Now the devil offered the whole world to Jesus if Jesus would only fall down and worship him. How often do we give into the devil. The world by trying to entice us with materialism and power. We can resist temptations the same way Jesus did. If you find yourself craving something that the world offers, quote Jesus' words to the devil: " Worship The Lord Your God, and serve Him Only." Until Next Time... Jim,