" TESTING "

"Test": A challenge or difficult situation imposed by God for the purpose of strengthening faith; not to be confused with a temptation to evil (James 1:13). (2) The act of putting God to the test, demanding that He prove himself and his power in some way, as Satan attempted to persuade Jesus to do.(3) The act of one person challenging another to prove himself by answering difficult questions, etc. Our faith is tested during tough times in our lives. Despite God's judgment of sin, most people ignored him and continued to sin. But a handful of people really tried to follow him. One of these was Abraham. God appeared to Abraham one day and promised to make his descendants into a great nation. Abraham's part of the agreement was to obey God. Through sharp testing and an incident that almost destroyed his family, Abraham remained faithful to God. Until Next Time... Jim,

" STOP RUNNING "

"Stop Running" If by chance you are thinking that you have Nowhere to turn, then you need Christ and you need him today. Isaiah likewise tells us to call on the Lord while he is near. God is not planning to move away from us, but we often move far from him or erect a barrier between ourselves and Him. Don't wait until you have drifted far away from God to Seek Him. Later in life turning to him may be far more difficult. Or God may come to judge the earth before you decide to finally turn to Him. Seek God Now While You Can before it's too late. In the Word Of God, we are told to " Seek The Lord while He may be found; Call upon him while He is near " (Isaiah 55:6). I interpret this to mean that we should pursue the Lord with all our hearts and all our minds. Food costs money, but lasts only a short time, and meets only physical needs. But God offers us free nourishment that feeds our soul. How do we get it? We come (Isaiah 55:1), Listen (55:2), Seek, and call on God (55:6), God's Salvation is Freely given, but to sustain our souls we must eagerly receive it. We will starve Spiritually without his food as surely as we starve physically without our daily bread. Until Next Time... Jim,

" WAITING ON GOD "

Welcome, now come on in as I have something to share. This week we are looking into " Waiting On God." Now I have reread Psalm 40 and the first four verses just jumped off the page(s). First things first doing God's Will sometimes means waiting patiently. While we wait, we can love God,serve others, and tell others about him. Waiting for God to help us is not easy, but David received four benefits from waiting: God (1) Lifted him out of his despair,(2) set his feet on a rock, (3) gave him a firm place to stand, and (4) put a new song of praise in his mouth. Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting. LAST POINT: Now I'm also thinking of Jeremiah, and how the leaders of Judah continued to persecute him as he faithfully proclaimed the message of God. For 40 years of faithful ministry, he received no acclaim, no love, no popular following. He was beaten, jailed, threatened, and even forced to leave his homeland. Only the pagan Babylonians showed him any respect (39:11-12). God does not guarantee that his servants will escape persecution, even when they are faithful. But God does promise that he will be with them and will give them strength to end (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). As you minister to others, recognize that your service is for God and not just for human approval. God rewards our faithfulness, but not always during our stay on earth. Until Next Time... Jim,

" COURAGE / COURAGEOUS "

Courage is persevering in spite of fear. Some of the most courageous men and women have prevailed in spite of Weakness, Sickness, and Persecution. " Be Strong And Courageous " (Joshua 1:6). I love it when I heard Paul say that I purpose to be Courageous. The verse that I'm thinking of is in 2 Corinthians 10:2 and it reads " I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be Courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh." Some people think that belief in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own. God is indeed a shield to protect us when we are too weak to face certain trials by ourselves, but he does not want us to remain weak. I'm of the mind that He Strengthens,Protects, and Guides us in order to send us back into an evil world to fight for him. And then he continues to work with us because the strongest person on earth is infinitely weaker than God and needs his help. The sooner we get this in our head the better...only God could ultimately protect and save. " Be Strong And Courageous do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you " (Deuteronomy 31:6). I'm intentional about being Courageous because I can her that SMALL VOICE say " I've Got This," and my faith continues to grow with the confidence and I don't have to be concerned of the outcome. I'm a " Courageous " Child Of The King. Until Next Time... Jim,