"LYING"

This week the Lord put it on my heart to share some of His thoughts regarding lying.
Question: Do you ever tell a lie, or have you ever told a lie? Please be careful and take some thought before you answer. You might be thinking that I'm here all by myself, that no one else is here. God is always with us do you remember that He promised " Never to leave us, nor forsake us". Believe me when I tell you there is nothing like " INTEGRITY ".

Can we talk, being untruthful in anyway opens the door for us to become familiar with the art of lying. It's time to be honest, how many times have you entertained the notion to to embellish a noteworthy accounting of your life? Lying only compounds our problems or the effects of sin. Why is it that we feel that we can say what ever we wish, and have the confidence that we don't have to authenticate our statement(s). Lying to each other disrupts harmony by creating conflicts and destroying trust. We should all committ to memory Psalm 120:2 " Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue".

Fear is without a doubt the most common motive for lying. We are fearful that our private thoughts and the things that bring out our emotions will be exposed or our wrongdoings discovered. Listen, please understand that lying causes much greater complications than what we can imagine. Letting Jesus deal with your fears, as there's nothing like hearing " Take Courage; it is I, do not be afraid". If God can't be trusted with our innermost thoughts and fears, we are in greater trouble than we first imagined. When you want to please someone, it is tempting to lie to make yourself look good.

I get it, obeying God doesn't always protect us from evil consequences. Obedience may, in fact provoke them. I'm from the school of thought that it's better to suffer from man's displeasure than from God's wrath. if you are mocked for being honest, remember that this can be a sign that you are indeed doing what is right in God's eyes. In 1 Samuel we're told to "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice".

Until Next Time...

Jim

" IN TIMES OF DISCOURAGEMENT "

Today's subject is one that frankly we usually don't have a problem sharing about. Yes I admit that I do find myself getting disappointed in others from time to time. What causes me to be taken back is a flaw in some peoples character. My problem is when another tells me that I will do this or that and they don't. I take what I say and especially what I promise very seriously and when another does not I'm disappointed.

How are you to be around when you're discouraged? Are you your normal sweet self, who puts others before yourself? We all experience discouragement from one time or another. Between you and me the trick is to get over it by looking to God, the author and finisher of our faith. I must be honest and share with you that I'm still a work in progress. Keep your faith in times of discouragement, no matter how many times you attempt to climb that mountain (translation: problem). Is there a difficult conflict that you find yourself facing again and again? Don't give in when you know what is the right thing to do, I find that persistence usually is rewarded.

Listen, when you do experience discouragement pray, bring what's on your heart to God. Each of us must face times of barrenness when nothing seems to come to fulfillment either in our work, service, or even relationships. It truly can become arduous to pray in faith when we feel so incompetent. Please press on through, as you will discover prayer opens the way for God to work. Prayer is the antidote for discouragement, tell God how you truly feel and leave your problems with him. Some of you saints out there just may be feeling sorry for yourselves, you may be lonely and even discouraged. If and when you are tempted to think that you are the only one remaining faithful to a task, don't stop to feel sorry for yourself.

Self-Pity will dilute the good you are doing. You can take it to the bank that others even if you don't know them they are, faithfully obeying God and fulfilling their duties. The only cure for weariness and despair is focusing on God's purposes. If you are overwhelmed by an assignment, tired, and discouraged, remember God's purpose for your life and his special purpose for the undertaking.
Turning a bad situation into a good one in times of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, church conflict, or even the loss of our jobs. How we act in such situations will reflect what we believe. Look for ways to demonstrate your faith even in bad situations. Whether or not the situation improves, your faith will grow stronger.

Remember, we all have our times of discouragement, but it's how rapidly we think to turn to Jesus.

Until next time...

Jim

" ACCORDING TO OUR MEASURE OF FAITH "

Well today's thought is one were I sincerely pray that you can wrap your brain around. Once again I wish to express my fondness for your zeal to grow in the matter of your love for the things of God. Picture this you have a God who loves you so much that you have been given the option for your faith to grow. Yes, we have all been given the ability to exercise in order to grow in faith. Many of you have no problem rising early to run/jog, or making your way to the gym to get and stay fit. It's very important that we exercise our minds and our faith in God.

Have you ever thought about your "Measure Of Faith" ?
My measure of faith is probably different than yours. I have often wondered why I could believe God for something that you just might think is impossible. I also marvel at the greatness of our God, when I ponder the question of why God didn't give all of us the same level. You know what I mean an equal measurement of faith. Please understand the fact that if we don't exercise our faith it will become stagnant. we must read and study the Word of God daily, our faith grows as we put the Word of God into action. What kind of Christian are you, are you a lazy Christian with a hard time believing anything, unless a very spiritual individual gave you the thumbs up? On the other hand some can believe just because we can believe God for anything. In other words we walk in faith. God has given all of us the ability to effectively share the gospel of Jesus Christ. By sharing our personal story of how we came to know the Lord as our personal savior. You may not be an Apostle, a Pastor or even an Evangelist, but God will give you opportunities to tell others about Christ. Have no fear as He will provide the ability, courage, and power. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, make yourself available to God as his servant. Remember that he will be with you. As you focus on the individual and his or her needs, God will impart your caring attitude.

Your words will be natural, loving, and compelling. Isn't it wonderful to be able to trust God in every facet of your life. Healthy self-esteem is important because some of us think too little of ourselves; on the other hand, some of us overestimate ourselves. The key to an honest and accurate evaluation is knowing the basis of our self-worth our identity in Christ. " For thought the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a MEASURE OF FAITH" (Romans 12:3).

Until Next Time...

Jim

" WISE COUNSEL "

Well here we are again, it's time for our weekly sharing moment. I truly look forward to our time together, you see I'm very comfortable when you're around. I believe that we all should seek out counsel at times of decision.

Proverbs 11:14 teaches us " Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of Counselors there is victory".
The word of God tells us that a good leader needs and calls on wise counselors. I believe that we all can agree that one person's perspective and understanding is severely limited; as he or she may not have all of the facts, or they may be vision less do to their bias, emotions, or wrong impressions.
For this reason we should seek the counsel of others and be open to their advice.

People with tunnel vision, you know who and what I mean. Those who are locked into one way of thinking, are very likely to miss the right road because they have closed their minds to any new options. Build a network of Ad visors, be open to new ideas and be willing to weigh their suggestions carefully.
When ever I'm asked for anything I try my best to respond with thought out counsel. Allow God to pilot you as you trust in the word of God, one must realize that every good thing comes from God. As I take stock in my life I can clearly see that my dependence is in Jesus. Evaluate advice, ask if it is realistic, and consistent with biblical principles. Listen, you should seek advice from those more experienced and wiser. ADVICE IS HELPFUL ONLY IF IT IS CONSISTENT WITH GOD'S STANDARDS. We must ask God for wisdom and discernment before we make any decision, even the little ones. I believe that all of us may know from experience, just how making the wrong decision can become detrimental. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 " But examine everything carefully hold fast to that which is good ". Something that I was taught when I first got saved was to check every one's words against the Bible, " EXAMINE EVERYTHING". We should carefully check out what people say, accepting only what is proven through true and rejecting what is false. When you seek advice, listen carefully and use God's word to " EXAMINE EVERYTHING " carefully, hold fast to that which is good.

Don't seek God's advice if you're going to ignore it. Readers it does us no good to seek God's advice if we ignore it when it is given. You see real love for God is shown not by merely asking for direction, but by following that direction once it is given.

One last point with God's guidance we will always succeed. As Christians at some point in our walk we learn that love and kindness is paramount in our lives.
Love is able to give tough advice; it doesn't hedge around the truth. Jesus Christ loved us enough to die for us, and he also loves us enough to talk straight to us. Before we do anything we must learn to talk to God first. When we tend to be self sufficient, with a attitude that I can make this or that decision in my life, a derogatory moment becomes eminent.
Failing to seek God's guidance and rushing into a decision we can often find the opposite result of what we expected. When we are driven by fear, we tend to search every where for comfort, advice and relief, hoping to find an easy way out of our troubles. Instead, we should consult God.
Although he gives emergency help in a crisis, he prefers to be our guide throughout our lives by reading his word and actively seeking to do his will, we can maintain our bond with him who provides stability no matter what the crisis.

Have a great day in the Lord. Until next time...

Jim

" BEING EFFECTIVE "

How are you today, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed? Did your day start out not so good? Well you still have time to have a do over and become effective for the Lord. Take a moment and talk with the Lord and set your priorities for the rest of this day.

Last week the Lord put on my heart, the art of being effective. Effectiveness is producing a decisive or the desired effect. Now the Lord challenged me sometime ago and caused me to wonder if I was ready for service or action in the army of the Lord. I ask myself at times can a total stranger without a doubt conclusively know that I'm a servant of the Lord. Am I an effective Christian? Can I and will I effectively do what the Lord has given me Spiritual Gifts to do? Do I have what it takes to lead an effective life? It's in my mind that an effective life begins with - God's Wisdom - appreciating and respecting who God is. Reverence and awe in recognizing our Almighty God. (2) Requires moral application, trusting in God and His Word. Allowing his word to personally speak to us, and above all we must be willing to Obey. (3) And most importantly it requires practical application and acting on God's direction in our daily devotions. (4) Results in - Effective Living - experiencing what God does with our obedience. Effectiveness is also achieved through organization. it is good stewardship to be well organized. Good organization helps people work together in harmony and ensures that the desired goal will be reached.

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. Now, go out and become more effective than before.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" THANKFULNESS "

Good Morning All,

I just can't find the words to express the love and affection that I feel from you.
You are so faithful to come back week after week, I truly feel your support, you are the best.

God told his chosen people to bring their peace offerings personally, with their own hands.
You see, they were to take time and effort to express thanks to God. When is the last time that you gave thanks to the creator? Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, and not just reserved only for celebrations. I've come to this conclusion, because I give praise to my Lord and my God continually, I have found that I don't take his blessings for granted.

The ABC's of true thanksgiving (1) Remembering what God has done, (2) Telling others about it, (3) Showing God's glory to others, and (4) offering gifts of self, time, and resources. If
you are truly thankful, your life will show it. I have the best prayer partners ever, these men, each of them I can see Christ in them, in their words and actions. You are the only person who can express your thankfulness to God and to others. I can't imagine you sending someone else to express thanks for what people have done. Do you rely on the one leading the prayer to thank God for you? Take time yourself to express thanks both to God and to others who have helped and blessed you.

Dissatisfaction comes when our attention shifts from what we have to what we don't have. Are we grateful for what God has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have? we should not allow our unfilled desires to cause us to forget God's gift of life, food, health, work, and friends.
Thanksgiving should be an integral part of our praise to the Father. As we praise and thank God for material and spiritual blessings, we should also thank him for our answered prayer. How many times have you made an appeal to God for protection, strength, patience, comfort, love or other special needs, and he supplied them? Don't forget to thank people who help you, but also remember to praise God for His care and protection. Continue to be in an attitude of prayer always.

Until Next Time, Give Thanks.

Jim

" THE STRONGMAN "

How often do you find yourself in combat, facing the choice of right and wrong? Almost every moment of the day we get tempted by someone or something. As Christians we must evaluate our every move, thought and deed. We must take note of our surroundings and we must not be casual about sin. All of you who are head of households must prevent sin from coming into your homes. We must purge sin out of our homes and out of our lives and keep it out.

Many have fallen into the snare of the lion. The Word of God warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 " Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour". To be devoured is to be eaten up greedily or ravenously, that doesn't sound much like fun. Any time we indulge in any behavior that is contrary to the word of God we are in the grip of the lion. A lion is described as a large heavily built cat of Africa and southern Asia with a shaggy mane on the male. The lion will lay in wait for many hours in order to leap upon what they presume as a weak or an easy prey. In times of great stress we can tell Jesus all of our thoughts, feelings, and needs. Always remember that he has been where we are now, and has the ability to intervene.

Lions attack the sick, the young weak and vulnerable individuals; any blood thirsty predator will seek out victims who are alone or not on the alert. We must be on guard for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Those who are feeling the affects of a weak and recovering economy, feeling alone, frail, helpless, and cut off from other believers, turn to Jesus. Don't become so focused on your troubles that you forget to watch for danger, we are especially vulnerable to Satan's attack.

Act like men, be "Strong" be on the alert, stand firm in the faith.
1- Be on the alert against spiritual dangers,
2- Stand firm in the faith,
3-Behave courageously,
4- Be strong, and
5- Do everything with love. Today, as we wait for the return of Christ, we should follow the same instructions.
For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. It's time that we become robust in our walk with the Lord. Strongman do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

The Merriam- Webster Dictionary defines the strongman as one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military strength.
Strongman put on your armor daily, armor is described as protective clothing worn in battle, usually made of metal.

So Armor Up, until next time.

Jim