" A TIME FOR TESTING "

" YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST." In a number of places Jesus intentionally challenged his listeners to test him. He welcomed those who wanted to question his claims and character as long as they were willing to follow through on what they discovered Jesus' challenge clarifies the two most frequent reasons that people miss when encountering him: 1- They never accept his challenge to test him, or 2- They test him but are not willing to believe what they discover. Have you made either of those mistakes? The Corinthians were called to examine and test themselves to see if they really were Christians. Just as we get physical check-ups, Paul urges us to give ourselves Spiritual Check-Ups. We should look for a growing awareness of Christ's presence and power in our lives. Only then will we know if we are true Christians or merely impostors. If we're not taking active steps to grow Grow Closer To God, we are drawing further away from him. " TEST " 1- A challenge or difficult situation imposed by God for the purpose of strengthening faith; not to be confused with temptation to evil (James 1:13). 2- The act of putting God to the test, demanding that we prove Himself and His power in some way, as Satan attempted to persuade Jesus to do. 3- The act of one person's challenging another to prove himself by answering difficult questions etc. LAST POINT: " Beloved,do not believe every spirit, but TEST the SPIRITS to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world " (1 John 4:1). I believe this verse is saying: " Do Not Believe Every Spirit, But TEST The SPIRITS. " That we shouldn't believe everything we hear just because someone says it is a message inspired by God. There are many ways to test teachers to see if their message is truly from the Lord. One is to check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible. Other tests include their commitment to the Body of Believers, their life-style, and the fruit of their ministry. But the most important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do they teach that Jesus is fully man? Our world is filled with voices claiming to speak for God. Give them these tests to see if they are indeed speaking God's Truth. Until Next Time... Jim,

" THE BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK "

This week we are looking into the importance of " Teamwork. " If you are anything like me, I need to partner with others especially when it comes to praying for others in some cases. The disciples were sent out in pairs. Individually they could have reached more areas of the country, but this was not Christ's plan. One advantage in going out by two was that they could strengthen and encourage each other, they faced rejection. Our strength comes from God, but he meets many of our needs through our Teamwork with others. As you serve Christ, don't try to go it alone. Team up with those who follow God, and when you come up against what seems to be an insurmountable situation have trust in your comrade's. Never forget that the Father is with us, so we need not be worried as our God is all powerful. I'm reminded of Gideon and his mighty army. Now Gideon's army was 300 men chasing 15,000. They should have realized that victory was certain because God was with Gideon. But they were so worried about saving themselves that they never thought about God's power to save. Because of fear for ourselves, we may not recognize God's presence in other people and therefore miss God's victory. Then we must face the often bitter consequences of failing to join forces with those God has chosen to do his work. Because God will prevail with or without you, be quick to join others who are engaged in his work. Lend support with your time, money, talents, and prayer. LAST POINT: Always remember that the Lord God is always with us. Do you remember the time God rescued Joseph when his enemies attacked him. So often we struggle by ourselves, forgetting that God is able to help us fight our battles, whether they are against men with weapons or against Spiritual Forces. Now Joseph was able to draw closer to God as adversity mounted. To trust God to rescue you shows great faith. Now, can you trust him when injury or persecution is directed at you? Such Spiritual Battles require Teamwork between Courageous, Faithful People and a Mighty God. Until Next Time... Jim,

" BE A CONFIDENT CHRISTIAN "

Is it well with your soul,the weeks seem to have wings? Anyway this week we will be looking into how we carry ourselves. I'm obligated to ask if you know the Lord As Your Personal Savior? Food for thought... A man may go to Heaven without Health - without wealth - without fame - without a great name - without learning - without culture - without big earnings - without beauty - without friends - without ten thousand other things. But he can never go to Heaven without The Lord Jesus Christ! " I Am The Way, and the Truth, and The Life; No One Comes To The Father But Through Me " (John 14:6). Now as Christians we are to be an Ambassador, An Envoy for Christ Jesus. Take the Apostle Paul, once he saw the light he was in 110%. Listen wherever you go, you are expected to be " The Light In A Dark Place. " Do you represent God wherever you go? Are you Bold and Obedient enough to Speak and Minister to Others? Paul spoke and acted Confidently because he had Faith that he represented Jesus Christ wherever he was. Now I'm aware that you and I may be on a different Spiritual Plain, so I want you to know this. If you ask the Father to give You what I call " HOLY BOLDNESS " He will. By God's Power, Believers are Sanctified - Made Holy. This means that we are set apart from Sin, enabled to obey and to become more like Christ. When we are growing in our relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit frees us from the demands of the Law and from fear of Judgment. Know matter what, you must always Trust God. God had promised safe passage to Paul (Acts 27:23-25), and he would let nothing stop his servant, now the poisonous viper that bit Paul was unable to harm him. I know that at times we are a little thick if you know what I mean. Our lives are in God's hands, to continue on or to come to and end in his good timing. Paul continued to minister to others, even in the worse of times. It is no wonder the Gospel spread like wild fire. Until Next Time... Jim,

" PAIN AND SUFFERING "

Good Day To You, it's my prayer that all is well in your sphere of influence. This week we are looking int Pain and Suffering. Many of us are presently dealing with Pain and Suffering. I'd like to believe that we all have heard the story of JOB. The Suffering and Pain that this man went through was unbearable for the most of us. Job was experiencing Extreme Physical Pain as well as Grief over the loss of his Family and Possessions. Now he can't be blamed for wishing he were dead. Job's grief placed him at the crossroads of his faith. Shattering many misconceptions about God such as:(he makes you rich, always keeps you from Trouble and Pain, or Protects your Loved Ones). Job was driven back to the basics of his faith in God. He only had two choices: (1) He could curse God and give up, (2) He could trust God and draw strength from him to continue. Some of you know, that I Suffer Daily with Chronic Pain. As I shared above and the Word Of God is very graphic of what he experienced even if you are one of our Lords best, great suffering can come your way. To have a right set of doctrines is not enough. To know what to believe is not all that is required to please God. Truth untested by life's experiences may become Static and Stagnant. Suffering can bring a dynamic quality to life. Just as it's said a drought can drive the roots of a tree deeper to find water, so suffering can drive us beyond Superficial Acceptance of Truth to Dependence On God for Hope and Life. When we see a Christian Brother or Sister Suffering today, we can respond in one of these ways. (1) We can say, as Job's friends did, that this is a test to help the poor develop more patience and trust in God.(2) We can help the person in need. Although many governments today have their own programs for helping those in need, this is no excuse for ignoring the poor and needy within our reach. Until next Time... Jim,

" SPIRITUAL REBIRTH "

Welcome on in, I wish you the very best that My Lord and God has to offer. I believe that it's very important that we stay on target. In this life those of us who are Born Again Christians recognize that we are in a Daily Spiritual Battle. Salvation: Deliverance In General, rescue or deliverance from danger. Now, the Bible is primarily a historical account of how God has provided mankind with Salvation from eternal death, which is the penalty of Sin. Salvation has always been bestowed by the Grace of God through Faith. Now those of OT times expressed their faith by following the provisions of OT law, or by their obedience to God. Since the advent of Christ, those who trust in Him are Saved at the moment of their confession of faith and are no longer slaves to sin. They enjoy the benefit of an intimate relationship with God through the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit in their lives. In the future, all Believers will enjoy Eternal Life In Heaven. We are " Born Of God " when the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us Jesus' New Life. Being Born Again is more than a fresh start; it is a Rebirth, receiving a new family name based on Christ's Death For Us. When this happens, God forgives us and totally accepts us; the Holy Spirit gives us new minds and hearts, lives in us, and begins helping us to become like Christ. Our perspective changes too because we have a mind that is renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit. So we must begin to think and act differently. " No one who is Born Of God Practices Sin " means that true believers do not make a practice of sinning,nor do they become indifference to God's Moral Law. All believers still sin, but they are working to gain victory over sin. " His Seed Abides In Him " means that True Believers do not make a practice of sinning because God's new life has been born into them. Now, does your life confirm or contradict what you say you believe? Until Next Time... Jim,

" WHY KEEP PROMISES "

Today's message is one that is necessary to repeat. This is the second or third time that our Lord has challenged me to share this subject with you. Our Word, Oath or Vow which ever way you wish to state it is very important to the Lord God. Now, Jesus also told His followers not to use them - that their word alone should be enough (James 5:12). Are you known as a person of your word? Truthfulness seems so rare that we feel we must end our statements with " I Promise. " If we tell the truth all the time, we will have less pressure to back up our words with an Oath or Promise. In My studies in the Word Of God I've learned that putting a hand under the thigh was a sign of making a Promise, much like shaking hands today. Few things were written in their culture, so a person's word then carried as much force as a Written Contract today. People seem to find it easy to say "I Didn't Mean That." God's people, however, are to speak the truth and live the truth. Let your words be as binding as a written contract. Moses reminded the people that their promises to God and others must be kept. Your word must be as binding as your signature. Breaking a Vow meant a Broken Trust and a Broken Relationship. Trust is still the basis of our relationships with God and others. A broken promise today is just as harmful as it was in Moses' day. Now, I suggest that we Think before we promise anything. Those who know me well are not put off when they hear me respond " WE'LL SEE. " Until Next Time... Jim,

" KNOWLEDGE "

Well hear we are again, another week has come and gone. This week we will be looking into " Knowledge. " We all have 24 hours in a day filled with opportunities to grow,serve and be productive. Yet it is easy to waste time, letting life slip from our grasp. Refuse to be a lazy person sleeping or fretting away the hours meant for productive work. See time as God's gift and seize your opportunities to live diligently for him. " Wise Men Store Up Knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hands " (Prov.10:14). "A wise man is strong, and a man of Knowledge increases power" (Prov. 24:5). Now, the athlete who thinks - who assesses the situation and plans strategies - has an advantage over a physically stronger but unthinking opponent. and Wisdom, not muscle, is certainly why God has put people in charge of the animal kingdom. We exercise regularly and eat well to build our strength, but do we take equal pains to develop wisdom? Because wisdom is a part of strength, it pays to attain it. One of the most annoying types of people is a know-it-all. A person who has dogmatic opinion about everything, is closed to anything new, resents discipline,and refuses to learn. Solomon calls this kind of person a fool. Don't be a know-it-all. Instead, be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can be valuable insight and counsel. Learn how to learn from others. remember, only God knows it all. A point of Wisdom... Now, in the Book of proverbs, the " Simple - Minded " or a fool is not someone with a MENTAL deficiency but someone with a Character deficiency (such as Rebellion, Laziness, or Anger). The fool is not Stupid, but he or she is unable to tell right from wrong or good from bad. Until next Time... Jim,