" WHAT JESUS MEANS TO ME "

Good day to you,today I'm feeling so very good and it's so great to be alive. Isn't God wonderful, he has blessed me with everything that I need. A great Wife,three wonderful Children and nine outstanding and unique Grandchildren. I've been sitting here basking in the Love of my Lord and realizing just what Jesus means to me. So I've named this weeks thoughts " WHAT JESUS MEANS TO ME. " I have eternal life through Jesus Christ. He knows all of my thoughts and this is comforting to me as he knows what I'm sincerely seeking when I call upon him. He's not a quitter,but a finisher. He'll get the job done, as he's very focused when it comes to you and me. He loves like no other, and his compassion is also like no other. He's obedient, and the Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice... He in fact sacrificed his life for me. He knows what it means to suffer and to bleed for others. He's kind, reverent and unselfish, you want to know something he's my biggest cheerleader. He speaks to me often during the course of the day, and he's clear in what direction I'm to go in. You know he never disappoints me, and I have total trust in him. He's my hero, He withstood beatings,he was cursed at and just about everyone turned their backs on him accept for the disciples. Jesus says: " HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME; AND HE WHO DOES NOT GATHER WITH ME SCATTERS." Listen it is impossible to be neutral about the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who is not actively following him has chosen to reject him. Any person who tries to remain neutral in the struggle of good against evil is choosing to be separated from God who alone is good. To refuse to follow Christ is to choose to be on Satan's team. ENOUGH SAID. Until next Time... Jim,

" OPTIMISM "

Good morning all, it's my prayer that all is well with you and those whom you care much about. Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I sincerely pray that you will be inspired this day. God's promises are public, and their fulfillment is sure. So why do we ever doubt him? We never have to be uncertain when we have a God of truth and righteousness. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. Anytime that you become fearful about anything just remember the Father. Please take hope in this that faith in God keeps us from losing hope and helps us resist fear. I am comforted as well as optimistic because I know that my God has promised to never leave nor to forsake me, now how about that? I'm confident that my Lord hears my supplication, the Lord receives my prayers anytime that I call out to him. Prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress. trusting God to be our Rock, Salvation, and Stronghold will change our entire outlook on life. No longer must we be held captive by resentment toward others when they hurt us. When we are resting in God's strength, nothing can shake us. We're all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move ahead, someone who believes we can do the task he has given and who will be with us all the way. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future, and his plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God,who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill his mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared Pain, Suffering, or Hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion. " OPTIMISM " (1) An inclination to anticipate the best possible outcome of actions or events. (2) The optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well. (3) The belief that good is ultimately triumphant over the evil in the world. Until Next Time... Jim,

" IF GOD RESTED, WHY NOT ME "

Can we talk,this week the Lord put " REST " on my heart. Time for me to be very candid with you, I only average four to five hours of sleep per night seven days per week. Yes I'm up every morning praying for all of you whom I've promised to Stand In The Gap for. This week I've learned about balance. Jesus' take on the value of rest;we live in an action-oriented world! There always seems to be something to do and no time to rest. Yet God demonstrated that rest is appropriate and right. If God himself rested from his work, then it should not amaze us that we also need rest. Jesus demonstrated this principle when he and his disciples left in a boat to get away from the crowds. Our times of rest refresh us for times of service. Doing God's work is very important, but Jesus recognized that to do it effectively we need periodic rest and renewal. Jesus and his disciples, however, did not always find it easy to get the rest they needed! God's rest has several meanings in scripture: (1) The seventh day of Creation and the weekly Sabbath commemorating it,(2) The Promised Land of Canaan;(3) Peace with God now because of our relationship with Christ through faith; and (4) Our future Eternal Life with Christ. All of these meanings were probably familiar to the Jewish Christian readers of Hebrews. God rested on the seventh day, not because he was tired, but to indicate the completion of Creation. The world was perfect, and God was well satisfied with it. This rest is a foretaste of our eternal joy when creation will be renewed and restored, every mark of sin will be removed, and the world will be made perfect again. Our Sabbath - rest in Christ begins when we trust him to complete his good and perfect work in us. We must rest from our work and from the toil of our hands. Now God offers us the opportunity to enter his ultimate place of rest - he invites us to come to Christ. To enter his rest,you must believe that God has this relationship in mind for you, you must stop trying to create it; you must trust in Christ for it; and you must determine to obey him. Today is the best time to find peace with God. Tomorrow may be too late. " COME TO ME, ALL WHO ARE WEARY AND HEAVY - LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST " (Matt. 11:28). Until Next Time... Jim,

" CONFLICT / DISAGREEMENTS "

Oh, it's you, well come on in I have something that I wish to share with you today. This week I'd like to talk about friction in your life. If you're ready to learn something about yourself as I did about me then strap in and stay focused. People often argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or if you have introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone's character. If you are unjustly criticized, remember that your critics may be afraid to face the real problem. Don't take this type of criticism personally. Ask the Father to help you identify the real issue and deal with it. Rivalries, arguments, and disagreements among believers can be destructive in three ways. (1) They damage goodwill, trust, and peace - the foundations of good human relations. (2) They hamper progress toward important goals. (3) They make us Self-Centered rather than Love-Centered. Jesus understood how destructive arguments among brothers could be. In his final prayer before being betrayed and arrested, Jesus asked God that his followers be " ONE " (John 17:21). Here's a thought, when you face conflict, step back from the hostilities and consider whether you and your enemy have common goals that are bigger than your differences. Appeal to those interests as you work for a settlement. As Christians, we are in conflict with anyone who would discredit the saving message of Christ. All true believers are in this fight together, uniting against the same enemy for a common cause. Facing a potential conflict can reveal your true character. Life is a series of choices. When we stop making choices in God's direction, all that is left is to make choices in the wrong direction. Sometimes conflict is unavoidable. Sometimes, however, it isn't worth the consequences. Always look for agreeable options to solve our problems, even if it is harder for us to do so,I told you this would be hard. LAST POINT: Always try to make peace first, look for the truth, be prepared to negotiate rather than fight a battle that is not necessary. Assuming the worst about the intentions of others only brings trouble. So conflicts can be averted by asking qualifying questions before assaulting. Beware of reacting before you hear the whole story. Now, you see that wasn't so bad, choose your battles carefully. Until Next Time... Jim,

" SLANDER / DEFAMATION "

Good Day To You, I wish to thank you for stopping by, this week we will be discussing a very hurtful topic " Slander " My Mom always said that if we can't say anything nice don't say anything at all. My God says that Slander is to speak critically and maliciously of another person. So that I'm very clear "Slanderers" are haters of God, per the Holy Scriptures Romans 1:30. Scripture also says " A perverse man spreads strife, And a Slander separates intimate friends " (Prov. 16:28). So we must be very careful with our words as defamation of one's character can be a very serious thing. My dictionary defines slander in this manner: To utter slander against; a false report maliciously uttered and tending to injure the reputation of a person. We should treasure our friendships,yes from time to time there may be a falling out,but absolutely know reason to destroy a reputation. By hating another person you may become a liar or a fool. If you try to conceal your hatred, you end up lying. If you slander the other person and are proven wrong, you are a fool. The only way out is to admit your hateful feelings to God. Ask him to change your heart, to help you love instead of hate. Making up or spreading false reports was and is still forbidden by God. Gossip,Slander, and false witnessing undermined families, strained neighborhood cooperation, and made chaos of the justice system. Destructive gossip still causes problems, no matter how you slice it. Even if you don't initiate a lie, you become responsible if you pass it along. Now, make sure that you don't circulate rumors; squelch them. Question, have you ever been falsely accused or so badly hurt that you wanted revenge? Instead of taking matters into your own hands and striking back, the proper response to slander is Prayer, not revenge, because God says, " VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." Instead of striking back, ask God to take your case, bring justice, and restore your reputation. Until Next Time... Jim,

" A GOOD REPUTATION "

Listen I sincerely want to thank you for stopping by, as I realize that you can be doing something else. This week I'm instructed to share with you the meaning of a " GOOD REPUTATION. " REPUTATION: is defined as Overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general (2) in a place in public esteem or regard. A person's life-style and relationships provide a window into his or her character. Those who invest their time and money in serving God often earn a pleasant return on their investment-a good reputation and the respect of others. Your reputation is formed by the people who watch you at work, in town, at home, and in church. A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in-no matter what group or surroundings you are in. Now, each of us is forming a reputation, developing personal qualities by which we will be remembered. How would God summarize your life up to now? Some defiantly claim that how they live is their own business. But scripture teaches that the way you live today will determine how you will be remembered by others and how you will be judged by God. WHAT YOU DO NOW DOES MATTER. I understand that it can be remarkably difficult to be silent when others tear us down because we want to protect our reputation. We find it difficult to do nothing while they assault something so precious to us. But we don't need to lash back in revenge or justify our position; we can Trust God to protect our reputation. Jesus was silent before his accusers (Luke 23:9-10); he left his case in God's hands (1 Peter 2:21-24). Now that's a good place to leave our case(s) too! Sometimes we can pick up a bad reputation just because of the employment we hold. But, you want to know one thing, we can live above it. When God calls us to follow and obey him we must do so with blind faith. We also must decide to leave behind those things that would keep us from following Christ. It can be real difficult to change your reputation, especially if you've been a real pistol in life. Now, new Christians (especially those with tarnished reputations) need sponsors, people who will come alongside, encouraged, teach, and introduce them to other believers. Find a way to stand up for another, who's image may be somewhat clouded. Until Next Time... Jim,

" LOVE AND COMPASSION "

Greetings, It's always my pleasure as well as my honor sharing with you week in and week out. This week I was moved to share on " Love and Compassion ". Real Love is an action, not a feeling. It produces selfless, sacrificial giving. The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. How can we lay down our lives? By serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. Sometimes it is easier to say we'll die for others than to truly live for them - this involves putting others'desires first. How do we love others as Christ loves us one might ask. All we have to know is that we are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and he loved us enough to give his life for us. We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice Sacrificial Love: by Listening, helping, and encouraging.Think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love today. GIVE ALL THE LOVE YOU CAN AND THEN TRY TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE. Love is as strong as death;it cannot be killed by time or disaster;and it cannot be bought for any price because it is freely given. Love is priceless, and even the richest king cannot buy it. Love must be accepted as a gift from God and then shared within the guidelines God provides. Accept the Love of your spouse as God's gift, and strive to make your love a reflection of the perfect love that comes from God Himself. I believe, people are still confused about love. Love is the greatest of all human qualities, and it is an attribute of God himself (1 John 4:8). Love involves unselfish service to others; to show it gives evidence that you care. Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; Love is the action.When Faith and Hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God Loves. Listen with all the sin and sorrow surrounding us we must know that " The Lord's Loving kindness indeed will never cease,for his Compassion's never fail." God willingly responds with help when we ask. Perhaps there is some sin in your life that you thought God would not forgive. God's steadfast Love and Mercy are greater than sin,and he promises forgiveness. LAST POINT: Believers should be ashamed when unbelievers show more Concern and Compassion than they do. God wants us to be concerned for all of his people, lost and saved. Until Next Time... Jim,