" INSPIRATION "

Good day to you. I have already prayed multiple times this day for those of you on my " Immediate Prayer List. " Isn't God good? Just think about it, You Woke Up This Morning, and yet many did not see the dawn nor will others see twilight. You see I am truly inspired to be a Child of God, as I have so much to look forward to each moment of the day. This week we will be looking into " INSPIRATION. "

First things first, the Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It's not a human book! Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed His person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for His people. This process is known as INSPIRATION. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Although they used their own minds, languages, and styles, they wrote what the Holy Spirit wanted them to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of it's writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives.

The Bible is " GOD-BREATHED. " Read It, and use Its teachings to guide your conduct. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live. " But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all eagerness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also (2Corinthians 8:7).

The process in which the scriptures were written as stated in 2 Tim. 3:16 and 1 Pet 1:21. These chosen human authors were guided directly by the Holy Spirit, and the Scriptures themselves are the Words of God. As a Christian Doctrine, Inspiration guarantees that all the words of Scripture are completely Reliable and Without Error (see Inerrancy). It does not mean that God simply dictated the words to the human authors, though this is undoubtedly to some extent. Instead God guided the authors in such a way that their own personalities are discernible in their writings, while the truth and accuracy of their words are ensured.

Please open up your mind and rediscover the Word Of God. Question: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a tim. Now how do you study the Word Of God... one word, or sentence at a time? Personally I'm Inspired by those who take the time to STUDY the Bible, as I recognize that I can learn from them.

Until next Time...
Jim,

" INNATE ABILITIES "

Well here we are again, another week has come and gone. And as always I have something to share with you of great importance.

This week we will be looking into our " INNATE ABILITIES. " All of us have special skills. God wants to fill us with His spirit so we will use them for His glory. Now think about your special talent(s) and abilities and the ways you could use them for God's work in the world.

A talent must be used or it will diminish. Everyone of God's people has been given Special Abilities. We are responsible to develop these abilities - even the ones not considered religious - and to use them for God's glory. Now we can become skilled through hard work and study, by watching others, and through practice. Work on your skills or abilities that could help your church and or the community. 

Now those who have ears, please listen. Jesus told us how to live until He comes: We must first watch for Him, work eagerly, and obey His commands. Now attitudes such as these are especially necessary for leaders. As I've watched those who lead me, I'm convinced that our Lord increases opportunities and responsibilities. The more resources, talents, and understanding we have, the more we are responsible to use them effectively. God will not hold us responsible for gifts He has not given us, but all of us have enough gifts and duties to keep us busy until Jesus comes.

When I think about our abilities my mind goes to the Word of God. How many of us regretfully do not live up to our Potential in God. I'm thinking of the parable of the LOANED MONEY, now the verse reads: " TO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS, TO ANOTHER, TWO, AND TO ANOTHER, ONE, EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY; AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEY."

So that we're clear: A landowner was about to go on a journey, so he called upon some valued slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. Now this man divided the money (talents) among his servants according to their abilities in his eyes. Now the Master made very sure that no one received more or less than what he could handle. If they failed in his assignment, there excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. Failure could only come from his own laziness or from hidden hatred for the master.

Now these talents can represent any kind of resource we are given. The Father gives us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities and he expects US to invest them wisely until He returns. We are responsible to use well what God has given us. The issue is not how much we have, but how well we use what we have.

Until next time,
Jim,

" PRAYER RELEASES STRESS "

Welcome, come on in and sit a spell. This week we will be looking into stress and how we can live a stress free life. What is stress and how is it characterized in the dictionary? [ pressure; strain; a force that tends to distort a body].

Difficult circumstances often lead to stress, and complaining is a natural response. When pressure comes your way, resist the temptation to make a quick escape. Instead, focus on God's power and wisdom to help you deal with the cause of your stress. 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 resisting in God's strength, nothing can shake us. Resisting the pressure of the moment, satisfying immediate desires without pausing to consider the long-range consequences of what you are about to do.

When we see something we want, our first impulse is to get it. At first we feel intensely satisfied and sometimes even powerful because we have obtained what we set out to get. But immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future. We can avoid making mistakes by comparing the short-term satisfaction with its long-range consequences before we act. When we feel sexual pressure, a marriage vow may seem unimportant. We might feel such a great pressure in one area that nothing else seems to matter and we lose our perspective.

Getting through that short pressure-filled moment is often the most difficult part of overcoming a temptation. If we attempt to meet life's challenges with human effort alone, we will find the pressures and temptations around us too great to resist. We often focus our hope and confidence on some influential leader, failing to realize that in reality it is God who is in command.

Acknowledge God as your Commander In Chief, and avoid the temptation of relying too heavily on human leaders, regardless of their Spiritual Wisdom. Are we clear?

Until Next Time...
Jim,

" JUDGMENT OF GOD "

Good Morning to you, I want you to know that I am so pleased that you decided to stop by.

This week we will be looking into the " Judgment Of God." Please open up your mind and don't just brush off this message. Now God's message hasn't changed from the Old Testament days. People were then and are still judged by our unproductive lives. The Lord calls upon us to be active in our obedience. In the Word Of God John compared people who claim they believe God but don't live for God to unproductive trees that will be cut down.

To be productive for God, we must obey His Teachings, Resist Temptation, Actively Serve and Help Others , and Share Our Faith. A quick question: how productive are you for God? I believe that the Bible is the best example for us to learn about the things of God. This week we are looking into the " JUDGMENT OF GOD. " Judgment will separate Believers and Unbelievers. Jesus needed so much for us to understand about his judgment that he spoke in Parables.

'ALLOW BOTH TO GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST; AND IN TIME OF THE HARVEST I WILL SAY TO THE REAPERS, " FIRST GATHER UP THE TARES AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM UP; BUT GATHER THE WHEAT INTO MY BARN (Matt.13:30).

Now the young tares (weeds) and the young blades of wheat appear as the same and can't be distinguished until they are grown and ready for harvest. Weeds (unbelievers) and Wheat (believers) must live side by side in this world. Now God allows unbelievers to remain for awhile, just as the farmer allows the weeds to remain in the field so the surrounding wheat isn't uprooted with them. At the harvest however, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away. Pay attention, God's Harvest (JUDGMENT) of all people is coming. So, if I were you I would make sure that my Faith is sincere. 

Until Next Time...
Jim,

" CONTENTMENT "

First Things First,I appreciate you stopping by.

This week we will be looking into Contentment. Ease of mind; Satisfaction. To covet is to wish to have the possessions of others. It goes beyond simply admiring someone else's possessions or thinking, " I'd like to have one of those." Coveting includes envy-resenting, the fact that others have what you don't.

God knows, however, that possessions never make anyone happy for long. Since only God can supply all our needs, true contentment is found only in Him. When you begin to covet, try to determine if a more basic need is leading you to envy. Now for example, you may covet someone's success, not because you want to take it away from him, but because you would like to feel as appreciated by others as he is. If this is the case, pray that God will help you deal with your resentment and meet your basic needs.

We deceive ourselves when we measure our happiness or contentment in life by the amount of wealth we possess. When we put riches at the top of our Value System, Pleasure, and Financial security overshadow the Eternal Value of our relationship with God. We think that we will be happy or content when we get riches, only to discover that they don't really satisfy, and the pleasures fade away. The treasure measurement of happiness or contentment is found in God's Love and in doing His Will.

You will find true happiness if you put your relationship with God above earthly riches. Pride results from overvaluing ourselves and undervaluing others. It leads to restlessness because it makes us dissatisfied with what we have and concerned about what everyone else is doing. It keeps us always hungering for more attention and adoration. By contrast, humility, puts others first and allows us to be content with God's leading in our lives. Such contentment gives us security so that we no longer have to prove ourselves to others. Let humility and trust affect your perspective and give you the strength and freedom to serve God and others. We may not get all that we want. But by trusting in Jesus Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to excepting His provision and power to live for Him.

Until next Time...
Jim

" THE END TIMES "

Happy Days To You,

First things first, Welcome, I'm so very glad that you decided to stop by. Today's subject is one where I feel that some folks just might not want to hear nor talk about " THE END TIMES. "

Folks it's time that we all recognize that we are in the End Times. Please, please pay attention to this week's message. Now we can all have what I consider to be the Glorious Future. God acts from above to change man's condition here on earth. Only when God's Spirit is among us can we achieve true peace and fruitfulness. I believe that this will happen in The End Times.

We can also have God's Spirit with us now, for He is available to ALL BELIEVERS through Jesus Christ. But the outpouring mentioned here happens when the Worldwide Kingdom of God is established for all Eternity. Jesus' word about His Second Coming and what we can expect. Now Jesus' reply emphasized the events that would have to take place before the end of the age. Jesus pointed out that we should be less concerned with knowing the exact date and more concerned with being prepared - living God's way consistently so that no matter when Jesus comes in His Glory, He would claim us as His own.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE END TIMES:
(1) We are not to be misled by confusing claims or speculative interpretations of what will happen.
(2) We should not be afraid to tell people about Christ despite what they might say or do to us.
(3) We must stand firm by Faith and not be suppressed by persecution.
(4) We must be morally alert, obedient to the commands for living found in God's Word.

I'm not sharing this with you to promote discussions on prophetic timetables, but to stimulate right living for God in a world where He is largely ignored. According to Scripture, the one clear sign of Christ's Return will be His unmistakable appearance in the clouds, which will be seen by all people. In other words, you do not have to wonder whether a certain person is the Messiah or whether these are the " END TIMES." When Jesus returns, you will know without a doubt, because it will be evident to all true believers. Now because of groups who claim special knowledge of the last days, because no one knows when that time will happen. Be cautious about saying, " THIS IS IT!" but be bold in your total commitment to have your heart and life ready for Christ's Return.

Until next Time...
Jim

" OUR PASTORS / MINISTERS "

Greetings, Well here we are again another week has come and gone. I never know what I'm going to write about until the Lord Jesus Christ puts a subject on my heart.

This week I've been led to share with you about our Shepherd, our Pastor or Ministers. A Pastor is one of the position(s) of leadership in the Local Church which the Holy Spirit uses for the edification of the Body of Christ. A person so gifted is to: lead the members of the Body, help them to understand and apply the Scriptures and keep them safe from false teachers and unsound doctrine.

Our Pastors are or should be recognized as Shepherds of People. Pastors are just like you and me; flesh and blood. We all have our faults, and sometimes it may seem that we can never rise above them. Now, can you imagine the pressure that our Pastors are under everyday of their lives? Are you lifting up your Pastor in prayer throughout your day, and do you even give him a thought at all?

If your Pastor is anything like mine he's always on the go for Jesus. As Shepherds they are constantly being attacked, and therefore our prayers are very much needed. I know that you are up for this task, vow that you will Stand In The Gap for your Pastor daily... well do ya, say it.

Micah was a straight shooting Prophet of God. His purpose was to warn God's people that judgment was coming and to offer pardon to all who repent. Now the people of his day liked the false prophets who told them only what they wanted to hear. Micah spoke against prophets who encouraged the people to feel comfortable in their sin. Preachers are popular when they don't ask too much of us and when they tell us our greed or lust might even be good for us. But a true teacher of God speaks the truth, regardless of what the listeners want to hear. Ministers shouldn't dilute the message to please the crowd. Don't expect your pastor's to do everything. " BUT WE WILL DEVOTE OURSELVES TO PRAYER AND TO THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD " (Acts 6-4).

The Bible explains that the Apostles' priorities were correct. That the ministry of the Word of God should never be neglected because of administrative duties. Our Pastors should not try, or be expected to try, to do everything. Instead, the work of the church should be spread out among its members, and Church Volunteers. Again I say, Lift up your Pastors and Ministers daily, as Satan never gives up the thought of taking them down.

Until next Time...
Jim