" Built On Rock Or Sand "

Blessings on you and those in whom you care so much about. This week's message is real and one that we must take very serious. Question for you: Are You The Real Deal?

 " NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, 'LORD, LORD,' WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN WILL ENTER."

Think about this for a moment, some self-professed athletes can "talk" a great game, but that tells you nothing about their athletic prowess. And not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to God's Kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our walk than our talk. He wants us to do right, not just say the right words. Your house (which represents your life) will withstand the storms of life only if you do what is right instead of just talking about it. What you do cannot be separated from what you believe.

Now, to build " On The Rock " means to be a hearing responding disciple, not a phony, superficial one. Practicing obedience becomes the solid foundation to weather the storms of life demolish you or not. Listen, to keep ourselves unstained by this world, we need to commit ourselves to Christ's ethical and moral system, not the world's. We are not to adapt to the world's value system, which is based on money, power, and pleasure.

True Faith means nothing if we are contaminated with such values. We all must guard our tongues. No matter how spiritual we may think we are, we all could control our speech more effectively. The Word of God tells us that Jesus exposed those people who sounded religious but had No Personal Relationship with Him. On " That Day " (The Day Of Judgment), only our relationship with Christ -our acceptance of Him as Savior and our obedience to Him, will matter. Many people think that if they are "good" people and say religious things, they will be rewarded with eternal life. In reality, Faith In Christ is what will count at the judgment.

 LAST POINT: Jesus has told us how to live until He comes: We must watch for Him, work diligently, and obey His commands. Such attitudes are especially necessary for leaders. Watchful and faithful leaders will be given increased opportunities and responsibilities. Now, 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.

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" STRONGMAN OF GOD "

This week we will be looking into why it's so very important for us to be the " Strongman " in our homes.

The " Strong Man " armor's up every single morning. He put's on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:11 " Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil." 1 John 3:8-9 " The one who Practices Sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.Vs 9 No one who is Born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in Him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Now, if we're honest we all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold. We must deal with our areas of vulnerability. If we are struggling with a particular sin, however, these verses are not directed at us, even if for the time we seem to keep on sinning.

Now, I believe that John is not talking about people whose victories are still incomplete; he is talking about people who make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it. Three steps are necessary to find victory over prevailing sin:
(1) Seek the Power Of The Holy Spirit and God's Word;
(2)Stay away from tempting situations;
(3) Seek the help of the body of Christ-be open to their willingness to hold you accountable and to Pray for You.

LAST POINT: " Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a Solitary Place, where He Prayed." Now Christian means " CHRIST-like," Jesus took time to pray. Finding time to pray is not easy for some, but prayer is the vital link between us and God, even if we have to get up very early in the morning to do it! Another thing spending time with God in prayer does is it nurtures a vital relationship and equips us to meet life's challenges and struggles.

DEVELOP THE DISCIPLINE OF SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH GOD. IT WILL HELP YOU TO GROW SPIRITUALLY AND BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST.

 Until next Time...
 Jim

" RELATIONSHIP(S) "

Top of the morning to you. Is all well in your camp? This week we are going to look into " Relationship(s)."

The Word of God shows the Fathers desire to have fellowship with us. The Word also shows why we are afraid to have fellowship with Him. I remember, Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard Him approaching after they committed sin. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin they were afraid to show themselves. You see sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours. But Praise The Lord, Jesus Christ, God's Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with Him.

God longs to be with us. He actively offers us his unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can't live up to His standards. But understanding that He loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.

Broken relationships can hinder our relationship with God. If we have a problem or grievance with a friend, we should resolve the problem as soon as possible. We are hypocrites if we claim to love God while we hate others. Our attitudes toward others reflex our relationship with God (1 John 4:20). 

LAST POINT: Meeting another's need for food or shelter was and still is one of the most immediate and practical ways to obey God. It is also a time-honored relationship builder. Hebrews 13:2 suggests that we, like Abraham might actually entertain angels. Now, I believe that this should be on our mind the next time we have the opportunity to meet a strangers needs.

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" ANOTHER'S ADVICE MUST BE DISCERNED "

This weeks message is one that that you truly need to take heed. How well do you receive " ADVICE?"

I'm positive that your parents have offered and given you advice. Most parents can be a storehouse of good advice, because they have a lifetime of insight into their children's character. You may not agree with everything your parents say, but at least talk with them and listen carefully. This will help avoid hard feelings in the future.

Now, we should evaluate advice, ask if it is realistic, workable, and consistent with Biblical principles. Determine if the results of following the advice will be fair, make improvements, and give a positive solution or direction.

Seek counsel from those more experienced and wiser. Advice is helpful only if it is consistent with God's standards. The following of bad advice can cause disaster. When seeking advice don't make these errors. 1- Give extra consideration to the suggestions of those who know the situation better than you, and ask God for wisdom to discern who has the better option. It is easy to follow the advice of our peers because they often feel as we do. But their view may be limited. It is important to listen carefully to those who have more experience than we do - they can see the bigger picture.

LAST POINT: You know it does us no good to seek God's advice if we ignore it when it is given. Real love for God is shown not by merely asking for direction, but by following that direction once it is given.

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" HOW IMPORTANT IS PRAYER TO YOU "

My very best to you on this day that the Lord has made. This week we will be looking into the importance of prayer.

PRAYER is a petition, supplication or praise that is addressed to God. Probably the best known from the Bible is the Lord's Prayer, i.e. the prayer which Jesus taught His disciples as an example of how they should pray.

The world defines prayer this way:
1- A supplication or expression addressed to God or a god: A set order of words used in praying
2- An earnest request or wish
3- The act or practice of praying to God
4- A religious service consisting chiefly of prayers - often used in pl.
5- Something prayed for
6- Slight Chance.

If a man is not considerate and respectful of his wife, his prayers will be hindered, because a living relationship with God depends on right relationships with others. Jesus said if you have a problem with a fellow believer, you must make it right with that person before coming to Worship (Matt. 5:23-24). Now, I especially believe that this principle carries over into family relationships. If men use their position to mistreat their wives their relationship with God will suffer.

" ALWAYS OFFERING PRAYER WITH JOY IN MY EVERY PRAYER FOR YOU ALL."

This is the first of many times Paul used the word joy in his letter. The Philippians were remembered with joy and thanksgiving whenever Paul prayed. By helping Paul, they were helping Christ's cause. Now the Philippians were willing to be used by God for whatever he wanted them to do. When others think about you, what comes to their minds? Are you remembered with fondest and joy by them? Do your acts of kindness lift up others?

 Until next Time...
 Jim

" DON'T DOUBT CHRIST "

Do You Believe? If you do, in whom do you believe in? This week's title is " DON'T DOUBT CHRIST."

I often think back to challenging times for me as well as for some of you. My mind also reflects on how Moses witnessed God's power in spectacular miracles, yet at this time he questioned God's ability to feed the wandering Israelite's. If Moses doubted God's power, how much easier it is for us to do the same?

Completely depending upon God is essential regardless of our level of spiritual maturity. When we begin to rely on our understanding, we are in danger of ignoring God's assessment of the situation. By remembering His past works and His present power, we can be sure that we are not cutting off His potential help. Momentary doubt vs. lack of trust unfortunately is a fact of life. Now when you examine your conscience do you always unearth everything? When you're confessing your sin(s) is all the secret sin(s) coming forth? Can you declare your confidence in your integrity and God's justice. 

We are always likely to have hidden sin in our lives. Sin we don't even know about because God's standards are so high and our performance is so imperfect. If we are true believers, however, all our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross in our behalf (Rom 5:1-8). The Word of God also teaches us that even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20). His forgiveness and cleansing are sufficient; they overrule our nagging doubts. The Holy Spirit in us is our proof that we are forgiven in God's eye's even though we may feel guilty. If we, are truly seeking God, we can stand up to another's accusations as well as our own nagging doubts. Now, you can take this to the bank: if God has forgiven and accepted us, we are forgiven indeed. No doubt about it.

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" I WON'T BOW DOWN "

Praise the Lord, here we are at the dawning of another year. I for one am looking forward to doing a better job with my Walk With Christ. Shadrach is the name given to " Hananiah " by the Babylonians who invaded his country and took many captives. Hananiah was one of three companions of Daniel, all of whom were thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down and worshiping the golden idol set up by Nebuchadnezzar the king.

They were miraculously protected from the fire by God. Why didn't the three young men Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego just bow to the image and then tell God that they didn't mean it? They had PRE-determined never to worship another god, and they courageously took their stand. The boys did not know whether they would be delivered from the fire; all they knew was that they would not fall down and worship an idol.

Are you ready to take a stand for God no matter what? I'm of the mind that when you stand for God, you will stand out. It may be painful, and it may not always have a happy ending. Be prepared to say, " If he rescues me, or if he doesn't, I will serve only God. "

Now the boys names were changed because Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make them Babylonian. New names would help them assimilate into the culture. " Hananiah " means the Lord shows grace;". The name, Shadrach, probably means " under the command of A K U" (the moon god). The story of Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abed-nego (Azariah) is told in the Book Of Daniel. They refused to bow down and worship an idol, how about you?

 Until Next Time...
 Jim