" GIVE "

Good day to you, this week we will be looking into " Giving. " I have confidence in saying that we all have given at sometime in the past. But I also realize that motives for giving can change from moment to motive. To Give: to make a present of something 2- to grant or bestow by formal action 3- to put into possession of another for his use. " And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth " (Matt.28:18). God gave Jesus authority over heaven and earth. On the basis of that authority, Jesus told his disciples to make more disciples as they Preached, Baptized, and Taught. With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the good news and make them disciples for the Kingdom. Now, so that we're clear, we are to go - whether it is next door or to another country - and make disciples. It is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus " LORD. " We are not all evangelists in the formal sense, but we have all received gifts that we can use to help fulfill the Great Commission. As we obey, we have comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us. LAST THOUGHT: Jesus proclaims: " In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Now, these words of Jesus are not recorded in the Gospels. Obviously, not all of us Jesus' words were written down; this saying may have been passed on orally through the apostles. John 21:25 " And there are also many things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. " I also recommend the Gospel of John to be the very first to be read by those in whom I witness to as well as those who just surrendered their life to Jesus. READ JOHN'S GOSPEL AND BELIEVE. Until Next Time... Jim,

" CHECK YOUR MOTIVES "

OK, here we go again, it's time for us to truly CHECK OUR MOTIVES. I just love to hear the Lord's perspective before I mess up. It's to painful for me to look back and re-experience what happened because I didn't talk to God first. If our Motives are pure, we don't have to be afraid to ask great things from God. When we ask God for great power or ability, we need to examine our desires and get rid of any selfishness we find. To have the Holy Spirit's help, we must be willing to ask. Now, we must learn that an action that may not be wrong in itself can be sinful if it is motivated by greed, arrogance, or selfishness. Often our motives, not the action itself, contain the sin. Now I've learned from personal experience that we must constantly weigh our motives before we act. In dealing with people, we must find out all the facts before making up our minds. Now we shouldn't automatically assume that their motives are wrong, even if their plans sound suspicious. How we react to a Moral Dilemma often exposes our real Motives. Frequently we are more worried about getting caught than about doing what is right. Now, if you are worried about getting caught, you are probably in a position that is less than honest. Let your fear of getting caught be a warning to do right. Please be mindful that we can pay a huge price for carrying out a dishonest plan. LAST POINT: Before Criticizing someone else, we should pause long enough to discover our own Motives. Failing to do this can bring disastrous results. What is often labeled " CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM " may actually be DESTRUCTIVE JEALOUSLY, since the easiest way to raise our own status is to bring someone else down. Are you willing to question your Motives before you offer Criticism? Does the Critical Finger You Point Need To Be Pointed First Toward Yourself?

" SINCERITY "

Well here we are again, another week has come and gone. This week we are looking into being truly sincere with ourselves as well with others. Sincerity and truth are extremely valuable because they are so rare. Many people are deceivers, liars and flatterers; They think they will get what they want by deception. Now as king, David certainly faced his share of such people, who hoped to win his favor and gain advancement through flattery. When we feel as though sincerity and truth have nearly gone out of existence, we have one hope - The Word Of God. God's words are as flawless as refined silver. So listen carefully when He speaks. Jesus will reveal the sincerity of each person's work. Two sure ways to destroy a building are to tamper with the foundation and to build with inferior materials. The church must be built on Christ, not any other person or principle. Christ evaluate each minister's contribution to the life of the church, and The Day Of Judgment ("The Day") will reveal sincerity of each person's work. God will determine whether or not they have been faithful to Jesus' instructions. Good work will be rewarded; unfaithful or inferior work will be discounted. The idea that the builder " WILL BE SAVED, YET SO AS THROUGH FIRE " means that unfaithful workers will be saved, but like people escaping from a burning building. All their possessions (accomplishments) will be last. Prayerfully you now have a grasp of Sincerity. Until Next Time... Jim,

" SHOWING COMPASSION "

Welcome, this week we are looking into " Showing Compassion." The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed 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 steadfast love and mercy are greater than any sin, and he promises forgiveness. God shows personal care for the hurting. We must express genuine concern for others as we carry God's message to them. Only then will we faithfully represent our Father in Heaven. God cares for the needy, the afflicted, and the weak because they are Precious to him. If God feels so strongly about these needy ones and loves them so deeply, how can we ignore their plight? Examine what you are doing to reach out with God's Love - are you ignoring their plight or are you meeting their needs? Do you remember when Jesus forgave an adulterous woman? Now she was caught in the act of adultery. Please listen as this will be a significant statement about judging others. Because Jesus upheld the legal penalty for adultery, stoning, he could not be accused of being against the law. But but by saying only a sinless person could throw the first stone,he highlighted the importance of Compassion and forgiveness. When others are caught in sin, are quick to pass judgment? To do so is to act as though you have never sinned. It is God's role to judge, not ours. Our role is to show forgiveness and Compassion. Know that I am here for you and it would be my honor to Pray for you and those in whom you care for. Until Next Time... Jim,

" PRAY / PRAYER "

Come on in and sit a spell, today we will be looking into Prayer. Lord Willing this week we will truly get an understanding of prayer. A prayer is a petition, supplication or praise 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. I love it that the Apostles asked Jesus how to pray. Please take note in the order of his prayer. First Jesus Praised God; then he made His requests. Praising God first puts us in the right frame of mind to tell him about our needs. Too often our prayers are more like shopping lists than conversations. Now, we cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing his presence within us, and determining to obey him fully. Then we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous; short prayers. A Prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer but should be an out growth of those times. LAST POINT: We must learn to wait upon the Lord as Solomon did. You see many months, maybe years, had passed since Solomon's prayer of dedication. Now Several other building projects had been completed well after the Temple. Then after all this time, God told Solomon that he had heard Solomon's Prayer. How often do we look for immediate answers to our Prayers and, when nothing happens, wonder if God has heard us? GOD DOES HEAR, AND HE WILL PROVIDE FOR US. We must trust that God will answer at the proper time. Until Next Time... Jim,

" KNOWLEDGE "

Come on in, this week we will be looking into " KNOWLEDGE." Definition of Knowledge: (1) Understanding gained by actual experience (2) Range of information (3) Clear perception of truth (4) Something learned and kept in mind. Knowing what is right and condemning what is wrong does not take the place of doing what is right. Now in this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means for more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. The foundation is to fear the Lord - to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. Trust in God - he will make you truly wise. Knowledge is not Salvation. You should know the Bible, but more important, you should understand the God whom the Bible reveals and the Salvation that God offers. Acknowledge that God is all - knowing, and he will judge all sin and pride, I'm aware that this may be hard for us, but it's vital that we leave judgment up to God. Resist the temptation to take justice into your own hands. God will weigh your deeds as well as the deeds of those who have wronged you. LAST POINT: One of the most annoying types of people is a know-it-all, a person who has a 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 give valuable insight and counsel. Learn how to learn from others. Remember, only god knows it all. Fools hate knowledge while wise men store up knowledge. Until Next Time... Jim,

" ARE YOU FOLLOWING HIM "

Is all right in your camp, are you ready for the return of Jesus? The end of all things is near, and I believe that we should live expectantly mainly because Jesus Christ is Coming. I get excited when I here these verses from John 10:27-29. (27) " My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. You know, I often wonder why I sin, yes I'm aware of our " ADAMIC NATURE " and I do repent when I sin. When we sin, it's like playing Russian Roulette with our life. Now, just as a shepherd protects his sheep, Jesus protects his people from eternal harm. While Believers can expect to suffer on earth, Satan cannot harm their souls or take away their eternal life with God. One might say that there are many reasons to be afraid here on earth because this is the devil's domain (1 Peter 5:8). But if you choose to follow Jesus, he will give you everlasting safety. LAST POINT: Lions attack the Sick, Young, or Straggling animals; They choose victims who are alone or just not ALERT. Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other Believers, so focused on our troubles that we forget to watch for danger, we are especially vulnerable to Satan's Attacks. During times of suffering, seek other Christians for support. Keep your eyes on Christ, and Resist the Devil. Then, says James, " He Will Flee From You " (James 4:7). Until Next Time... Jim,