" BURDEN(S) "

This week we will be looking into " Burden(s)." The Merriam - Webster Dictionary defines Burden in this way: Load; also: Care, Responsibility 2: Something oppressive: Encumbrance 3: Cargo; also: Capacity for cargo. " Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our Salvation " (Psalm 68:19). " Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ " (Galatians 6:1-3). No Christian should ever think that he or she is totally independent and doesn't need help from others, and no one should feel excused from the task of helping others. The body of Christ -The - Chruch - functions only when the members work together for the common good. Do you know someone who needs help? Is there a Christian brother or sister who needs correction or encouragement? Humbly and gently reach out to that person (John 12:34-35). Sometimes our burdens seem more than we can bear, and we wonder how we can go on. Now God is the great burden-bearer. God is able to lift us because (1) his greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3); (2) he does mighty acts across many generations (Psalm 145:4); (3) he is full of glorious splendor and majesty (Psalm 145:5); he does wonderful and awesome works ( Psalm 145:5-6); (5) he is righteous (Psalm 145:7); (6) he is gracious, merciful, patient, and loving (Psalm 145:8-9); (7) he rules over an everlasting kingdom (145:13); (8) he is our source of all our daily needs (145:15-16); (9) he is righteous and loving in all his dealings (145:17); (10) he remains near to those who call on him; (11) he hears our cries and saves us (145:19-20). If you are bending under a burden and feel that you are about to fall, turn to God for help. He is ready to lift you up and bear your burden. Until Next Time... Jim,

" ARE YOU CONSIDERED TO BE GENEROUS "

Giving should come from a generous heart. Now I'm put in mind of the time when the tabernacle was constructed in the Old Testament. Moses called all the sons of Israel together and shared the things that the Lord has commanded them to do. I love it that those whose hearts were stirred gave cheerfully. With great enthusiam, they gave because they knew how important their giving was. Airline Pilots and Computer Operators can push test buttons to see if their equipment is functioning properly. Now God has a quick test button he can push to see the level of our commitment - our pocketbooks. Generous people aren't necessarily faithful to God. But Faithful people are always generous. Because God has showered us with his blessings, we should give generously to others of our Time, Love, and Possessions. Giving should be second hand to us; Jesus has given us a principle to guide our actions as we minister to others; " FREELY YOU RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE." It is easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God desires generosity. In what ways can you show your generosity to those in need. Until Next Time... Jim,

" GOOD, GOODNESS "

Alright now, here we are into week number one of the New Year. New year's day is very special to me, the dawning of a new year opens up so many possibilities. Always the chance to fix wrongs and to grow in the things of the Lord. This week we will be looking into " Good, Goodness." God works in " All Things " - not just isolated incidents - for our good. Now before you get ahead of yourself, this does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our Fallen World, but GOD IS ABLE TO TURN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AROUND FOR OUR LONG-RANGE GOOD. Please hear and understand that God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill his purpose. For this reason I always Pray for God's Perfect Will. Note also that this promise is not for everybody. It can be claimed only by those who love God and are according to his purpose. Now those who are " Called " are those the Holy Spirit convinces and enables to Receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mindset on life. They trust in God, not life's treasures; they look for their security in heaven, not on earth; THEY LEARN TO ACCEPT, NOT RESENT, pain and persecution God is with them. MY LAST THOUGHT: Goodness alone won't bring Eternal Life, but this is a reminder to all of us who are believers. Now, Jesus teaches about those who Build Houses on Rock and Sand. Listen to these verses: (21) 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. (22) Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, 'Lord, did not we prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? (23) And then I will declare to them, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Now, 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. Until Next Time... Jim,

" YOU MEANT EVIL AGAINST ME,BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOD."

Have you ever pondered these verses (Genesis 50:19-20) mainly verse 20? Verse 20 always jumps off the pages for me " As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day." God brought good from the brothers' evil deed, Potiphar's wife's false accusation, the cupbearer's neglect, and seven years of famine. Now I'm of the mind that the experiences in Joseph's life taught him that God Brings Good From Evil For Those Who Trust Him. Now, I want you to ask yourself, do I trust God enough to wait patiently for him to bring good out of bad situations? You can trust him because, as Joseph learned, that God can overrule people's evil intentions to bring about his intended results. Our Lord and God have promised to provide for us. Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to their little ones. yes even though he (Joseph) was wronged by his siblings he still did the right thing (Genesis 47:12) " And Joseph supplied his father and his father's household with food, according to [the needs of] their families." As this to say that the Father looks after those who look to him. I'm always reminded that he has not brought us this far just to leave us. I'm likewise reminded of a scripture in the book of Daniel, verse 9:14. " Therefore the Lord Has kept ready the calamity (evil) and Has brought it upon Us for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all Has works which He does [keeping His Word], and we have Not obeyed His Voice. Once again remember this You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. " MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Blessed New Year. "

" THE PROMISES OF GOD "

Those of you who know me and that includes you who have been with me since 2000, know that I started on the " PROMISES OF GOD." For no matter how many PROMISES OF GOD has made, They are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him The " Amen " is spoken by us to The Glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). Now as Believers we should recognize that all of God's Promises of what the 2nd Coming of the Messiah would be like are fulfilled in Christ ("in Him, they are yes"). Jesus was completely faithful in his ministry; he never sinned (1 Peter 3:18); he faithfully died for us (Hebrews 2:9); and now he faithfully intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14-15). Because Jesus Christ is faithful, Paul wanted to be faithful in his ministry. Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever. God's promises bring contentment in every situation. Are you content in any circumstances you face? Now, Paul knew how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ's power for strength. Do you have great needs, or are you discontented because you don't have what you want? It's vital that we learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you be content. If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teeth you contentment in every circumstance. He Will Supply all your needs, but in a way that he knows is best for you. We can trust that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth he will always supply, even if it is the courage to face death as Paul did. Whatever we need in heaven he will supply. We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him. STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD AND BELIEVE. Until Next Time... Jim,

" THE SOUL "

" SOUL ": life, Spirit 1) In the plural, often synonymous with " Persons " or " People "; in the singular, a living being (Gen 2:7). 2) The seat of feelings, desires, and emotions. 3) The nonmaterial element of man - the most important part of human existence - as seen in the human personality. This element lives on after the death of the body, and will ultimately be joined again with a resurrected body to spend eternity in heaven or in the Lake Of Fire (hell, Matthew 10:28). When we allow God our Shepherd to guide us, we have contentment. When we choose to sin, however, we go our own way and cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Now, our Shepherd knows the " Green Pastures " and " Quiet Waters " that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following him obediently. Rebelling against the Shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. Now I believe that we must remember this the next time we are tempted to go our own way rather than Shepherd's way. " For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay " (Psalm 16:10). I love it that David stated confidently that God would leave him in the grave (Sheol). I believe that many people especially the unbeliever, those who do not have eternal security fear death. As Believers, we can be assured that God does not forget us when we die. He will bring us to life again to live with him forever. LAST POINT: I'm reminded of the verse in Psalm 42:1-2 " As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my Soul pants for you, O'God.": As the life of a deer depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God. Those who seek him and long to understand him to find never-ending life. Feeling separated from God, this psalmist wouldn't rest until he restored his relationship with God because he knew that his very life depending on it. Until next Time... Jim,

" CHANGE "

This week we are looking into " Change." It's vital that we all recognize when and how important change should be in our lives. God patiently waits for us to change. Now, watch this I want you to listen and listen hard. With this being said I'm reminded of the Flood in the Book Of Genesis, which was due to the corruption of mankind. " His days shall be one hundred and twenty years " means that God was allowing the folks of Noah's day 120 years to change from their sinful ways. God shows his great patience with us as well. He is giving us time to quit living our way and begin living his way, the way he shows us in his word. Now, while 120 years seems like a long time, eventually the time ran out and the floodwaters swept across the earth. Your time also may be running out. Turn to God to forgive your sins. You can't see the stopwatch of God patience, and there is no bargaining for additional time. We must learn to face the source of our problems. Moving to escape problems only makes solving them more difficult. Rooted in us are not solved by a change of scenery. A change in location or job may only distrust us from the need for us to change our heart. LAST POINT: Inner change leads to faithful action. Major changes begin on the inside as God works on our attitudes, beliefs, and desires. Now, these inner changes lead to faithful actions. " For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure " (Philippians 2:13). Doing God's will begins with your desires. Are you willing to be humble, to be open to his opportunities, and to move in his direction? Ask God to give you the desire to follow him more closely. Until Next Time... Jim,