" WEAKER OR HESITANT BELIEVER "

Good Morning to you all, well it's morning here just after mid-night.
Now days everyone is bulking up and working out. How about you are you toning up your body yet? Nobody wants to appear weak or hesitant in this day and age.

Do you fall into either of these classifications, weaker or hesitant believer? I'm from the school of thought that it's vital that we are perspicacious to the things of God. It is essential that we en graft the Word of God and live it.
When God's chosen people were hesitant and neglected to follow his directions repercussions always resulted. The Israelites were hesitant to clear out all the wicked people. We are sometimes hesitant to clear out all the sin in our lives, either because we are afraid of it (as the Israelites feared the giants), or because it seems harmless and attractive (as sexual sin seemed). Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to throw off " The sin which so easily entangles us". We all may have some kind of fetish that we just don't want to give up ( a bad habit, an unhealthy relationship, a certain life-style). If we permit a fetish to dominate us, it will cause serious problems later. Please consider carefully that your mode of operation after awhile becomes habitual.

We are considered to be strong in some areas, and weak in others. Our faith is sturdy in an area if we can endure contact with sinners without falling into their life-style. It is weak in an area if we must avoid certain activities, people, or places in order to protect our spiritual life. It's important to take a self-Inventory in order to find out our strengths and weaknesses. When ever in doubt, ask yourself "Can I do this without sinning?" I'm convinced that I can inspire others for the good, rather than being influenced by them. In areas of strength, we should not fear being polluted by the world; rather we should step up and serve God. In areas of weakness, we need to be cautious. If we are strong in our faith but shelter it, we are not doing Christ's work in the world. If we're frail in faith and show it, we are being extremely witless. Although you may not feel the same as others, take your time, pray to God, but do not force others to adhere to your stipulations. You would hinder other believers by making up rules and standards for how everyone ought to behave.

Listen, make sure that your convictions are based on God's Word, and are not simply an expression of your own opinions.
Those who are mature in the faith must care about their brothers and sisters in Christ who are weaker. Don't be proud of your spiritual knowledge, embrace your blessings, lead by example.

Until next time,

Jim

" WORTH "

Hear we are again, it's time for me to share what the Lord has put on my heart.

I believe that it's very important for you to know that you are loved, I mean truly loved. The Father cares for you so much that He dispatched his only Son here to show us that all things are possible through Him. He experienced the life of a earthly man, but lived a perfect life then He stretched out His arms and laid down His life for us.

Please take a moment to ponder, who values you the most. Has something happened in your life to cause you to think about your worth?
Worth: a monetary value; The value of something measured by its qualities.

" YOU ARE OF GREAT WORTH TO GOD..."

Jesus said that God is aware of everything that happens in our lives, everything. If God is aware of a sparrow falling to the ground and He's taken the time to number each of the hairs on our head. God is telling us that we have nothing to fear, that we are very important to Him.
Psalm 8: 4-5 "What is man that you are mindful of him, (5) you made him a little lower than the heavenly beings; and crowned him with glory and honor." We are so valuable that God sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16). Being as how God places such value on you, you need to never have anxieties regarding personal threats or even difficult proceedings.

You need to know that nothing can shake God's love or even uproot his Spirit from within you. God will not take away all your troubles we're instructed to rejoice when we're persecuted. The fact that we are being persecuted proves that we have been faithful; faithless people would be unnoticed. In the future God will reward the faithful by receiving them into his Eternal Kingdom where there is no more persecution. The real test of value is how well something holds up under the wear, tear, and abuse of everyday life. Those who stand up for Christ in spite of their troubles truly have lasting value and will receive great rewards.

We must be prepared in this life, Matt. 10:16 " Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be SHREWD AS SERPENTS and innocent as doves. " Jesus knew that we would have to face those who don't have our best interest at heart. Those who will take advantage of us any and every chance they get. Jesus was concerned and warned His disciples that the opposition of the Pharisees would be like ravaging wolves. We are to look to Jesus for everything even protection. We are not to be sheep like in our attitude but shrewd yet circumspect. We are not to be simple pawns but neither are we to be deceitful connivers. We must find a balance between wisdom and vulnerability to accomplish God's work.

Have no fear, trust God and know that you are of great value to the Father.

Until Next Time,
Jim

" GOOD TIMES AND BAD "

In this life it's always going to be one or the other, so we might as well just Trust God. I believe that it's time that we sharpen up our listening skills and truly become "Christians". Being a Christian is becoming more Christ-Like, and we all know that our Lord would listen to all.

Every time you converse with a relative, friend or acquaintance you get to hear about whatever is presently happening in their life. I've had people take me into their confidence and share their hearts. I'm also from the school of thought that we should always inquire if all is well, with them and their families. Today's subject is "Good Times and Bad" as we all must learn how to navigate through life. Yes, God allows both good times and bad to come to everyone. He mingles them into our lives in such a way that we can't predict the future or count on human wisdom and the preponderance. Why do we customarily give ourselves the credit for the good times. Then in bad times, we tend to blame God without thanking him for the good that comes out of it. When life appears certain and controllable, don't let self-satisfaction or contentment make you too comfortable, or God may allow bad times to drive you back to him. When life seems uncertain and uncontrollable, don't forlorn hope - God is totally in control and He will bring good results out of tough times.

You know we often hear people say that, " It doesn't matter ". But many of your choices will be irreversible - they will stay with you for a lifetime. What you do when you're young does matter. Enjoy life now, but don't do anything physically, morally, or spiritually that will prevent you from enjoying life when you are old.

Until Next Time,

Jim

" GOSSIP "

How would you feel if you shared some very personal information with someone and it leaked out? In fact the rumor that was going around sounded more like a story or a joke that totally missed it's mark. What we have to realize is that man is thin-skinned in many ways and words can hurt like slap.

I venture to guess that we all have heard that we should not participate in gossip. I'm sure that sometime in your life you may have been surrounded by people who criticize and gossip. I believe that we must be sure of, and very careful of whom we share personal information with. A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much. Webster defines the word "Gossip" as, (1) A person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts. (2) Rumor or report of an intimate nature (3) An informal conversation.

Lives have been ruined by gossip and conjecture. The making up or spreading false reports is stringently forbidden by God. Gossip, slander, and false witnessing undermines families, and also neighborhood participation, and also made chaos of the justice system. Gossip can be destructive, and I believe if you want the truth always go to the source.

Why do people gossip? Why do we pass along unsubstantiated information? I suspect that gossip may empower some and can possibly change lives. When we gossip it reveals a flaw in one's character. Even if you don't initiate the lie, you become accountable if you pass it along. Please refrain from circulating rumors, CRUSH THEM.

A "Busybody" is a gossip. Now an idle person who doesn't work ends up filling his or her time with less than helpful activities, like gossip. Rumors and hearsay are tantalizing, exciting to hear, and make us feel like insiders. But they tear people down. If you often find your nose in other people's business, you may be under-employed. Look for a task to do for Christ or for your family, and get to work. Proverbs 25:18 " Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor." Lying ("False Witness" ) is spiteful. It's effects can be as permanent as those of a stab wound. The very next time you are tempted to pass on a bit of gossip, imagine yourself stabbing the victim of your remarks with a sword. This image may shock you into silence.

Until next time,

Jim

" PARTIALITY TO SIN "

Good Morning to you all,

Well I guess I'm burning daylight... Have you recognized yet that the Bible is all about making choices? Take note in your personal life and ask yourself, are there things in your life that you maybe showing partiality toward? Do you find yourself leaning toward sin, or to a sinner more than you would like? I wonder are you making excuses for bad behavior especially from those in authority over you? It's very important that we show sound judgment in our decision making.

Proverbs 18:5 "To show partiality to the wicked is not good, nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment".

The word "Partiality" not total or general: affecting a part only: favoring one party over the other: markedly fond. Do you show favoritism, are you partial?

Proverbs 28:21 "To show partiality is not good because for a piece of bread a man will transgress".

We should thank the Lord for His Mercy and Grace. It's truly fortunate that when God judges us it's by faith, character, and not by the mask that men sometimes wear. Exclusively God can see on the inside, uniquely only He can accurately judge people. Sometimes our thinking, our judgement can be colored by outside influences. Most people spend hours each week attempting to perfect their outside appearance. It's very important that we seek the face of the Lord before we decide on anything. Most importantly we must be sure that we're hearing from the Lord. You know, unfortunately it's easy to rate people on the basis of their official status and to be intimidated by powerful people. We should show respect for our spiritual leaders and those in authority over us, but our ultimate allegiance must be to Christ.

"GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY" and we are not to show partiality in judgment as it's not good. Are you showing partiality to the wicked?

Until next time, be blessed.

Jim

" NEEDS VS. WANTS "

Good day to you,

So how have you been since our last visit? Is there anything particular that you require? As Christians our Heavenly Father has promised to meet our "needs" and to give us the desires of our heart. So a body just might ponder what else is left for man to want, one might think: "What do I want"? Another time we can dive into the desires of our heart and what that entails...

My wife was on her way out to run some errands this past Saturday morning. As usual, a tradition of hers is to ask if there's anything special that I want.... Boy does that always start my mind to racing, what a loaded question! I just love to snack on pretzels, of course, with less salt as possible. Why does she ask? Most junk food is off limits to me. This question is like a wife asking "What do you want for Supper/Dinner"? Now, most guys that I know want food that is tasty and food that will just fill us up, and nothing of any true value. Our Heavenly Father promises to meet our needs, and we can trust that our Father is an "On Time God".

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. God gave us a set of rules, known as the Commandments. These Commandments are designed to lead us to a life of practical holiness. God's laws are designed to meet the needs of those who profess to love Him. These commands and guidelines were intended to direct God's people to meet the needs of each other in a responsible and loving manner. Most of us want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want by trusting in Christ, our outlook and palate can change from wanting everything to accepting His provision and power to live for Him.

"Need" to be in want; to have cause or occasion for; require; to be under obligation or necessity.

"Want" to fail to possess; lack; to feel or suffer the need of; to desire earnestly; wish. One more word comes to mind "Greed" acquisitive or selfish desire beyond reason.

It's very important that we think of the need of others before our want. I've tried to live my life believing that "You Can't Out Give God". So learn to be sensitive to the needs of others and we will truly grow in our faith and become totally satisfied with our provisions. Take a moment to ponder about what you want opposed to your basic need.

Until next time.

Jim

" CHILDREN "

How often do you find yourself thinking about your children? My Bible shares with me that Job didn't take anything for granted. I believe that because of the vastness of his property and the time it must have taken to go from point "A" to point "B" he took spiritual matters into his own hands. Because there were no priests to instruct him in God's laws, Job acted as the priest and offered sacrifices to God to ask for forgiveness for sins he and his family had committed. Obviously Job did not consider himself sinless. It's been said that Job did this out of conviction and love for God, not just because it was his role as head of household. As a modern-day Job, because my children are in their mid to late thirties, I think about my children often and most especially about their spiritual welfare. I think and pray for my children often as I have learned I cannot afford to take anything for granted. Satan is likened as a roaring lion. When is the last time you read (1 Peter 5:8) " Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour").

Don't you ever take your children for granted!
Psalms 127:3 - 5: (3) " Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. (4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. (5) How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."

God places much value on human beings and He has a special love for our precious offspring. Children are an amazing gift of the Lord, a reward. Four of my grandchildren are teenagers and they are truly astonishing. Have you ever just watched how a child or a teen maneuvers through life? They are blessed with magnificent natural abilities from God. We can learn lessons from our children that I would say are as good as gold. I must admit that I'm still bewildered as to how much our Lord and God cares for us. Those who view our children as a distraction or even a nuisance should instead see them as an opportunity to shape the future. We dare not treat children as an inconvenience when God values them so highly.

We are fragile beings, but our Father God's care is eternal. Too often we focus on God the Father as judge and lawgiver, ignoring His compassion and concern for us. When our Father examines our lives, He remembers our human condition. Our weakness should never be used as a justification for sin. His mercy takes everything into account. God will deal with you compassionately.

Trust Him and cherish your babies. See the value in every single person as they are someone's child.

Until next time.

Jim