" CHANGE "

Good day to you I trust that all is well with you and
yours. Today I'm wondering just how committed you
are to CHANGE. Those of you who are Baby Boomers
as myself we don't easily subscribe to change. But once
we adhere to an idea we're sold on it until something
else changes our thought pattern. Oh for those of you
who might not be sure, Baby Boomers were born
between the years of 1946 - 1964.


My dictionary defines " Change " as: To make or
become different: Alter (2) To replace with another:
The act, process, or result of changing. How often
do you change your mind, is change good or bad?
God shows his eminent patience with us as well.
I'm from the school of thought that He is giving us
time to abandon living our way and begin living his
way, the way he shows us in his Word. Something
that I always think about is that we're not guaranteed
five minutes from now. Your time may be running
out. Turn to God to forgive your sins. When you are
ready to give up hope on yourself or others, remember
that God can work a complete change in even the most
selfish personality. You can't see the watch that can be
started or stopped at will. The patience of God can be
looked at as a stopwatch, and there is no haggling for
any additional time.

I'm confident that the Father shows us his mercy.
Although we deserve his anger, he is willing to forgive
and restore us to himself. It's vital that you understand
that we can receive God's forgiveness from sin by asking
him. Understand that we can pray that he will forgive
others and use us to bring them the message of his mercy.
Life is full of changes only because God's presence is
always with us for us, stability does not mean lack of change,
but moving with God in every circumstance.

Major changes begin on the inside as God works on our
attitudes, and desires. These inner changes lead to faithful
actions. In the bible Paul reminds us that " For it is God
who is at work in you, both to will and to work for
His good pleasure". Doing God's Will begins with your
desires. Question, are you willing to be humble, to be open
to his opportunities, and to move at his direction? Ask God
to give you the desire to follow him more closely.

Last Point: We must learn to face the source of our
problems moving to escape problems only makes solving
them more difficult. problems rooted in us are not solved by
a change of scenery. A change in location or job may only
distract us from the need for us to change our heart.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" Anxiety / Worry "

Oh it's you, and as always it's wonderful just
knowing that you cared enough to stop by again.
It's before 11 am and the sun is shining brightly.
Today we are discussing " ANXIETY ". So strap in
and let's go.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles
by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully
with your life. Worrying is a waste of time, turn your
worries into prayers, let God's peace guard your heart
against anxiety.

Jesus commands us not to worry: " Don't worry
about anything, but in everything, through
prayer and petition with Thanksgiving,let your
requests be made known to God" (Phil 4:6).
Only faith can free us from the anxiety caused by greed
and covetousness. Ask God to help you focus your mind
on the Father instead of what's causing you distress. To
worry is pointless because it can't fill any of our needs.
To become angry and distressed are two very destructive
emotions. They reveal the absence of faith that God loves
us and is in control. We should not worry; instead, we
should trust in God, giving ourselves to him for his use and
safekeeping. To worry is half-witted because the creator of
the universe loves us and knows what we need. He promises
to meet all our real needs, but not necessarily all our desires.

When you dwell on your problems, you will become anxious
and angry. If you concentrate on God and his goodness, you will
find peace. where do you focus your attention? Lack of trust in
God always prevents us from receiving his best.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" CHOICES "

Good Day To You,

I'm so pleased that you are able to join me this
morning/evening. This weeks message is entitled
" Choices " as this is something that we all in
most countries have the luxury of experiencing.
While some in other countries have never experienced
the freedom that others take for granted, like me.

" Choice " Is defined as worthy of being chosen;
selected with care; The power or opportunity of choosing;
Option. We can live for ourselves or we can live in service
to God the Father. To choose our own way is to travel down
a blind alley, but to choose God's way is to receive eternal
life. " Truly, Truly, I say to you, he who hears my
word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal
life, and does not come into judgment, but has
passed out of death into life (John 5:24). The Christian
life involves both freedom and discipline. Don't be proud of
your Christian development; Make sure your convictions are
based on God's word, and are not simply an expression of your
opinions. God gives us choices, and we sometimes choose
unwisely.

Wrong choices may cause us pain, but they can help us learn
and grow and make sounder choices in the future. Living with
the consequences of our choices teach us to think and choose
more carefully. Listen, I confess that I grew up going to the
School of Hard Knocks. When you are faced with a choice always
choose to obey God.

He is sovereign; He is not arbitrary; in all things he works for
our good; He is trustworthy; He will save all who believes in him;
When we understand these qualities of God, we know that his
choices are good even if we don't understand all his reasons.
Evaluate all that happens from a eternal perspective, and you will
find your values and decisions changing.

Last Point: In this life especially those who don't have a
Christ - Like perspective react to things according to what we know
and how we feel. We make choices as though life were all we have.
In actuality, this life is just the prelude to eternity. How we live this
brief span, however, determines our eternal state. News Flash, what
we accumulate on earth has no value in purchasing eternal life. One
way to evaluate your spiritual maturity is by looking at the choices we
make. Even the highest social or civic honors cannot earn us entrance
into heaven.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" GOD'S WILL "

How are you on this fine day that our Lord has made, are
you consulting the Father before you act. Know matter what
it's vital that you learn just how important it is to seek the
face of the Lord before moving on anything.

Why is it that even those of us who know the Lord Jesus
Christ as our personal Savior we still wish to act before
praying? It's human nature to make our own plans and then
request that the Lord bless them. Instead we should seek
God's Will first. By constantly thinking about the Lord and
his way of living, we will gain understanding that will lead
us to make right decisions and live the way our Lord desires.
Staying in contact with God allows him to counsel us and
give us wisdom. Please understand this, what ever we choose
to do we can without the Lord's intervention.

God does not usually stop us from making choices that are
against his Will. He allows us to declare our supposed
independence from him, even though he knows that in time
we will become slaves to our own rebellious choices - we
will lose our freedom not to sin. The reason that it takes
most of us sometime before we invite the Lord into our
hearts is that we're held captive to sin. Does life without
God look appealing to you? Look more closely, there is
no worse slavery than slavery to sin.

When we pray " Your Will Be Done, " we are not
resigning ourselves to fate, but praying that God's perfect
purpose will be accomplished in this world as well as the
next. The emphasis here is on God's will, not our will.
When we communicate with God, we don't demand what
we want we discuss with him what he wants from us. Now,
if we align our prayers to his will, he will listen, and we
can be certain that if he listens, he will give us a definite
answer. START PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE!

Please understand we are to pray in line with God's
Will. There's no guarantee that we can get anything we
want simply by asking Jesus and believing. God does not
grant requests that would hurt us or that would violate his
own nature or Will. Jesus' statement is not a blank check
to be filled, our request must be in harmony with the principles
of God's kingdom. The stronger our belief, the more likely
our prayers will be in line with God's Will and then God
will be happy to grant them.

Until Next Time,

Jim

" LYING "

Hey it's me again, this weeks message is all about
not telling the truth. How often do we flat out lie to
another? Please remember that we all have to stand
in front of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth we will all be
accountable for every word action and deed. So from
this moment on resolve that you will be mindful of
what comes out of your mouth.

Lying is so serious to God that a husband and wife
lost their lives just as soon as they told a lie. Their
sin was lying to God and God's people - saying they
gave the whole amount but holding back some of
the proceeds for themselves. Attempting to make
themselves appear more generous than they really
were. All lying is bad, but when we lie to try to
deceive God and his people about our relationship
with him, we destroy our testimony about God.

Lying can only compound ones problem. When
we lie it's just as if we're saying that we've lost faith
in God's tutelage, even after all God has promised us.
You should realize that lying to each other disrupts
the quality of oneness by creating conflicts and
destroying trust. It causes relationships to frazzle
and leads to open warfare.

Fear is the most common motive for lying. We are
apprehensive that our inner thoughts and emotions
will be exposed or our misdeeds discovered. Dishonest
people begin to believe the lies they construct around
themselves. Then they lose the ability to tell the
difference between truth and lies. By maintaining
your own falsehoods you deceive yourself, you will
separate yourself from God, and you will lose credibility
in all your relationships. In the long run, honesty wins out.

Last Point: Do you lie to make yourself look good? When
you want to please or impress someone, it is tempting to lie
to make yourself measure up. I believe that an individual who
lies must have a good memory. I feel that I must share this
point, obeying God doesn't always protect us from evil
consequences. Still it is better to suffer from man's displeasure
than from God's wrath. If you are ridiculed for being honest,
remember that this can be a sign that you are indeed doing what
is right in God's eyes.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" ENCOURAGE / ECOURAGEMENT "

Is that you, I just want to thank you for stopping by
to get a look see. It's certainly my wish that you and
those whom you care most about are well. This week's
message is entitled " Encourage/Encouragement ".
Go to a quiet place and and strap in, this is a very
important message.

Ask yourself this do you require encouragement from
time to time? I'm from the school of thought that:
encouragement can inspire one or move to greatness.for

I have a number of people in my life in which I
consistently pray for daily. It's important to me
that these people know that I am standing in the gap for
them. I know that I feel blessed just knowing that I'm
being prayed for. I also believe that this is a form of
encouragement for them. I also believe that we should
consistently pray for others, especially for those on the
front lines for the Lord. I'm also of the mind that prayers
can truly be a source of encouragement.

Now matter what we are going through, we should always
take the time to thank those who are in our sphere of influence
as well as those who work for us.

It's recommended that you comfort one another using the Word
Of God. With the promise of rebirth, we should comfort and
reassure each other with this great hope.
Are you hearing me " For you yourselves know full well that
the Lord will come just like a thief in the night " (1 Thes.5:2).
We should be vigilant, look around you as I'm positive that there is
someone who needs to hear a kind word. A word of encouragement
offered at the right time can have a monumental affect in one's life.
" Now may the God who gives perseverance and
encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one
another according to Christ Jesus " (Rom.15:5).

Answers to our prayers may be hindered by unseen obstacles. Don't
expect God's answers to come too easily or too quickly. Prayer may be
challenged by evil forces, so pray fervently and pray earnestly. Then
expect God to answer at the right time. Listen we should all rise up to
be an encouragement to others. Search for ways to get along with
others. Encourage those who are timid by reminding them of God's
promises. Support those who are weak by loving them and praying for
them. God is always with you - so talk to Him. Realize that life as a
Christian is to be lived through God's power, not in our own strength.

Until Next Time...

Jim

" MIGHTY MEN "

My very best to you, and it's my prayer that you
are growing in the Lord. I believe that it's very
important that we grow so that we don't become
stagnant. Something or someone who is not moving
or not growing will waste away. This weeks message
we're looking into going to the next level.

Who were these very proficient men of war?
2 Samuel 23:8-39 will give you a birds eye view
of who they were. You will see some of the exploits
that these very special and skilled warriors of David
carried out. These warriors the 30 chief men were
the most courageous and highest ranking officers
of David's army.

The heroic actions of one of these men Eleazar
changed the course of the battle. When all around
was struck with a fear like they have never known
ran. Eleazar held his grown and was saved by the
Lord. In any struggle, fear can keep us from taking
a stand for God and from participating in God's
victories. Remember, that we can do all things
through Christ who strengthens us. Face your fear
head on. If you endeavor to become grounded in the
word of God, victory will come when you hold that
ground.

To become a member of such a group a man had to
show unparalleled courage in battle as well as wisdom
in leadership. " The three " was the most elite group.
" Mighty Men Of Valor, men trained for war, who could
handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the
faces of lions, and they were swift as the gazelles on the
mountains " (1 Chronicles 12:8). There's nothing like
being a Prayer Warrior or one who is involved in
Intercessory Prayer. If you are not the warrior type maybe
you're more suited to be a Armor Bearer. He carried the
large shield and whose main task was to protect the warrior.

David inspired his men to achieve beyond their goals and meet
their true potential. Greatness is often inspired by the quality and
character of leadership. I have a group of brothers in the faith who
have been praying with me for nearly seven years. I trust these men
with all in my life. Something that I've been reminded of this week
as we're in the beginning of the new year. Even a small force of able
and loyal men can accomplish great feats. This past year our Lord
moved in a mighty way when these men and I prayed.

Mighty Men was a name given to great warriors in biblical times.
I consider my prayer partners ( accountability partners) to be the very
best that our Lord has to offer. Though it seemed many times that we
frequently were overwhelmed with prayer request, we were consistently
victorious. We have or we're still learning to totally trust God in prayer.
These men of prayer, men of valor are great warriors. We have or we are
learning that we should put aside our own interests to serve others. When
we serve others, we are also serving God. " Let love be without hypocrisy."
God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond pretense and
politeness. We work hard at being men of prayer.

Until Next Time...

Jim