" HOPE "

This weeks message is on hope and that is something that we all need: hope.

Let's define what hope is:  "HOPE": Is to desire with expectation of fulfillment.

Have you ever thought why hope is a key to the Christian Life? I thank God everyday for being my Father. Hee has shown us the good, the bad, and His Son. Satan seemed to be victorious in the Garden of Eden and at the cross of Jesus. But God turned Satan's apparent victory into defeat when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Thus death is no longer a source of dread or fear. Jesus overcame the grave, and one day we will also. Death has been defeated, and we have hope beyond the grave. Our day-to-day experiences and hardship are sometimes overwhelming; unless we can see that God's purpose is to bring about continual growth in us, we may despair.

You know how in Jesus we are always rewarded? Take for example the blind beggar who became aware that the Messiah was passing by. All others saw him just as Jesus of Nazareth, but this blind man knew that he was Jesus, Son of David. In those days beggars had little hope of liberating themselves from their degrading way of life. But this man took hope in the Messiah. He brazenly cried out for Jesus' attention and our Lord said that his faith allowed him to see. No matter how desperate your situation may seem, all you have to do is to call out to Jesus in faith and He will help you.

" FOR I KNOW THE PLANS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU; DECLARES THE LORD, 'PLEASE FOR WELFARE AND NOT FOR CALAMITY TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. THEN YOU WILL CALL UPON ME AND PRAY TO ME, AND I WILL LISTEN TO YOU'. " TO RETAIN HOPE WHILE WE SUFFER SHOWS WE UNDERSTAND GOD'S MERCIFUL WAYS OF RELATING TO HIS PEOPLE. " (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

We have all done things to which we are ashamed. We live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don't dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" EXPERIENCING REJECTION "

Good morning to you. I want you all to know that you are welcomed as always. Each week it is my joy and absolutely my honor to bring to you " INSIGHTS INTO GOD'S WORD ".  This week we are looking into " Rejection ". So strap in and let's get started. 

The Word of God speaks of rejection, two brothers Cain and his younger sibling Abel experienced first hand the rejection of God. I'm not clear to why the Lord rejected Cain's sacrifice. Now it could be that his attitude was improper or perchance his offering was not up to God's standards. Consider this verse " THE SACRIFICE OF THE WICKED IS AN ABOMINATION, HOW MUCH MORE WHEN HE BRINGS IT WITH EVIL INTENT " (Prov.21:27)! The kind of " sacrifice " described in this verse is no better than a bribe. As people we bribe God in these manners: we may go to church, tithe, or volunteer, not because of our love and devotion to God, but because we hope God will bless us in return. Please understand this, God has made it very clear that he desires Obedience and Love more than religious ritual. Allow me to be crystal on this point, God does not want our sacrifices of time, energy, and money alone. He wants our hearts our complete love and devotion. We may be able to bribe people, but we cannot bribe God. Because God is the King of Kings and the Lord of all, and despite being rejected by his own people he still loved and protected them. God never failed to rescue them when they called out to him in repentance. 

Oh by the way, God never fails to rescue us either. We act just like the Israelite's when we put God outside our daily events instead of at the center of them. Just as a loving parent feels rejected when a child rebels, so God feels great rejection when we ignore or neglect Him. We should strive to stay close to God rather than see how far we can go before judgment comes. When we ask something of God and knowing that our request is good, but God says no, please understand that we are not being rejected by God. The Father just may be telling us that the time is just not right. If you're suffering from unfair rejection, don't blame others and become discouraged. Remember that God can use you even if you feel rejected by some. 

Until Next Time... 
Jim,

" TEMPTATION DOES NOT COME FROM GOD "

Thanks for stopping by, man do I have a message for you today. This week we are taking a hard look at temptation, so let's get started.

Folks we often give into temptation, as it happens gradually. Any person who allows sin to take root in his or her life can find himself or herself in this predicament. Now, temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow, then a habit the next day, then death and of course separation from God forever. Are you hearing me?!?!

Sexual temptations are difficult to withstand because they appeal to the normal and natural desires that God has given us. Marriage provides God's way to satisfy these natural sexual desires and to strengthen the partners against temptation. Married couples have the responsibility to care for each other; therefore, husbands and wives should not withhold themselves sexually from one another but should fulfill each other's needs and desires. Temptation is Satan's invitation to give into his way of life and give up on God's kind of life. Remember Satan tempted Eve and ever since he succeeded into tricking her to sin, he realized how easy it will be to go after man in the future. We fall into trouble,when we dwell on the few things we don't have rather than on the countless things God has given us.

 " HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION " first, we must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. Then, to resist temptation, we must (1) pray for strength to resist. (2) run, sometimes literally, and (3) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don't give in when tempted.

LET NO ONE SAY WHEN HE IS TEMPTED, " I AM BEING TEMPTED BY GOD "; FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY EVIL, AND HE HIMSELF DOES NOT TEMPT ANYONE (James 1:13).

Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way. The best time to stop a temptation is before it is too strong or moving too fast to control. People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God tests people, but he does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. God allows Satan to tempt people, however, in order to refine their faith and to help them grow in their dependence on Christ. We can resist the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey His Word.

Until Next Time... 
Jim

" WHAT ARE YOU THINKING "?

Good Morning All,

I've been thinking and I was wondering just why we allow our minds to get cluttered with things that just don't matter. Anything that commands more of our attention than the things of God is just wrong thinking. The Word Of God says: " FOR AS HE THINKS WITHIN HIMSELF, SO HE IS " (Prov.23:7). Be mindful of what is rattling around in your head. Don't spend your time in chasing fleeting earthly treasures. Instead store up treasures in Heaven, for such treasures will never be lost. 

Now reflect on the things of God, I understand that there is much going on in your life, but you must be mindful of the things that you ponder during the day. Can we agree that a person's inner most thoughts and plans reflect his or her Character. Question, what do you thing about in the evenings when you are reclining? Do your desires involve greed or are they thoughts of stepping on others to achieve your goals? Always remember this, " Evil THOUGHTS LEAD TO EVIL DEEDS ". What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. We are instructed to program our minds with thoughts that are True, Honorable, Right, Pure, Lovely, of Good Repute, Excellent, and Praise Worthy. 

Now it's time to be honest, do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? You may want to scrutinize just what you are putting into your mind through electronic games, television, books, conversations, movies, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God's Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done. As Christians, and Children of the King of Kings we truly have no reason to ever worry. 

Here are reasons why we should not worry.

1. Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry. 
2. Worrying is more harmful than helpful. 
3. Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today. 
4. God does not ignore those who depend on Him. 
5. Worry shows a lack of faith as well as a deficiency in the understanding of God.  <br><br>

There are real challenges God wants us to pursue, and worrying keeps us from them. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and His Word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil. To get rid of foolish ideas before they turn into foolish actions requires eliminating our wrong thoughts and motives. 

 LAST THOUGHTS: Everything that we do has consequences. It is vital to think before acting, to consider the effects of our choices. Think of your plans for today and consider what their long-range results may be.

   Until Next Time...

   Jim

" JESUS CHRIST THE MAN "

Good Morning All,

 This week we will be looking at Jesus Christ the Man. Do you think that you would you have the courage to do what Jesus did for his fellow man (that's you and me)? My dictionary defines Manhood as: The condition of being an adult male (2) manly qualities: courage (3) an adult male servant or employee.

OK lets get into it; because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being.  But as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. JESUS IS BOTH FULLY HUMAN AND FULLY DIVINE. Christ alone holds the answers to the meaning of life, because He is Life. Christ is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved. We are complete in Him. Jesus is like us because He experienced a full range of temptations throughout His life as a human being. We can be comforted knowing that Jesus faced temptation and He can sympathize with us. We can be encouraged knowing that Jesus faced temptation without giving in to sin. He shows us that we do not have to sin when facing the seductive lure of temptation. Jesus is the only perfect human being who has ever lived.

As alluded to earlier, because Jesus lived as a man, we know that He fully understands our experiences and our struggles. Because He is God, He has the power and authority to deliver us from sin. It's OK to tell Jesus all our thoughts, feelings, and needs. He has been where we are now, and He has the ability to help. In the garden Jesus was agonizing, do you believe that He was trying to get out of His assignment? It is never wrong to express our true feelings to God. Jesus exposed His dread of the coming trials, but He also reaffirmed His commitment to do what God wanted. The cup He spoke of meant the terrible agony He knew that He would have to endure. Not only the horror of the crucifixion but, even worse: the total separation from God that He would have to experience in order to die for the world's sins.

The Book of Luke tells us that Jesus' sweat resembled drops of blood. Jesus was in extreme agony, but He did not give up or give in. He went ahead with the assignment for which He had come. Please keep in mind that Jesus is fully man and fully God. Now the cup that Jesus was referring to was also the agony of alienation from God, His Father at the the cross. I can't shake the thought of, could I love someone or something so much as to sacrifice as Christ. Jesus' prayer emphasizes the terrible suffering He had to endure, an agony so much more magnified because He had to take on the sins of the world.

I Praise God, for " Jesus Christ the Man. "

Until Next Time...

 Jim

" THE NEEDY "

Good Morning All,

This week has truly been an eventful one. I received many requests for prayer from many hurting people. I sincerely believe that we are in the End Times and therefore we must be prayed up. My heart breaks just hearing of your hurts. I believe that we should be aware of our surroundings and not take anything for granted.

Our responsibility is to care for the needy. Our Father insists that the poor and the powerless be well treated and given the chance to restore their fortunes. As children of the King we should reflect God's concern for the poor by helping those less fortunate than ourselves. My Bible tells me that our attitude when we give is more important than the amount we give. Many times we do nothing, not because we lack compassion, but because we are overwhelmed by the size of the problem and we don't know where to begin. God doesn't expect you to eliminate poverty, nor does He expect you to neglect your family while providing for others. He does expect us to be Christ-Like especially when we see an individual in need. We should reach out with whatever help that we can offer, including our hospitality. GOD SAYS THAT NEGLECTING THE POOR IS A SIN. John 12:8 " YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE POOR AMONG YOU, BUT YOU WILL NOT ALWAYS HAVE ME."

If you're familiar with the Word of God then you're aware that the Bible supports organized system of caring for the poor. Imagine if our country followed the teachings of the Word of God. Now the Lord told His people to use their tithe every third year for those who were helpless, hungry or poor. Now just imagine if we had the courage and love for our fellow man to do the same. I am aware of such men, in fact men in my inner circle. These men care much for their fellow man, their love spills out where ever they go. Now God's directions were designed to prevent the country from sinking under crushing poverty and oppression. Hello, could that be happening in our near future? Imagine if we all accepted the responsibility to care for those less fortunate than ourselves. Families were to help other family members, and towns were to help members of their community. Now back in the day the national laws protected the rights of the poor, but helping the poor was also an active part of religious life. The Father counts on believers to provide for the needy, and we should use what He has given us to aid those less fortunate.

Look beyond your regular giving and think of ways to help the needy. There are some who conclude that people are poor through some fault of their own. This kind of reasoning makes it easy to close their hearts and hands to the needy. Never be ashamed of how much you can give or in what manner. God is concerned about how we give from the resources we have. God gives us resources to use and invest for Him, so remember to listen for that small voice.

Until Next Time...

Jim,

ARE YOU A WORLDLY CHRISTIAN ?

In the 60's one might say "Are You For Real"? In other words are you serious.It's time for us to be transparent about our Christianity. Listen, don't be fooled, the world hates Christians' our values differ from the world's. There is nothing more repugnant than a halfhearted, in-name only Christian who is self-sufficient. We need to be intentional about our walk with the Lord. Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into action. I'm reminded of what the Word Of God says: " I KNOW YOUR DEEDS, THAT YOU ARE NEITHER COLD NOR HOT; I WISH THAT YOU WERE COLD NOT HOT. (16) SO BECAUSE YOU ARE LUKE WARM, AND NEITHER HOT NOR COLD, I WILL SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH " (Rev 3:15-16).

God's way of living contradicts the world's. If you want to live for God you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. Now as Christians we must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others ill-treat. Listen up, by giving up your own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive everything God has in store for you. Here's another word from the Lord, now it's up to you to believe or not. Those who are tied to the world's system will loose everything when it collapses. What they have worked for a lifetime to build up will be destroyed in one hour. Those who work only for material rewards will have nothing when they die or when their possessions are destroyed. What can we take with us to the New Earth? Our faith, our Christian Character, and our Relationships with other believers. These are more important than any amount of money, power, or pleasure.

Satan offers the world to us, in fact he offered the whole world to Jesus. His terms were for Jesus to fall down and worship him the devil. Today the devil offers us the world by trying to entice us with materialism and power. We can resist temptations the same way Jesus did. If you find yourself craving something that the world offers, quote Jesus' words to the devil: " Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." We must learn to defeat the devil by using the Scriptures as our weapon, just as Jesus did.

Until Next Time...

Jim,