" TEAMWORK "

I want to Thank You so very much for stopping by.

This week's message is all about " TEAMWORK." So often we struggle by ourselves, forgetting that God is able to help us fight our battles, whether they are against men with weapons or against spiritual forces. To trust God to rescue you shows Great Faith.

Now, can you trust Him when injury or persecution is directed at you? Such spiritual battles requires teamwork between courageous, faithful people and a Mighty God. Because of fear for ourselves, we may not recognize God's presence in other people and therefore miss God's victory. Then we must face the often bitter consequences of failing to join forces with those God has chosen to do His work.

Because God will prevail with or without you, be quick to join others who are engaged in His work. Lend support with your time, money, talents, and prayer.

LAST POINT: After 70 years in exile, the captives from Judah were allowed to return to their homeland. Nearly 50,000 people made the journey. Now the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom. Now, this proclamation permitted the Jews to work together to accomplish the huge task of rebuilding the temple. Some did the actual building, while others operated the supply lines. Significant ventures require TEAMWORK, with certain people serving in the forefront and others providing support. Each function is vital to accomplishing the task.

When you're asked to serve, do so faithfully as a Team Member, no matter who gets the credit.

 Until Next Time...
 Jim

" POSSESSIONS "

Well here we are again, the beginning of another week. I sincerely am grateful that you had the mind to stop by.

This week we will be looking into " POSSESSIONS. " Possession is defined in this manner.
1- Control or Occupancy of property
2- Ownership
3- Something Owned; Property
4- Domination by something ( as an Evil Spirit, a Passion, or a Idea)
5-Self-Control.

I'd like to speak about Paul and possessions. Now Paul was satisfied with what he had and so should we. Examine your attitudes toward wealth and comfort. If you focus more on what you don't have than on what you do have, it's time to reexamine your priorities and put God's work back in first place.

The money we earn is not ours alone. Everything that we possess comes directly or indirectly from God and ultimately belongs to Him. We should return a portion to Him and also share a portion with those in need. Possessions will not satisfy if we neglect God. If we put God first, He will provide for our deepest needs. If we put Him in any other place, all our efforts will be futile.

Caring only for your physical needs while ignoring your relationship with God will lead to ruin. As mentioned by not giving God first place in our lives, our work will not be Fruitful or Productive, and our material possessions will not satisfy.

LAST POINT: A greedy desire can entice us into doing things or going places we shouldn't. The prosperity we long for is captivating;it can both entice us and enslave us if our motives are not in line with God's desires.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" BEING PRAYERFULLY PROTECTED "

Greetings to you, now please come on in and sit awhile.

This week we will be looking into Being Prayerfully Protected.

" BEWARE THAT YOUR HEARTS ARE NOT DECEIVED, AND THAT YOU DO NOT TURN AWAY AND SERVE OTHER gods AND WORSHIP THEM " (Deuteronomy 11:16).

Please understand this, Satan is a Liar and the " Father Of Lies. " Satan still uses people to obstruct God's work. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own NATURE, for he is a liar and the Father Of Lies. Satan's main Tactic in Spiritual Warfare is to Misrepresent the Word and Character of God.

It is so important that you rise early and put on your Armor, " The Armor Of God. "

* Piece of Armor: " BELT " Use, " Truth " Application, Satan fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like truth; but only believers have God's Truth, which can defeat Satan's lies.

* Breastplate: " Righteousness " Satan often takes our hearts - the seat of our emotions, self-worth, and trust. God's Righteousness is the Breastplate that protects our hearts and ensures his approval. He approves of us because He loves us and sent His Son to die for us.

* Foot Gear: " Readiness to spread the Good News " Satan wants us to think that telling the Good News other than the Good News is a worthless and hopeless tasks - the size of the task is too big and the negative responses are too much to handle. But the Foot Gear God gives us is the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God - news everyone needs to hear.

* Shield: Use: " Faith " APPLICATION: What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of Insults, Setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from Satan's flaming arrows. With God's perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.

* Helmet: Use: SALVATION; Application: Satan wants to make us doubt God, Jesus, and our Salvation. The Helmet protects our minds from doubting God's Saving work for us.

* Sword: Use: The Spirit, The Word Of God; Application: The sword is the only weapon of offense in this list of armor. There are times when we need to take the offensive against Satan. When we are tempted, we need to trust in the Truth Of God's Word.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" BEING ALONE "

Welcome Aboard. I'm pleased to see that you saw your way clear to drop in. This week we will be looking into " BEING ALONE. " Now, when Jesus walked the earth people were flocking to hear Him preach and to have their diseases healed. Jesus made sure He often withdraw to quiet solitary places to pray.

Many things clamor for our attention, and we often run ourselves ragged attending to them. Like Jesus, however, we should take time to withdraw to a deserted place to pray. Strength comes from God, and we can only be strengthened by spending time with Him. Since our God is not a God of CONFUSION we should seek out a place of solitude to receive a good clear answer from God.

Another thought, if Jesus wasn't tested alone in the wilderness we would be doomed to Hell. If Jesus had given in, then his Mission On Earth to die for our sins and give us the opportunity to have Eternal Life, would have been lost. Jesus sought solitude after the news of John's death. Sometimes we may need to deal with our grief alone.

Jesus did NOT DWELL on his GRIEF, but returned to the ministry He came to do. OK, I wish to get back to Jesus' wilderness experience. He had just been fasting forty days and forty nights and Jesus was hungry. Satan showed up and said, " If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." Yes Jesus was hungry and weak after his fast, but He chose not to use his Divine Power to satisfy His natural desire for food. Food, hunger, and eating are good, but the timing was wrong. Jesus was in the wilderness to fast, not to eat. And because Jesus had given up the unlimited, independent use of his divine power in order to experience humanity fully, He wouldn't use His power to change the stones into bread.

We may also be tempted to satisfy a perfectly normal desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. If we indulge in SEX before marriage or if we steal to get food, we are trying to satisfy God-given desires in wrong ways.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" WHO DO YOU FELLOWSHIP WITH? "

Come on in and sit awhile, I've got something to share with you today.

We will be looking into good Christian fellowship. " FELLOWSHIP: " Companionship between people of the same background, goal(s), etc. A community in which people share whatever is held in common.

Now, it's important for us to be around other Christians. To neglect Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement of and for other Christians. Congenial social feelings is vital in the world of  Christians. We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord. As we get closer to the " day " when Christ will return, we will face many Spiritual Struggles, and even times of Persecution. Anti-Christian forces will grow in strength.

Difficulties should never be excuses for MISSING CHURCH SERVICES. Rather, as difficulties arise, we should make an even greater effort to be faithful in our attendance. God desires to have FELLOWSHIP with us.The Word Of God also shows why we are afraid to have FELLOWSHIP with Him.

Question: why we are afraid of having it with God? Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard Him approaching. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin they were afraid to show themselves. Sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours. But Jesus Christ, soon opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with him. God longs to be with us. He actively offers us His unconditional love. Our natural response is FEAR because we feel we can't live up to His standards. But understanding that He loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.

Until Next Time...
Jim

" YEA BUT "

Good Morning All,

My body is racked with pain and I must confess that today is truly challenging for me. I had "My Personal Time" with the Lord, then my wife and I had our time of prayer. Also every Tuesday morning men come over for morning prayer.

Listen getting back to business, this week we will be looking into Forgiveness again.

FORGIVE: To give up resentment (2) Pardon, Absolve; allowing room for error or weakness.

Hebrews 8:12 " FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."

Forgiveness involves both attitudes and actions. If you find it difficult to feel forgiving toward someone who has hurt you, try responding with kind actions. If appropriate, tell this person that you would like to heal your relationship. Lend a helping hand. Send him or her a gift. Smile at him or her. Many times you will discover that right actions lead to right feelings.

How many times have you asked someone for forgiveness and you hear something like: You'll Do It Again; or I Forgive You, But; or I Can't Forgive You Right Now, or You Really Hurt Me? Listen, don't let anything keep you from forgiving others. If you are refusing to forgive people, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to experience joy and share it with others. Make your joy grow: Forgive somebody who has hurt you.

LAST POINT: How often should we forgive? You know the rabbis taught that the people should forgive those who offend them - but only three times. Peter, trying to be especially generous, asked Jesus if seven (the "perfect" number) was enough times to forgive another. But Jesus answered, "Seventy Times Seven" meaning that we shouldn't even keep track of how many times we forgive someone. We should always forgive those who are truly repentant, no matter how many times they ask. So in the future forget " YEA, BUT."

Until Next Time...
Jim

" FAILURES "

So how's your day going so far? Are you looking for things in your life to change in any way? I do know that "We Have Not Because We Ask Not," The Father Is Always Available To Us. I have Him on speed dial. This week we will be looking into " FAILURE. "

FAILURE: Lessons to be learned:
(1)Confess your sins when God reveals them to you;
(2)When you fail, refocus on God, deal with the problem, and move on.

God wants the cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness to strengthen us, not weaken us. The lessons we learn from our failures should make us better able to handle the same situation the second time around. Because God is eager to give us cleansing, forgiveness, and strength. The only way to lose is to give up. We can tell what kind of people we are by what we do on the second and third attempts.

Be careful what you call a victory. God may see it as a great failure because you may have disobeyed and lied to achieve your goal. Dishonest people soon begin to believe the lies they construct around themselves. Then they lose the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies. By believing your own lies you deceive yourself. You alienate yourself from God, and you will lose credibility in all your relationships. In the long run, honesty wins out.

Often, and if we're honest we may condemn our predecessors for their failures, but we are twice as guilty if we repeat the same mistakes that we recognize as failures. Often we are so ready to direct God's message at others that we can't see how it touches our own lives. Make sure you are willing to take your own advice as you teach or lead.

Until Next Time...
Jim