" SAINTS OF GOD "

Good Morning to you all, and may the Lord Jesus Christ bless you. This week we will be looking into the " Saints Of God." " SAINTS: " One's Faithful to God ( Holy, Separated From, Set Apart). Those who have been set apart by God for Himself. Now, Psalms 16:3 " As for the saints who are in the earth, they are Majestic ones in whom is all my delight." 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the Kingdom and Possess the Kingdom forever, for all ages to come.' Now, The " Saints of the Highest One " are the true Israel, the people ruled by the Messiah Jesus Christ gave the Kingdom to the New Israel, His Church, made up of all faithful believers. His Coming ushered in the Kingdom Of God, and all believers are its citizens. Although God may allow persecution to continue for awhile, the destiny of his followers is to possess the kingdom and be with Him Forever. " GOD WORKS IN ALL THINGS " - not just isolated incidents - for our good. 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. Note that God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill his purpose. NOTE THAT THIS PROMISE IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY. IT CAN BE CLAIMED ONLY BY THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. THOSE WHO ARE " CALLED " ARE THOSE THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVINCES AND ENABLES TO RECEIVE CHRIST. Such people have a New Perspective, a New Mind-Set 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 BECAUSE GOD IS WITH THEM. Until Next Time... Jim,

" REBUKE / CRITICISM "

Welcome,I'm mighty glad that you decided to stop on by. This week we're looking into Rebuke and or Criticism. I've come to learn that we should check the facts and find the truth before doing or saying anything that could prove harmful. Now, there are times, of course, when God wants us to take action - To Rebuke a Wayward Friend, to Discipline a Child, to Reject, False Teaching - but First we must Be Sure we have all the Facts Straight. People may try to discourage you with Negative Comments or Mockery, but continue to do what you know is right. By doing what is right, you will be pleasing God, whose Opinion Matters Most. People often agree over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or if you have introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone's character. Now, if you are Unjustly Criticized, remember that your Critics may be afraid to face the real problem. Please endeavor not to take this type of criticism personally. Ask God to help you identify the real issue and deal with it. Please listen up, if we are Critical rather than Compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others Generously, Graciously, and Compassionately, however,these qualities will come back to us in full measure. We are to Love Others, Not Judge Them. LAST POINT: When we must correct others, it helps to begin by affirming what God has already accomplished in them. Until Next Time... Jim,

" FEAR / BEING AFRAID "

If we're honest it's not a good feeling when Fear comes into our lives. I was just sharing with someone the other day about Fear. I'm reminded of when Jesus Calmed the Storm. The Disciples panicked because the storm threatened to destroy them all, and Jesus seemed unaware and unconcerned. Theirs was a physical storm, but we are very aware that storms come in other forms as well. Think about the storms in your life-the situations that cause you great anxiety. Whatever your difficulty, you have two options: You can worry and assume that Jesus no longer cares, or you can Resist FEAR, putting your Trust in Him. When you feel like panicking, Confess your need for God and then Trust him to care for you. FEAR is a dark shadow that envelopes us and ultimately imprisons us within Ourselves. Each of us have been a prisoner of FEAR at one time or another FEAR of Rejection, Misunderstanding, Uncertainty, Sickness, or even Death. But we can CONQUER FEAR by using the bright liberating light of the Lord who brings Salvation. If we want to dispel the Darkness of FEAR, let us remember with the Psalmist that " The Lord Is My Light And My Salvation." LAST POINT: When you fear what lies ahead, remember that God will stay with you through difficult times and that he has promised you great blessings. It's vital that we don't allow fear to stop us from doing what God has called us to do. When we allow our fears to rule us, we make Fear more powerful than God. Is there a task God wants you to do, but Fear is holding you back? God is greater than all your Fears. Recognizing why you are afraid is the first step in committing it to God. Realize that if God has called you back to a task, he will help you accomplish it.

" THE BLAME GAME "

Good Morning, I hope that all is well in your camp. I wish Blessings on you and those in whom you care much about. If we're honest we will admit that from time to time we fall back into our Adamic Nature. It is often easier for us to strike out in frustration and accuse another than to admit an error and ask for forgiveness. Why is it that we complain about our adverse circumstances when we have only ourselves to blame. People often try to avoid guilt feelings by shifting the blame. But this doesn't solve the problem. When you face problems, look first at yourself. If you changed your attitude or behavior, would the problem be solved? When I think of blame in the Bible, I immediately think of Adam and Eve and how they blamed another. When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve, then Eve blamed the serpent. Now, how easy is it for us to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances. But God knows the truth, and he holds each of us accountable for what we do. Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and then apologize to God. Don't attempt to get away with sin by blaming someone else. Often if we're honest with ourselves, our dilemma's, our troubles result from our own disobedience or lack of faith. We cannot blame God for our sins. Until we face this reality, we will have Little Peace and No Spiritual Growth. People continually blame God for their self-induced problems. How do you respond to the unpleasant results of your own choices? Where do you normally fix the blame? Instead of blaming God, look for ways to grow through your failures. Until Next Time... Jim,

" ANGER "

God Bless You, and welcome! It's so good to be alive, Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. Spring and Fall do it for me, well anytime that I can be of service to the Lord I'm pleased. This week we will be looking into " Anger. " Anger is a powerful emotion. Often it may drive people to hurt others with words or physical violence. But anger directed at sin and the mistreatment of others is not wrong. When injustice or sin makes you angry, ask God how you can channel that anger in constructive ways to help bring about a positive change. People tend to become like those with whom they spend a lot of time. Even the negative characteristics sometimes rub off. The Bible exhorts us to be cautious in our choice of companions. Choose people with characteristics you would like to develop in your life. " An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins " (Prov.29:22). A quick temper can be like a fire out of control. It can burn us and everyone in it's path. Anger Divides People. It pushes us into hasty decisions that only causes bitterness and guilt. Yet anger in itself, is not wrong. Anger can be a legitimate reaction to injustice and sin. When you feel yourself getting angry, look for the cause. Are you reacting to an evil situation that you are going to set right? Or are you responding selfishly to a personal insult? Pray that God will help you control your quick temper, channeling your feelings into effective and conquering selfish anger through humility and repentance. " Be Angry, And Yet Do Not Sin; Do Not Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger " (Ephesian 4:26-27). Now, the Bible doesn't tell us that we shouldn't feel angry, but it points out that it is important to handle our anger properly. If vented thoughtlessly, anger can hurt others and destroy relationships. If bottled up inside, it can cause us to become bitter and destroy us from within. Now, Paul tells us to deal with our anger immediately in a way that builds relationships rather than destroys them. If we nurse our anger, we will give Satan an opportunity to divide us. Are you angry with someone right now? Please think, what can I do to resolve our differences? Don't let the day end before you begin to work on mending your relationship. Until Next Time... Jim,

" LEAD BY EXAMPLE "

Good Morning, we're well on our way into another week. This week we are looking into " EXAMPLE. " I believe that each of us must challenge ourselves with that question every now and then. Webster defines " Example ": (1) Something forming a model to be followed or avoided. (2) A representative sample. (3) A problem to be solved in order to show the application of some rule. A righteous person can often affect others for good. James says that the Prayers of a Righteous Person are powerful (see James 5:16). All christian's should follow the example of our hero's of the faith such as Abraham. His example of praying for others to be Saved. We should be a good example to those around us so that others might see your good deeds and and imitate them. If you want someone to act a certain way, be sure that you live that way yourself. Then you will earn the right to be heard, and your life will reinforce what you teach. Now, the Word therefore is a clue that what follows is important! We must not live with only our own survival in mind. Others will follow our example, and we have a responsibility to them if we are living for Christ, as we claim to be. Does your example make it easier for others to believe in and follow Christ, and to mature in him? Or would those who follow you end up confused and mislead? Until Next Time... Jim,

" DON'T WORRY ABOUT DETAILS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL "

Thanks For Stopping By,I'm so pleased that you saw fit to hear the word for this week. Again I must say that the Lord has pressed upon my heart to share what I believe to be a timely message. It is my intention to grab your attention today. Jesus commands us not to Worry, but how can we avoid it? Only faith can free us from the anxiety caused by greed and covetousness. It is truly wise for us to plan responsibly; it is not healthy for us to dwell on all the ways our planning could go wrong. Worry is pointless because it can't fill any of our needs; now to worry is foolish because the Father of the universe loves us and he knows what we need. He promises to meet all our real needs, but not necessarily all our desires. Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry may (1) damage your health, (2) cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, (3) disrupt your productivity, (4) negatively affect the way you treat others, and (5) reduce your ability to trust in God. How many ill effects of worry are you experiencing? Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern - worry immobilizes but concern moves you to action. If you're looking to and obeying God, then you're most likely doing just as God commanded. Often we do just the opposite of obeying the Holy Spirit. Listen why worry about the details of a task, if the Lord God Almighty has directed you to it. When we Storm Heaven, and Seek The Face of Jesus we will receive our marching orders. So why worry about details over which we have no control, why neglecting specific areas ( such as Attitudes, Relationships, Responsibilities) that are under our control. Concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God. We should always allow God to worry about the small stuff and not us. Until Next Time... Jim,