Be more like Jesus!

Hypocrite, simply, "Do as I say, Not as I do". This word is not a word that
I yell from the roof top to other people, but one that I whisper to myself
as I go through the struggles of my own life. Some of the struggles that I
face are ones that I have battled with since my early childhood. I think
about the words of the Apostle Paul and wonder what he battled with when he
said in *Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled
and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am
doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my
worldliness—my sinful capacity].* I feel some days like such a failure. I
strive to follow the instructions of the Lord Jesus in *Matt 7:3 Why do you
look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not
notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye? 4 Or
how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’
when there is a log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite (play-actor,
pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.* As we go through life
it is so easy to see what other people do that may be offensive to God, and
yet, until we do all that we can to make our own lives right before God,
who are we to say anything? What some one else does is between them and
God. How we respond to what they do is between us and God. My Goals in life
are simple. #1 Be more like Jesus. #2 See #1.

Douglas 

James 1- Just ask God!

5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Solomon asks for wisdom.

1 Kings 3:9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

How many of us have known someone with a Ph.D. or a Masters degree who had no common sense? They couldn't manage money, filed for bankruptcy, lived in squalor, going from one disaster in life to another.

These verses teach us if we come to God in faith and ask for wisdom He gives generously, but there's a caveat. Ask in faith without doubting and if it's His will He will give it. There are some "don't be's" also, don't be blown and tossed by the wind, don't be double minded and don't be unstable in your ways.

When you make ANY decisions in your life ask God for wisdom! Buying a house? Ask! Moving? Ask! Changing jobs? Ask!
Just ask God for wisdom!

Blessings, David

James 1- Trials of Pure Joy.

James 1
Berean Study Bible
Greetings from James
(Jude 1:1-2)
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Rejoicing in Trials
(Philippians 1:12-20)
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When we we growing up, how did we learn to do something? Walking, riding a bike, sports, driving ect....
We learned with lots of practice. At first we failed but with perseverance we finally mastered the task at hand. Were you joyful when you mastered the task?
It's the same with testing of our faith, we start out as immature Christians but through trials God perfects us into who He wants us to be so He can use us for His purpose.

Have you ever studied the Book of Job? Have you considered the reason God allowed Job to be touched by the devil? Was it because God was bragging about His servant? NO! We may not know the real reason until we meet Him face to face but I believe God allowed it so Job could be a lesson for us, for the generations to follow! Job persevered through the trials and he refused to curse God. After the trials God blessed  and restored him.

So in your trials, consider it pure joy, "3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Blessings, David

Bringing glory to God!

There is a group of us from the church I attend that go on missions trips
to Mexico and build houses for poor families. We camp out and work side by
side, we eat together, we fellowship for 3 days without distractions from
the world. We really get to know one another in a special and intimate way.
We are all focused on one purpose, to bring glory to God. We truly feel
God's presence with us. I believe that Heaven will be a lot like that camp
out. *Rev 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And
I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God
Himself will be with them and be their God.* With the use of social media,
we are able to get to know brothers and sisters in other states and even
countries that have the same love for Jesus as we do. Egypt, South Africa,
Philippines, and so many more places. All a little different, yet all
having a common purpose, to bring glory to God. There is also have a common
love, a love for Jesus, with an expectant hope for the "New Jerusalem". For
those that I have not met in person, looking forward to meeting you soon. Jesus
loves you and I love you too.

Douglas 

Jesus is Coming, Look Busy. Matthew 24:45-51 NLT

The other day I came across a bumper sticker a friend gave me many years ago. It says "Jesus is Coming, Look Busy". When I first received it I laughed and laughed. Now I'm not sure placing it on my car would send the right message.

We shouldn't pretend to go about the Lords business, we should actually do the Lords business. We shouldn't do the Lords business because He's watching, we should do the Lord's business as though He entrusted us to do it and will check back on us later.

Every Christian is given a task to do for God. If you're not sure what you should do for Him, ask Him and then quiet yourself so you can hear the answer. If you know what the Lord is asking you to do and you're not doing it, that's a sin. If God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.

"The most dangerous lie is not “There is no God,” not “there is no hell”; but the most dangerous lie of Satan is “there is no hurry.” It is no small thing to say “Jesus is not coming today or for several years,” because your system of prophecy demands it. We need to be ready for the imminent return of Jesus Christ. " David Guzik

Matthew 24:45-51 NLT

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.  46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.  47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.  48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’  49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?  50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected,  51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "

Blessings, Cecilia

Hebrews 13- Are you doing His will?

Benediction and Farewell

20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

22I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written you briefly. 

23Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 

24Greet all your leaders and all the saints.

Those from Italy send you greetings. 

25Grace be with all of you.

Pray for me as I pray for you! A simple request from the writer of Hebrews.

Exhortation; urging someone to do something. How many times have we urged our children to do the right thing only to have them do the opposite? 

Are you praying for your leaders?

"the great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with every good thing to do His will."

Are you doing His will? 

When you see someone suffering do you stop to help them? Do you pray for them? 

If you feel God tugging on your heart, don't ignore His will!

Yesterday a couple from church, friends, lovers of Jesus asked us to go boating with them. We drove to a lake, launched the boat, traveled through a series of lakes and rivers which included a "boat locks" due to different heights in water levels. On one of the lakes we stopped at a boat landing to use the facilities. A couple was launching a boat by backing the trailer in the water along the dock. The man was struggling in the boat so we helped him by grabbing the boat and pulling it away from the trailer out into the water. 

He was struggling and God put it on our hearts to help him. 

Brethren, people are watching you and your actions, how will they know you are His?

Blessings, David 

Rapture. Matthew 24:37-44 NLT

What's your favorite cereal? I use to love Raisin Bran or Mini Shredded Wheat (not the frosted ones). I'm not a big cereal eater these days but occasionally I'll have Cheerios or Chex (gluten free because of David's diet). We had a pastor who use to say he was so "pre-trib", he wouldn't eat Post Toasties. 

In the following verses, Jesus is referring to the beginning of the end of this world as we know it. The rapture, the harvest of the saints, the pre tribulation rescue, however you want to phrase it. 

Yes, I'm one of those nuts that believes in the rapture. Why? Because the Bible tells me so, not just here but over and over and over. 

Matthew 24:37-44 NLT 

37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." 

40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.  41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left." 

42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.  43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.  44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. " 

Just a few verses earlier in Matthew 24:31 NLT "And He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven." 

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NLT "51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. " 

And 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 NLT "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever." 

Are just a few. 

Blessings, Cecilia