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Are You Samurai?

2008-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

"Samurai"
The word Samurai is derived from the classical Japanese verb saburau, meaning to serve or attend.

Greetings everyone! I wanted to check in with everyone and share how I am doing. As most of you know, I have started my Pastor's Ordination. It has been awhile since I have been to school, so balancing family, studying, and writing papers hastaken some adjusting.
I wanted to share with you a movie that Kim and I were watching; "The Last Samurai".It is an older movie, but has a great message. No, it is not just a guy movie :) yes, it has a lot of fighting scenes, but the journey of the main character; CaptainNathan Alredge is a person that we all might identify with.

The movie is set in the 1800's. Captain Nathan Aldredge is running from his past.He has done things that he is not proud of. He tries to hide his past in alcohol.Through a series of events he is captured by Samurai which means "To serve." His capture is a very dark time of self revelation.

Captain Aldredge soon finds his heart, a purpose, and a reason to fight and live again. There is much more to this movie, I did not want to ruin the movie if youhave not seen it. There are although a couple of thoughts that I had after watching it.

I could see myself in Captain Aldredge. There was a time in my life that I was notproud of. I had done things that I did not know how to get out of. Then Jesus gota hold of my heart, I found myself through Him, and a reason to fight.
I found a YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxR24lUloY video on "The Last Samurai". If you look at the running time of this video clip, start at 1:16 to 2:51.

In this scene I see my own struggle, maybe you can too. Captain Aldredge is healingfrom a fight, and his body is broken. During this part of his journey a storm is raging, he is not looking for a fight, but the fight finds him. The enemy isruthless,and shows no mercy. Captain Aldredge never gives up the fight or his wooden sword(The Bible) even though the enemy tries to take it away from him. In fact "TheSamurai"believe that their sword is their spirit.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

Is not that just like the enemy? You are at your lowest time, maybe you are brokenand healing, you are not looking for a fight, but the enemy does not play fair. He finds you and tries to steal your joy. When you are going though these trials in your life, you have to hang with every fiber of your being. Immerse yourself into the word of God, and He will see you through.

In closing, Captain Aldredge made a comment in his journal that stuck with me. Hewas describing "The Samurai" with this statement:

"They are an intriguing people, from the moment they wake they devote themselves to perfection of whatever they pursue, I have never seen such a discipline people."

What an amazing statement! Would it not be a testimony to Christ if people who didnot know us or Jesus, looked at our lives and made the same statement?

You might be thinking to yourselves, I do not want or can't be a monk or dedicatemyself to 24/7 study of the Bible. The great news is that you do not have to! RememberJesus' command in Luke?

"He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your souland with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself" - Luke 10:27

Devote yourself daily to those two commands, people will make that statement aboutyou.
So, do you see a little Samurai in you? If you are looking for a good movie night,grab the popcorn, and a copy of "The Last Samurai."
Have a blessed week In Christ. - Jim
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Doubting Thomas

2008-08-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, someone made a post about Doubting Thomas, and I meditated on it all last night, and here are a couple of thoughts.

First, I think there is a little "Thomas" in us all. I know many people who at one time or another demanded Jesus to give us proof that He exsists. You know how it goes...... Jesus, I know you love me, and I know you care, so why are you not doing this for me???? If you do not, You must be mean and uncaring. To me that is pretty much cornering Jesus telling Him to do this for you.

Second, if you remember Thomas was willing to die for Jesus, Jesus wanted to go into a country where passing could mean their lives (John 11:15-17) Thomas was very bold and spoke up. But, is that like all of us. When Jesus is close to our side, we are STRONG. But, when Jesus is quite, we freak out, maybe question where He is.

Third, when reading the Bible, always put yourself into the time and person first, then make a bridge. We have the Bible, and know the end of the story, they did not, they were living moment by moment.
Example; for centuries if you were a believing Jew, you knew that the prophets foretold of a coming Messiah. One to redeem them, crush the opposing Roman Empire. Herod told them he was god, but they knew/believed different.

Then, one day this Rabbi (An amazing teacher; maybe like Billy Graham of our time) came to you. You, a very common person, and this Rabbi told you He believed in YOU, and He want YOU to follow him. Just that fact that a Rabbi asked you (not evening knowing it was THE MESSIAH) was an honor.
Thomas, left and became a discicple of this Rabbi. (Matt. 10:2-4) During these amazing 3 years of being with this Rabbi, he came to believe...... he KNEW this was the Messiah! People are healed, rasied from the dead, He speaks like no-one he has ever heard. Finally, towards the end of the 3 years, He (Jesus) make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Stand for royality) Thomas, must have thought....... THIS IS IT..... finally after centuries, I am going to witness the prophecy......... THE MESSIAH HAS COME TO REDEEM US!

Sadly, to see his Messiah taken, and killed the most brutal death.... I think if I were any of the disciples, I would be confused, hurt, scared, I just wasted 3 years of my life, where/what do I do now? So, for Thomas to want to see the scars......... would not you, maybe?

God Bless Jim
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Do You Really Forgive People?

2008-08-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was reading last night in Matthew the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. (Matthew 18:21-35)

I have read this story many times, but what struck me was the last verse v35.
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother "from your heart." - Matt. 18:35

I realized that I have said, "I forgive you" many times, but have I meant it from my heart? Sometimes it is hard to forgive people that hurt you, or maybe that person you are still angry with? Jesus said that He will do the same as we do to our brothers and sisters here on earth.

What does it mean "From Your Heart"?

Jim
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My Drug Addiction

2008-08-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Scripture
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain
A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away
A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak
A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

My Drug Addiction
Yes, I was very addicted to Oxycotin. (Medics compare Oxy to a high grade Heroin,and the effects are much the same. The drug is used for chronic long term pain).Let me explain my story a little further for those of you that do not know it.In 2005 I was diagnosed with a muscle wasting disease. The byproduct of this diseasewas amazing pain. When the disease first hit and I was confused and scared, I rememberworking the late shift, coming home, crying in the car ride home. Finally parkingthe car, pulling myself out, and crawling, literally crawling, up the stairs to park myself on the couch to curl up in my wife's arms.

Due to this extreme pain my doctors started to prescribe pain killers. If you arefamiliar with pain killers, your body will develop a tolerance to the current levelso you have to keep on upping and upping the level. My current level in July of this year, was 240 mgs of Oxycotin. This was equivalent to a whopping 48 Percocets a DAY!

The first of July, I felt God telling me that I did not need these painkillers, and that for what He had planned for me, these were going to get in the way. So,I started the journey to getting off the Oxys. I have to tell you, this is/was the hardest thing that I have ever done!

The first week It felt like I had spiders crawling inside my body and head. I couldnot sit still, I was nauseous, my muscles ached, could not sleep unless I had mytapered amount of the drug, I said to myself "This is what hell must be like." During the last part of my taper it felt like I had the WORST flu ever. It hurt just to take a breath. My heart felt like I just drank 3 large Monsters energy drinks.I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest, and I still could not sleep.But, I beat it, I took my last Oxy 3 days ago, I am not done with my withdrawals,but every minute, hour, and day I am getting better.

You might be asking "Why are you telling me this?" Well, let me tell you :) WhenI was going through this season, I cried out to God, and yelled, Take this away from me." I know that you can, and I know that you love me, so please make me better!But, as I said this, I thought to myself that if every time I cry out to God, andHe showed up and granted every cry, He would not be GOD, he would be some cosmicgenie. Plus, if He granted every wish that we had, this would not be a fallen earth,it would be heaven, as we would want to make every situation perfect for us.
Take a moment to read the scripture on the left, this was written by King Solomon,by God's grace, the wisest man that ever lived. King Solomon says that there areseasons for everything; a time to heal, a time to weep, and a time to laugh. You ARE going to go though all these seasons in your life, it is a fact of being human,and engaging with others.

The happy seasons are wonderful. But, what about the weeping and healing? What isyour posture? Do you try and get out of the situation as soon as you can? Do youcry to God, and when He doesn't answer, you label God mean and uncaring?

God KNOWS you are there, and cares about you so much. He is allowing you to go throughthis season for some purpose that you may not know until much later in life. So,instead of focusing on "GET ME OUT OF HERE" focus on Christ, and His love, He isstill there. Maybe, He will show you a new side of you, one you never knew you had,a new strength.

I can tell you that the withdrawal off Oxy's was the hardest thing I have done, and I am still not done yet. BUT, since going through that season, I have a new heart for people that are going through a similar season. And I KNOW that God isgoing to place people in my life that I can help and love. :)
Have a great week in Jesus! - Jim

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How Do You View GOD?

2008-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Luke 15:11-32 ~ The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.12And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of propertythat is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country,and there he squandered his property in reckless living.14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who senthim into his fields to feed pigs.16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods thatthe pigs ate, and no one gave him anything 17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servantshave more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven andbefore you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of yourhired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced himand kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heavenand before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and killit, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again;he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.25 "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house,he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your fatherhas killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive;he was lost, and is found.'"

Greetings!
What is your view of GOD? Maybe your view of GOD is a huge being, a being so largethat you could never approach him. It would be the same as an ant trying to approachyou. Imagine an ant on the ground trying to get your attention when you are walking.If you did not step on him first, I would guess you could barely hear him or wantto even waste you time with such a small thing.

Maybe your view of GOD is this being sitting somewhere in heaven on His high thronewith some stone tablets, as He is keeping notes on all the times you screw up. Heis a god that has to be appeased. You must read your Bible so many hours a day, say so many prayers, try not to sin, and if you do, you have to work your way backinto GOD's favor.

I have known GOD all my life, and in 2001 I received a regenerated heart. Since then I have never been the same. I know of GOD's love, mercy, and grace but I stillstruggle with really knowing that GOD loves me unconditionally. I love Him and wantto please Him more than anything else, but there are times I feel guilty if I do not read my Bible, or spend time in prayer. I know that when I feel like this, I have just turned my relationship into a religion with rules and high standards.When I feel like this, I like to go back to the Bible and read what Jesus shared with us, God His father has unconditional love for us.

The story is The Prodigal or Lost Son. I have posted here for you to read. We touchedon it last week, but we did not really explore it. If you have heard this story most of the time people will focus on the "Lost son," after all the story is namedafter him. But, I would like to take a look at the lost son's father.

After you read the story, try and put yourself in the fathers place. What would have been your reaction? Would you yell at your child? Would you sit them down andmake them listen to your theology of the wrong they did, and how it affected you?Or would you just love them and welcome them back like the father in our story did?

I had a similar situation. Our son ran away after we had gotten into an argument,he was on his way out of town and not looking back. Soon after he realized that he needed money and a car to do these things, he was back home. Can you guess whatmy reaction was? Yes, I sat him down and told him how his Mom was out in the darklooking for him and she could of gotten hurt, how worried we were, "don't you everdo that again" speech. In looking back, we could have spoken about these things, but maybe right when he got home was not the time. Maybe we could have showed himhow at home there is unconditional love and acceptance?

I want you to stop and read verses 20-24 again. This is a perfect example of GOD.He did not preach to the lost son, turn him away, make him say all the right words,he did not even want an apology. All that mattered is that his son was lost and now he is home, that is all that the father cared about. Did you even catch the fact that he did not even wait for the son to come home, as soon as he saw him froma distance, the father ran to meet him.

Whatever your views of GOD may be like, this is what GOD is really like. He lovesyou and accepts you for who you are and what you have done. Nothing matters to Himexcept a relationship with Him. I know that Christians over time have distorted GOD and his views. I know that they mean well, but they portray GOD as a GOD who has a lot of rules that you must follow. Maybe you have heard the man on the cornertelling you that if you do not repent you will go to hell. This is not who GOD is,Jesus would never be on the corner with a bullhorn, we would be in the bars and in the homeless places, just loving people.

I do not know where you are in life, maybe you are the lost son or daughter and you think about the things that you have done, and there is no way GOD would evertake you back and love you. WRONG, He loves you just the way you are right now. Do not change, come as you are.

Maybe you are still stuck in religion. You think that you have to read your Bibleand pray, so that GOD will accept you and love you. You are WRONG, He loves you right now without doing those things, come just as you are without having to do all those things.

Maybe you are the bullhorn guy who believes that the only way to GOD is through a lot of rules and if you do not, you are on your way to hell. There are truth inyour words, but use GOD's example of love and acceptance to reach the lost.

John had the right mind set about GOD. In his book he refers to himself as thedisciple"whom Jesus loves." Then we find him in John 13:23 Leaning on Jesus' chest while dining. Can you imagine yourself leaning on Jesus Chest? Or introduce yourself as "Hi, my name is Jim, the one who Jesus loves. Can you say that? Can you say thatand really mean it with your heart?JESUS LOVES YOU! - Jim

23Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? - John 13:23-25 KVJ

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Life is a Sandwich

2008-04-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

For hen you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sinand have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternallife in Christ Jesus our Lord.- Romans 6:20-23 ESV

Yesterday evening was the start of Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread) GOD broughtHis children out of 430 years of bondage. (Exodus 12)They called it the Feast of Unleavened Bread because the Hebrew people had to leavequickly, GOD told them to take bread without yeast so it would last in the desert.There were three Feasts that the Lord told us to keep; Feast of Unleavened Bread,Feast of Harvest, Feast of Ingathering. (Exodus 23:14ff)GOD told us that these were to be kept for generations to come. I would encourageyou to take a moment and read the First Passover. (Exodus 11-13) The Passover hasa huge significance with Jesus and His death.

Greetings!
Right now Subway has $5.00 footlong Subway sandwiches. I do not know about you, but there is nothing like a Subway sandwich. You know the kind I am talking about,one that has the meats and all the fixins piled on. YUMMY!
Picture in your mind that sandwich, just loaded with all the meat and fixins. Now,try to imagine the same sandwich with just one measly slice of meat, with maybe a little lettuce. If you were to look at that sandwich all you would see where thetwo peices of bread. I can imagine that it would taste very plain and bland. I donot know about you, but the first sandwich sounds much better.
Our Christian lives are the same way. Let me explain. There are three words that for me were hard to understand, but the analogy of the sandwich helped me to makesense of it. Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. In this devotionalI want to take a look at the meat; your sanctification. But, to understand thesandwichyou need to know what the other two words mean.
Justification is when you became a Christian, it is an instant act where GOD viewsour sins as being forgiven and Jesus righteousness belongs to us, in other words,because of what Jesus did on the cross, GOD declares us righteous in His sight.Glorification is the final step of the redemption process. When Christ returns, raises the bodies of all the believers that have died and reunites them with theirsouls, and changes all the bodies of the believers that are still alive. We all will have perfect, glorified bodies like Christ.
These are big words, but we should all understand what they mean, because they havea huge effect on us. The justification and glorification make up the bread of oursandwich. Sanctification makes up the meat, the fixins, the good stuff. The firsttwo are already done, if you are a believer in Jesus and accepted Him as you savior,there is nothing you can to do to improve on them, they are yours..... but anctificationis different.
Sanctification is the daily process that frees us from sin and makes us more likeChrist in our daily life. It is HARD word. Let me give you an example of what happenedin my life.
I have been praying to GOD to show me the areas of my life that I need to improve.The Holy Spirit laid something on my heart. I always strive to be a good spiritualleader of our house. I try and raise our son that would please GOD. Our son has become very busy with sports, we sometimes eat dinner at different times as he comeshome late. Kim and I would eat earlier, and Tyler would eat later..... yes, in frontof the TV. Soon we found all of ourselves in front of the TV eating dinner and not talking
The Holy Spirit laid on my heart to have dinner around the table as a family again,and for me to talk about Jesus, even have a devotional afterwards. Here is the hardwork. It is much easier to eat in front of the TV. I do not have to put forth anyeffort, do not have to talk, just eat. But, I knew that it came from Jesus, so itwas going to happen. The night that I said to the family lets eat at the table, my son looked at me like I had a third eye. It was easier for him to watch TV andnot engage us either. Plus, right before our first night that we would gathered together at the table, satan was throwing everything he could at me. My flesh didnot want too. I can identify with Jesus when he told Peter, the spirit is willing,but the flesh is weak.
If you are a believer, sanctification should be a daily process. You might be asking,how do I start this process? It is a good question. The best thing you can do is to pray and ask GOD to show you the areas that He would like to see you work on.If you are sincere, the Holy Spirit will convict you. But, her lies the hard work,Jesus does not wave a magic wand and make you better in that area. He is going togive you an opportunity to improve in that area. This is what I mean by hard work.Be ready for resistance from enemy, he does not want to see you improve or becomemore Christ like. Ask Jesus for strength.
I can tell you that as you succeed, you will be blessed. Even though that first family dinner was rough, our son has been more open with us. In fact he even commentedthat he enjoyed talking with us about the Bible. I hope that the "Sandwich" analogyhelped make more sense of those big words. I know it did for me.
So, what does your sandwich look like? Is it a wimpy looking sandwich with littlemeat? Or is it a yummy sandwich bursting with meat and all the fixins? This is reallymaking me hungry. :) Have a Blessed Week! - Jim Gods411

Do You Follow The Shepherd P2

2008-04-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he hasbrought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." - John 10:3-5 ESV

Today, I am writing you from our porch. It is one of those days that even an Atheistmight start to question if there is a god. You know the day, 75 degrees, slight wind just to keep you cooled off, not a cloud in the perfect blue sky, birds are singing, and to top it off a Bald Eagle circled by (You know they really do soar).
We had a death in our family this Friday. One of Kim's uncles passed away verysuddenlyand very young. He was married and had 4 amazing boys.It made me think of that verse in the Bible where God tells us not to let the sungo down while you are angry.
There are two thoughts that I would encourage all of us to practice. Give a hug, kiss, and "I Love You" when parting from someone you care about.Second, if that person is not a believer, never give up sharing Jesus and His FreeGift. If you have been trying with little or no success, pray without ceasing forthe person.

Greetings!
Last week we took a look at "The Hired Hand" and what role they can play in our lives, how we need to view them, and where our trust and faith should lie. This week I wanted to take a look at the role of The Shepherd and sheep.
When reading your Bible you will come across the words Shepherd and sheep. These two words appear from Genesis to Revelation over and over. What does God mean whenhe uses these words? Shepherd has two meanings, first as the actual role of ashepherd,whose vocation is taking care of sheep. The second is a leader or ruler that takescare of God's people. Your pastor could be referred to as a shepherd. Jesus Christis our one true Shepherd. Sheep has two meanings also. The actual animal or as God'speople. Yes, you and I are sheep. Baaahhh :)
To better understand today's devotional you need to know the role of a shepherd back in Jesus' day. No, it is not a guy who drives a John Deer and yells, "Git alonglittle doggie". It was a very hard and dangerous workThe duties of a shepherd would be in the morning, leading the flock to water by calling them. If a sheep would stray the shepherd would have to find it. Then in the evening the shepherd would bring the flock to the fold, reckoning them to seeif any were missing.
Here is another interesting fact of being a shepherd in Israel. A shepherd in Israelhad names for all his sheep, he literally knew then by name. This is the imagery that John uses in chapter 10. Jesus knows your name, He knows you intimately, Hecalls you individually. If you stop and think about that for a minute, it is hardto fathom, we have an AMAZING Shepherd, don't we? You can click on the two links above to read more on the life of a shepherd.
Since Jesus is our true Shepherd, what is our role as sheep? If you read the passageof Scripture above you might notice several key points that sheep have.1. The sheep hear the Shepherd's voice.2. The Shepherd calls them by name.3. The Shepherd leads the sheep.4. The sheep will follow the Shepherd.Seems pretty simple doesn't it? But really this is what following Jesus is all about.Let's go over the points and see how they might relate to you today.
The Sheep Hear the Shepherd's Voice. To hear, it requires one to listen. Have youbeen listening to Jesus' voice lately? There is a story in the Bible about Elijahand how God wanted to appear before Elijah (1 Kings 19:9ff) God took Elijah on topof a mountain to show Himself, first came a powerful wind, then an earthquake, thenfire, but God did not appear in any of those. You would think that God would appearto Elijah in one of those mighty and powerful acts, but God did not. He appeared in a gentle whisper afterwards.Does your life have too much wind, earthquakes, or fire, so that you could notpossiblyhear God's voice even if you wanted to? I connect with God the best in the silence.What way do you best connect with Jesus? How long has it been?
The Shepherd Calls Them By Name. Once you have heard Jesus' voice, you now can heardHim call you by your name. When reading these steps, they really are steps. You cannot hear Jesus call your name, if you do not know what His voice sounds like. The more you hear His voice, the more you will be able to hear your name being called.I know in my walk with Jesus, I have said to Kim "I think it was Jesus speaking to me, but I am not sure". You see I have a hard time discerning if the voice wasmine and my will or Jesus and His will. The more you hear Jesus' voice, the more quickly you will be able to discern when you are speaking to you, or when Jesus is speaking to you.
The Shepherd Leads the Sheep. Here is a tough one for me. I like to go, go, go andit is difficult to let Jesus lead. As you get to know Jesus' voice, you will knowwhen He is speaking to you. Sometimes Jesus may tell you something that is contraryto what you want. But, we must follow His lead at all costs, even if it requires a lot of faith or patience. The sheep trust the Shepherd, they know that He willtake care of them. The sheep know that their Shepherd loves them and will protectthem at all costs. So, letting the Shepherd lead is comforting, there is no otherplace the sheep feel safe.
The Sheep Follow the Shepherd. We already covered that point a little in the sectionabove. What I found very interesting is that the sheep KNOW the Shepherds voice. Even if there are several flocks mixed together, the sheep will only follow his voice. In fact they will run away from a stranger's voice, only to find comfort and safety in their Shepherd's voice.
Our Shepherd LOVES YOU. There is nothing that you can do, to make Jesus not love you. He loves you right where you are, in the shape you are in. You do not have to do anything to change for him, He wants you just as you are. I hope that we can take some examples of sheeply living. Know Jesus' voice and follow Him, trustthat where ever He may lead will be perfect. Sure there may be peaks and valleys along the journey, but He is always with you, and if you go astray, there is nothinghe would not do to save you.Have a Blessed Week - Jim Gods411

Do You Follow The Shepherd P1

2008-04-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf comingand leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,15 just as the Father knows me andI know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. - John 10:10-15 ESV

This week I am writing to you from my old Church's Coffee Shop. It is always good to be back home, isn't it? Have you ever noticed that whatever you are studying in the Bible, GOD seems to work on that area you are studying. Or maybe you've asked GOD to make you morepatient,have you noticed you are becoming more impatient?
When you become a Follower of Jesus the work is just beginning. There is a big wordcalled santification, which means becoming more and more like Jesus each day, andat times it is hard work!
When you ask Jesus to help you in a certain area of your life, Jesus does not grant(Or use a magic wand to instantly zap) your wishes into reality like that. He willprovide you oppourtunities to grow and pratice in real time, the areas you need to grow in. It is never the easy journeys that we learn the most from, or evenrememberso powerfully. It would not mean as much if Jesus just gave it to you, it has moremeaning if you learn and work through that area in your life. In the end, you willcome out of that learning time and be a stronger Follower!

Greetings!
If you read the Bible you will come across the words Shepherd and sheep quite a bit. From Genesis to Revelation it appears 302 times in the NIV translation. So what did GOD mean when He uses these words? I wanted to take a look at this analogyfor the next two weeks.
In Exodus, Moses asked GOD who should I tell the Pharaoh sent me? GOD replied to Moses, tell him "I AM" sent you. Then in the New Testament Jesus brings the "I am's" to a whole new level, Jesus becomes more specific. In the Gospel of John wefind several "I am's" that Jesus says to be. We are going to be looking at I am The Good Shepherd in John 10.
In the Old Testament the word "Shepherd" was used for someone who took care of God'speople, or someone GOD held accountable to look after His people. Shepherds were not always good, there were poor shepherds as well. King David would be an exampleof a good shepherd verses Jehoash who "Did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."(2 Kings 13:10)
The word sheep in the Bible refers to mankind. "Sheep" represents Believers as wellas non-Believers. In John 10:16 Jesus shares with us that He must bring in other sheep that are not in the fold. The other person that Jesus mentions in this passageis the "Hired Hand."
Jesus is our one true Shepherd. He loved us enough that He laid down His own lifejust so you and I could be with Him forever. Here on earth we are going to have contact with other people. To name a few would be pastors, husbands, wives, boyfriend,girlfriend, friends and family members. No one should ever be placed higher than Jesus. All these other relationships are very important here on earth. Jesus madeus to be relational and community. We need each other to survive. But, everyone other than Jesus is human.
You might be saying to yourself; what is the problem in putting my trust in anotherhuman? Or I want to put all my trust into another person. It is wonderful to trustanother and we should, but they should never take the place of Jesus. The problemlies that we all are imperfect sinful creatures. We fight fleshly desires all daylong. We all have the capability to hurt each other at sometime or another. Some may be intentional, some may not be intentional, but at one time or another we all are going to hurt someone.
Pastors are some of the hardest. We tend to place them on a pedestal, maybe one step below Jesus. Our pastors should never take the place of Jesus, your focus shouldalways be on the One above. Pastors provide wisdom, knowledge, and insight. Pastorshave extremely tough jobs. But, we need to remember that they are human just likeus.
Let me give you an example from my life. I have known 5 pastors in my life.The first one; Cylde McDowell died from a brain tumor. Totally unexpected and at the peak of his career. A veryGodly man, very confusing why GOD took him.
The second; stepped down after being addicted to porn for more than 12 years in secret.
The third; when I approached him about being a pastor, he said to me, "Why would anyone want to do this job? My advise is to go into something else?"
The fourth; I consider my spiritual mentor. We are very good friends today and I admire and respect him.
The fifth; started out good, but as time went on Kim and I disagreed with the vision of the church. Not the churches fault or ours. In fact we now realize it was GOD pushing us in a different direction.My point is not to point the faults in these pastors, but to show you how our humanfeelings and their human nature may conflict. Imagine if I put all my hope into the one pastor who told me that I should not pursue being a pastor? I would have been crushed! If my true Shepherd had not been Jesus Christ, it may of caused myfaith to be damaged and maybe to build up resentment for the Church of Jesus Christ.
I know that we have spent time on pastors, but the same holds true to any other human being that you place above Jesus. Jesus Christ needs to be your shepherd. If you need advice about a subject it is great to ask your friend, but do not forgetto seek advise in His Word and prayer, lots of prayer! Jesus will never leave or forsake you, a true friend until the very end, then a friend that will last an eternity!Amen? His words are timeless and always true.
Next week we will be looking at part 2. The role of a shepherd in Jesus' time (Nothey did not drive a John Deer tractor and yell, Git alone little doggy) And whatThe Good Shepherd expects of his sheep. Hope to see you then. Kim and I could alsouse your prayers. I start my pastor ordination process Monday, as well as an excitingadventure that GOD just showed us, I will share more as the time goes on. Thank you. - Jim Gods411

GOD's Perfect Plan

2008-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your
servants are shepherds, as our fathers were." 4 They said to Pharaoh, "We have
come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks,
for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your
brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father
and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen,
and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."
13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. - Genesis 47:3-6, 13 ESV

Grace and Peace in our Lord Jesus Christ!

I am writing you again from a hospital chair, receiving my third infusion.
As we were travelling here we came across a man begging for money at one of the
stoplights. My first thought is that man needs to get a job and work. But then I
remembered the words of Jesus and the sheep and goats in Matthew 25. Jesus tells
us "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me".
Our job is not to judge, the Bible says that repeatedly. Our job is respond to the
words of GOD without judgement. It is hard to take our human upbringing and opinions
out of this equation. But, the more we can do this, the more pure our
religion/relationship becomes. From One Sheep to Another, Be Blessed! - Jim

Greetings!
Last week we took a look at how GOD never leaves us, in bad times or good times,
through Joseph and his misfortunes. Joseph was thrown into a cistern by his brothers
then sold as a slave by slave traders. Then after maintaining his integrity to himself
and GOD, he ran away from Potiphar's wife when she asked him to have sex, but he
was thrown into prison.

This week I wanted to take a look at how GOD's amazing plan came together for good.
Not only for Joseph and his family, but for much greater events to come for GOD's
people. Yes, through the good and bad events that happened to Joseph, GOD made all
things work together for His glory. This is not only true of Joseph's life, but
true of your life.

Read what Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21
19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You
intended
to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the
saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your
children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

I just wanted to stop for a minute and look at Joseph's forgiving heart, did you
notice that? After Jacob died his brothers were worried that now Joseph would take
revenge for what his brothers had done to him. It would have been the perfect time.
But, Joseph had his heart in the right place; in GOD's hands. Joseph saw that GOD
allowed those events to take place, and he could see how GOD was using those events
for good.

I am sure that not all the events in your life have been positive. And when you
are going through bad events in your life, it seems like it takes forever. If you
are like me, it seems to drag on and on, and you might wonder if GOD cares or knows
what you are going through. I am sure Joseph felt this way when life seemed to be
going well, then he found himself in prison.

Sometimes we get a twisted view of GOD. We see GOD as a mean god waiting for us
to screw up, then when we do, He is quick to punish us and make us suffer for the
wrong choices in life. But just the opposite is true. He is a loving GOD that cares
deeply for you, and He can use any of your wrong choices for good if you allow Him
to.

Once I became a father I saw the connection between my son and I, and GOD our Father.
I love my son and want the best for him. I just want him to be happy, that is it.
But, there are rules or guidelines that he needs to follow. These are not to punish
him, but to protect him. If he makes a mistake it is not a big deal, it is a learning
process for him. I do not remember that mistake and punish him for life. If his
heart is in the right place we can move forward onto bigger and better things.

The same is true with us and our Father, except GOD's love for us is beyond our
thought. Even if you were to try, you could not fully comprehend the depth of His
love for you. So if you were to make a mistake, GOD will use that mistake for his
glory.... if you let him. I know some people that stay stuck in their sins, they
will make mistake after mistake after mistake. Their heart is not in the right
place, it is in the sin and not in GOD's.

I turned my back on GOD once, I became involved with another woman. It almost
destroyed
me as well as my family. But, I gave my mistake to GOD, repented of my sin, gave
my heart fully to GOD, and He did amazing things with that mistake. His perfect
plan in action. Now, I could have let that sin destroy me, and not allowed GOD's
perfect plan to be activated in my life, but I did not. GOD used my mistake for
His glory and is still using it today. Sorry satan, you stink, and you lost. :)

Another little side note.... If you have sin in your life, confess it. There is
nothing to be ashamed of! Everyone makes mistakes, everyone! satan loves to keep
sin hidden, in the dark. Jesus is light, once you bring that sin into the light,
satan has nothing against you, you are free, the yoke is lifted and Jesus' yoke
is put on. Jesus promises us that His yoke is light.

You are going to make mistakes and there are going to be events in your life that
happen that are not going to be your fault. Have the heart of Joseph and trust and
know that GOD is going to use those events and mistakes for His glory and His perfect
plan. TRUST JESUS! You never know, just as Joseph, you could be helping to shape
GOD's kingdom in a way that you will never imagine until you go home. Have a Blessed
week, surrounded in Jesus' Love! - Jim

Your Will vs. GOD'S Will

2008-03-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh,
that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down
to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board,
to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. - Jonah 1:1-3

Grace and Peace in Jesus!
I am writing this from a hospital chair at the University of Washington. I am
finishing
up the last drops of yet another chemo infusion.
The disease that I have, there is no cure for, my doctors guess at what they think
will work, but for the most part they do not know. To some of them, my case is
hopeless.
BUT, for us that believe in Jesus, NOTHING is hopeless. Where human knowledge stops,
GOD's just starts. We always need to remember this! Whatever situation you are in
in life, however hopeless it may seem, never give up hope.
Here is to the HOPE that we have in Jesus! - Jim

Greetings!
All of us have personality traits. Some of these traits you could label as bad,
but, I believe these bad traits all can be used for good. An example is that a person
may be called stubborn. In everyday life being stubborn to your parents, friends,
and authorities may not be the best. But, being stubborn for Jesus is a great trait.

One of my traits is that I am impatient, I will push sometimes to get my way. In
fact I push Jesus and try and hurry Him up at times. I long to be used by Jesus
and in the shadow of His will. If I do not hear from Jesus I get impatient and
start to push. I like to make things happen. In the past I have done this, and I
know that I have made decisions on my own, they were not Jesus' will.

I am learning to wait upon Jesus and His will and I am much happier. If I did not
think that He was not working fast enough in my life I would become very frustrated
and angry. I can remember thinking; Jesus where are You, let's go! I want to serve
you, tell me, NOW!

One example of this in my life is when we were waiting for GOD to show us what
treatment
He wanted us to have. We had two options; Enbrel and Retuxin. I personally thought
that Enbrel would be best, but this time I left it to the LORD. Kim and I spoke
to my doctors about it and left it in GOD's hands. Usually, I would be stressed
out and bugging and pushing the doctors. But, we left it in GOD's hands this time.

My doctor called and told us that we did not get the enbrel (The one I wanted) but
she said we were still waiting on the Retuxin. She then called and said the Retuxin
came through. I could tell that GOD was working because our doctor and the hospital
does not work this fast. So, we filled out the paperwork to start the process of
the Retuxin. Kim and I also started to do something that we have not done in a
long time in our married life, and I do not know why?

We took a part of our evening and went into a quiet room, held hands, and prayed.
One would start and just pray what was on our heart, then the other would pray what
is on their heart. We would go back and forth like this until we had prayed what
Jesus had laid upon our hearts. We started to pray for GOD's will in both of our
lives. We pray for confirmations, visions, or dreams. I would strongly encourage
anyone who is married or a couple to explore this. We both prayed that if this
treatment is not of GOD's will, HE would please stop it.

Well, GOD did not stop it. The process went through, but I was not that excited
about it. I really did and do not want this treatment. But, I am much happier leaving
it in GOD's hands. I know that He knows what is going on in my life, He cares deeply
about me, and He knows what is best for me. Friday morning we had to leave at 5
am for the treatment, and I did not want to go! But, I knew that GOD had not done
anything to prevent me from going. As I was having a major attitude about not going,
I thought that this was me pushing for my will, and not going with GOD's will.

I do not know how you live your life. We all have responsibilities here on earth
that we have to do. Having a job, kids, being married, or going to school. All
of these requires your time and at a certain time. But, there are areas in your
life that are larger than others, there are decisions that are larger than what
you will have for dinner. I am sure that you have faced some of them in your life;
changing jobs, marriage, buying a large ticket item, or maybe you are not sure how
or what to pray for, life is coming at you from every direction and you do not see
the light. These are the areas of your life that you will want GOD's will to be
done in your life. You will not know GOD's will if you do not ask and pray for
it to be done.
If you read your Bible you will see examples of men and women who did not want to
do GOD's will, GOD would intervene and convince them to proceed with HIS will. Jonah,
Moses, and Saul/Paul to name a few. Then there are others who where doing their
own will and not GOD's will, GOD would stop them and turn them around. Balaam and
his talking donkey is one of my favorites.

I would encourage you to live your life following Jesus, not leading him. Having
the dust of the Rabbi on your clothes from walking behind the Creator of the
Universe.
I know we humans are impatient, it seems like if GOD does not answer us in a week,
we freak out, and think that GOD does not hear us or care, then proceed on our own
making a decision. Our decision may be bad and cause us pain that is not needed.

I know that you will be much happier seeking GOD's will by praying, or fasting.
Leave the decision in GOD's hand's, let it be His will not yours. I remember in
one of Paul's letters he told them that if he visited them it would be GOD's will.
Then in another letter he told them that he was on the way to visit them, but satan
prevented him from coming there. Paul was a man who lived his life day by day in
GOD's will. Here is to your happier life in GOD's will.
Have a Blessed Easter Week - Jim

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.- 1 Corinthians 16:24 ESV

Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
As we enter into Easter week I pray that you would prepare our hearts and minds.
I thank you for loving us so much that you stepped into our broken world to start
a journey that would change history.
I pray that each one of my freinds would have a special encounter with You. I pray
that you would show Yourself to them in a light that they have never seen before.
I pray for all the people that do not know you yet. May they be drawn to You this
week and find a church, so they can have the peace and happiness that we know.
Thank You Jesus!
We Love YOU!
Jim

Has GOD Spoken To You Lately?

2008-03-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. - John 27-28
ESV

Grace and Peace in Jesus!
I am sorry that I missed you last week. Kim and I escaped to the Oregon Coast for
the weekend. It was a much needed break for both of us.

I have read the Bible several times, I start in Genesis and end up in Revelation.
It is good, but sometimes it can be "Dry". This time I mixed it up a bit. I am reading a little Old Testament, a Psalm, and a little New Testament. I like it quite a bit. I have posted this weeks reading schedule towards the bottom if you wanted to give it a try.

Greetings!
I am sure that you have heard someone say "It is good to hear your voice". Or maybe
you have experienced that feeling yourself? You know the feeling, maybe it has been
a long time since you have spoken to a best friend or family member, and just hearing
their voice brings about feelings of comfort and remembrance of good times.

Life is noisy. It is in two ways, first, you have the non-stop cell phones, TVs,
stereos, iPods, CD players, car radios, airplanes, car engines, lawnmowers....
it just seems like you never get away from the volume of life. Second, you have
the "Noise" of life. You get up in the morning, fight traffic, work a full day with
all the pressures that a job carries, fight traffic on the way home. When you get
home you try and live up to the expectations a being a Godly parent. Maybe you might
find sometime to watch a little TV, then off to bed to start the cycle over again.

Or maybe you have several little ones at home that you take care of. The day starts
early in the morning, trying to do the chores of life while raising children, dinner,
then maybe find time to crash on the couch at night. Maybe GOD has called you to
be a student right now, and trying to balance your studies, a job, and life seems
to fill your entire day and night. Wherever you are in life right now, praying and
reading your Bible seems like a luxury.

Kim and I were feeling the "Noise" of life. It seems like it started when my disease
hit. Our lives changed dramatically. We were dealing with trying to combat the
disease,
raise a very free-willed child, Kim had to go back to work..... life was "Noisy".
Then as my disease stabled a bit we started our own business which lead to a whole
new kind of "Noise".

I can remember feeling very distant from Jesus, I know it is never Jesus that leaves
us, we pull away from Him. So, I knew that it was something that I was doing. I
remember going in my room alone and praying every night trying to hear Him speak
into my life. I remember pleading with Him just to give me some direction in my
life, but I never heard Him speak. Yes, I was reading my Bible, but you know what
I am talking about, that small little voice.

Then it dawned on me, my life had too much "Noise". GOD wanted to speak to me, but
I had so much "Noise" in my life I could not hear. I started to look in my Bible
to refresh my memory of how GOD spoke.

GOD frequently spoke in the silence, one on one. GOD appeared to Abraham near the
trees of Mamre while he was sitting in the heat of the day. (Gen. 18:1)
GOD spoke to Moses at the Mountain of Horeb. (Exodus 3)
Moses was given the Ten Commandments alone on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19)
Moses withdrew to his Tent of Meetings where he met with GOD one on one.
GOD spoke to Samuel while we was lying down in the Temple. (1 Samuel 3)
Then there is one of my favorite stories where GOD spoke to Elijah on top of a
mountain,
in a gentle whisper, after a lot of "Noise" (Powerful wind, earthquake, and fire)
(1 Kings 19:11-18)
If you jump to the New Testament, Jesus withdrew to solitary places to speak to
His FATHER many times. You can go cover to cover of the Bible and find many examples
of where GOD spoke one on one, alone.

So, Kim and I went to Oregon last weekend to get away from the "Noise", and guess
what? I heard GOD speak. I was tired out from the walking we had done during the
day, so Kim went for a walk down the beach, and I hung out alone just taking in
the view at Haystack Rock. Finally, I heard that small voice speaking to me. You
know the neat thing, now that I have heard that Voice again, I can identify it more
easily. Since last weekend, GOD has spoken to me again.

I do not know how long it has been since you have heard that Voice. Maybe you are
new to all this and you have never heard HIS voice. GOD is always by you, waiting
to speak into your life, but sometimes we need to slow down, turn off the "Noise"
so that we can hear HIS voice. I am not saying that you need to go on vacation to
hear HIM. Maybe a visit to the local park, maybe a hike on that mountain trail,
maybe an afternoon next to that river? I think that main thing is to be alone with
your Creator, turn off the "Noise" and listen. Don't you find it interesting how
GOD and nature connect? Have a BLESSED Week and may you hear GOD speak into your
life. - Jim

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to
completion
at the day of Jesus Christ.- Philippians 1:6 ESV

Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you that you pursue us with your love, thank you that you never leave us,
that you are always there for us.
GOD please help us find the time to connect to you. Show us how to turn off the
"Noise" of life and listen to you.
Holy Spirit please move and fill up all my friend's lives that are reading this.
Help them find that voice.
We ask these things in Jesus' loving name.
Amen

A Love Story

2008-02-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming
torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great
river, the river Euphrates - Genesis 15:17-18 ESV

Grace and Peace in Jesus~

OK.... I have to admit it. I do love a good love story. I think that my favorite
film is Sleepless in Seattle. I bet if you asked most guys, deep down inside they
are suckers for a good love story.

Some of the best love stories that I have seen are one party pursuing the other
party. They fall in love with that person and they do everything in their power
to make them feel special and feel loved.

You and I are involved in one of the greatest love stories that I know. GOD has
been pursuing us from the beginning of time and still is today. The verse above,
I would guess does not make sense, but read on and I will explain how amazing that
verse is.

Greetings!
To really grasp the intensity of our love story, you have to understand a little
bit about Abram and the time he lived in. Abram lived in a pagan country with his
family. Abram and his family worshipped many gods at the time. You know the little
wooden moon, the infamous golden calf, and the clay goddess to name a few. But,
our GOD loved Abram deeply and wanted to bless him and set a covenant with Abram
so that HE would be his only GOD, and Abram would be HIS people. You have to
understand,
our GOD is a jealous GOD.

So, Abram has all these gods, but one calls to him, and promises him that HE will
make him into a great nation. Out of all these gods, what made this one so special?
Maybe the promise of children, as Abram did not have any children yet? But Abram
listened to this GOD and followed HIM. Right from the start GOD knew what Abram
wanted and needed. Abram, when he started his journey wanted to make it to Canaan,
but never did. Abram settled in Haran instead (Genesis 11:31). GOD blessed Abram
and completed his journey, but at the time, Abram did not know where GOD was taking
him. Abram had faith in GOD.

There was a time when Abram became sidetracked due to a very severe famine. (12:10)
I am sure you can identify with Abram, I am sure you have seen tough times, times
when money was tight, times when GOD seemed to abandon you. Well, GOD knew that
Abram had gotten off track from where HE wanted him, so GOD created a situation
where Abram had to move on into HIS blessing. (12:20)

GOD continued blessing Abram. Abram had become very wealthy (13:2, 13:6) But, I
believe there was one thing that made Abram sad, he and Sarai still did not have
any children, and he and Sarai where not getting any younger. But GOD kept on
promising
Abram that he would be a great nation. There was no way Abram could be a nation without any children.

Here is where the story gets good. Abram had a vision from GOD. GOD told Abram that
HE was his great reward. Abram questioned GOD as he was already very rich, and what
he wanted was a son, and money could not buy a true child. So, really GOD, how can
you help me? GOD also went as far as to tell Abram that the land he saw, was his.
But Abram knew he had no birthright to this land so legally he could not own it.
Abram asked GOD, how do I know what you are telling me is the truth. You and I
really know what Abram was asking, we do it all the time. GOD give me a SIGN! How
many times have you and I asked that?

Well, this amazing GOD did just that. He made a covenant with Abram, and not just
a covenant, it was an amazing covenant. Back in ancient times to make a covenant,
one would cleave animals in half and walk in between the cleaved animals. Strange
I know, but when both parties would walk between the animals this was a sign of
covenance. Read what GOD did for Abram, GOD manifested himself as a smoking fire
pot and flaming torch and passed through the cleaved animals. Now you might be
saying, OK big deal right.

Well, two things to note. As Abram was is a dreadful darkness (15:12) GOD passed
through the animals alone. GOD was taking on ALL of the responsibility of the
covenant
himself. Plus, GOD was promising these things on HIMSELF. HE was swearing these
things on HIMSELF. You can't promise or swear on anything higher, GOD is supreme.
GOD loved Abram (You and I) that much!

The same GOD that pursued Abram is the same GOD that is pursuing you. HE LOVES you,
and wants to be your only GOD. The really neat thing is that we have an entire Book
of covenants from GOD. If GOD said HE will never leave you, HE WON'T. If HE said
that HE will supply your needs, HE WILL. If HE said HE will take care of you, HE
WILL.

But, here is our problem. We see GOD come through for us in a bad situation, and
we are are happy and praising GOD. But then when times are tough again, we WANT,
maybe even demand, another sign. You know we break promises to other people, we
may even break promises to GOD. But GOD has never broken a promise to us. HE has
proven HIMSELF over and over again. It is one thing to believe in GOD, but another
to Believe GOD.

When you are at one of lives crossroads again, remember this verse (15:17) and what
GOD promised you. Know that GOD will come through, wait upon HIM. Abram and Sarai
had the promise of a child from GOD, 10 years went by and no child. Abram and Sarai
decided to "Help" GOD out. They had a son, not the child of promise, Ishmael. Issaic
was the true child of promise. Because of this one mistake, we have all the problems
in the middle east. Remember, GOD will come through, maybe not on your timetable
though. - Have a Blessed Week! Jim

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank you Father for loving me so much and keeping after me when I fall or fail.
Father I pray that You will show me the strength to seek You and have faith in
You and not in me. I love you and pray in Your great, loving name, Jesus. Amen

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. - Philemon 1:25

Complete Your Joy

2007-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

Merry CHRISTmas!

Greetings! I hope that everyone survived the BIG after Thanksgiving day sales. Whether you were shopping or working at your job, I pray that you were able to enjoy your time and the others around you.
Kim and I went out and had a lot of fun, well, up until the time I received a speeding ticket on the way home. I know that GOD allows everything to happen for a purpose, and I am sure that by holding us up, Kim and I avoided something bad.......but I could of done without the $100.00 fine. :)

I was finishing up with John this week, yes, I have been taking my time and really digging into GOD's work. The last part of John (From chapter 13 on) has some great insight into Jesus' thinking. I feel that this makes John very unique from the other gospels. In fact right before Jesus was arrested, He says a prayer for you and I.

Jesus Prays for All Believers
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also
for those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father,
just as you are in me and I am in you. May they
also be in us so that the world may believe that
you have sent me. I have given them the glory
that you gave me, that they may be one as we
are one: I in them and you in me.
May they be brought to complete unity
to let the world know that you sent me and
have loved them even as you have loved me.
"Father, I want those you have given me to be
with me where I am, and to see my glory, the
glory you have given me because you loved me
before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father,
though the world does not know you, I know you, and
they know that you have sent me. I have made you
known to them, and will continue to make you known
in order that the love you have for me may be in them
and that I myself may be in them." - John 17:20-26

Complete Your Joy
Today, I wanted to take a look at your prayer life. I would guess that most of us (Myself included) do not have the prayer life that we should.

Have you ever had a friend or a relative, that when you see them, the conversation is all one sided? Maybe you might meet them at your local coffee shop. You grab your favorite latte, find a spot away from all the action, and start to talk. But as soon as you start the conversation, it is...... I did this, I want to do this, My kids are doing this, I bought this yesterday..... I I I I!

By the middle of the conversation you are looking for a way out, maybe hoping your cell phone would ring, anything. Then when you leave, I would guess that you would feel empty. That is what I would guess most of our prayer lives are like. We quickly connect with Jesus, and start on the onslaught of I's. Then when our prayers are not answered right away, Jesus is not doing His job, or not listening.

I was reading the passage in John 16:23-24 and it really stuck with me. We ask for something in Jesus' name, you will receive it so that your joy may be complete. Now obviously everything we ask for does not line up with the Bibles guidelines, (Like asking for a new Shelby Cobra Mustang) so that is an issue all in it's self. But, today I wanted to take a look at completing your joy.

There is a story of Smith Wigglesworth. Wigglesworth was in dire financial need. At that time he was in London visiting the home of a wealthy man. Wigglesworth simply committed his financial burden to the Lord and refused to worry about it. He told no one. He knew the Lord would take care of it.

As he and His friends were out walking in the park, Wigglesworth was happy and singing, rejoicing in his spirit. His rich friend commented that he would give all he owned to have the same spirit of joy that Wigglesworth had.

Wigglesworth told him it wouldn't cost him anything; all he had to do was cast all his cares on Jesus. Wigglesworth explained that this is what he had done, and he was without a care in the world. He could be free and happy. He still did not mention his financial need to his friend, but instead talked of victory and joy in Christ Jesus.

One man had material wealth but no joy. The other lacked material things but was filled with joy. What was the secret? Wigglesworth knew the truth of the scripture, A... ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.

How many times have you done that in your prayer life. (I know that I struggle with this) I have a problem in my life, in my mind I give the problem to Jesus, but I have not let it go in my heart. I still worry about it, I focus on it, I am grumpy, I let it ruin my day. What I should do is what Smith Wigglesworth did. Pray, give it to Jesus, then trust that Jesus is going to take care of me and my problem. Then let the love and joy of Jesus complete me. Does that make sense?

The other area that will complete your joy is to spend time worshipping Jesus in your prayer life. What does it mean to worship Jesus? Well, what I have been doing, and I have found to be giving me joy, is to get alone with Jesus. I go somewhere quiet, and peaceful, then spend time talking to Jesus, and yes time listening too, so Jesus and my conversation is not all.... I I I. I would encourage you this week to work on completing your joy. - Have a Blessed Week in Christ! - Jim

Bible Trivia
When Jesus is talking to Thomas after His resurrection, He calls us blessed. Why?
Hint: John 20:29
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John 11:17-37

2007-11-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings Jim,

Kim and I wanted to wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving. We hope that have a restful day, and if you do brave the crazy shopping day after Thanksgiving, be safe.
I would encourage you to reflect on what Jesus has done and what He is doing in your life. Find time this week to spend some one on one time with Jesus and let Him know that you are thankful.
This week I wanted to share with you a story that I am sure you have read many times. I read it and have been thinking about it all week. Maybe in reading it again, Jesus' spirit will show you something new.
This is the story of Lazarus, and how Jesus raised him from the dead. This story contains the shortest verse in the Bible; verse 35 "Jesus Wept." It is also Jesus' last miracle before the Cross.

John 11:17-37
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already
been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than
two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come
to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their
brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here,
my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that
even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in
the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him,
"I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
who was to come into the world." 28 And after she
had said this, she went back and called her sister
Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is
asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up
quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet
entered the village, but was still at the place where
Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been
with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how
quickly she got up and went out, they followed her,
supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was
and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if
you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who
had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply
moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you
laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened
the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus Wept
If you were to read this passage at face value you might think that Jesus wept because his friend Lazarus had died. This is what the Jews thought in verse 36. They saw Jesus crying and and commented on how Jesus must of loved Lazarus. But, Jesus' sadness goes much deeper than that.
Jesus knew and even told others in verse 11:4 that Lazarus' sickness would not end up in death. So if Jesus knew that is was not GOD's will for Lazarus to die, why was he sad?
Jesus was moved to the point of tears when He saw Mary and her friends weeping. I know that we cannot see Jesus physically, so sometimes it is hard to know that Jesus LOVES you. I know that when Jesus sees you, when you are sad and crying, He is right there sharing your tears. He LOVES you so much, so try to remember when you are sad, Jesus is right there with you, always know this; Jesus LOVES you so much!
The other passage I found interesting was John 12:9-11. It is after the story of Lazarus, so some may of missed it. Poor Lazarus was just raised from the dead, when the religious leaders wanted and even plotted to have him killed again. Poor guy!
So why would John make note of this in his writings? I believe that GOD wanted to tell us that there are times when you may have done nothing to deserve an attack from others. Just as Lazarus was raised from the dead, you may have just started your day when someone attacks and may even plot to hurt you.
People that do not know Jesus, fear him. And we as humans try to destroy what we do not understand or fear. So, remember that when you are attacked, it most likely is not personal. You love Jesus and you stand for what He stands for, people do not understand that and may fear it, so they will try and hurt you. Love these people, and pray for them that they too may come to know Jesus and His love for them.
- Have a Blessed Week and eat lots of Turkey.... Gobble Gobble Gobble..... Jim

Bible Trivia
How long had Lazarus been dead?
Hint: John 11:39
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Dancing With Jesus

2007-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Greetings Jim,
Good Morning! This week a friend of mine sent me this video link. It really touched my heart, so I thought that we would break away from Philemon for a week and share this with you.This video is a perfect example of my life at one time. But, I do not want to share any more with you, go ahead and watch the video, then come back and we can wrap things up with a couple of thoughts.
Launch Video Now

David Danced With GOD....
13 And when those who bore the ark of the
LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox
and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the LORD
with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So
David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD
with shouting and with the sound of the horn.2 Samuel 6:13-15 ESV

A Time to Dance.......
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance........
Ecclesiastes 3:3-4

Dancing With Jesus
Have you ever felt like this in your life? One minute you are dancing with Jesus, the next thing you know you are fighting with everything you have to find your way back to Jesus. I know that in my own life, I have.

What touched me in this video, is how Jesus just loves being with us, providing our needs. He loves experiencing life with us, the harmony we feel when we let Jesus lead, and we follow. Jesus loves you just the way you are, you need not try to be anything that you are not, or do anything to impress Him, Jesus just loves you the way you are right now.

But, our enemy is there, satan does not want you to dance with Jesus. satan will put temptations in your life that will draw your attention away from Jesus. Everyone has a different weakness, for some it may be relationships, for some it may be money, or drugs and alcohol. satan wants you to be something or someone you are not, just opposite to what your Jesus teaches.

satan wants to keep your focus on earthly things and not Jesus. If you notice in the skit (or maybe your life) Jesus never backs off or leaves you, the temptations and sin of your life build up a thick wall between you and Jesus, just the way satan wants it. The more of a wall that builds up, the more distance you feel from Jesus. Jesus is love, He loves you so much, there is no feeling in the world like feeling Jesus' love, no strings attached. So you may wake up one day and feel terrible, depressed, unloved..... just the way satan wants.

In your life nothing will ever satisfy you like Jesus will. You may try all these venues as the girl in the skit tried, but nothing will ever satisfy you like Jesus' love will. I do not know where you are in your life. Maybe you are dancing with Jesus, so may you help others learn how to dance.

Maybe you are stuck in one of satan's lies of life and you are feeling very empty and stuck in life. Know that Jesus has not left your side, life has pushed you away from Jesus. May you know that Jesus LOVES you and wants to dance with you again...... or maybe for the first time. There is nothing that Jesus has not done or will not do to be with you. All it takes is for you to go to your knees and call upon his name. Have a Blessed Week, and may your dance last you a lifetime. - Jim

Bible Trivia
How do you become saved?
Hint: Romans 10:9-13
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The Art Of Connecting

2007-11-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings,
Can you believe that it is November already? I pray that you had a fun and safe Halloween night, and that you were able to spread Jesus' light.

The next couple of Devotionals we're going to be taking a look at the book of Philemon. There are several lessons that we can pull out of the book of Philemon, but in this set of devotionals we are going to be looking at relationships.

To really understand the Bible well, you need to take a historical look at what was happening at the time when the book was written, and what circumstances surrounded it.

Philemon involves 5 people, plus a group of believers that met in Philemon's house.

Paul - Wrote this personal letter while in prison.
Philemon - Gentile believer, slave owner of Omesimus, has a house church in Colossse
Omesimus (O-nes-i-mus) - Runaway slave of Philemon, who has stole money from Philemon (v18)
Apphis (Ap-phia) - Philemon's wife
Archippus (Ar-chip-pus) - Fellow Solider or some think Philemon's son
Church - A house church assembled in Philemon's house.

The story is pretty simple. Philemon owned Omesimus who was a slave that scholars believed stole money from Philemon (v18). Omesimus then wanted to get as far away from Philemon as he could, so he ran away to Rome, where he met up with Paul in prison.

From there Omesimus became very useful to Paul, as well as a new believer in Christ. But Paul legally could not keep Omesimus. So Paul wrote a letter to Philemon asking him to take Omesimus back, not as a slave anymore, but as a brother in Christ. This was a tense moment as Philemon has every right to have Omesimus executed for what he has done.

Philemon 1-3
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Art of Connecting

In your lives there are three kinds of relationships that you will have. We have an internal relationship with ourselves, we have an external relationship with others, then finally and most important we have an eternal relationship with God.

All three of these relationships need to be in balance with each other. If you are not right with yourself or do not feel good about yourself inside (Internal). It will effect your relationships with others around you (External). One example of this just happened to me. We were at a small group meeting, I felt very strongly about a subject that we were talking about, and I may have become over zealous in expressing my opinions. When I came home, I was not right inside, so until I felt right inside, it effected the relationship with the others in our small group.

The most important relationship is your eternal relationship with GOD. This aspect will affect all your other relationships. If you are not right with GOD, you are not right internally and externally.

A good example of this is Omesimus. Omesimus was not at peace internally. He stole money from his master, then he ran as far away as he could go. Internally he must have been a mess. Then he found Paul, and Paul helped him find Christ. Once Omesimus made his eternal relationship right, he felt at peace with himself, and then made things right with his other relationship to Philemon, his wife, and I would guess the home church.

If you find that you are not at peace with yourself and others around you, may you make peace with your eternal relationship with GOD. May you know that once that relationship is secure, all others will fall into place.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. - Jim

Bible Trivia

Who came with Omesimus to Colosse?

Hint: Colossians 4:7-9

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Grand Opening!

The Connection ChurchWe have a grand opening planned for 11/04/07. It has been amazing to see GOD meet our every need. Again, thank you and keep praying! If you would like a copy of our current newsletter, please reply back to this devotional.If you would like to commit to prayer for us, or help us out finically, please visit our Prayer Page.

Revelation 12:1-17

2007-10-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Jim,

Being that it is the week of Halloween, I thought that we would take a look at the evil that we live with. We are going to take a look at where this evil came from, how this evil effects our lives, and is there anything that we can do about it. I hope that it gives you a deeper understanding into the spiritual battle that you and I are involved in, and may explain why some "Bad" things happen.

Revelation 12:1-17
The Woman and the Dragon

1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven:
a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon
under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on
her head. (Mary) 2 She was pregnant and cried
out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then
another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red
dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven
crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the
stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. (satan & demons)
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was
about to give birth, so that he might devour her
child the moment it was born. (Jesus) 5 She gave birth
to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations
with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched
up to God and to his throne.
6 The woman fled into the desert to a place
prepared for her by God, where she might
be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 And there was war in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, (satan) and
the dragon and his angels (demons) fought back. 8 But he
was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent
called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.
He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now
have come the salvation and the power and the
kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them
before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
13 When the dragon (satan) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17 Then the dragon (satan) was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring-those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (All of Us)

Evil Spirits
I have to say that I was very skeptical about evil spirits and demon possession until I met a lady in the Family Christian Book Store I managed. I walked up and said "Hi" then went about my business. I noticed that she was following me, it looked like she wanted to talk to me, but was afraid to. She finally spoke up.

As she was telling me her story, I thought she was pulling my leg, but as she went on with her story, I could tell that she was scared to death and had no idea what to do. I could have sold her thousands of dollars of products, she just wanted the spirits out of her life. She told me that the spirits would make noise in the middle of the night, shut doors behind her, move items, and one story that made the largest impression on me is that she could tell that her dog could sense the evil spirits. She told me that her dog would look past her and almost follow or track something that was not there. OK I have goosebumps.

I then asked her how these evil spirits came into her life. She told me that she invited them into her house. A while back she was looking at a picture and saw a "Light" she became curious. She began to study orbs and crystals. She thought that it was very innocent as they where "Healing" crystals. So, she began to go to these shops and buy very bad things, she then brought them into her house.

Where satan and demons Come From
After reading the above verses, it is very clear that satan and his demons were once angels in heaven cast down here to earth. If you read Ezekiel 28:14-19 you will read that satan's sin was pride. I know that we have spoken about this in another devotional, but satan is described by GOD as "Blameless", I would go as far to say that visually satan is quite beautiful and attractive.
satan and his demon's purpose here on earth is quite simple "Make war" against you and I. Did you read that "W" word? WAR, not tease, not annoy, or name calling.... it is WAR! And satan knows there is not much time left.

So, How Does This Effect Me?
Before we look at how these evil spirits effect us, let's answer the question; WHY? Once you said YES to Jesus Christ you chose a side between good and evil. You just entered the battle and you are on Jesus' side (BTW, we win in the end) but during that time satan has chosen to wage war on you, wether you like it or not. And the closer you are to Christ or the more active you are, the more warfare you will feel. So, when you are attacked, do not get frustrated, be honored, the enemy is picking on you because you have become dangerous to him.

So how can satan effect us? Let's take a historical look:
satan can influence people against us as Job saw.
satan can influence nature.satan can inflict pain & sickness.
satan can influence speech/muteness.
satan influence our bodies/seizures.
satan entered Judas.
An evil spirit was allowed to enter Saul and tormented him.
People can be possessed by more than one evil spirits as found in Luke 8:30-31. The evil spirit refers to himself as legion, being that they were many.
The last point that I found interesting was that satan can hinder us and what we are doing in our day.

What Can We Do?
First, I believe that we need to remember we are in a war, and we are deep in the enemies territory. We are told in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that satan is the god of this age.A evil spirit cannot enter into you, unless you invite him in there. We are told in 1 John 4:4 that what we have inside us (Jesus) is greater than that of this world.

You also need to know that satan can not take a pee pee without our LORD allowing it. So, if you feel that you are being attacked by satan, your LORD knows about it, it might be a test or a chance for you to grow in your faith in Christ.

In closing, how can we counter attack the evil one? Well, I would start each day by praying on your amour. If you feel you are under attack, do as Jesus did and quote scripture. There is one tool that we have that I feel we do not use as we should; there is POWER in the name of Jesus. If you read the Bible many times when people or angels were under attack, they rebuked the evil one with the name of our Lord. See Jude 1:9, Luke 10:17, Zechariah 3:1-2 for just a few examples.

Just as Jesus was sending out the 72 in Luke 10, he gave them authority to trample on evil spirits and overcome the power of the enemy. I believe that scriptures parallels our lives. Jesus has appointed us to go out into the world, and He has given us authority, are you using it? - Have a Blessed week in the LORD.

Bible Trivia
What hindered Paul from visiting the Thessalonians Christians?
Hint: 1 Thessalonians 2:18

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Grand Opening!
The Connection ChurchThank you to all that have been praying for us. We signed a lease (10/15/07) on a building, on the busiest street in our town. We have a grand opening planned for 11/04/07. It has been amazing to see GOD meet our every need. Again, thank you and keep praying!
If you would like a copy of our current newsletter, please reply back to this devotional.If you would like to commit to prayer for us, or help us out finically, please visit our Prayer Page.

Matthew 27-28

2007-10-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lack of Faith?
Matthew 27-28

Good Morning! I pray that you have had a restful weekend. Over the weekend we started the book of Mark. At first glance each of the four Gospels may look to be the same. The same people, same stories, and they all end the same way. So, some may read one, but not read the other three thinking that if you have read one, you do not need to read the others.

We will take a closer look, and hopefully you will see the difference between the four. If you have a friend that wanted to start to read the Bible, Mark would be an awesome book to start them on. If you look at Matthew, the start of the book goes into all the genealogy of Jesus. I know that if I started to read any story, a full line of genealogy would put me to sleep.Mark is a short book, that tell his stories in rapid fire. He tells you the facts, then moves on. Mark uses the word "Immediately" or "At once" 42 times in his book. 42% of the Gospel are Jesus' words. Mark wrote this Gospel under the direction of Peter.

Mark 6:2-6 ESV
2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the
synagogue, and many who heard him were
astonished, saying, "Where did this man get
these things? What is the wisdom given to him?
How are such mighty works done by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and
brother of James and Josesph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took
offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet
is not without honor, except in his hometown and
among his relatives and in his own household."
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except
that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed
them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Lack of Faith
All through the Gospels we read of stories of extreme faith. These people were willing to risk their well being just to be healed. Or we read where Jesus could sense a person's genuine faith in Him.

Then in Mark 6 we see an example of the extreme opposite. The people in Jesus' hometown heard the same message and the same miracles that others have heard, but instead of accepting it, they tried to humanize it. Instead of accepting the divine in Jesus they accepted the human side of Him. Their hearts were hardened, and as you read the end of the story; they missed out on a lot of Jesus miracles. The sick remained sick, the suffering kept on suffering. In fact the Bible even goes as far as to say "Jesus was AMAZED at their lack of faith."

I know that the same is true today. There are some of us that can't accept the divinity of Jesus. Yes, we call ourselves Christians, we are good people, but Jesus was just a good man or a good prophet. I would guess that Jesus is not very active in those people's lives.

Then there are some of us, that do believe the divinity of Jesus. But, we still lack the faith, or maybe a better word is that we do not stretch our faith to see Jesus do miracles in our lives. One example; a person is tight or struggling with money. Because of this reason they do not give Jesus a percent of what is His in the first place (They do not tithe), ie. they lack the faith to trust Jesus that He will provide for them. So as it says in Mark 6, Jesus is not active in their lives, they stay stuck in their sufferings.

If you feel that Jesus is not active in your life, take a look at Mark 6 again. Is Jesus speaking about you? I can tell you honestly, faith is not easy, it is hard. But I can also tell you, that every time Kim and I have stepped out in faith, Jesus has met us there. We have seen things that humanly speaking should not have happened.

I wanted to wish Kimmy a Happy Birthday, still holding at 39 dear? :) - Jim

Thank you honey I love you!!

Bible Trivia
Who was the driving force behind the beheading of John the Baptist?
Hint: Mark 6:22-25

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Church Plant Update
The Connection ChurchIt looks like GOD is going to allow us to sign a lease for a building this month. We are planning our first service 11/4/07. We still need your prayers as there is going to be a lot of work that we are going to need to do.If you would like a copy of our current newsletter, please reply back to this devotional.If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Matthew: The Closing Chapters

2007-10-11T19:59:00.001-07:00

Matthew: The Closing ChaptersMatthew 27-28

Happy Friday! Today we finish with the book of Matthew. Remember that Matthew wrote Matthew to tell the Jews that Jesus was truly the Messiah. There is a hint of this verse 28:15

Chapter 27 and 28 tell of the hours before Jesus' crucifixion. For me, it is always bittersweet. The injustice always angers me, but, at the same time I know that it had to be done for my salvation. There is one event after Jesus gives up His spirit that is not heard of a lot. It is told in verses 52-53

Below is a modern day picture of the Field of Blood where Judas hung himself.

Matthew 26:38-44 ESV
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful,
even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and
prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will,
but as you will." 40 And he came to the disciples
and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter,
"So, could you not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak." 42 Again, for the second time,
he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot
pass unless I drink it, your will be done."
43 And again he came and found them sleeping,
for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again,
he went away and prayed for the third time,
saying the same words again.

Jesus' Prayer
I would guess that Jesus was praying all the time to His FATHER. The Bible makes references when Jesus prayed, but this prayer is the most well known.

I thought we would take a look at this prayer in this devotional and maybe we can apply some traits of Jesus' into our prayer life.

When Jesus was sorrowful and troubled he went to His FATHER in prayer.
This for most of us, I would imagine, would be a given. But, notice how Jesus went into solitude, fell face down and prayed. When you have something troubling you, you need somewhere alone with Jesus. There is nothing like going alone with Jesus in silent prayer.

I do not know about you, but I have had people tell me that you do not need to repeat yourself when you are praying. They have told me that if I repeat myself, it is like I am not trusting Jesus to help me or answer my prayers. I did not know how to feel about this, until I read this passage. Jesus prayed for the same thing three times (See verse 26:44)

The last thing that I found interesting, is the openness and honesty of Jesus. Yes, I know that Jesus was open and honest all the time, but in His Prayer to GOD he shows His anxiety, and apprehension. Jesus knew what was going to happen, He knew all the pain that He was going to have to endure, and He expressed it to His FATHER.This is key to your prayer life. Pour out every fear, apprehension, and anxiety to Jesus, lay it at His feet. Leave it there, and walk away knowing whatever the outcome, Jesus knows the best for you and your life.

Over the weekend we start to read the book of Mark. May the Lord Bless you wherever you may go. - Jim

Bible Trivia
What is the field called today, where Judas hung himself?
Hint: Matthew 27:8Gods411

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Reading Schedule
View October's Reading Schedule

THE RAPTURE IS OCT 11th

2007-10-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

THE RAPTURE IS OCT 11th
Matthew 23-24

Blessings!
Today we are moving closer and closer to the Cross. Jesus, in chapter 23 attacks the Pharisees. This chapter serves as the climax with the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. We read these "Woes" and might look down upon the Pharisees, but let us make sure we are not practicing the same ways.

Chapter 24 is known as "The Olivet Discourse" Part 1. Next to Revelation this passage has more information on end times. Put yourself in the disciple's shoes. imagine Jesus telling them this, what would be your reaction? I would guess that the disciples thought that Jesus would return in their time. They; like us, might have thought, yes there are wars, famine, and earthquakes. Jesus will came back very soon after He leaves.

Matthew 24:4-8, 36, 42-44 ESV
4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one
leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my
name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will
lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars
and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed,
for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom, and there will be famines and
earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but
the beginning of the birth pains.

36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on
what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this,
that if the master of the house had known in what
part of the night the thief was coming, he would have
stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the
Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

THE RAPTURE IS OCT 11th!!!

Well, it could happen tomorrow. Stop and think for a minute, if you knew that the rapture was going to happen tomorrow; you had one more day left on this earth. How differently would you live that day?

Maybe you would try and ask forgiveness from the ones that you have hurt, you know, make sure your slate is clean before you face Jesus.Maybe you would spend that day with your family.Maybe you would call that unsaved friend that you have been meaning to witness too, and try to get them saved.I am sure that each of you would have your own priorities that you would want to take care of. I know for me, I would call in sick to work that day. :) Then ask forgiveness for lying.

We all get so wrapped up in our own worlds, and our problems and troubles, that it is hard to imagine that the rapture really could happen tomorrow. Seriously, it could happen tomorrow. If it did happen, is your heart in the right place to see Jesus?

I know it is hard, but we need to live our life like the rapture is going to happen the next day. Now, I am not saying to call in sick to work, or spend all your money. But, I believe that we need to prioritize our life, make your family more important than your work. Be quick to forgive. Don't be afraid to witness to that friend of yours. Start to read your Bible a little each day. I am sure that the Holy Spirit is laying things on your heart that He would like to see you do. Have a Great Day! - Jim

Oh, By the way..... if the rapture does happen tomorrow..... I am so excited to meet all of you. Let's meet at the feet of Jesus...... Ahhhhhhh :)

Bible Trivia
In Matthew it states that heaven and earth will pass away, but what will NOT pass away?
Hint: Matthew 24:35

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Matthew 16-20

2007-10-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

The Child in You - Matthew 16-20

Happy Columbus Day! I hope that you have had a restful weekend. Over the weekend we have moved up to chapter 20 in Matthew. There is so much good life information in the gospels. If you are like me, these parables that Jesus teaches us, I understand the concept, but Jesus takes these simple commands and gives the concept a whole new dimension. Take forgiveness as an example, yes, I know that I need to forgive people, but Jesus tells us that we need to forgive from the heart. Wow, for me that puts a whole new twist on the concept of forgiveness!

Here are a few more concepts that Jesus tells us that might be worth refreshing your memory.
People That Sin Against You
Mercy/Forgiveness to Others
When Divorce is OK
Being Single

There is one more point of interest that might help you understand Jesus' heart. In chapter 17, Jesus starts to look toward the Cross and cup that He has before Him. In Chapter 19 Jesus leaves Galilee and arrives in Jordan, then in chapter 21 Jesus makes His triumphal entry.

Matthew 18:1-4 ESV
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,
"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.
3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change
and become like little children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven.

The Child In You
I know that you have heard this story before. It is one that Jesus tells a couple of times, so it is a concept that Jesus wants us to understand.

Stop and think for a minute. When you think of a child, what comes to your mind? If you were to ask me, a child is usually happy and care-free. They have a natural curiosity for life. They are quick to forgive and make up. They do not worry about life, they live in the moment. These are just a couple that come to my mind, I am sure that you could add to mine.

Take your list, and now transfer that to your life? Do you display those traits? Jesus tells us to have the attitude of a child, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Those are some pretty strong words, aren't they?

I will share with you where I am trying to let the child out in me again. Maybe you will be able to identify with me.

I personally need to have a deeper curiosity for Jesus and the Bible. I need to stop thinking like I know that or this, and really want to understand and question everything. A child needs to know everything. Have you ever gotten into a conversation about the moon with a child? (Something so simple right?) You know how the conversation goes: Why does the moon smile? Well Johnny, it seems to smile, but actually those are craters that look like a smile. Oh, OK..... What are craters? Well Johnny, craters are made from meteorites. Oh, OK..... what are meteorites? You get the picture? We need to have the same kind of curiosity for Jesus.

I need to stop worrying about my future and what is going to happen, how the bills are going to be paid, are we going to make enough money this month. When was the last time you heard a child asking if we were going to have enough money for food this month? A child puts all their trust into you, they do not worry about the future, they live today, the moment. A BIG lesson for me.

Have you ever watched kids when they are playing? They do fight and argue, but once they find an adult and tell their side of the story. The adult tells them to make up. Both children say they are sorry, then 5 minutes later they are best friends again. This is huge for us. We need to move forgiveness from our heads to our hearts, as Jesus commands us.

So, if anyone ever tells you to stop acting like a child, just smile and know that you are that much closer to the Kingdom of Heaven. :) Have a Blessed Day! Jim

Bible Trivia
When Jesus and Peter were talking about paying the two-drachma tax, where did Jesus tell Peter to find their taxes?
Hint: Matthew 17:24-27

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Church Plant Update
The Connection ChurchIt looks like GOD is going to allow us to sign a lease for a building this month. We are planning our first service 11/4/07. We still need your prayers as there is going to be a lot of work that we are going to need to do.If you would like a copy of our current newsletter, please reply back to this devotional.If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Matthew 12

2007-10-04T20:14:00.001-07:00

Today's Reading - Matthew 12

Good Morning! I hope that you are enjoying the change of reading. The New Testament has a different feel to it doesn't it? We are moving through chapter 12 today, then through chapter 17 over the weekend.

Insight Into Scripture
Chapter 12 is a set of stories that sets Jesus against religious leaders. Verses 1-12 deal with the sabbath observance, casting out demon, seeking a sign from Jesus, then the chapter closes with an epilouge with Jesus' family verses His heavenly family.

Matthew 11:2-6 ESV
2 Now when John heard in prison about
the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by
his disciples 3 and said to him, "Are you the
one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell
John what you hear and see: 5 the blind
receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers
are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead
are raised up, and the poor have good news
preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one
who is not offended by me."

Not the Way You Planned?
When you are reading the Bible and the stories that are in the Bible, you must always put yourself into the story, and into it's characters. When I first started reading the Bible, I used to skim over sections like the above text. But, now I really try and understand what these people were feeling.

Look at John the Baptist. John knew that this great Messiah was coming. In fact John was the one that baptized Jesus to start His ministry (3:13-17). The heavens opened up, GOD spoke, and the Spirit of GOD descended upon Him. So, John must of known that this was the Messiah. I know that if I saw this sign, I would.

So why then, did John ask in verse 11:3:"Are you the one, or should we expect someone else?" To give you a little background John was in Jail. I believe that John was saying in a round about way.Jesus, remember me, I am the one that baptized you, ahhhhh did you know that I am in jail? Bust me out and lets change the world! I want to help, and I am not doing much here in jail!Did you like Jesus' response? Jesus did not say yes or no. But, tells John what you have seen with your own eyes. I do believe that Jesus gave John some words of encouragement in verse 11:6. Jesus was saying hang in there, trust me even if this does not make sense.

Put yourself in John's shoes.
I would guess that he imagined that when the Messiah came, he would be a part of the plan in some way. I would guess that John was excited for the great things he would see and experience. I would guess that John wanted and dreamed about being apart of this. I would bet the last place that John expected to be was in JAIL.

If you know the end of the story; John was beheaded. I wonder if all the way to his death, in the back of his mind John was thinking:Surely Jesus is going to rescue me.Like John, your plans are not always going to line up with Jesus'. In fact there may be sometimes you may be angry or saddened by them.

Go to Jesus, tell Him your honest feelings (Like King David) Jesus honors this. Once you have shared your heart, "Do not fall" V6 if it still does not fit into your plans, trust Jesus. Someday (Maybe in heaven) it will make sense. - Have a great weekend!!! Jim

Bible Trivia
What does the Bible say about fearing man?
Hint: Matthew 7:13-14

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Church Plant Update
The Connection Church
It looks like GOD is going to allow us to sign a lease for a building this month. We are planning our first service 11/4/07. We still need your prayers as there is going to be a lot of work that we are going to need to do.If you would like a copy of our current newsletter, please reply back to this devotional.If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.
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Matthew 7-9

2007-10-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today's Reading - Matthew 7-9

Good Morning! The New Testament is amazing, isn't it? There is so much "Life" information that can apply to our everyday lives, today. Next year for Gods411 devotionals we are going to switch gears a little bit. We are going to go in-depth on some topics, and really take a look at what GOD is wanting us to learn.

Insight Into Scripture
Chapter 5 and 6 of Matthew are must read chapters. Jesus' sermon on the mount has been compared to Moses on Mount Sinai where he first taught GOD's law of ethics.In verse 5:39 Jesus speaks about turning the other cheek if someone strikes you on the right cheek. A blow to the right cheek was the most grievous insult possible in that time. So, Jesus was not referring to the actual physical act of the strike, but the insult of the strike.
In these chapters you will read about Jesus healing the sick and diseased. There is one common bond among those that were healed. They had extreme faith.

Matthew 4:1-11 ESV
The Temptation of Jesus1 Then Jesus was led up
by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and f
orty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter
came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread."
4 But he answered, "It is written,"'Man shall not
live by bread alone,but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.'"5 Then the devil took him
to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down, for it is written,"'He will command
his angels concerning you,'and"'On their hands
they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot
against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall
not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again,
the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you,
if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus
said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,"'You shall
worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and
were ministering to him.

Your Enemy
I have a question for you, but you can't look down and read the rest of the devotional. You have to read the question, then answer. OK?Here is the question: In your mind what does satan look like?

I am sure that if you do a google search for images of satan or devil you will get pictures of this red person with horns, pointy tail, an the infamous pitch fork. Is that what you imagined?

I used to think that until I became closer to Christ, moving me more to the front line, thus knowing my enemy better. To me ( This is clearly my opinion, not fact) satan is the most beautiful creature, being short of Christ, but, the most ugly thing that you have ever witnessed on the inside.

You might ask why would I think this? Well, if satan is ugly and a being that makes you afraid, that would be too easy for us. You would see him, or be tempted by him and run, sin would not appeal to you. But, if satan were beautiful, like sin is at first, it would be very tempting, and hard to resist. If you remember back to Ezekiel 28:12-17 God referred to satan as "Perfect in beauty."

So, why focus on satan or his ways? Well, if you have taken a stand and committed your life to Christ, you now have a mortal enemy. You have taken Christ's side in the spiritual war that is raging on around us. satan will do anything in his power to take you out.

If you do not prepare yourself and know how your enemy is going to attack, you will find yourself another casualty. satan will tempt you, you will fall to his temptation, maybe become discouraged and want to give up all this Jesus stuff. BAM, satan has you right where he wants you. Ineffective for Jesus.

In closing, Jesus was tempted, the model and example of perfection for us. Did you notice how Jesus responded to satan's attacks? Jesus quotes scripture back to satan, did you notice satan's counterattacks after the scripture? There were none. he tried two more times then left. If you do not read your Bible, you are going into the battle with NOTHING on your side. Know your enemy and how he attacks, then kick his butt with the Sword of the Spirit. - Have a great day! Jim

Bible Trivia
Is the gate that lead to destruction narrow or wide?
Hint: Matthew 7:13-14

Reading Schedule
View October's Reading Schedule

Matthew 1-4

2007-09-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

Today's Reading - Matthew 1-4

Wow, it is already October, and we start the New Testament. I always love reading Gospels, the Gospels are Jesus, and each Gospel may tell of the same story, but they are all different as they are told in the eyes and heart of the writer.

Let's get a little background on Matthew before we start. Matthew was written by Matthew, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. Matthew was a tax collector before he began following Jesus, so knowing that he was a tax collector, will help you while you read this book.
I would guess a tax collector would be good with numbers, figures, and details. Matthew tells of a lot of Jesus' teachings. The main goal of Matthew is to make the connection between the Old Testament to the New Testament to prove that Jesus was truly the Messiah. This is why Matthew spent 17 verses tracing back Jesus' genealogy to Abraham.

I am sure that we have heard the story of the birth of Jesus, but Matthew focuses on Joseph's side starting in verse 1:18. Starting in chapter 2 notice the battle between satan and GOD, as satan tried to wipe out Jesus from the beginning.

Matthew 4:18-22 ESV
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter)
and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea,
for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them,
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers,
James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the
boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and
he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and
their father and followed him.

Just As You Are
As I was reading the verses today, I could not help but to think of the men that Jesus chose. They were not the most religious, in fact some were just the opposite of the religious. Just think, these men that Jesus needed were going to change the world, and He had 3 years to train and release these men.

These men were just like you and I. They had certain personality traits, they had a job or trade that they performed, maybe they liked it, maybe they did not. These were just ordinary men. But, Jesus used them, each different, to help with His work.

When Jesus called each man, He did not ask them to change their personality. He did not come to Peter and say, "I need you, but Peter, you have to tone it down a little bit. You need to be a little more passive". He knew every man's trait and used it to His glory. All that Jesus asked was to simply; follow Him.

Jesus knows you. He knows what you like and dislike. He knows if you like to be in front of people, or stay behind the scenes. He knows if you are outspoken or very quiet. Yes, he knows you better than you do. Now here is the neat thing, Jesus does not ask you to change. He wants you just like you are. He can use you just like you are. Jesus knew Mathew's traits, he knew that he was a details guy. And He used him to write an amazing book of the Bible.

Have you heard Jesus call? If you have, are you trying to change to be someone Jesus could use more effectively? If you know that you do not like to be around people, are you trying to force yourself to be around people? DON'T. Jesus wants you just like you are, and He will use you to do amazing things, just like you are. All you need to do is to heed His call to follow Him, and give Him your entire heart, then hang on, for the ride of your life!!! - Have a Great Day! Jim

Bible Trivia
How many generations were in the line of Jesus?(Read carefully, it is a tricky question)
Hint: Matthew 1:17

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We Need Your Prayers
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. The Connection ChurchWe need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, we have had two people with serious injuries, two families pets had to visit the vet/hospital, and I have had my disease is attacking again. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah

2007-09-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today's Reading - Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah

Good Morning! Today, we look at three more minor prophets; Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah. Let's get a little background on these prophets first.
Zephaniah was sent to wake up the people of Judah. GOD wanted them to repent of their sinful ways, and urge them to return to GOD. Zephaniah prophesied in the days of King Josiah.
Haggai was a neat book with a great message. This was my favorite out of the three books. Haggai was sent to tell the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.Zechariah was sent to give hope to the people in Jerusalem by telling them of the coming Messiah.

Haggai 1:5-10 ESV
5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much,
and harvested little. You eat, but you never
have enough; you drink, but you never have
your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is
warm. And he who earns wages does so to put
them into a bag with holes.7" Thus says the LORD
of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the
hills and bring wood and build the house, that
I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified,
says the LORD.
9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little.
And when you brought it home, I blew it away.
Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my
house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself
with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens
above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.

Give Careful Thought
The story of Haggai is simple, yet one that we need to be reminded of. The Lord's house was in "Ruins" while the people were living comfortably. GOD had provided for them, and they became comfortable. GOD was not pleased that His people had forgotten about HIM, so HE reminded them with a drought. (v1:10-11)

Did you catch that it was not so much that the building was in ruins, and not that GOD wanted a building. He wanted the people hearts and minds to be focused on Him, and GOD needed a place to be honored.

I really like the phrase that appears several times in the NIV version; "Give careful thought." It is like GOD was saying to HIS people. "My children, try and put two and two together, I provide for you, you are ignoring ME, and there just happens to be a drought, do you see the connection? Give careful thought to what is happening."

GOD loves us so much, and HE loves to provide for us, but sometimes we start to take these blessings for granted. GOD may soon be forgotten as the giver of these gifts, as we start to look to ourselves and others. GOD then may need to get our attention by sending us a "Drought."

If you feel that you are going through a drought in your life right now, you may want to check your heart. Does the place that you meet Jesus, lay in ruins? Or are you spending time daily, building and cleaning it up? Making it a place where Christ can be honored?

Have a great weekend! Over the weekend we finish the Old Testament, then Monday, we start the New Testament. I hope that our study of the Old Testament has blessed you. I know a lot of people dismiss the Old Testament as being not revelent today. I pray that you have seen the opposite.

Bible Trivia
How many swords did the disciples take with them when they followed Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane?
Hint: Luke 22:38-39

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk

2007-09-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

Today's Reading - Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk

Good Morning, today we move through 3 more minor prophets; Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk. All of these are very short, easy read books.

To give you a little background on these minor prophets; Micah's focus is on GOD's hatred of sin, but HIS promise to rescue those with a changed heart. Micah also has one of the clearest prophecies of the coming King; Jesus.

Nahum deals with the fall of Nineveh. There is a very graphic description of Nineveh after their destruction. After reading this, GOD is a god of love, mercy, and second chances, but HE is also a god that is to be taken seriously.

Habakkuk is an neat book. It is dialogue between Habakkuk and GOD. The apostle Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17. For you history lovers, this verse had a profound influence on Martin Luther which lead to the Protestant reformation.

Habakkuk 1:4, 13-14, 2:4 ESV
4 So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
13 You who are of purer eyes than
to see evil and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors and remain
silent when the wicked swallows up the man
more righteous than he?
14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler. (Habakkuk speaking)
2:4 Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith. (GOD speaking)

Righteous Live By Faith
There are some passages that I read in the Bible that I have to remind myself that these words were written thousands of years ago. The reason I remind myself of this is because the words that were written seem to apply to our day and age. A great example of this is verse 1:4 "The law is paralyzed."

I can identify with Habakkuk and his thoughts. I have had many conversations (OK, complaints) with GOD about this sickness that HE has allowed me to have. I have asked GOD many times: Why do I have this?
I love YOU, and I do my best to serve YOU will all my heart.
I could do so much more for YOUR kingdom if I felt good.
How come YOU let me feel sick?
WHY, WHY, WHY?
Why don't you give this to some child rapist that is sitting in jail, or some murderer, or anyone who takes a clear stand against YOU? Give this to them!

You know with all the questions and complaints that I have presented to GOD, HE has never once shown me a clear answer. HE has not even revealed a little bit of the future either, it is a day by day FAITH issue. It would be so easy to accept if I knew THIS is why you have this, HERE is what I am doing, this is WHY.

I am sure, that if you think for a moment, you can identify with mine and Habakkuk thoughts. Maybe you are not sick, but struggling with finances, finding a spouse, struggling with a job/boss, getting picked on or ridiculed for what you believe and stand up for.

The events that you go through in your life, GOD may never tell you why, until you go home. You may search the Bible forwards and back, and never come up with the answer.
But, I can tell you three principles that we need to live by:
GOD is sovereign. Meaning HIS wisdom goes way beyond ours. HE knows all, and HIS ways are perfect.
BUT....... no buts, GOD is sovereign....period.
Habakkuk 2:4 - The righteous live by FAITH.
Live your life day by day. Take each day one day at a time.
We are taught this by the Lord's Prayer, and the parable of the birds.

Have a blessed day!
For Friday's reading start to take a look at Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah.

Bible Trivia
Did Jesus know He was to be crucified?
Hint: Matthew 20:17-19

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View September's Reading Schedule

We Need Your Prayers
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. The Connection Church
We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, we have had two people with serious injuries, two families pets had to visit the vet/hospital, and I have had my disease is attacking again. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Hope to see you Friday! :)

Obadiah & Jonah

2007-09-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

Today's Reading - Obadiah & Jonah

Good Monday Morning! I hope that you have had a restful weekend. Today we are looking at two more prophets; Obadiah and Jonah. Obadiah is a short book that is aimed at the Edomites; a people who did not support Israel when they were being destroyed. You can find a list of the crimes against the Edomites in verses 11-14. The main theme of Obadiah is that GOD will punish those who refuse to live justly & right.

Jonah is a great book that is very easy to read. I would encourage you to take the time to read it. Jonah answers the question whether GOD blesses the wicked. It should be read as a parable. As you are reading watch for GOD's control over nature, and animals. Jesus makes reference to this story in Mathew 12:39-41

Jonah 4:5-11 ESV
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the
city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under
it in the shade, till he should see what would become
of the city. 6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and
made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over
his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was
exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came
up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the
plant, so that it withered.....
8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind,
and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was
faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better
for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you do
well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to
be angry, angry enough to die." 10 And the LORD said,
"You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did
you make it grow, which came into being in a night and
perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh,
that great city, in which there are more than 120,000
persons who do not know their right hand from their
left, and also much cattle?"

A Little of Jonah in All of Us
As I read the story of Jonah, I can see a little of Jonah (Well a lot) in myself. See if you can identify with Jonah's attitude.

Have you ever felt that GOD was calling you to HIM, or to do a certain task? You may be resisting HIS calling... maybe you feel that you are not ready, maybe you are not ready to make the commitment, maybe it is something that you are against. Whatever your feelings may be, you turn away from GOD's calling, like Jonah. In fact Jonah headed for Tarshish, the exact opposite direction of Nineveh.

After some time of fleeing or avoiding GOD's calling you have either come to know or will come to know that once Jesus has begun to work in your heart, you usually will submit to Jesus' love for you. His love is intriguing, once you feel a small part of it, you must experience more. So, now you are becoming committed to His task, so you feel that it is yours.

That is so common today, when we do our everyday tasks it is so easy to forget that we have Jesus helping us, I know that I feel a lot of times that I have to do it all, I forget I am the servant, He is my master. All He asks me is to do my best, the results are up to Him, and I have to be OK with whatever He decides to do. He is Christ, I am not.

This is where Jonah failed. He forgot that GOD is sovereign, HE is in control. Jonah was the servant, but he forgot this and became angry with GOD. GOD even gave Jonah a wonderful example with the vine for shade. Jonah did nothing to cultivate the vine (Nineveh) so it was not his to dictate what happens to the vine. Nineveh was GOD's. He had been at work there for some time, it was HIS, not Jonah's.

In your life there are going to be things that happen that you will not agree with. I know it is hard because we have feelings and we care about certain situations. But, we must always remember that GOD is sovereign, HE knows best. Always look to Him whether things are good or bad.

Bible Trivia
What made Jonah angry enough to die?
Hint: Jonah 4:6-9

September's Reading Schedule

Have a Blessed Day!

Joel & Amos

2007-09-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Two Prophets Joel & Amos

Happy Friday. In today's readings we work our way through two small books of the Bible; Joel and Amos.
To give you a little history on both; Joel was written by Joel, son of Pethuel. The message of Joel is that there is going to come a day that GOD will intervene in human history. GOD has influences on our daily life, but, there will come a time when we will meet face to face. Only a changed heart and life though Jesus Christ will bring around restoration.
We also learn in Joel that GOD chastens/disciplines the ones HE loves.

Amos is a book that was written to a very specific group of people. Amos was prophesying to a rich society and people. The time period was during the reign of Uzziah, and Jeroboam. Do you remember Uzziah from 2 Chronicles 26:1-4?One trait that I like about Amos is that he was just a regular guy. GOD loves to use the ordinary and plain to do the extraordinary. That to me is always encouraging!

Amos 4:5, 5:21-23
5 Burn leavened bread as a thank
offering and brag about your freewill
offerings- boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,"
declares the Sovereign LORD. - NIV Version

21 "I hate, I despise your feasts,and I take
no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt
offerings and grain offerings,I will not
accept them;and the peace offerings
of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
deceased away from me the noise
of your songs;
to the melody of your harps
I will not listen. - ESV Version - Very strong words, huh?

Thought for the Day
Today, I thought that we would touch on both themes from Joel and Amos.Joel's message is very clear; every person currently living or deceased, will come face to face with GOD in judgement for their sins. No one will escape this judgement, no one. The one, the only thing that will save us is:

And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls. Joel 2:32

Yes, it is that simple, and that easy; Jesus Christ. This is our mission, we as believers know this, but our friends and family are going to face the same judgement from GOD, and they may not know this. We MUST spread this good news, I cannot imagine myself before GOD receiving my judgement and seeing my friend next to me knowing that he is going to receive the same judgment, and I never told him the Good News.
What a shame I would feel if he were to look at me and ask, "Why did you never tell me about this?" I do not want to be in that position, even if it means that he may think I am a "Jesus Freak" here on earth.
Amos is directed at your heart. Amos wanted to make sure that your offerings to GOD are pure and true. Your "Offerings" are not only money, but can be time, worship, and life. We need to do a heart check every once in a while to make sure our motives are done with a pure heart.
We were watching the movie "Facing the Giants" (Good movie by the way), the movie had a great example of this. The head coach was in desperate need of a new car, so a player and his father gave him a new truck. They pushed his old car away, and left the new truck in it's place with a note on the window and the title in the truck.
The two sat in their car at a distance from the coach and watched him and his reaction. The coach saw GOD, and how HE met a need of his. I am sure that the coach knew it was someone that he knew, but GOD received the glory, not the player and his father. Just before the scene ended, the father said to the son, "No one knows about this." A wonderful offering from the heart to glorify GOD and meet a need of HIS body. Very cool! - Have a Blessed Weekend - Jim :)

Bible Trivia
Amos refers to a different kind of famine, not a famine for food or water, but a famine........?? Hint: Amos 11-12

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Have a Blessed Day!

Daniel

2007-09-16T18:28:00.001-07:00

Do You Bring Glory to GOD? - Daniel

Good Morning! I hope that you have had a restful weekend and found time to read a little bit of Daniel. For me, it was a nice change up from reading about the sin that caused the doom and destruction of Jerusalem, to the triumph of taking a stand for GOD.

There are two good stories; The Fiery Furnace and Daniel and the Lions Den that would be worth your time reading.

To give you a little history on the book of Daniel. If you were to place Daniel in chronological order, it would appear around 2 Chronicles 36:4-10; the reign of king Jehoiakim. You see the Bible is not that hard when you start to put all the pieces together. Daniel should be divided into two parts, Chapters 1-6 tells of stories of Daniel, while chapters 7-12 tell of Daniel's visions of end times. These chapters would be a good companion to Revelation.

There are two other stories that are worth reading. One is a good story on dieting and the other is a king that GOD turned crazy, he started eating grass like a cow?!? This was due to his prideful ways. So, if you ever have a craving for grass, you may need to check your pride level. :)

Daniel 3:28-30 ESV
28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed
be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who has sent his angel and delivered his servants,
who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command,
and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and
worship any god except their own God....
29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation,
or language that speaks anything against the God
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn
limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there
is no other god who is able to rescue in this way."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Thought for the Day
These verses are the ending of the story of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. Daniel has two stories where a believer's faith was tested to the extreme. In both of these stories the situation must have been terribly stressful, try for a moment to put yourself in their position.

In both situations, it meant sure human death, if GOD did not intervene. But in both stories they went boldly, not knowing if GOD would rescue them, or if they would find themselves at Jesus' feet in heaven. I would imagine most of us would not have to have our faith tested to those extremes, but when your faith is tested by the fires of life, is GOD glorified?

We as followers face trials every day, some are very large, and some are minor, but all are a test of our faith. How you handle these fiery trials is an example of how strong your faith is. If you crumble, become discouraged, maybe become angry at GOD, your faith needs to be strengthened. But, if you endure these trials with the attitude that no matter the outcome, you will trust and keep the faith that GOD is sovereign.

Always know that your friends and the other people that know you, know what you believe and stand for. Every time you withstand a fiery trial, speaks volumes of your faith. You are a shinning example of Jesus without speaking a word, GOD is glorified, satan losses. Heh Heh Heh.
Remember this when you face the next trial. I truly believe that we will be rewarded for our faithfulness when we go home. Have a GOD Glorified Day! Jim

Bible Trivia
What new name was given to Daniel?
Hint: Daniel 1:7

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View September's Reading Schedule

We Need Your Prayers
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. The Connection ChurchWe need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, we have had two people with serious injuries, two families pets had to visit the vet/hospital, and I have had my disease is attacking again. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Have a Blessed Day!

Ezekiel 46-48

2007-09-13T19:04:00.001-07:00

Are You Being Honest? - Ezekiel 46-48

Happy Friday! Today we finish with Ezekiel and over the weekend we will just about read all of Daniel. Over the weekend try and find some quiet time with GOD, maybe go to the park and read some of Daniel, it is a good story.As we finish with Ezekiel, we read about the vision Ezekiel is having with "The man" about the new temple, land boundaries, division of the land, and the customs that GOD is bringing back. I love the last phrase of the book of Ezekiel. It gives hope for the future city and hope in the hearts and mind of it's people. Perfect ending to the book.

Ezekiel 45:9-12
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have gone far
enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and
oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing
my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. 10 You are to
use accurate scales, an accurate ephah and an accurate bath.
11 The ephah and the bath are to be the same size, the bath
containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer;
the homer is to be the standard measure for both. 12 The shekel
is to consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty- five
shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina.

Thought for the Day
You might read the above verses and think that this only applies to people that run a business or company. So, if I do not own a company or business then it does not apply to me, right?

This principle applies to business people, and the individual and his or her personal life too. This principle should not only apply to our Christian brothers and sisters, but especially to our non- believing friends. What a great way to be an example for Jesus.

These principles go beyond money, I would call it personal integrity. Stop and think for a moment, think about some dealings that you have had with a friend or business contact. If you have a situation in mind, would you have done the same thing if Jesus were standing right next to you?

Maybe instead of lending that person money, you might have given that person the money, without asking anything in return. Maybe instead of selling an item for more than you think it was worth, you would have sold it for the true value. And here is a hard one, what if someone at the store gives you too much change back? You have left the building and are counting your change, and realize the store gave you $20 instead of $10. Do you say to yourself, "It was their careless mistake" or do you go back and return it to the cashier? No one else knows........ except Jesus.

The way that we conduct business with our money speak volumes about us as Christians. It is tempting when we are faced with these situations, but money, and our love for it, is one major value that separates us from the the world. Did you happen to notice in the scriptures, that if a person cheated another person on a measurement of a ephah, they were also cheating GOD? When that cheated person would offer up that ephah as a sacrifice it would not be a true ephah. I would think that GOD would not hold the cheated person responsible, but the person that did the cheating responsible.

Bible Trivia
What was the potter's field also known as?
Hint: Matthew 27:7-8

Have a Blessed Day!

Ezekiel 40-42

2007-09-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Your Duty As Believers - Ezekiel 40-42

Good Morning! Chapter 33 is the start of a new tone in the book. The tone changes from doom to hope and restoration. Chapter 33 and 34 give us, what I believe, is good insight on our accountability if you are a follower of Christ.Chapters 35 & 36 are more prophecies. Chapter 37 is a well known story that I am sure you have you have heard sermons on this chapter before; The Valley of Dry Bones.
Chapter 40 is a great turning point for the people of Israel. After being scattered and living in poverty GOD is going to bring HIS people together. GOD is going to breath life into the temple and gives Ezekiel dimension and instructions. Notice how GOD is a god of detail as you read chapters 40 and on.
The other verse worth noting is 33:11 GOD has said twice that he cares for the wicked in this book. He gives us a good example.

Ezekiel 33:7-9 NIV
7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman
for the house of Israel; so hear the word I
speak and give them warning from me.
8 When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man,
you will surely die,' and you do not speak
out to dissuade him from his ways, that
wicked man will die for his sin, and I will
hold you accountable for his blood.
9 But if you do warn the wicked man
to turn from his ways and he does not do
so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

Thought for the Day
These are some pretty strong words spoken by GOD. GOD will hold us accountable for others around us who are non-believers that are a part of our lives. I am not GOD and I do not know on what level of accountability we are going to be held, but I do know what it says in the Bible. We are told to GO and make disciples.

To be honest this really should come naturally. Once anyone has had an encounter with Jesus Christ, it is hard not to tell others what amazing things He has done in your life. If you are not there yet, I would encourage you to move into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Once you start to seek Him, He will meet you there and amazing things will start to take place in your life.

In sharing Jesus with others remember that everyone has their own style. For a long time I used to feel bad that I did not have a BOLD faith where I could just walk up to a stranger and preach fire and brimstone.

We have a person in our church plant that has this gift, and I really admire him for it. But that is not me, I have come to learn that I have other gifts and other ways of reaching people for Christ.

Jesus knows this, and He knows you. He will use you and your personality for His glory. Jesus needs all types, the bold and the shy. The important thing is that you are making a effort and allowing Jesus' love to shine through you.

In Closing.... September 13th and 14th is Rosh Hashanah or The Feast of Trumpets. I believe as Christians we need to be aware of the 7 "Holidays" or "Feasts" that GOD appointed with our ancestors. You can read more about the Jewish holiday in the link, be sure to click on the Shofar to hear it blow.
Rosh Hashanah is a day of no work and solemn rest. In searching for links of Rosh Hashanah I found this one minute video worth watching; never give up fighting!

Bible Trivia
What river divided when the prophet Elisha struck it with Elijah's cloak?
Hint: 2 Kings 2:12-14

Have a Blessed Day!

Ezekiel 33-36

2007-09-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

satan - Behind the Scenes - Ezekiel 33-36

There are times when I am reading the Bible, my mind becomes distracted. It starts to wander and think about "Life." For me, when I read the Bible, I read in little portions, not chapter after chapter. By doing this I find I get more out of the text and the Bible stays fresh and alive.
The reason that I mentioned this, is if you were not paying attention you might of missed a very interesting section of our readings; Chapter 28:11-19 .
At once glance you would think that this is a prophecy against the King of Tyre, but these words are directed at someone totally different.
In studying the Bible there is what is called a double reference, another good example is when Jesus was speaking to Peter, but He was actually speaking to someone else. Jesus spoke to Peter and told him, Get behind me, Satan! This was not directed at Peter, but the force behind Peter.
Here Ezekiel is speaking to the King of Tyre, but the message is actually for the force behind the king; satan.

The picture below is the fantastic remains of the ancient Triumphal Arch in Tyre, Lebanon. In this prophecy GOD told Tyre that they were finished, and if you read the history of Tyre, was GOD said, came true.

Ezekiel 28:11-17 ESV
11 The word of the LORD came to me:
12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning
the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what
the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You were the
model of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect
in beauty.
(A Human would not be a model of perfection)

13 You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious
stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite,
onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you
were created they were prepared.
(Humans are born, not created)

14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
(Holy Temple of GOD)

15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
(Humans born are sinful, not blameless)

16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.

17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.

Thought for the Day
I do not know about you, but sometimes I ask myself, "Why does life have to be so hard at times?" In these times it is good to remind myself that I am involved in this huge cosmic battle between good and evil. I have taken a stand, and I now have this force that hates me and will do anything to take me down and make my life hard at times.

In Ephesians 6:12 we are told that "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Yes, satan does have influences on your life. This does not give us reason to fail and give in, it should give you a fire to fight! You are involved in this massive battle that is coming to an end. satan knows that he lost at the Cross and Ressurection (Heh heh heh sorry satan) so he wants to take as many people and families with him.

You might be thinking, how am I going to battle such a powerful force? One word, JESUS! You have to stay close to Jesus by praying, reading your Bible, surrounding yourself with other soliders.

One tatic that I believe satan is using these days is keeping us busy. We live in a 24/7 world. We have so many "things" and responsibilities these days, that it leaves little time for Jesus and church. If you can identify with this, fight back and make time for the things that are eternal.

So if you are feeling like "Life" is so dang hard, and why does it have to be like this? Remember there is a lot more going on around you that you cannot see. You are involved in the battle of all times, and the real cool thing...... we WIN! :) Keep fighting the good fight! Jesus knows what you are dealing with and He is there to help you, just call on Him.

Bible Trivia
What sin made satan fall?
Hint: Ezekiel 28:17

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Our Church Plant
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. Please visit our web site; The Connection to watch us grow.
We would love your opinions as a believer or non- believer, please visit our Questionnaire Page. Please forward this page to your friends and family if you like, we need your input.
We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, the spiritual warfare has been pretty heavy. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.
Have a Blessed Day!

Ezekiel 22-24

2007-09-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

WHY? - Ezekiel 22-24

Good Morning! Today we move through chapter 24. In our readings you will read about several oracles that are quite interesting to read. Have you noticed how the LORD addresses HIMSELF through the book of Ezekiel? Sovereign LORD, it appears time and time again.There is another chapter that is worth noting and reading. It is chapter 20. There is one theme that is repeated again and again; do not desecrate MY Sabbaths. The one word that jumped out at me, is "MY". GOD did not call it "The" Sabbath, HE called it MY, like HE is saying to us that it was/is personal to HIM.

Ezekiel 24:15-24 ESV
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man,
behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away
from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep,
nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud;
make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban,
and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips,
nor eat the bread of men." 18 So I spoke to the people
in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the
next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what
these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"
20 Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:
21 'Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD:
Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power,
the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and
your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips,
nor eat the bread of men. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads
and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but
you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another.
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he
has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know
that I am the Lord GOD.'

Thought for the Day
Wow, after you read this story there is not much else you can say. Can you even try and put yourself in Ezekiel's shoes for a moment? I am not sure if I can.

Imagine GOD telling you that HE is going to kill your spouse or loved one for the cause of the project that He is having you work on. For me, we are starting a church in Ocean Shores If GOD told me that HE was going to take Kim (my wife), and because of her dying, others would see the example and learn. I think that I would say,"Forget the church LORD, I do not want to be involved anymore!" What would be your response to GOD?

What a test of faith on Ezekiel's part. And to make matters harder, GOD told Ezekiel that he was not to mourn, he was to dress normal with a festive turban and sandals. He could not act or dress like he was in mourning. If you remember, the "Act" of mourning was very big back them. A person would put on a sackcloth, maybe shave, and put ash on his/her face. To ask Ezekiel not to mourn was HUGE!

There are two points that I wanted to make to get you thinking. Serving GOD at times is not easy, and at times there are going to be situations that do not make sense, in fact it may even cause you to think, "This is not worth it." It is OK to think these things, because when you work through these feelings you will come out a stronger person.

Just make sure you work through them, or have someone help you through. Do not let the situation push you away from Jesus. Yes, know that GOD will take you places and will ask you to do things that you are not going to want to do, or go. But, you must. GOD will never leave you and if He brings you into a situation, HE will see you through it.

In closing, you always need to remember this; how you act during a personal crisis can speak much louder than any words could.

Know that whatever you are going through is inspiring a lot of other people. You do not have to tell your story or preach, people know, and you give them hope. The pain that you will go through will inspire many.

Bible Trivia
When Moses died, in what land did GOD bury him?
Hint: Deuteronomy 34:5-6

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View September's Reading Schedule
Our Church PlantA group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. Please visit our web site; The Connection to watch us grow.
We would love your opinions as a believer or non- believer, please visit our Questionnaire Page. Please forward this page to your friends and family if you like, we need your input.
We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, the spiritual warfare has been pretty heavy. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Ezekiel 17-19

2007-09-04T17:59:00.001-07:00

Where is Your Heart? - Ezekiel 17-19

Good Morning! I really enjoyed the chapters that we read today. Did you happen to catch verse 18:32? I know that there are many that believe GOD is this almighty being that is waiting for you do do something wrong, then punish or destroy you. This verse tells of just the opposite.

Ezekiel 14:2-3, 16:30
And the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man,
these men have taken their idols into their hearts,
and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces.
"How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you
did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute

Thought for the Day
Chapter 16 is a neat allegory. I would encourage you to take time to read it. It is a love story of betrayal and unfaithfulness. It is a story that if you were to change the names and make it into a story that anyone could relate in today's world, we would shake our head in sorrow, and curse the unfaithful one. But, we are those unfaithful ones.

I believe that from time to time, we all need a "Heart check?" We need to take time and make sure that our priorities are lining up. Two areas that I always seem to need improvement on are; time and money.

Time is very easy. Make a list of what you spend the most time on and the least amount of time. Now, I am sure that unless you are a monk or nun you are not going to be spending 12 hours a day praying, reading your Bible, or just spending time with GOD. But I would hope that it does appear on your list. If it is on your list, compare that time to your other, leisure, time.

How does it compare to your TV or computer time? I just did one of the time checks and realized that I was not spending enough time in prayer. It is funny how you start out good, and it is a priority, but life seems to get in the way. You really have to fight for your GOD time.

Money is the other "Heart Check" When was the last time you sat down and figured out how much you are tithing? Or maybe you are at the point of looking at..... if you are not tithing. I have come to learn that the actual act of tithing is what is not important, it is the TRUST that GOD is in control. You are depending on HIM and not of the world to get you by day by day.

This has been very hard for me, you see, I like to control my money. I always have, so this is a day by day growth process for me. One thing that I have learned is that GOD works with your daily needs. HE wants you to need HIM day by day. Just think, if GOD put a million dollars in your bank account, do you think that you would need HIM as much as when you need HIM day by day. I know that I would start to become a little comfortable.

One other little voice that has been echoing in my head, is that you can not out give GOD. I am trying to get up enough faith to challenge HIM in this area. Have you ever thought about that, or tried it? It is hard, I know.
I hope that you find time this week for a "Heart Check" we all need occasional tune ups. Have a great day! - Jim

Bible Trivia
What does GOD compare idol worship too?
Hint: Ezekiel 16:32

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Our Church PlantA group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. Please visit our web site; The Connection to watch us grow.We would love your opinions as a believer or non- believer, please visit our Questionnaire Page. Please forward this page to your friends and family if you like, we need your input.We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, the spiritual warfare has been pretty heavy. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.
Have a Blessed Day!

Ezekiel 10-13

2007-09-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Are You Honest with GOD? - Ezekiel 10-13

Happy Labor Day! I hope that you are enjoying this last big three day weekend before the fall season.
Over the weekend we started Ezekiel. Ezekiel was an Israelite priest and prophet who was taken to Babylon with the first wave of captives from Judah around 598 B.C.Ezekiel contains a variety of prophetic visions and oracles, which Ezekiel presented to the exiles over a 22 year period. Ezekiel has some bizarre visions that are quite interesting to read. Chapters 1 and 2 are a great examples.If you have an artist or if you connect with GOD through an expression of art, here is a neat exercise. Read Ezekiel 1, then draw what you are reading. If you like, send your drawing to me and I will post it in the devotional.

Jeremiah 20:7-13 ESV
7 O LORD, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, "Violence and destruction!
"For the word of the LORD has become for mea reproach and derision all day long.
9 If I say, "I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,
"there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
10 For I hear many whispering.
Terror is on every side!
"Denounce him! Let us denounce him!"
say all my close friends,
watching for my fall.
"Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we can overcome him
and take our revenge on him."
11 But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
12 O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
13 Sing to the LORD;
praise the LORD!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.

Thought for the Day
While I work I listen to a lot of sermons, podcasts from various pastors that I like. I was listening to one that got me thinking about Jeremiah again, so I went back and visited our friend Jeremiah.

One trait that I admire about Jeremiah, was how he was honest with GOD. Let's face it, if you move to the front line in GOD's army, there are going to be things that GOD asks you to do which will be difficult. You may not be the most popular person, you may be ridiculed, and even not liked by non-believers, and yes, even other believers.

I believe that a good test of your relationship with Christ is your ability to be honest with Him. There were several occasions where Jeremiah complained to GOD; See Jeremiah 11:18-12:6; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:18- 23; 20:7-13, 14-18. In these passages you will read where Jeremiah expresses his frustrations of being GOD's prophet.

So, how honest are you with GOD? Do you tell HIM when you are sad, mad, hurt, frustrated, or are just struggling to keep it all together? Please do not misunderstand me, being honest with GOD is not bashing, or being hurtful to HIM. There should always be the underlying respect and honor for who HE is. Being honest means acknowledging who GOD is, but telling HIM, I do not get this!

One experience that I had, when I was very sick, I was very angry at GOD. I remember nights in bed yelling at HIM, "I do not understand", I asked HIM repeatedly "What are you doing to me?" "WHY?" Through this experience my relationship with HIM grew. My honesty took our relationship to a new level, I now know that I can be very honest with HIM and have HIM still love me the same, plus, I felt much better getting those feelings off my chest. HE knows what you are feeling and thinking anyway, so why not verbally express it?

If you are not at the point in your relationship where you are honest with GOD. Move in that direction. It is very emotionally freeing and you will find yourself in a deeper friendship with Jesus. :)

Bible Trivia
What did GOD ask Ezekiel to eat?
Hint: Ezekiel 3:1-3

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Our Church Plant
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. Please visit our web site; The Connection to watch us grow.
We would love your opinions as a believer or non- believer, please visit our Questionnaire Page. Please forward this page to your friends and family if you like, we need your input.
We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, the spiritual warfare has been pretty heavy. If you would like to commit to prayer for us, please visit our Prayer Page page.
Enjoy Your Labor Day!

Lamentations 3-5

2007-08-30T20:43:00.001-07:00

Why am I lonely? - Lamentations 3-5

Lamentations Key Verse
The LORD has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago - Lamentations 2:17

Good Morning! Today is the start of the last, big 3 day weekend. It is usually a goodbye to summer and hello to the fall season. I hope that your summer was good and you have many fond memories. I also hope that you are excited about the fall, and the plans that GOD has for you.

I usually do not like to talk about myself, and I have a hard time asking for help when it is needed. But, as many of you have pointed out, we are a body, and the body supports each other. This fall (October) we are launching a new church, and the attacks have been pretty harsh. Please take a minute and visit the section below on our new church start. :)

Today we read Lamentations, and if you remember, Lamentations tells about deep personal suffering and spiritual agony. It is a series of 5 laments. Lamentations reflects a huge turning point in biblical history; the fall of Jerusalem.
One interesting point that I was talking about to my Spiritual Architect (Pastor, neat name for a pastor, huh?) and I did not realize, was when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, they surrounded the city for 2 years and would not let anything or anyone in or out. (Jeremiah 52:4-5) They basically starved the city to death. There is evidence of this all over Lamentations.
We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness. - Lamentation 5:9
See 1:19, 2:11-12, 3:38-45, 4:4, 9-10 for more crying out for food.

Lamentation 3:22-26 ESV
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Thought for the Day
As I was reading Lamentations last night, I started to become very sad. I could imagine one of my friends hurting and crying out for help. I then had flashbacks to some of my times when I had been that lonely, scared, and hurting. Just reaching out for someone to support, love, and just give me a hug, telling me that everything is going to be OK.

I believe that at one time in our lives we have felt alone, even if you are married or have a lot of people around you. You have this empty feeling inside. I know that sometimes GOD will back away from us, so that we seek HIM, HE wants us to pursue HIM. But, sometimes we do this to ourselves, we sin, and sin separates us from GOD. Separation from GOD is LONELY.

In fact, I believe, that that is what hell will be like....total separation from GOD.....very lonely. Even here on earth you are surrounded by GOD. HE is in the sky, the wind, the sunsets, HE is nature, HE is in people, your animals, just imagine a place without any of that......very LONELY place.

Because we sin, we feel alone because we are building a wall between us and GOD. It does not have to be "Big" sins either. Pride, jealousy, anger, all of that puts up another brick on the wall that separates us.

Is it time that you tear down the wall and have that close feeling with GOD again?

The other reason that I have felt alone in my life, is that I was not connected to another group of believers. I was amazed when I did make the effort to get connected to a group of people that cared for me. It was/is amazing! To have people that love and accept you for who you are, to know that I ALWAYS have someone that I can call, that will help me. People that call me and see if I am OK. It is a feeling that I am never alone.

If you have not experienced this or have not felt like this, I would encourage you to seek it out. Find a group of believers and get CONNECTED.

Our Church Plant
A group of us are starting a church in Ocean Shores, WA. Please visit our web site; The Connection to watch us grow.
We would love your opinions as a believer or non- believer, please visit our Questionnaire Page. Please forward this page to your friends and family if you like, we need your input.
We need and would covet your prayers! Since we have started this, satan has been right there, the spiritual warfare has been pretty heavy. If you would like to commit to prayer for us or if you feel lead to help with start up costs, please visit our donation page.

Bible Trivia
What was the potter's field also known as?
Hint: Matthew 27:7-8

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Have an Awesome Labor Day Weekend!

Jeremiah 51-52

2007-08-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

Why Does the Bible Repeat Itself - Jeremiah 51-52

Good Morning! Today we finish up with Jeremiah, then Thursday we start into Lamentations. The end of Jeremiah is a final historical epilogue, this epilogue serves to vindicate Jeremiah as a prophet.
Lamentations is a series of 5 laments over the fall of Jerusalem. The date that Lamentations was written was probably after the fall of Jerusalem (586B.C.) Lamentations emphases on the deep personal suffering and spiritual agony at the fall of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 52:4-7 ESV
This is an arial photo of Jerusalem, these are the same wall that Nebuchadnezzar broke through over 2,000 years ago.4 And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.
5 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
7 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, while the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.

Thought for the Day
As I was reading Jeremiah I found myself starting to skip over sections. I would be reading a certain section, and think to myself, "Oh, I have already read this!" Have you ever found yourself doing that? I mean let's face it, the Bible does repeat itself again and again. But, as I was starting to skip over these sections I thought to myself that GOD put everything in the Bible for a reason, and HE put it in there that many times, so what then, is GOD trying to teach us by repeating HIMSELF again and again.

I believe that GOD is trying to teach us a couple of lessons when we read about the fall of Jerusalem.

First, would be GOD's unending Love, Grace, Mercy, and Patience. Those are 4 pretty deep words, aren't they? Something that we will never understand fully here on earth. GOD has so much love for us that we could sin again and again and again, and HE would forgive us and love us just the same. The other by-products of GOD's great love for us, is HIS grace; giving us what we do not deserve. And HIS mercy; not giving us what we do deserve. The bottom line...... there is nothing that we can not do to, to make GOD not love us, HE just does. Unconditional LOVE.

In my past, I have thought that GOD loves me so much, and I know HE is going to forgive me, so why don't I just keep on sinning, because after all I know that HE will keep forgiving me, right? Well, there are two thoughts that come to mind, first as we grow in Christ, and our relationship grows in Christ, we grow in obedience to HIM. We do not want to sin, we want to make HIM proud of us. It is kind of like the relationship of a father/son or mentor/student. You want your father to be proud of you.

The other lesson, that we can learn from the fall of Jerusalem, sin comes with consequences. Yes, GOD loves us, but HE will correct us when we sin. The most important thing to GOD is our relationship to HIM, and sometimes it can be a painful road back to HIM, as Jerusalem found out.

The last lesson from the fall of Jerusalem, is that whatever GOD says is going to happen, will! Whatever GOD says in HIS Bible will happen. If GOD says that HE will provide for you, HE will. If HE says that HE will always be with you, HE will. HE does not go back on HIS word (The Bible) so hold those truths close to your heart, live by them, they are GOD's promises to YOU. Now for Jerusalem it was not good what GOD promised, but it did happen. I know that we can learn from their mistakes! Have a Blessed Day!! - Jim

Bible Trivia
True or False:The crowds were pleased by the prospect of Jesus dining with Zacchaeus?
Hint: Luke 19:5-7

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Have a Beautiful Day!

Jeremiah 45-48

2007-08-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

Learn From Your Past - Jeremiah 45-48

Happy Monday! I hope that you have had a restful weekend. I know for some, our kids are starting back in school. Our son has about a week more, I would encourage us to all pray for our kids as they start back in school. Pray for protection, guidance in what at times can be a very stressful and alot of pressure to fit in with others.

In our readings, starting in chapter 46 to 51, you will read several oracles against the nations. These are prophetic in nature and are placed at the end of the book. Notice how The Doom of Babylon is GOD's final word.The Doom of Egypt is chapters 46:1-28, then Jeremiah moves to the Doom of Judah's neighbors in chapters 47:1-49:39.
In today's thought we read about the queen of heaven. This idol was a Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility. See Jeremiah 7:18 for more insight on her.

Jeremiah 44:9-10, 15-18
9 Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: 16" As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.
17 But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
18 But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."

Thought for the Day
Do you learn from your past? When you make a mistake are you able to look at it honestly and admit that you did make a mistake, learn, and move on? If we honestly look at ourselves we do not like to admit when we are wrong, it feels better to be right than wrong.

But, here is the problem, if we can not admit when we are wrong, we will repeat the same mistake or sin over and over again. We will never learn from our mistakes.

This is what was happening to the people of Judah. They could not and did not want to learn from their mistakes, even when a prophet from GOD called them on it. They were to the point in verse 16 where they flat out refused to listen, and said "We will not listen to you". They were so stuck in the sin, they had lost sight of GOD.

That is the next dangerous step of not learning from our mistakes. We become disillusioned, we start to believe what we want to believe. We drift farther and farther from GOD and the real truth, into satan's lies and deceit. I have been in this place and it is a sad place to be where your lies become the truth.

The people of Judah were so far from GOD they actually believed that when they were serving the queen of heaven they had better times, now all they have seen was famine and everything they did not have anymore. They could not see that these bad times were due to their sinful ways.

Learn to learn from your mistakes quickly. When you sin be quick to repent, and learn what caused you to sin. How could you avoid it in the future, what steps could you take to not sin again....... learn from your mistakes. - Have a great day, and remember to say a prayer for our kids today. - Jim

Bible Trivia
According to James, what should a tempted person never say?
a) The devil made me do it.
b) My own strength shall save me.
c) It is of little account
d) GOD is tempting me.
Hint: James 1:13

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Have a wonderful Monday!

Jeremiah 34-36

2007-08-23T18:47:00.001-07:00

GOD's Work - Jeremiah 34-36

Good Morning! Some of you have been taking our devotional for quite some time now, and you might have noticed that we did not send a devotional out everyday this week. I was not sure if I should say anything or not, I do not like to focus on me, but those around us, but we could use your prayers. For those of you that are familiar with Kim and ours story, I am sick. Right now I am needing treatment again, so it really zaps about all the energy that I have, which is not much to begin with. I hope to get back on track soon!

Anyways, about today's reading, have you ever wondered how the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah? I have always envied the close communication that Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament had with GOD.
In verse 34:18 you will read about people that cut a calf in half, then walk between those two halves. This was done to make a covenant between two people.

Jeremiah 37:14-15
"That's not true!" Jeremiah said. "I am not deserting to the Babylonians." But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison. 16 Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.

Thought for the Day
If you were not a follower of Christ and if you were to read the Bible from cover to cover, I could not help to think that the person reading could not help to think "These Christians sure do have a hard time." I mean let's face it 11 out of Christ's 12 disciples were martyred, GOD's own son suffered a terrible death, they were always struggling with sin and doing the right thing in a world that does not want to accept them or what they stand for.

For the most part it is true, anyone that has been a Believer knows that life here on earth is not the easiest. So, when then would you want to become a "Christian?" Let me stop here for a minute. If you are saying to yourself that I am a Christian, and my life is pretty easy, you need to move closer to the front lines. You need to become dangerous for Jesus, satan needs to shake in his boots when he hears your name, knowing that you do damage to his mission.

So, to get back to the question, why would anyone want to take this on....the heart ache, going against the world? Well...........
Once you have met Jesus, He changes your life. I would guess that this is the case with most of the people in the Bible, once you have met Jesus, your life is changed forever. You will feel love, acceptance, and peace at a new level (These are just to name a few!) For me and I am sure others, Jesus came and rescued me, when I did not deserve it. I have personally seen things that should have not happened, I have seen things that I can't explain how they happened, except..... that was Jesus.

The other reason, is our reward is not this earth. It is meeting this person; Jesus face to face and spending a lifetime with Him in Heaven. I personally can not fathom meeting Jesus....... my words can't describe it. But, beyond that we will live forever in heaven; a place that even if you tried to imagine how amazing it is going to be, you can't. It is beyond what you can imagine. WOW.

We need to remind ourselves of this, because yes, we are not at home here, our home is heaven. And yes, things down here sometimes are not easy, they are down right hard. So fight the good fight, keep running the race, knowing that when you are done, Jesus will be waiting in heaven for you! - Have a great weekend!! Jim

Bible Trivia
Around whom does the angel of the Lord encamp?
Hint: Psalm 34:7

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Jeremiah 29-31

2007-08-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

Consequences - Jeremiah 29-31

Good Morning! Today we move through chapters 29 to 31. When you read these chapters GOD's people have been captured by the Babylonians. I would guess that the tone would be very somber, their hope would be lost, they have let GOD down for the last time, maybe they feel there are no more second chances.

Chapter 30 and 31 foretell's of how GOD is going to restore, and heal Israel. Chapter 29 is what we are going to focus on today.

Jeremiah 29:4-11
4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of
Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from
Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens
and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and
have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons
and give your daughters in marriage, so that
they too may have sons and daughters. I
ncrease in number there; do not decrease.
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets
and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage
them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,"
declares the LORD.
10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will
come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I
know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Thought for the Day
Chapter 29 was very interesting to me. It is a letter from Jeremiah, on behalf of GOD, to the people that are in exile. The tone of the letter has a very parenting tone to it.

GOD is telling the surviving people to adapt to their new surrounds, keep on living lives, do as the Babylonians tell. GOD even goes as far as to tell them to seek peace, and even pray for the city that has taken them captive, for if they do well, you will do well. But, even though they are living in a foreign land, they must still keep ME as your GOD. Be prepared because they are going to be there awhile (70 years).

That is good advice from GOD. So many times we get ourselves into sin and places that we should not be. I mean let's face it, while we are in that sin it is OK, it feels good for awhile, but GOD is the one being hurt.

But, as soon as we repent, we want GOD to save us right away. We want everything to be the same as it was before we started sinning. The really neat thing about our GOD is that HE is right there, even though we betray HIM and leave HIM, He is right there when we want to return, full of love, and mercy.

But, sometimes there are consequences for our sin, and we should be prepared to accept those consequences and use that time, as a time to get back to GOD, and repair our relationship. During that time, it may feel as if GOD is far away, HE is not, I think sometimes HE may want to see how serious we are and how strong our faith is.

I would hope that we all grow in our relationship with Jesus we would stray away less and less, so that our relationship with Him continues to become more intense. So even when satan launches everything he has at us, we are firmly planted In HIM!!! :)

Bible Trivia
Which one of Joseph's brothers kept his other brothers from killing Joseph?
a) Judah
b) Benjamin
c) Dan
d) Reuben
Hint: Genesis 37:17-21

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Have a BLESSED Day!

Jeremiah 23-25

2007-08-19T21:07:00.001-07:00

GOD is in Control - Jeremiah 23-25

Listen to Jeremiah 23-25

Good Morning. I hope that you have had a great weekend. A lot of times when we read the Bible we will read a couple of chapters or maybe even an entire book. It is hard to remember that what takes us minutes to read, represents years back in the time period we are reading about.
Chapter 25 is a good example of this. In verse 3 it states that Jeremiah has been speaking to the people of Judah for 23 Years, over and over again. But, they did not listen.........for 23 years! What mercy and patience GOD had.

Jeremiah 25:8-14
8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this:
"Because you have not listened to my words,
9 I will summon all the peoples of the north
and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring
them against this land and its inhabitants and
against all the surrounding nations. I will
completely destroy them and make them an
object of horror and scorn,
and an everlasting ruin.
10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and
bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will
become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy
years. 12 "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and
his nation, the land of the Babylonians, [b] for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will
make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken
against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the
nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will
repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."

Thought for the Day
As I was reading these verses, I could not help to think how "In Control" GOD was. HE used Nebuchadnezzar, who was king of Babylon to capture HIS chosen people. I bet that Nebuchadnezzar had no idea that he was carrying out GOD's plan, it was most likely a desire that he had to capture Jerusalem.

GOD had even planned out how long Jerusalem would be under capture; 70 years. Then GOD would punish the Babylonians, the ones who HE put the desire to concur HIS people, for their guilt. GOD was controlling every step for as long as HE needed.

We need to remember that even when our lives feel out of control, and there is no way that GOD could know what we are going through; GOD does. GOD is in control every step of our lives, HE knows what we are going through. The trials that we are going through are preparing us for future events and helping us to grow in our faith. So, remember that everything, good or bad that happens in your life GOD knows and HE is in control.

Bible Trivia
Match: First Passover....
a) Raisin Cakes
b) Barley Bread
c) Bread Without Yeast
Hint: Exodus 12:8-11

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Tuesday, August 21st Reading - Jeremiah 26-28
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Have a BLESSED Day!

Jeremiah 11-14

2007-08-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

A Linen Belt - Jeremiah 11-14

Listen to Jeremiah 11-14

Good Morning! I hope that you enjoyed yesterday's devotional. I was gone all day, and we thought that it would be neat if Kim could share what she was feeling when I was being unfaithful to her. We know that GOD is GOD, but HE refers over and over to how our unfaithfulness is that of an affair. So, HE must feel that pain and hurt as we would when we are unfaithful to HIM.
Some wrote us and asked how we are today. Because of Christ, Kim and I have a wonderful relationship. I am a much better person due to the work that Jesus did in my heart. Jesus is the difference and He does change lives, we are living proof.OK, starting in chapter 11 through the middle of chapter 13 we read of GOD's chosen people broke their covenant with HIM. You will also read of how Jeremiah's own people make a plot against him to kill him (Yes, sometimes GOD's work is not easy).Then starting in chapter 14 through the weekend you will read of YAHWEH's rejection of HIS people.

Jeremiah 13:1-11
A Linen Belt 1 This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and
buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water." 2 So I bought
a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it
around my waist.
3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a
second time: 4 "Take the belt you bought
and are wearing around your waist, and go
now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." 5 So I went and hid it at
Perath, as the LORD told me.
6 Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you
to hide there." 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place
where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "This is what the LORD says: 'In the
same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the
stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them,
will be like this belt-completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around a man's waist,
so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.'

Thought for the Day
After you read this, put yourself in Jeremiah's shoes. Can you imagine how he must have felt when GOD told him to buy a linen belt, but do not let it touch water. At first Jeremiah might have thought, "OK LORD, this is a little strange, but I trust you, so I will do it."

Then GOD came to him a second time, and told him to take the belt he was not suppose to get wet, and hide it in the rocks. Jeremiah might have been thinking, "Ya, OK LORD...... sure, but where are we going with this, this seems pretty trivial with all the large problems we are facing, what about those?" But, Jeremiah did it.

Then the Bible says that many days past, so it must have been a long time because when GOD told Jeremiah to dig up the belt it was ruined and useless. By now I can imagine Jeremiah might have been thinking, "Ya, this was worth my time." But, then GOD in all HIS wisdom revealed to Jeremiah HIS plan and all these little tasks made sense.

How many times in your relationship with Christ have you been in a hurry? How many times have you thought, where are we going or this is a waste of time, there are bigger and better things that I should be doing? Then later GOD reveals to you why you did all those little things, and you say to yourself, "OK, now I understand why, now it makes sense."
In your relationship with Jesus, there will be things that HE allows you to go through or asks you to do, and I am sure that some of these things will not make sense. Our job is to be faithful to Jesus and trust that HE knows what He is doing. Jesus is taking each one of us down a different path, and a lot of times He needs us to grow before we can take the next step. Remember Jesus says that if we are faithful in the little tasks, He will trust us with the larger ones. - Jim
Note from Kim; Thank you God for such a great transformation in our lives separately and together, without You we would not be one! Have a great day everyone, I love you honey.
In His Grip

Bible Trivia
Connect the Thots:
Using spit to heal a blind man
Raising Lazarus to life
Walking on water
Hint: Mark 8:22-25, John 11:38-44, Mark 6:45-50

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Saturday, August 18th Reading - Jeremiah 15-18
Sunday, August 19th Reading - Jeremiah 19-22
View August's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Weekend!

Jeremiah 7-10

2007-08-15T22:20:00.001-07:00

The pain of adultery - Jeremiah 7-10

Listen to Jeremiah 7-10

Good Morning! I hope you are hanging in there with this and seeing the frustration of YAHWEH. Let's take another look at this adultry being commited over and over again. Poor YAHWEH!

Jeremiah 3:7-10
7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
9 Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.

Thought for the Day
We thought we would take a different point of view on this devotional.....from the side of the one being betrayed and hurt, like YAHWEH.

When you love someone and you marry them, you want to spend the rest of your life with them, it is the start of a new life, love and adventure. You love, trust and are excited to be with your new spouse. I remember when Jim and I got married, we were those silly young kids laughing and giggling with each other. I tried so hard to be the perfect wife, I did everything, never made a fuss about anything, life was good! not want them to do. What comes next......the consequence, then maybe they will learn?

Then one day out of the blue he says, I don't want to be married anymore! WHAT!!! Oh the pain and shock of it all is like it was yesterday. He moved out and then after a week moved back and said, I am sorry, I don't know what happened, I will make it up to you, I promise!! He was having an affair already, I had no idea.

About six months go by and I found phone numbers in his phone. Now I know that I trust this guy, he has been my husband now for 13 years! He would not be doing anything.....well he gives me the song and dance of "that is one of my employees". I believed him and being the good wife, trusted him.

Nine months and I find out! There is another person, still painful thinking about it. He says I will end it. Ok good, let's get on with life. Weeks later he moves out, still has not ended it! The pain, frustration and confusion is so overwhelming!

I was a good wife, a good mother and friend, why?? I served him with divorce papers and THAT woke him up. It took a year and that much for him to see, this is serious. YAHWEH must have been and still is so frustrated. After the warnings and chances, and it is still going on. The pain He must feel.
Be true to your loved ones, God and yourself, satan is NOT worth it!!! Thank you for spending time with me. God Bless. Kim

Bible Trivia

Connect the Thots:
A drinking Party
Handwriting on a Wall
Knocking Knees
Hint: Daniel 5:1-6

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Friday, August 17th Reading - Jeremiah 11-14

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Have a BLESSED Day!

Jeremiah 4-6

2007-08-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Modern Day Idols - Jeremiah 4-6

Listen to Jeremiah 4-6

Good Morning! Boy, the first chapters were pretty strong words by YAHWEH. You could tell that YAHWEH had it with giving Israel and Judah, chance after chance. The imagery that HE uses leaves no room for imagination. HIS people were an adulterous people, have an affair again, and again.

Jeremiah 3:1, 3:6-10
1 "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers-
would you now return to me?"
declares the LORD.

Unfaithful Israel
6 During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.
7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
9 Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,"
declares the LORD.

Thought for the Day
When we speak of someone having an affair on their spouse, our heart might break for the person that was cheated on. We also might feel some anger towards the one that had the affair. And usually the marriage is destroyed, it does not last. All trust is lost, and as the saying goes, "Once a cheater, always a cheater" the person that had the affair can't stop the sin they are in.

This is exactly how YAHWEH describes what HIS people were doing to HIM. Israel and Judah would have an affair, repent and say they were sorry, just to turn around and do it again and again. The cycle never ended. Can you imagine how hurt YAHWEH was. The pain that it caused HIM to see the ones that He LOVED so dearly lie and hurt HIM again and again?

Now let's move from back then to today. We may read these passages and think, "How could they put a wooden image and worship it? I know that I would never do anything like that!" Well...... would you?

Do you have a favorite hobby or sport? Maybe you have an XBOX, cell phone, laptop, 50 inch plasma TV, or other cool electronic toy. Or maybe you are pursuing a member of the opposite sex? How much time do you spend on the above "Things?" Now how much time do you spend reading GOD's word and time in prayer vs. the other toys?

One of my friends (Who is a believer) has a cell phone, if he lost his cell phone, it would be the end of the world. I really believe that his world would implode. But, if he lost his Bible, huh, no big deal. Would you say that his cell phone has become an idol? Which is more important?

The point I am trying to make, we look at our brothers and sisters in past history and look down at them for making idols. But, my friends we are guilty for doing the same thing, we are just more modern. It is OK to have these cool toys, I love technology, but we always have to make GOD THE priority of our lives. HE comes first. If you have watched 8 hours of TV, and not spent 30 minutes in your Bible......... not so good. You may want to re think where your priorities lie.

Bible Trivia
What term describes Samson, who was never to cut his hair?
Hint: Judges 13

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Thursday, August 16th Reading - Jeremiah 7-10
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Have a BLESSED Day!

Jeremiah 1-3

2007-08-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

Take the Good with the Bad - Jeremiah 1-3

Listen to Jeremiah 1-3

Good Morning! Are you ready to get started with Jeremiah? Let us first look at historical background of Jeremiah and look how this book plays into the Bible as a whole. As I have said before, once you understand why and when the book was written, the Bible will really start to come alive for you.

Jeremiah is made of oracles of judgment against Judah and the nations, it also gives future hope for these nations. Jeremiah is written in mostly poetry form. This prophetic activity took place between 627 to 585 B.C. You might pick up that Hosea and Deuteronomy had influences on Jeremiah.

Like Isaiah, Jeremiah takes place in the time period of The Kings and The Chronicles, so this chapter is a flashback of something we have already read. Remember king Josiah (A good king) see 2 Kings 23, 25? Jeremiah received his call during the thirteen year of king Josiah's reign, but most of Jeremiah's activity took place with Josiah sons; Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Zedekiah was the last king before GOD handed his people into captivity to the Babylonians.

OK, so here is the heart of the book. This is why Jeremiah is called "The Weeping Prophet". When you read these chapters remember this, the book will make more sense.

Jeremiah was sent to tell the people they were DONE. There was NO hope, GOD had it, there were no more chances to get it right. They were going to be taken captive by the Babylonians. Now, if that we not bad enough, Jeremiah was told to tell them to accept this, if they wanted to live and have any future at all. WOW what a task!

Put yourself in Jeremiah's shoes. Imagine that you had to tell someone that their sons had died in the war, and that they needed to accept it and move on. Would you like that task?

Jeremiah 1:5-6, 17-19
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not
know how to speak; I am only a child."
17 "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be
terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.
18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the
people of the land.
19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Thought for the Day
I really enjoyed the call of Jeremiah in chapter 1, it has a Moses kind of feel to it. I know that it is hard to read all the readings for the day, but if you have time, Jeremiah 1:4-19 is really worth reading. Especially if GOD has ever called you into some task. Or remember these verses, highlight them, WHEN GOD calls you, it would be encouraging to read them. (Notice how I said when, not if GOD calls you) :)

As I was read the call of Jeremiah, I could not help to think that GOD does not always call us into doing pleasant work. It would be nice if we only went around encouraging, baptizing, preaching, loving, and caring. But, sometimes GOD needs to get the attention of HIS people. I believe that HE allows things to happen in this world to do just this, But sometimes HE needs a more gentle approach.

I guess what I am trying to get at, is that sometimes we have to be the "Voice of truth" to our friends and loved ones. Sometimes our friends and loved ones are so stuck in a dark, sinful place they need the loving and caring "Voice of Truth" to help them. Remember when David was sinning with Bathsheba? (2 Samuel 11-12) It took a good friend (Nathan) to help king David see his sin. Then when David saw his sin, he repented whole heartily.

Now let me stop right here, NONE of this is good if it is not done with LOVE. Read that again. We are not out to get, and catch people that are sinning. It should be that we love them, and want the best for them.
I know that it is sometimes hard to tell your friends, it can be a battle. I know that in the past I have felt like GOD was prompting me to talk to one of my friends. I remember thinking, "Oh man, I do not want to do that, it is going to take forever to make him see, and I do not have the time for that right now." Sounds familiar? That is satan, trying to protect the time that he has invested in your friend. he wants to keep them.
So, has GOD been prompting or calling you to speak to someone you love or care about? Is someone you love stuck in sin? Have you been making excuses? maybe it is time to help your friend see the light again? - Have a Blessed Day!! Jim :)

Bible Trivia
What did David take from an unsuspecting King Saul, rather than killing him as David's men urged?
a) A Lock of hair
b) A corner of his robe
c) An arrow from his quiver
d) A strap from his sandal
Hint: 1 Samuel 24:1-11

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Wednesday, August 15th Reading - Jeremiah 4-6
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Isaiah 64-66

2007-08-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Your Future - Isaiah 64-66

Listen to Isaiah 64-66

Good Morning! Wow, we are finishing up the last chapters of Isaiah. I hope that you have enjoyed this neat book. Tuesday, we are going to start the book of Jeremiah; the "Weeping prophet." Do you know why Jeremiah was called the "Weeping prophet? If not, we are going to find out why. :)
As we finish Isaiah, the book ends with the judgement and salvation of Israel. Then Isaiah moves to a future Zion and a new heaven and new earth! AMEN!
These last chapters that we read over the weekend had a lot of good meat. I would encourage you to read Isaiah 58 , it is a chapter on true fasting.
On a more personal note, I had shared with you how GOD was allowing me to be involved in a church plant, and the journey that HE has taken me to get here. I just finished the web site and would like your input gottheconnection.com. Thanks :)

Isaiah 64:8, 65:17-25
8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

New Heavens and a New Earth
17 "Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.

20 "Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.

21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the works of their hands.

23 They will not toil in vain
or bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
they and their descendants with them.

24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent's food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,"
says the LORD.

Thought for the Day
I was not going to post the entire passage, but we need to be reminded of this. It seems like a lot of the time we are always focused on what we need to do better, how we need to live a better life, how we need to fight the good fight, how to try and live in a world that we do not fit into too. How we need to spread the good news.
We do these things because Jesus is the most amazing being that we have ever known. We do these things because He came down and touched our hearts where no one had ever touched them before. We do these things because He did them for us first. We do these things because He loved us like no one ever has. We share these things because we have never felt this peace and security before, and if we do not, we may explode with Jesus! Yes, we do all these things for our JESUS!
Now here is the neat part that we need to not forget, we need to remind ourselves of this. This is our reward; A New Heaven and Earth! and you will be in it!
These verses touched me. No more weeping, no more infants that will die after birth, no more old age, we will be blessed by the LORD. The searching to find Jesus will be no more, before we call He will answer; while we are still speaking He will hear. And satan will suck dust! Heh heh heh heh. What a wonderful time! Remind yourself daily....... this is why.

We receive this amazing gift, all because we LOVE JESUS!

Bible Trivia
What intelligent and beautiful woman, the wife of the surly Nabal, married King David after Nabal died?
Hint: 1 Samuel 25:3, 39-42

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Tuesday, August 13th Reading - Jeremiah 1-3
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Have a BLESSED Weekend!

Isaiah 47-51

2007-08-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

MY Ways & MY Thoughts - Isaiah 47-51

Listen to Isaiah 47-52

Good Morning! I would encourage you to keep up your reading over the weekend. The next couple of chapters are really good, especially through chapter 55. Starting in chapter 49 through 55 foretells of YAHWEH's Servant who will bring salvation to the world; Jesus! Then in chapters 56 through 66 Isaiah tells of Israel's present failure, and Zion's glorious future.Below are two very good verses that I have always loved. When I was very sick the first verse was one that I kept on repeating and repeating.

Isaiah 55:8-9, 56:1-2
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This is what the LORD says:
"Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
the man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating
it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil."

Thought for the Day
Most of the time GOD's ways are not my ways. Usually my timetable is ahead of GOD's. It seems like I am always pushing HIM to do what I want to do, not seeking HIS will, and HIS ways.

I know that I have told you this before, but right before I became very sick, I started a pastor's program at our church. I was so sure that this is what GOD wanted me to do, I mean why not, it was for HIM so why would HE not want me to be a pastor? Almost to the day that I started the program I became sick. I was very confused.

Then during my sickness I started to become better, so guess what? Yes, I started back up the pastor's program. Guess what happened again? Yes, I relapsed and became very sick again, so, I had to drop out of the program, AGAIN. Finally, I stopped and figured out I had never sought GOD's ways, and HIS time table. I wanted it, so I pushed GOD, I did it on my own.

GOD promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations, in fact Abram acknowledged it. But, I believe that pressure from Sarai, and Abrams' doubt and impatience took the best of him. He took matters into his own hands. He did not wait for GOD, and even though it may have not taken away his blessing from GOD, it added stress and hardship in the future. Right away Abram and Sarai's impatience started to cause problems. Sarai had ill feelings towards Hagar and then blamed Abram for her problems. Abram's response was "It is not my problem, it is yours. You take care of it.

In your life I would encourage you to wait upon the Lord, remember that HIS time table will rarely coincide with yours. I have learned to walk with Christ, not ahead or behind him, and I can tell you that the peace I have is amazing, life is so much easier.

I have to tell you that by walking with Christ, He has shown me what I believe He had planned all along. I am now, yes for a third time, in a pastor type program. But, to make it even sweeter, this time it is with a brand new church plant. I believe that GOD is allowing me to be in a birth of a new church of His. I would have never guessed this when I was trying to do things my way.

Bible Trivia
What name for Jesus, meaning "Anointed One," did the angel of the Lord use when speaking to the shepherds?
Hint: Luke 2:8-11

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Saturday, August 11th Reading - Isaiah 52-57
Sunday, August 12th Reading - Isaiah 58-63 View August's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Weekend!

Isaiah 43-46

2007-08-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Moving into YOUR Blessing - Isaiah 43-46

Listen to Isaiah 43-46

Greetings! As we are moving onto the next chapters (42-44) tells of GOD's gracious redemption so that Israel might become HIS servant to the nations.Chapter 44 to 45 tells of how GOD is raising up Cyrus to be HIS deliverer. Then starting in chapter 46 we start to read where GOD in a series of oracles the actual fall of Babylon.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Thought for the Day
I really like this verse, don't you? Why do we have such a hard time not dwelling on the past and looking to the future? Maybe it is a lack of trust, we do not trust GOD that HE will take care of us? Maybe we are afraid of the future? Maybe, some of us do not want to move from the past? Whatever your hang up is, I know that we all could benefit from living this verse.

I know I have spent time dwelling on the past. The problem on dwelling on the past, is that you will not move forward into GOD's blessings. For me, I would feel terrible about my past sins, so satan would tell me what a bad person I was. You see satan loves to keep you in the past. he wants you to not forgive yourself, even though Jesus did ,the moment you asked for forgiveness for the sin.

GOD knows that we are sinful creatures, HE knows that we are going to screw up, that is why Christ paid the price for your sin. GOD wants you to move on. HE has such neat things planned for you, with blessings that would make your head spin. The problem in that is we can't forgive ourselves. The problem lies with us, we are the ones blocking our blessings. This is a tool that satan loves! DO NOT let him use that on you.

You are forgiven, learn from your past, and use your past to help others. Then look where GOD is moving. HE is always moving somewhere in your life. Sometimes it may be inches, sometimes you do all you can do to hang on, because HE is moving miles.

If you are stuck in a desert of your past right now, it is time to move on. GOD needs you to move on, HE has amazing things planned for you, but, if you are stuck in the past, HE cannot move you forward.

This is a great verse to remember and give to others when they are stuck. We all need to encourage each other, and love each other to the future. I hope that you have a blessed day! - Jim

Bible Trivia
What event did Jesus use as an example to emphasize the need for repentance?
a) An earthquake in Jerusalem
b) A tower that collapse that killed eighteen people
c) An outbreak of the plague
d) The drowning of seven people in a boat accident
Hint: Luke 13:2-5

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Friday, August 10th Reading - Isaiah 47-51
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Have a BLESSED Day!!

Isaiah 38-42

2007-08-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

Fear Not, I am With YOU! Isaiah 38-42

Listen to Isaiah 38-42

Good Morning! As we said yesteday we switch gears in chapter 40. Chapter 40 deals with the Consolation of Israel. When you read these chapters you will read a theme that keeps on coming up again and again. Israel may go through tough times, but GOD is always with them.

Isaiah 41:10, 13 ESV
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

For I, the LORD your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I am the one who helps you."

Thought for the Day
I am sure you have heard the story of Joseph, how he was sold into slavery, then thrown into prison. There are a couple of thoughts that I have, these are very important for you to understand if you are to receive all of the Lord's blessings He has for you. In life you can do everything right, follow God, live a Godly life, and still end up in "Life's prison". Joseph may have been a little cocky in his young age, but surely did not deserve to have his brothers turn on him and be sold to be a slave. He also could have easily slept with Potiphar's wife, but he chose to do the Godly thing and run, he ended up in prison. Life is what you make of it. Joseph, if anyone, had every right to be angry and bitter towards God. After all, he did the right thing, and this is what "Doing the right thing" landed him; in prison. Joseph instead accepted where God had him. I can imagine it is not where Joseph thought he would have been, but he knew God was in control. Wherever you are in your life, whatever your situation, GOD IS WITH YOU. When Joseph was a slave, GOD WAS WITH HIM (v39:2) When Joseph was in prison GOD WAS WITH HIM (v39:21,23) Let me say this again, wherever you are, GOD IS WITH YOU, and if God is with you, you are blessed, all you need to do is accept His blessings

Bible Trivia
To whom did Jesus say, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"?
Hint: Luke 23:39-43

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Wednesday, August 9th Reading - Isaiah 43-46
View August's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Day!!

Isaiah 32-37

2007-08-06T21:30:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 32-37

Listen to Isaiah 32-37

Good Morning! In the chapters we read today we finish up with "The Woes" and "The judgements." Then starting in chapter 36, most of this narrative has been repeated in 2 Kings 18:13, 17-20:1. So if it seems like you have read this before, you have :)To give you a heads up in your reading so the book as a whole makes more sense. In chapter 40 - 48 Isaiah switches themes. The mood of these chapters are consolation and confrontation.

Isaiah 33:2, 5-6
LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble. -
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and
righteousness,
and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and
knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion's treasure.

Thought for the Day
Hello everyone, it is late and we just got home from Seattle, WA which is a days trip away from us. We had one of my Dr. Appt for my on going sickness. I wish that I had satellite internet, because then I could be typing as we were driving.

I went back and pulled one of my favorite devotions for you. We must get this and live it. GOD is love, our religion and our beliefs revolve around love. GOD is not a GOD of rules and fear, HE is a GOD of love. I know that some days it does not feel like that, but when we are in heaven, everything is going to click, then will we truly understand GOD's intense love for us. GOD has been pursuing us with HIS love from the beginning to time. This is a good story that we need to remind ourselves of. I hope that you enjoy this, I am a sucker for a good love story. :) Have a Blessed Day - Jim

My wife and I were watching the movie "The Last of the Mohicans". It is a love story where two people from different worlds meet, fall in love, but, due to the war going on, the woman is captured by Indians who vowed to kill her. But, before she is captured, her love vows, he will find her no matter the cost, "I will find you"! After her capture, her love bravely walks into the Indian camp where he is cut, beaten, and mocked. He then boldly tells the chief to take his life and spare hers. But, due to a twist in the movie they both are spared, the movie fades with them in each other's arms watching a sunset. Don't you love a good love story?

Did you know that you are reading the greatest love story ever written? And, better yet you are involved in this love story. Your Jesus will do anything for you, in fact He paid the ultimate price.Last night, while talking with my Best Friend, He showed me this love story. You and I might have become a Believer for eternal life; to spend eternity with Christ, but then after you become a believer you gain a relationship with Christ. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had many God's, they did not have a Bible to show them right from wrong, they did not have eternal life, so how did they come to a relationship with God? He pursued them.

Do you remember the first time when you met your true love? What did you do? I can imagine that you pursued them, I know that I pursued my wife and courted her. In ancient times they had many gods, so what made them follow Yahweh? God pursued them, revealing Himself to them little by little, and what they felt was amazing. Thus this love story begins, and still continues today, God LOVES; LOVES you, He wants to be with you forever, He has done and will do whatever is best for you, all you have to do is accept this amazing love.

Bible Trivia
Connect the Thots:
"Hosanna"
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
"Crucify Him"
Hint: John 12:12-13, Matthew 27:27-29, Luke 23:21

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Wednesday, August 8th Reading - Isaiah 38-42
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Have a BLESSED Day!!

Religion or Relationship? - Isaiah 27-31

2007-08-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Religion or Relationship? - Isaiah 27-31

Listen to Isaiah 27-31

Good Monday Morning! I hope that you have had a great weekend!As you are reading these chapters, always keep in mind that Isaiah is warning Israel and Judah's kings and people of what is to come. But, we have already read what has happened in 1 & 2 Kings and The Chronicles. So, what you are reading here, has already taken place in your Bible.
There were two thoughts that I had while I was reading today. First, Isaiah is a great book of poetry that uses great imagery. One example is verse 28:20
"For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,
and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in."

The other thought that I had, I do not know how people could say the Bible is boring? It is anything but boring, with a lot of "In your face", bold statements like the one in 30:22
"Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;
you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!"

That does not leave much to the imagination, does it?

Woe's to Ephraim, Judah, and Who Trust in Egypt
The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their
mouth and honor me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me. Their
worship of me is made up only of rules
taught by men." - Isaiah 29:13

Thought for the Day
This is one verse or concept that has been very dear to my heart. It is something that GOD has burdened me with, and my heart goes out to this cause. This is one of the reasons that most of our Christian Churches are not doing well. This is the defining difference between "Organized Religion" and a real, living relationship with JESUS CHRIST!

It is so easy to play "A Christian" is it not? I know because I played "A Christian" for a long time. I would go to church, play the good "Christian" man, act holy and loving. Sing all the "Christian" songs, listen to the "Christian" message, and say "Amen" when there was a good point in the sermon. But, then as soon as I hit the doors, and I was driving home from church I was a different person.

I was not being faithful to my wife, I was selling drugs over the internet, I was a self-centered, angry jerk. Right Kim? (I would use more vivid words, but I do not want to offend anyone) so jerk is a very nice and kind word that would describe me.

What kind of a "Christian" was I being? TERRIBLE! Just imagine if someone knew that I attended church. They would see me go to church, be holy, then lead a life that was NOT pleasing to Jesus. Why in the world would that person want to come to my church. Why would they need my religion or my Jesus? To answer your question; They would not, they could do all that stuff without Jesus or my church.

I know that there are alot of people in the church like that today. They live the "Christian" life at church, but they are totally different outside the church. A relationship with Jesus is a 24/7 deal, not a 1 hour Sunday meeting. We need to show the world that we are different, we do have something they do not have. It needs to be so evident in our lives, that other people will say, "I want what they have!"

Some of you may say, well then forget the church, I will just do my own thing with a couple of people. Almost start an "Organic" Church. But, this is not what Jesus intended the church to be either. A church is a group of people, supporting each other, while we do life together. We are not perfect, but we are working together towards one goal, supporting each other! Yes, instead of blowing off the church, we need to fix our churches. Be the one that makes the difference. Be the one that the other person says, "I WANT WHAT THEY HAVE!" - Have a great day Jim :)

Bible Trivia
What civic duty did the chief priests and scribes hope to use to get Jesus in trouble with Caesar
Hint: Luke 20:19-26

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Monday, August 7th Reading - Isaiah 32-37
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Have a BLESSED Monday!!
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Your Prayer Life - Isaiah 10-14

2007-08-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Your Prayer Life - Isaiah 10-14

Listen to Isaiah 10-14

Good Morning! Wow, the weekend is upon us already. Is your summer going as fast as mine?
The last chapters that we have been reading, Ahaz has been the king. Remember king Ahaz? He was the 15th king of Judah, and as far as being a "Good" king..... he was not. You can read about king Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28:1-25.Did you know that Isaiah means, "Salvation of Jehovah"?

Matthew 6:9-13 ESV
Pray then like this:"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

Thought for the Day
I thought that I would share with you one area that Jesus has been working on in my life. It is my prayer life. Most of my life, my prayer life was a prayer routine, prayer request line. Prayer was something that I did at the end of the night, as an after thought, usually it went something like this:"Oh yea, I forgot to pray today....... OK...... Ah.......
Dear Jesus,Thank you for today, I am feeling tired, please give me strength. Please watch over Kim, Mom, Dad, and my sister. Please help tomorrow be a better day. I love you.In Jesus name Amen."
Does any of that sound familiar to you? Lately, I have been trying to make prayer what it was intended to be; a form of worship, and communication with GOD. Now, when I pray, I always spend a couple of minutes in the beginning to praise GOD, and worship him. Imagine calling your best friend on the phone, when they pick up the line, you just start to talk, talk, talk.... I want this, help me with this, have a good day, bye. If you had conversations like that with your friends on the phone, I do not think you would have too many more phone conversations.

If you are wanting to jump start your prayer life, or you have been praying for years, let's take a look at the way Jesus told us to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.
Our Father in Heaven,

1. hallowed be your name
2. Your kingdom come,
3. your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
4. Give us this day our daily bread
5. and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors
6. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

There is a reason that Jesus told us this and there is a reason that it is in that order.
1. We need to cherish the name of GOD above all things in our life. Pursue the glory of GOD, praise HIM!
2. We pray here that Jesus' saving and purifying will would be done in our lives as well as the earth.
3. We pray that Jesus would give us strength to do His will without hesitation and fear. By doing this our lives as well as the earth's will be changed.
4. We pray that Jesus will provide for our DAILY needs.
5. Pray and ask forgiveness for our sins through Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Then ask for strength to apply the same forgiveness that GOD shows us, that we can show others.
6. Pray for protection from the evil one and the daily temptations. That we would be amazing witnesses for Him.

I pray that by taking a look at these simple verses, that we may have heard thousands of times, help you jump start or realign your prayer life again. Have a Blessed Weekend!!! - Jim

Bible Trivia
What body fluid was part of the curse that came by Adam and Eve's sin?
Hint: Genesis 3:19

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Saturday, August 4th Reading - Isaiah 15-21
Sunday, August 5th Reading - Isaiah 22-26
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Have a BLESSED Weekend!!

GOD is Always Previous - Isaiah 5-9

2007-08-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

GOD is Always Previous - Isaiah 5-9

Listen to Isaiah 5-9

Greetings! It is good to be writing you again. Yesterday, I gave you alot of background information on Isaiah. Here are a few more important reading facts that will help you with understanding Isaiah.
Chapters 1-39 is in Israel's time of Assyrian threat and Babylon. Chapters 40-66 deals with the future of Israel and Jerusalem.

Isaiah 6 - Isaiah's Vision & Commission

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." - Isaiah 6:1-3

Christian Artist; Todd Agnew sings an awesome song about Isaiah 6. Below is a YouTube video link that I found with Todd's song. I hope that it inspires you, it did me. :)
View YouTube Isaiah 6

Thought for the Day
GOD is always previous, what does that mean to you? To me, it means nothing is a surprise to GOD. GOD knows everything about you, HE knows the past, the present, and your future. Nothing surprises HIM, nothing!
Here is where we struggle, we do not know the future. We know the past, and can do things to learn from our past, but in life, there are going to be surprises. So, when something bad happens in our lives, we feel all alone. We feel that we have to solve the problem all on our own. We might even get a little mad at GOD and ask how could You let this happen to me? Have you ever been there?
Now, here is what we need to remember. This bad thing that is happening to you, is not a surprise to GOD. GOD knew this was going to happen to you. Since GOD knows this about you, he has been working days, months, maybe even years to help or prepare you for this problem. So when we cry to GOD and say, "How could YOU let this happen?" GOD looks down, smiles, and says, "My child, I knew about this a long time ago, let me show you the way out."

If you remember, we had a surprise this month. Remember the devotional I am Tested we had a surprise with the IRS and owing quite a few taxes. My first reaction was to freak out, but I really tried to put all my trust in Jesus and that He would take care of us. I am happy to say Jesus did. We had the best month in sales that we have had in the history of the company. EVER.

Jesus had been working even before our problem happened. I noticed that the first of this month we had unusually large sales, hence the saying GOD is always previous. GOD was working on my problem even before it happened. HE is amazing, isn't He? Have a Blessed Day! - Jim

Bible Trivia
What is the most popular name for Jesus' command to do unto others as you would have them to unto you?
Hint: Matthew 7:12

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Friday, August 3rd Reading - Isaiah 10-14
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Have a BLESSED Day!!
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Heart Check - Isaiah 1-4

2007-07-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

Heart Check - Isaiah 1-4

Listen to Isaiah 1-4

Good Morning! OK are you read to get into some meat with Isaiah?

Let's get a little background before we start this book. It will make reading and understanding much easier. Isaiah is one of the four "Major Prophets" written around 740 - 687BC, by Isaiah. Isaiah, other than the Psalms, had huge influences on New Testament writers.

Do you remember when we read Kings and Chronicles? If you have a chronological Bible, these prophets would have appeared in the middle of 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles. So in reading Isaiah you need to remember the constant up and down of Israel and Judah.

In Isaiah, Israel is the center of the book. She is redeemed but wayward, stubborn but loved. She needs to remember that she belongs to GOD, not GOD to her.

Isaiah celebrates GOD's holiness, majesty, compassion, and righteousness. Then the story climaxes with Jesus, GOD's suffering servant.

When you are reading Isaiah, it is a history book, but a lot of the themes are ones that we struggle with today. The story begins with the last years of Uzziah the King........ (2 Kings 15:1-7)

Isaiah 1:13-17
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations-
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

Thought for the Day
When you read this, you might think to yourself that this was written long ago for the people of Israel. But was it? Can't you see GOD saying this to our culture?I cannot bear your corrupt churches.When you spread your hand out in prayer, I will not listen. Your hands are full of gossip, lies, jealously, and hatred.Sounds like verses that could apply to 8 out of our 10 dying churches in America.

It is so easy to get in a routine. It is easy to loose sight of Jesus' vision for us. We live in a world where we are stretched out everyday. We have to constantly fight what society is tell us. Watch out for #1 or maybe, It is a dog eat dog world. It is easy to let satan in the middle of our church and let him start to pick it apart bit by bit. Soon, after fighting all this, you may find yourself going through the actions, church and worship become empty and meaningless.

I believe that we all need to do a heart check every month or so. Make sure that we are still excited, if not, what will make you excited?Are you just going through the motions at church? If so, what will make you become more involved?
Are you letting personal feeling; jealousy, anger, and bitterness interfere with your relationships at church? If so, what will it take for YOU to mend them? I am sure that you could come up with a few of you own. I know that I can.

So, when was your last heart check, how did you score?

Bible Trivia
Match: Fourteen....
a) Years Samson was judge of Israel
b) Number of generations children of Job
c) Generations from Abraham to David
Hint: Matthew 1:17

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Wednesday, August 2nd Reading - Isaiah 5-9
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Have a BLESSED Day!!

Sex - GOD's Way - Song of Solomon 1-8

2007-07-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Sex - GOD's Way - Song of Solomon 1-8

Listen to Song of Solomon 1-8

Good Morning! Today, we read all of Song of Solomon or some of your Bibles may say Song of Songs. Let's give you a little background before ahem...... we start to get into the meat of the devotional.Song of Solomon is a book full of marvelous poetry that is full of vivid images. Song of Solomon is several love poems that describe sexual love between a man and a woman, it celebrates marital fidelity. When reading keep this in mind, it helped me out quite a bit. There are three people involved and speaking:
Beloved - The Woman
Lover - The Man
Friends - The Beloved's female companions.
OK, that should make it easier to read and understand. One thought before we start, some people say that Song of Solomon does not belong in the Bible, after reading this, what are your thoughts?

Song of Solomon 7:6-9
6 How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
O love, with your delights!
7 Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
8 I said, "I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit."
May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9 and your mouth like the best wine.

Thought for the Day
Wait a minute! Was that the Bible or was that a raunchy romance novel??? No, that was your Bible.
To read Song of Solomon you have to have the mind set of Genesis 2:23-25
Adam Said:
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman,
' for she was taken out of man."
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

This is THE WAY GOD intended the relationship between a married man and woman to be. SEX is a gift from GOD, it is a wonderful gift. But, man giving into the temptation of sin, has done plenty to almost destroy this gift. satan is also doing everything in his power to take this wonderful gift, destroy it's value, and turn it into his glory.

Today, instead of celebrating this gift, we spend a lot of time being ashamed, protected, and almost afraid of this gift. We abuse it and use it against each other. satan is doing a happy dance, but you can stop him from doing his happy dance by using GOD's gift as it was meant to be used. By and through GOD.

I have been on both sides of this spectrum. I have abused GOD's gift, and I have used GOD's gift. I understand the temptation that the evil one gives you, and I now understand the amazing blessing that comes from GOD when HE is in it. Now to me, it sounded weird to include GOD in sexual issues, but again, it is HIS gift to us. Once I included GOD, I was blown away. I have never experienced anything like it.

I am not going to go into all the aspects of how GOD intended HIS gift to be used for MARRIED couples. But, imagine a triangle. This triangle would represent GOD's gift. GOD has to be at the pinnacle of this triangle; the point, the lead. The man and the wife make the other two points. Once you have this triangle, go have fun and explore each other and the amazing gift that GOD gave you! Have a great day! - Jim

Bible Trivia
Connect the Thots:
Paul
Achan
Stephen
Hint: Acts 14:19, Joshua 7:24-26, Acts 7:59

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Wednesday, August 1st Reading - Isaiah 1-4
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Have a BLESSED Day!!

Ecclesiastes 9-12

2007-07-29T22:33:00.001-07:00

Life is Meaningless - Ecclesiastes 9-12

Listen to Ecclesiastes 9-12

Good Morning! Over the weekend we started Ecclesiastes, and today we finish the book.
Ecclesiastes is a book that some say is hard to read or understand, but, in reading the book, I would say that it is quite simple. To understand Ecclesiastes, I would suggest to first turn off trying to obtain the spiritual meaning of the book. The book of Ecclesiastes is a journal or a collection of thoughts of a man, (Could even be someone in today's world) who reflects on the problems of life. He is wrestling with life's realities, how to live in a world where death and judgement are certain.
When you read the book sometimes it seems to ramble on, just a collection of thoughts. Since we are ending Ecclesiastes today, let's see what the writer concludes about the meaning of life.

Focus Verses
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

14 The wise man has eyes in his head,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.

16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
in days to come both will be forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise man too must die! - Ecclesiastes 2: 4-11, 14, 16

Thought for the Day
If I were to give you an overview of Ecclesiastes, it would be this. Here is a man who had everything that life would allow him to have. There was nothing that he did not buy or have, he had it ALL. He denied himself NOTHING, if it was a desire in his heart, it happened.

To put this in terms that we can identify with better, Imagine you had all the money in the world. You had as many houses, as large as you wanted, where you wanted. You had as many kinds of cars you desired. You had all the latest toys technology had created. If Macintosh came out with a new iPhone, you were the first to have it. And as far as women or men were concerned, you had as many as you could handle in 24 hours. You were so popular, they would be at your beck and call. Are you getting the picture?

Now, imagine that you have ALL this....... and it still is not enough, it almost seems empty, there is no real meaning in all this. This is what the writer of Ecclesiastes is struggling with. He even toils with the idea that you could work your entire life for these toys, die, and give all your toys to someone who does not deserve them, so why?. He finally comes to the conclusion that rich or poor, wise or fool, we all are going to die. So where does one find completeness or happiness?

In Chapter 4 the writer starts to change gears and point towards GOD. Then in the last two verses of the book, the writer comes to a conclusion about his dilemma:

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

This is one lesson that we need to remember, or for some of us, learn. I know that when I am feeling down or discouraged, I think that if I go and buy that new toy that I have had my eye on for sometime, it will make me feel better. I am sure it will bring temporary happiness, but in the end I will go back to feeling the same way again.

Life without Jesus is empty. He is the only one that will be able to fill us up, and make us feel complete. This is one lesson that we need to teach the generation below us, especially with all the bombardment of society telling them, they are nothing without their products. Hollywood is a great example of this, Brittney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris, the list goes on and on. They have everything, yet they still struggle to "Find" themselves. When I am feeling down, I can take my Bible, go to a spot by myself, read, and feel this peace and comfort come over me. maybe give it a try when you are feeling empty. Have a BLESSED Monday - Jim :)

Bible Trivia
Connect the Thots:

Your Parents
Better than Sacrifice
God Rather than Men

Hint: Ephesians 6:1, 1 Samuel 15:22, Acts 5:29

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Tuesday, July 31th Reading - Song of Solomon 1-8

View July's Reading Schedule

Have a BLESSED Day!!

Proverbs 27-31

2007-07-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

The Wife of Noble Character - Proverbs 27-31

Listen to Proverbs 27-31

TGIF..... well, we should actually thank GOD for everyday. But Fridays are extra nice.
Today, we finish with the book of Proverbs, and over the weekend we almost start and finish Ecclesiastes.
In finishing Proverbs we will read the Sayings of Agur, and Sayings of Lemuel. We then read the infamous Proverbs 31 ; The wife of a Noble Character. This is a saying that King Lemuel's mother taught him. This is an Acrostic poem. If you are like me, I had no idea what an acrostic poem was, so I googled it. It is pretty neat, here is a LINK so you can create your own. If you have time, it is fun.

Focus Verses
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value. -Proverbs 31:10-11

Thought for the Day
As yes, the infamous "Proverbs 31 Woman." I have seen these verses mis-used against women several times. So, I guess this devotional should be called the Proverbs 31 Man. Before I do get started, let me say that GOD did put these verses into the Bible for a reason. I think they serve as a great guide for women.
Now, you may be reading this, and thinking that this does not apply to you since you are not married. This applies just as much if you are single, dating, or married. In fact if you are single or dating these words may be more towards you.
Us men (Yes, me included) read these verses and think; HA! Kim (My wife) this is what you are suppose to be like. If it is in the Bible, GOD wants you to do it. Right?
Yes, this is true, but men, before you jump to the guts of Proverbs 31 did you miss verse 11? I believe the key to a "Proverbs 31 Woman" is verse 11.
If we want our women to rise up to a Proverbs 31 Women we need to put her on that pedestal. Does your woman know that you have "Full confidence" in her?
Do you lift her up everyday?
Does she think that she is pretty, not to the world, but to you?
Do you tell her that?
Do you express how invaluable her wisdom is in your relationship?
What an amazing job that she does with your children?
Do you lift her up in prayer?
Do you brag about her to others?

I am sure we men could plug in a few of our own, or maybe we should ask in what areas we can uplift our women so they feel more like the Proverbs 31 Woman.
I guess this is what it boils down to, if we men are always cutting down, or not communicating to our women, how can we expect them to be a Proverbs 31 Woman? Most people will rise up to the level of expectation that you have of them, if it is done with LOVE. If you believe a person can fly, they will.
I do not mean to pick on the men so much, this holds true to both partners. I have seen marriages where both parties do not expect much from each other, they put more stock in their friends then each other. And guess what, they have troubled marriages or are getting divorced...... hmmm big surprise, huh? I believe that we all can improve on building each other up. What is that saying..... a compliment a day, keeps the headaches away. :) or something like that. Have a Blessed weekend, Oh and yes, I do have a Proverbs 31 Woman, thanks Kimmy :)

Bible Trivia
What noisemakers hung off the hem of the priest's garment?
Hint: Leviticus 11:29-30

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Reading Schedule
Saturday, July 28th Reading - Ecclesiastes 1-4
Sunday, July 29th Reading - Ecclesiastes 5-8
View July's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Weekend!!

Proverbs 23-26

2007-07-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Heap Burning Coals - Proverbs 23-26

Listen to Proverbs 23-26

Good Morning! Sorry we did not post yesterday's devotional on the blog. The hosting company thought that we were spamming, due to certain words being used over and over, so they locked our account. It should be up and running again.
Starting in chapter 25 through 29:27, these Proverbs were gathered by King Hezekiah's men. If you remember, Hezekiah was a very good king. He was the king that became very sick, GOD had told him that he was going to die, but Hezekiah prayed to GOD, GOD answered his prayers and added 15 years to his life. You can refresh your memory on this story at 2 Kings 20 .

Focus Verses
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the
LORD.

There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.-Proverbs 23:17-18

Do not envy wicked men,
do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble. - Proverbs 24:1-2

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him. - Proverbs 24:17-18

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you. - Proverbs 25:21-22

Thought for the Day
This concept is one that I have struggled with in the past. Well..... to be honest, it is still a hard one for me. I am getting better, I find the closer I come to Christ, the less this world appeals and has to offer me. So let's take a look at what GOD is commanding us.
First, we are to keep our eyes and thoughts upward. This is not easy, because we live on this planet, and the things of this earth appeal to us. Let's face it, we have to have money to live and function. Money brings some sort of a short lived, empty happiness. Plus, alot of the pleasures of this earth look appealing, sex, drugs, and alcohol to name a few, but these are empty. Some days it is much easier to be mean and hurtful to people, then to bite your tongue and build people up.
A lot of these acts that we discussed are the ways of a sinner. Some days when I am tired, and a little discouraged, the sinful ways look pretty nice. I sometimes get envious of how easy these people have it, having no moral rules to live by, it seems too easy. But, I am a warrior, so I tighten up my belt, pray, and continue to fight the good fight.
So then, when one of these wicked sinners falls, we are told not to gloat, or be happy, or think, HA! You deserve what you get! Then if that is not hard enough, we are told to be nice to them, and provide for them when they are in need. Are you sure that this is right, maybe this is one area that GOD really did not mean this? Right?
WRONG! This is exactly what we are to do. We need to be the light of this world. Yes, sin looks and is fun, that is why it is called a temptation. But, sin is short lived and VERY EMPTY! It brings sadness and death. There are a couple of things that we need to remember:
Our joy and happiness are in heaven with Jesus, not here. We are just visiting here, this is not our home, so of course we do not feel at peace here.
Revenge is the LORDS, PERIOD!
I would guess that most of these "Sinners" are very lost and unhappy. They may have forgotten to be "Nice." You may be the only ray of Christ's light that they may experience, they are on their way to hell, to spend an eternity with satan. NO ONE deserves that punishment, we MUST rescue them. Have a great day. - Jim

Bible Trivia
A person who will not listen to wise advice will find
a) Poverty and shame
b) Health and wealth
c) His own wisdom
d) A new job
Hint: Proverbs 13:18

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Reading Schedule
Friday's, July 27th Reading - Proverbs 27-31
View July's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Day!!

Proverbs 16-19

2007-07-23T23:00:00.001-07:00

Commit Your Plans to the Lord - Proverbs 16-19

Listen to Proverbs 16-19

Good Morning!
The chapters that we are in right now are the Proverbs of Solomon. They started in chapter 10 and go through chapter 22:16.
I am not sure if you picked up on this, but, as I have been reading the last chapters you can almost sense Solomon's pattern of thought. It is like he had this concept that he was trying to express on parchment, so he works around that thought.

Focus Verses
Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
The LORD works out everything for his own
ends-
even the wicked for a day of disaster. -
Proverbs 16:3-4
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps. - Proverbs 16:9
Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. - Proverbs - 19:21

Thought for the Day
Stop for a minute and think of how many decisions that you make in one day? Hundreds.....maybe thousands? I would bet that a large portion of your decisions would be quick, split second decisions. What am I going to wear? What am I going to eat? What TV program should I watch?
On the other hand I would guess that you make some decisons that might require more thinking than just a split second. In making these decisions you might try and weigh the outcome of the decision. What happens if I choose this way, or that way????? Stop and think for a minute, how many of those decisions do you wish you would have chose differently, so that the outcome would have been different? I know that I have made TONS to decisions that I wished I could have changed.
I know that Christ cares about every decision that you make. He may not be so concerned what shoes you wear, but He wants to see you make the best decisions for your life. He WANTS to bless you. So knowing that Christ wants to bless you, how many of you give Him the chance to bless you?
Alot of decisions that we make, do not have to be decided right them. We have time on our side, but we feel that we have to quickly decided right now. Why is that? Maybe we feel better when we can check that off our list of things to do?
As the verse say above, if you commit to what you are going to do for the Lord, He will make your plans succeed. You see if you included Jesus, He can direct you, or change events in your life to help you make a better decision. Jesus has all the events lined up to make you a sucess, you just need to ask Him to be apart of them.

Bible Trivia
Who was cursed with pain in childbirth?
Hint: Genesis 3:16-20

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Reading Schedule
Tuesday, July 25th Reading - Proverbs 20-22
View July's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Monday!!

Proverbs 12-15

2007-07-22T21:24:00.001-07:00

The Fear of GOD - Proverbs 12-15

Listen to Proverbs 12-15

Happy Monday Morning! I hope that you had a peaceful weekend, and have a fresh outlook on the week.
Have you been keeping up with the reading of Proverbs? The book is full of wisdom on day to day life, plus, if you have a child, especially a son, Proverbs gives so much direction for their lives.
We have created a page in our site dedicated to the Proverbs, I know that there are times when I would like to find some verses on certain subjects for either teaching or personal, but it is hard to search an entire book. We have broken up the Proverbs into topical subjects, to make it easier for you to find and study the bible. I pray that this helps, here is the new page; Wisdom of the Proverbs.

Focus Verses
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline." -
Proverbs 1:7
"To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech." -
Proverbs 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Proverbs 9:13
"The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom,
and humility comes before honor." - Proverbs 15:33

Thought for the Day
About a month ago I had a lady e-mail me, and express that her boyfriend had a hard time acceptng the phrase "Fear the Lord." To him the word "Fear" was a bad or negative word. Why does the Bible and GOD ask us to fear Him? You fear a bully in school, you have a fear of flying, or maybe you are afraid of dying. In our culture, "Fear" is an emotion that rules us by a negative. So why the word "Fear"?
Let me give you two examples that hopefully change your view of the word "Fear."First off, let's face it, who really fears GOD anymore? Today, GOD is not a god to be feared, HE is a passive being. We have taken this amazing being, and fit HIM into a box so our minds can think we can understand HIM. In our culture, usually when something goes wrong we end up blaming GOD. The reason that HE is passive is because we do not want HIM interfering in our lives, or we do not expect that much from HIM anymore.
When the Bible was written they did not have the scientific knowledge that we have today. So, to look at the use of the word "Fear" you have to look at it from the writer's point of view. Here are two examples:
We understand what creates a tornado; warm air, mixed with cooler air spins together in the clouds, as it spins more violently, it reaches down to earth and destroys whatever it touches. We have taken GOD out of the creation of this, we call it science, or mother nature. Can you imagine Solomon witnessing a tornado? This cloud came from the heavens, it must have been GOD. If I were Solomon I would fear this tornado, and pray that GOD would protect me from this terrible thing.
Here is another example, imagine you are with Moses when the earth splits open and swallows up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. They went down to the grave alive with everything they owned. Then if that were not enough, fire came from the LORD and consumed 250 men for sinning. Numbers 16:31-35
To the men and women of the Bible, GOD was this amazing force that had the power to consume them if they were disobedient. They knew this was a powerful being, and respected it. To us..... well, we struggle some days to even believe that GOD does exist, and as far as HIM being powerful...... well..... HE never gives me what I want, so how powerful can HE be?
My other thought is that we misuse the meaning of the word "Fear." I looked up "Fear" in a dictionary, and here are the results. I think that we should use or remember the meaning #4.
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, esp. toward God.
5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.
Reverential Awe....... I like that much better, don't you? I hope that maybe you have a different outlook on our Fear of the LORD or Reverential Awe of the LORD. :-) Have a wonderful day! - Jim

Bible Trivia
Match: Ravens
a) Fed Elisha by the Jordan River
b) Fed Noah on Mount Ararat
c) Fed Elijah by the Kerith Ravine

Hint: 1 Kings 17:2-4

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Reading Schedule
Tuesday, July 24th Reading - Proverbs 16-19
View July's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Monday!!

Proverbs 1-3

2007-07-19T20:04:00.001-07:00

I am Tested - Proverbs 1-3

Listen to Proverbs 1-3

Insight Into Scripture
Good Morning! I always get so excited when we start a new book of the Bible, and today we start Proverbs!
Let 's get a little background before we start this awesome book. Proverbs is a collection of moral and religious maxims that is directed towards young people, but after reading the book I think you will agree it applies to everyone concerning day to day life. Most of Proverbs is written by Solomon, who was/is known as the most wisest man that ever walked the face of the earth. Solomon was a guide post, not an example. He pointed the way, but in the end of his life, he did not follow his own advice.

The theme of Proverbs is verse 4:
for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-

While the key verse is Proverbs 7:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Solomon "Spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs numbered 1,005." - 1 Kings 4:32 Alright, so are you ready to get started?

Focus Verse - 3:5-6, 9 -10
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Thought for the Day
Have you ever asked the LORD to make you more patient, then you find yourself in situations where your patience is stretched? Or maybe you are trying to teach a friend how to hold their tongue, then you find yourself in situations where you really have to hold your tongue? If you think that those are just coincidences, think again. GOD is working in your life.
A like situation happened to me today. Usually, I read the passage we are going to talk about the night before, this allows time for me to think and the Holy Spirit to do some work in me. So, I read the chapters and I thought that it was interesting the infamous "Trust" verse came after a verse that talks about tithing. So, I chose to talk about that.
Then this afternoon I get an e-mail from our NEW tax accountant (Notice how I said NEW? Someone was not doing their job) this e-mail said we owe payroll taxes. The amount is not huge, but enough for me to stress out and wonder where it is going to come from. After Kim calmed me down, I had to laugh, I told GOD, "Ha, you are a funny guy LORD. Are you seeing if I practice what I preach?"
Usually, I would be totally stressed out, but I am at peace. Here is why. I do trust GOD, I am not going to lean on my understanding. I can't control where the money is going to come from, but I know it is going to be OK. You see I have trusted GOD with little things in my life, and HE has come through, in fact HE has always come through. If you find yourself in situations like I am in, reflect back on your past experiences. Has GOD always provided for you? Has he come through for you in the past? I would trust that HE will again. Do not try and figure it out, GOD has it all figured out....... even before the problem came to be a problem.
The second reason that I know it is going to be OK, we take tithing very seriously. Now, I am not referring to GOD as a vending machine. I put the tithe in and I get a blessing back, but, I know that my heart is in the right place, and I know that GOD honors that. He will take care of me.
Do you take your tithing seriously? I really like how the verse says to "Honor GOD with the wealth of your FIRSTFRUITS." Does GOD receive the last..... the leftovers of your money? Or does HE receive the first? If you have a budget, do you have a line for tithing? Again, I am not saying GOD and tithing is a vending machine, but trust and tithing do go hand in hand.
I will have to share with you how GOD came through for us. Have a great weekend! See you Monday! - Jim

Bible Trivia
No one will see GOD without
a) Being Baptized
b) Teaching Sunday School for 2 years
c) Being really good
d) Holiness
Hint: Hebrews 12:14

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Reading Schedule
Saturday, July 21th Reading - Proverbs 4-7
Sunday, July 22th Reading - Proverbs 8-11
View July's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Weekend!!