Choice.

I must share with you a true story. I was returning home from a business trip and as we were just lifting off I prayed to God to help me make some career decisions, as well as decisions on commitment to him-- particularity, as to what he would have me do in my ministry. I prayed that he would help me not waffle in the direction I was contemplating on taking. I pointedly and directly asked God for his Holy Spirit, who is indwelling in me, to personally speak to me clearly about what to do. After whining a bit more to God, I finished my prayer and picked up my magazine, Christianity Today and opened it to an article written by Barry Cooper called "Imprisoned by Choices". If I had been on a chair, I would have fallen off it. It was an absolute Ruh Rough Scooby-Do moment. I was dumbstruck by what I was reading(and I'm not making this up. Get the article, published Jan. Feb. 2013). Cooper wrote: "Where are you refusing to choose? Maybe you're refusing to commit to a particular relationship--perhaps even your marriage? Maybe you're not truly committed to work--you have Facebook open in one of your browsers, half hoping to be interrupted. Maybe your restless eyes are on constant alert for something or someone better. Maybe you're keeping your options open with God himself, not allowing yourself to become too committed. Elijah is speaking to you in 1 Kings, and he is say, "Make a choice. You have all the information about God you need. Enough of this noncommittal, risk-averse, weak-willed, God-forgetting immaturity. Or, as it probably says in some of the more modern translations, "Grow up." Wow. Did the Holy Spirit speak to me or what? He couldn't have been more clearer--and he answered me in a couple of minutes. As my friend Ralph would say, "Can you imagine what would happen if God was mad at you?" Pray. Believe. Listen!

Being Thankful

November is noted for Thanksgiving and we should give some thought to what we are thankful for. Oh, I know we all face trouble and hardships, but truly we have much to be thankful for if we just think about it. A sunny day, a much needed rain, a happy dog, a purring cat, a laughing child, and more! Perhaps it is time to dwell on thanksgiving, than working over our problems and viewing life in negativity. We are asked to act on "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ"(Ephesians 5:20-21). Yes, we need reverence for Christ and the work he did for us on the cross. He took our sins upon himself and paid for these in his death, but he rose again ensuring us salvation. Even in the midst of our personal challenges, how can we not be grateful for the mercy and grace of God? How can we not be grateful for Jesus who loved us before we loved him? The Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010) translates John 4:19 "Therefore we shall love God because he first loved us." Imagine how special we are and how thankful we should be for God's love, for "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love" (Ephesians 1:4). God loves us! He sent his Son Jesus to save us! What a concept! So, dear brothers and sisters: "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name" (Psalm 100.4) and lastly, get out your bibles, and read Ephesians 5. Walk in Love!

From Reverend Michael Faircloth:The Problem with the Tongue

We've all done it. Gossiped, complained, judged, whined...what we say can hurt,disocurage,and even alarm family, friends, and neighbors. So let's see how we can think before we speak. Get your Bibles and let's turn to some of the Lord's words. James 3-3-12. "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." What the Lord is saying through his apostle James is that we need to be mindful of what we are saying. Before we speak consider: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it hurtful? Are we being careless and unthinking in what we say? Remember, you might have a chance to apologize, but hurts still remain. And as stated in verse 6, words can be like fire: they can spread destruction quickly and once the words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. The damage is done. So my dear friends in Christ, speak in such a way to please God.

Discouragement: What to do?

Maybe you have lost your job. Maybe you can't find job. Or perhaps your discouragement has nothing to do with employment. It could be a relationship, health, money problems? Oh, the list can go on and the sad truth is that everyone has wrestled with discouragement. Someone can help. It is the Lord. You might pray to our Father in Jesus' name with the help of the Holy Spirit. It's easy. Get your Bible out, or go on line and spend some time in His Word. Open your heart and let these words seep into your being... Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phillipians 4:6-8). Now go to Psalm 31:24, Psalm 138:7, Psalm 27:1-14 (a favorite), John 14:1-3 and 27, and Hebrews 13:6. Truly, if God is my helper and my salvation, who or what can I fear?

Does Good Get You Into Heaven?

There has always been discussion on who goes to heaven. Many people believe that if you are "good" you will make it to the pearly gates. As Christians, we don't believe this, because, really,--how good is good enough? Pick up the book by that title written by Andy Stanley. It's an eye opener for those who think that if they are 'good', they will get to heaven regardless of how many times they have violated their own so-called goodness by sinning. Of course there are those who don't believe in God, much less heaven, but if you do believe in both, consider what makes sense. God's truth regarding salvation or your perception of salvation? Goodness is in the eye of the beholder. Truth is a fact. As Andy Stanley says, "Good people don't go to heaven. Forgiven people go to heaven." Our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins so that if we believed on what he did for us, we would be forgiven and gain entrance to heaven. Our faith and our trust needs to be in what the Lord did for us, not what we do for ourselves or others. John 3:16 says it all: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Grab your Bible and read: Hebrews 11:6, Romans 3:23, John 3:17, and Ephesians 2:8,9

Jerome Brownlee's Lesson: Why are we Christians?

Last Lesson was July 10th. Jerome was away for the summer weeks, but we are at it again. Now get out your Bibles and let's start fresh with a good question for those of you who might ask,

WHY ARE WE CHRISTIANS????

WE BELIEVE IN A SUPREME POWER (GOD)

GEN. 1:1  PSALMS 19:1 ROMANS 3:29-31 HEBREWS 1:10-12

WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY TRINITY

GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

JOHN 15:26  MATTHEW  28:18-20 1 CORTHINIANS 2:13-14

WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE TRUE WORD OF GOD

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17  2 PETER 1:20-21

WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST

MARK 1:9-11 MARK 14:60-62 PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

1 JOHN 4:12-16

WE BELIEVE IN HEAVEN AND HELL

PSALMS 139:8  MATTHEW 10:28 LUKE 12:5

2 CHRONICLES 7:14 PSALMS 14;2 MATTHEW 10:32-33

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD SENT HIS SON TO PAY OUR SIN DEBT.

EPHESIANS 2:1-13 COLOSSIANS 2:13-14 GALATIANS 2:20

HE ACCEPTS ALL WHO COME TO HIM.

TITUS 2:11-14 ACTS 2:38 MARK 16:15-16 ROMANS 10:9-13

THROUGH FAITH: HEBREWS 11:1

Jerome Brownlee's Lesson: Don't Worry!

Get out your Bibles. Let's start:

Don't Worry

Matthew 6:24-34, Matthew 10:19, Luke 12:21-23

Be Happy

Job 5:17, Psalms 128:2, Prov. 3:13, Prov. 16: 20 Romans 14:21-23

Get Rid of Excess Baggage!!!

Bitterness

Ephesians 4:30-32, Hebrews 12:14-16

Evil Speaking

Leviticus 5:4-5, Psalms 34:13-14, 1 Peter 2:1-3, 3:10-12, 4:3-5

Wrath

Thessalonians  2:8, 5:8-10, James 1:19-20, Revelation 11:18

Let's pray...Father, please look upon us with compassion and increase your Holy Spirit in us so we can live the lives you want us to live for your glory. "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13:6)