When You pray Believe You have Received in Jesus Name

What is our part?

1. Believe that receiving your full inheritance from God is as important to Him as it is to you. In Acts 26:17—18 Jesus told Paul to “teach people to receive forgiveness of sins and their inheritance.” Jesus said it’s His will for you to receive your inheritance! We must believe it’s His will and His desire for us to receive everything He has for us.

2. Ask God for the thing you need and desire. Be specific! If you need an unsaved loved one saved, be specific — name that person to God. If you need a job, be specific about what kind of job and how much money it will earn. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Ask and you shall receive.” James 4:2 says, “You have not because you ask not.”

3. Be sure you’re asking for the right things... James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss.” He tells us that when we miss the mark in what we ask for, we will not receive. Is what you’re asking for in the Word of God? I John 5:14 says, “If we ask anything according to the will of God, He hears us...”

4. Believe you received it the moment you ask, no matter what you see or feel (Mark 11:24). This is walking by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7). You have to break the habit of only believing something when you see it. You must see what is invisible NOW and believe that it is yours — just as a pregnant woman knows there’s a baby in her— she hasn’t seen anything–but it’s there. She knows it’s there.

I encourage you to take a few minutes right now to visit our interactive Prayer Wall for Personal Miracles. Add your own prayer requests. See what God is doing in the lives of others. And begin to receive answers to your prayers and experience miracles in you and around you!

Praying for Your Miracle,

Seven steps for Spirit Filled Life - Better you Renew it Right now

Seven steps to renewal


1. Surrender
See the need to allow God to help you through others (I Peter 5:6)
You surrender when you see no other way

2. Acceptance
Accept the reality of your situation (Psalm 139:1)

3. Confession
Begin to open up about the reality of your life (James 5:6)

4. Responsibility
Accept responsibility to make changes that must be made (Galatians 6:5)

5. Forgiveness
Forgive your own failures and the failures of those who have hurt you (Matthew 6:14)

6. Transformation
Transform your pain into a purposeful ministry out of love for others (II Corinthians 1:4)

7. Persevere
Protect the spiritual gains you have made and persevere through the struggles we all must experience as we grow (Philippians 2: 12-13)

What's your Walk Like ???

“What’s Your Walk Like?”
Proverbs 1:8-19 Philippians 1:27-30
A. You Can Tell A Lot From A Walk
1. Four Kinds Of Walk
2. The Warning Walk
3. Walk Provides Intentions
4. Walk Moving From A To B
5. Colossians 1:10 Walk Worthy
B. Walking In A Straight Line
Jesus Is The Fixed Point
Getting To Jesus Limits Options
When You Take Your Eyes Off
C. Young Man Receives Advice Prov 1:10
1. Remember What You Learned
2. Avoid Some Of The Friends
3. Friends Do Have An Influence
4. Invitation To Join A Gang
5. Self Destructive Walk
6. Can We Listen To Those Who Love Us.
7. Who Is Turning Who
D. Whatever Happens, Conduct Yourselves
1. Philippians 1:27
2. Conduct Yourselves—Citizens Of Heaven
3. But Look What They Did
4. Walk Worthy
Colossians 1:10 Colossians 1:10 (NASB77) 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
E. Who Is Really Lord
1. Let Jesus Sit Upon The Throne
2. Opportunity To Be Pleasing To God
6. The Home—God’s Building Plan
F. What’s The Lord Doing At Home
We All Affect Each Other
Attitudes Can Smell
Don’t Bring Everything Home
Give In And Go Along For Jesus
G. I Want To Be More Like Jesus
Walking Worthy , Choosing To Know The Bible , The Bible Is For Us To Read
Learn & Be Blessed, Jesus said Come Follow Me
1. Look & See
2. See & Become
3. Lord Open My Heart

World is full of Vanity-Vanity-Vanity - But our goal is Eternity

Eccl a 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
1 Ki 10:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
1. Solomon had the power and position to try every thing his heart desired.
2. Satan’s lie is that if you could only have this one more possession or this one more pleasure or this one more bit of worldly wisdom, you would be happy.

LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS EMPTY BECAUSE LIFE IS TRANSITORY
Eccl 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS EMPTY BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE BRINGS NO PEACE

Eccl 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Eccl 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

01. Knowledge that does not recognize God brings "vexation of spirit".
The point here is that intellectualism brings no peace because for the most part it ignores God’s wisdom and therefore sin remains.

1 Cor 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1 Cor 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1 Cor 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1 Cor 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1 Cor 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS EMPTY BECAUSE PLEASURE, WEALTH, & WORKS BRING NO LASTING SATISFACTION

A. PLEASURE:
Eccl 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Solomon had 700 wives, and 300 concubines, a Palace, and was the richest man in the world.
Remember, vanity means transitory, unsatisfactory. The bible tells us in Hebrews 11:25 that Moses chose"rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season"
At the end of life, those things we thought so important at the time, seem empty because they brought no lasting satisfaction.
Let us take a careful look at 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

How much of our lives are spent pursuing the things in verse 16, but verse 17 tells us it is all passing away.


WEALTH AND WORKS
Eccl 2:4-11, 5:10, and 5:15 Read and expound.

EMPTY BECAUSE OF SIN

Eccl 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

A. This verse tells us that Sin is an universal malady, we are all effected by it.

B. But men think they will not be caught: Eccl 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

C. Judgement will come therefore do not waste your youth and make your life empty.
Eccl 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Eccl 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
Eccl 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Faith and Patience leads us to DO GOD'S WILL

Faith and Patience leads us to DO GOD’S WILL
Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

I. The Israelites could have been told to march right in to take the city
i. God wanted to test them and their obedience
ii. God wanted to show His power to the enemy by giving a very confusing battle plan
B. There are several methods of testing God uses:
i. Failure
ii. Physical health
iii. Emotional stress
iv. Spiritual battles
v. Stressed relationships
vi. Material or financial hardship or loss


C. The end results are priceless blessings for the believer - James 1:4 - 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
i. We realize, with joy, that trials produce the godly virtue of patience in us
a. It is one of the seven fruits of the Holy Spirit
b. Anything that makes us more like our heavenly Father is fantastic – Psalms 86:15 - But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
ii. That we mature with every passing trial we learn from
a. Growth is what the Christian life is designed for, not stagnation
b. 1 Peter 5:10 - But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered .
II. a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
iii. That we find ourselves more contented and stable in our lives
a. Discontent is a killer (churches, relationships, Christian growth)
b. Philippians 4:11-13 - 11Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

3. Patient Faith Waits For the Answer
A. The Israelites did as God had commanded
i. They marched around the city for seven days
ii. They blew the horns and shouted
iii. God followed through on His guarantee that the walls would fall
iv. They went in and conquered the city
B. The timing of God’s answer is always perfect and is worth waiting for
i. It helps us to cope with the prosperity of the wicked, for we will be far better rewarded in the long run - Psalms 37:7 – Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
ii. We prize the value of our efforts more - Ecclesiastes 7:8 – Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit
iii. It places us in high-class company with those in Hebrews 11, preparing us for all that lies ahead - Hebrews 12:1 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Do you grow impatient with God sometimes in your faith?
Do you ever feel like He is not working fast enough or hard enough?
God wants you to have the patience necessary for your faith to be strong.

Practical Goodness - U can Do it

Practical Goodness – the How

A. Follow God’s Commands
Psalm 119:39
Help me abandon my shameful ways; your laws are all I want in life.

Romans 7:14-16
The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. 15I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good.

B. Pursue Purity
Matthew 5:8
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

When we make every effort to seek purity in our hearts and minds, we will see the Goodness of God.

Romans 6:13
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

C. Walk by the Spirit

Love
1 John 3:16,18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Joy
Psalm 16:8-9
I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 9 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.







Peace
John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Patience
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22-23
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.

Gentleness
Colossians 3:12
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Kindness
Romans 12:14-15
If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.

Self-Control
2 Peter 1:5-6
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.

Cultivating these Fruit will lead to a life who’s fruit is goodness!

May your emotional wonds be Healed

May Your Emotional wounds be Healed

Mat 11:28 Come to me - Here he shows to whom he is pleased to reveal these things to the weary and heavy laden; ye that labour - After rest in God: and are heavy laden - With the guilt and power of sin: and I will give you rest - I alone (for none else can) will freely give you (what ye cannot purchase) rest from the guilt of sin by justification, and from the power of sin by sanctification.
A lot of us have difficulty in relating to others because of hurts in our lives. These affects the way we communicate and also the way we handle ourselves. This is one reason why we intentionally or intentionally hurt others. Not until we are healed from our pains, we will always have difficulty in facing life. God’s desire and will is to heal us from our hurts as part of His plan in restoring us. However, we must be willing to let Him work in our life.


• Wounds in our heart take place when we allow Sin, Unresolved Past, Unforgiveness, discouragement , Feelings of Rejection control our lives. Hurts in our hearts will be revealed during conflicts in relationship and times of crisis.
• Jesus is near to the brokenhearted. He understands our pain. He is willing and able to heal and restore us.
• A healed heart will always result to a contented and joyful life. It makes us generous in every area of our lives. It enables us to handle conflicts in relationships properly.
• There is a connection between a healed heart and a positive attitude ( Proverbs 17:22 ).
• God has provided for our healing but we still have a choice if want it or not. If we decide to be restored then we must be willing to let Him have it His way.








Steps to Freedom our damaged emotions


A. Receive comfort from God by surrendering our hurts to Him.
( Matthew 11:28;
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

B. Confront your past with God’s Forgiveness .
(Isaiah 1:18; Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Matthew 18:21-35; Mat 18:21 The

n came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.




Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 7:10)

C. Refuse to believe that you are product of your past experiences.
( Pro 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

D. Focus on your identity in Christ and build on it..
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

E. Choose not to be hurt when you are offended by receiving and walking in the love of God.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

A spirit of Discouragement - overcome by the Power of the Holy Spirit

A SPIRIT OF DISCOURAGEMENT- BEWARE OF SATAN’S DEVICES
2Co 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

REV 12:12 – “ THE DEVIL HAS A GREAT WRATH AND HIS TIME IS SHORT”
- HE HAS LAUNCHED AN ALL OUT WAR AGAINST GOD’S SEED
-. WHICH EXPLAINS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ALL THE SIN IN TODAY’S SOCIETY.
-. HOW AND WHY THE POWERS OF DARKNESS ARE PUSHING THIS CULTURE DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO DESTRUCTION.
-. SATAN IS INDEED ALIVE AND WELL ON PLANET EARTH!
A DEMONIC ATTACK CALLED THE SPIRIT OF DISCOURAGEMENT!
a). THIS ATTACK COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL.
b). SATAN FEEDS YOU LIES OF HOW YOU BROUGHT IT ON YOUR SELF.
c). THIS IS ONE OF SATANS MOST POTENT WEAPONS; TRYING TO GET YOU INTO A FEELING OF DISCOURAGEMENT , SO MAYBE YOU’LL GIVE UP.
d). DISCOURAGEMENT – LACK HOPE – USUALLY AFTER A MAJOR VICTORY.
e). MANY FACE IT ON A MONDAY; AFTER A BREAK THROUGH ON SUNDAY.
f). IT HAS HAPPENED TO KING DAVID, ELIJAH (PASSIONS LIKE OURS)
g). IT’S YOUR FAITH AND LOVE THAT MAKES YOU A TARGET!

LETS BEGIN TO LOOK AT THE DEVILS STRATEGIES, DEVICES USED TO OVERCOME US WITH A SPIRIT OF DISCOURAGEMENT.
1). HE WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE; THINGS ARE WORSE THAN THEY REALLY ARE!
A). YOUR LIFE, SITUATIONS YOUR FACING, YOUR PROBLEMS THAT EXIST.
B). HAVE YOU EVER DWELLED ON A PROBLEM UNTIL YOU WERE
CONVINCED IT WAS A BAD SITUATION AND AFTER FACING IT, IT WAS NOT ANYWHERE AS BAD AS YOU THOUGHT; THAT WAS THE DEVIL.



C). THE DEVIL KNOWS IF YOUR FEELING DOWN, DISCOURAGED, PROBLEMS SEEM UNSOLVABLE, MORE DIFFICULT. YOU TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY AND TURN THINGS AROUND.
D). IN A MATTER OF ONE HOUR, A PERSONS LIFE CAN TURN SOUR.
E). YOU START TO QUESTION YOUR SPOUSE, JOB, CAR , HOUSE, LIFE.
F). KNOW HIS DEVICES; HE IS ATTACKING YOU WITH A SPIRIT OF DISCOURAGEMENT.

2). HE WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE; YOU ARE IN IT ALL BY YOURSELF!
A). WHERE’S MY HELP? AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT CARES?
HOW COME NO ONE ELSE WILL PUT FORTH A FINGER TO HELP?
B). DEVIL GETS US DISCOURAGED; THINKING WE ARE THE ONLY ONES.
C). WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT ALL THAT WE DO AND KEEP SCORE.
D). WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE HAVING 4 HRS SLEEP, GOING HRS NO SLEEP
E). ON MY ONE DAY OFF, MOW, TRIM, PAINT; WHERE’S MY HELP?
F). WHEN IN THIS MOOD, EASY TO FORGET ALL THAT OTHERS DO.
G). SAME WITH CHURCH; NO ONE BUT ME CARES TO WORSHIP, NO CARES ABOUT THE SERMONS I WORK ALL WEEK ON, NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH.
H). IF SATAN ATTACKS US WITH A SPIRIT OF DISCOURAGEMENT, WE WILL BEGIN TO QUESTION EVERYONE ELSE

...

Discipline and Trials are part and parcel of Believer's Life - Be Glad and Rejoice

Discipline and Trials are part and parcel of Believer’s Life – Be Glad and Rejoice
01. We must neither make light of God’s discipline nor lose heart because of it.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
And yet ye seem already to have forgotten the exhortation - Wherein God speaketh to you with the utmost tenderness. Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord - Do not slight or make little of it; do not impute any affliction to chance or second causes but see and revere the hand of God in it. Neither faint when thou art rebuked of him - But endure it patiently and fruitfully. Pro_3:11, &c.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
For - All springs from love; therefore neither despise nor faint.

02. God discipline his children to promote sanctification

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

03. No discipline is pleasant, but later on we enjoy its fruit

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Now all chastening - Whether from our earthly or heavenly Father, Is for the present grievous, yet it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness - Holiness and happiness. To them that are exercised thereby - That receive this exercise as from God, and improve it according to his will.

04. In everything God works for the good of those who love him

Rom 8:28 And we know - This in general; though we do not always know particularly what to pray for. That all things - Ease or pain, poverty or riches, and the ten thousand changes of life. Work together for good - Strongly and sweetly for spiritual and eternal good. To them that are called according to his purpose - His gracious design of saving a lost world by the death of his Son. This is a new proposition. St. Paul, being about to recapitulate the whole blessing contained in justification, (termed "glorification," Rom_8:30,) first goes back to the purpose or decree of God, which is frequently mentioned in holy writ.









05. God will never give you more than you can bear
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Common to man - Or, as the Greek word imports, proportioned to human strength. God is faithful - In giving the help which he hath promised. And he will with the temptation - Provide for your deliverance.

06. We can rejoice in our sufferings, which produce perseverance

Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
We glory in tribulations also - Which we are so far from esteeming a mark of God's displeasure, that we receive them as tokens of his fatherly love, whereby we are prepared for a more exalted happiness. The Jews objected to the persecuted state of the Christians as inconsistent with the people of the Messiah. It is therefore with great propriety that the apostle so often mentions the blessings arising from this very thing.

07. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For I reckon - This verse gives the reason why he but now mentioned sufferings and glory. When that glory "shall be revealed in us," then the sons of God will be revealed also.

08. God blesses those who persevere under trials
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Happy is the man that endureth temptation - Trials of various kinds. He shall receive the crown - That fadeth not away. Which the Lord hath promised to them that love him - And his enduring proves his love. For it is love only that "endureth all things."

Do your emotions influence you ???

Emotions ; Dictionary meaning of emotions;- mental agitation or feeling, excited mental state
We have many emotions. These include fear, anger, excitement, loneliness, despair, and satisfaction. What emotions motivate you the most
What are the three GREATEST MOTIONS WHICH ARE EFFECTING PEOPLE TODAY ???
What makes you cry? LOSS PAST

What makes you sing? HAPPINESS PRESENT

What makes you dream? HOPE FUTURE

3. Why are these among the greatest emotions? Because we cry over the past and ask, "What might have been?" This deals with our loss. Then, we sing to reflect our present happiness. Our songs tell everyone our joy. Then we dream of the future, and hope for what might be.

B. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY: THE PAST. (Ps. 137:1)

1. We cry because we remember PAST BLESSINGS. "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion" (Ps. 137:1). They wept because they could no longer worship God in the temple, no longer live in the land, they no longer had freedom.

2. We cry because our DREAMS WERE DESTROYED.
Athletes weep when they can no longer compete, parents weep when they no longer can influence their children, businessmen weep when they can no longer go to work, and all ministers weep because they can no longer preach. We weep when our dreams die.

3. We weep because others DISAPPOINT US. "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Why did Jesus weep?

a. Because of Mary’s UNBELIEF. "If thou hast been here, my brother had not died" (John 11:21).

b. Because of the multitudes’ UNBELIEF. "Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man (Lazarus) from dying" (John 11:37).

c. Because He LOVED Lazarus. "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" (John 11:5).

4. We weep because we LOSE SOMETHING. We weep at funerals because we have lost a loved one. Parents weep at a wedding because they lose their "little girl." We weep because of loss.

5. We weep when we can’t do what WE USED TO DO. The Jews in Babylon wept because, "We hung our harps upon the willows . . . "

(Ps. 137:2). The harp made the Jews happy and they no longer used their musical instruments.

C. WHAT MAKES YOU SING? (Ps. 137:2,3)

1. The Jews in Babylon could NOT SING. "For there those who carried us away captive required of us a song, and those who plundered us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion" (Ps. 137:3).

2. When you are happy, it shapes YOUR SONG. We usually sing because we are happy. The word "blessed" means happy. All of the Beatitudes begin with the word, "blessed" (Matt. 5:3-11). The first word in the most spiritual book in the Bible (Psalms) is "blessed" which means we must be happy to be spiritual. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful" (Ps. 1:1). If you are a happy Christian, you will sing the songs of Zion. The Jews in captivity were asked, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion" (Ps. 137:3). The people were not singing because they were not happy. "How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?" (Ps. 137:4). Happy Christians sing, whistle, or hum Christian songs.

3. Don’t seek happiness, just to HAVE FUN. The world seeks fun just to "have a good time." A truly happy person has a purpose in life and is working toward a purpose
WHAT MAKES YOU DREAM? (Ps. 137:4-6)- Dream Big for God

1. What you REMEMBER is what you dream. "If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy" (Ps. 137:6). Our dreams of the future are based on what we remember of the past.

We raise our children how our parents raised us.
How we will treat people in the future, is based on how we were treated in the past.

2. You are KNOWN by your dreams. Joseph was called a dreamer because of his dreams. "Behold this dreamer cometh" (Gen. 37:19).dreams are you known by?

3. Your dreams will get you in TROUBLE. Because Joseph had dreams about his brothers serving him, "they hated him yet the more for his dream" (Gen. 37:8). Good dreams get you in trouble with bad people.

4. Everyone can dream. Peter preached on Pentecost, "Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17).

5. Dreams are absolutely NECESSARY. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). If people don’t have a dream, they don’t have a purpose to live.

E. SELF EVALUATION
1. What makes you cry? – U CAN DEFINITELY OVER COME
2. What makes you sing?- U CAN SING ALWAYS –Ps 13:6 I will sing unto the lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.
3. What makes you dream?- When You love God , Dream Big for God, Your dreams shall come to Pass

Self Centredness = Self Deception

Self Centredness = Self Deception
--SELF-ESTEEM!

Psalms 36:2-3, "… For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good…"

I want you to know that the man or woman who is truly in right relationship with Jesus Christ will not be full of self-pride. They won’t boast about their own accomplishments or try to show everyone else how wonderful they really are. People who have to boast about themselves often don’t really have much to brag about at all.

If you are truly on fire for God and your heart is right with Him, God will lift you up and people will see Jesus in you and give God the glory for all that is accomplished through your efforts. God doesn’t share His glory! The person that brags on their worthiness has already received their reward!
James 4:10, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"
--SPIRITUAL BONDAGE!

Isaiah 44:19-20, "And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

It is as though there is a chain of spiritual bondage and blindness that is bound around the heart, ears and eyes so that the self-deceived man or woman cannot understand their predicament, hear the voice of the spirit or see the Holy Spirit moving to free them. They are so deceived that they believe they are the only ones right and everyone else is wrong.

I know that God will convict us of certain things on an individual level but the scriptures also say that the Word of God is not any “private interpretation”. That simply means that what God says for one, He says for all for He is no respecter of persons.
One who is caught up in self-deception can only see the faults of others but none of their own faults. They are quick to judge others but won’t judge their own hearts.

By dwelling on their own self esteem and lifting their own lives as shining examples for the rest of us to follow, it isn’t long until they have convinced themselves that they deserve some special treatment. It’s as though they worshipped the ground that they walked on and considered themselves as God’s gift to mankind and they are blinded by their own heart of pride.
--Conceit that is manifest in their lives!

Galatians 6:3, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

If there is one thing that is sickening to the ears of another person, its when we like to toot our own horn. When people start saying how good they are, how much experience they have and do so with an arrogant tone and a proud spirit, that’s when I am ready to stop listening.

When are we anything? Only when the Lord Jesus Christ places His anointing upon us and gives us the power to accomplish a work for Him! That work isn’t just work in the church or the ministry, its work anywhere that God places us.

Without the Lord we can’t do anything! I have no ability that is not given to me by God and neither do you! Let’s not get proud or high and mighty about what we think we know or what we think we can do! God knows



--Careless Hearing!

James 1:22, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onlyow to bring you down off of your pedestal! deceiving your own selves."

Careless Hearing is when we come to the House of God and hear the message, but we don’t really hear what God is trying to say to us!

Another term that I have often heard is “Selective Hearing”. In other words, we hear only what we want to hear or what lines up with our already established beliefs. We don’t want to hear anything that might tell us that we are wrong. 1 Corinthians 14:38, "But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."

A lot of people love to confess their ignorance. My opinion is that, “Its better to let people think that you are ignorant than to open your mouth and prove them right.”
--An Un-bridled Tongue!

James 1:26, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain."
They love to talk about themselves. They love to talk about other people’s error. They love to talk about anything and everyone. I still believe that God have you 2 eyes, 2 ears and one mouth and that they should be used accordingly. Self-deceived people just love to hear the sound of their own voice.
-- Spiritual Poverty!

Revelation 3:17, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"

Jesus was speaking from the midst of the 7 Golden Candlesticks, representing the 7 churches in Asia of John’s day as well as the church of all the ages. He was also speaking to each of us individually because the descriptions and conditions of the churches can be found in all of us who are a part of the Body of Christ in the earth.

Jesus, from the candlestick, was speaking to the Church of Laodicea. This was a rich church, satisfied with its own sufficiency. There is where the Self-Deceived person lives. They think that they have it all together. They believe that they are right! They believe that no one can teach them anything!


Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let’s be on guard against becoming deceived by our own heart! We must stay in the Word of God and let it speak to us, cleansing us like water washing over a muddy path, washing away all the debris and cloudiness that separates us from God. We must not live a life of self-deception but we must make our salvation sure.
2 Peter 1:5-10, "… giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"

Pride - If you have Get Rid of It Right now

PRIDE
What is pride? Pride means to act arrogantly; a high opinion of ones worth, self conceit.
"Pride, the idolatrous worship of self, is the national religion of hell."
God has some very explicit things to say about pride that we need to pay close attention to. Let’s look at those verses. Proverbs 6:13 says 16 There are six things the LORD hates.
There are seven things he cannot stand: 17 a proud look…”
The writer of Proverbs puts pride ahead of murder. It’s not that murder is less severe it’s just than on God’s top ten list of things that he hates, pride is number one. Proverbs 8:13 says, 13 All who fear the LORD will hate evil. That is why I hate pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverted speech.”

So, God hates the sin of pride. He calls it evil. He does not hate the prideful person but he hates the pride in the person. That’s important for us to understand. Why is it that God feels so strongly about pride? Here are some reasons:

Pride promotes self-sufficiency rather than God-sufficiency. Attitudes like, “I can do it myself, I do not need anyone else” is commonwith prideful
Another reason God feels so strongly about pride it has the capability of destroying our lives. Pride is a ticking time-bomb.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” I like what the Message Translation of this verse says: “First pride—then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”
Pride is destructive. I want to share with you a form of pride that all of us struggle with in our lives and that is spiritual pride. Turn with me if you will to Luke 18:9-13

In this parable Jesus gives us the reason for his sharing it (vs. 9). There are two characters in this story. One of them a Pharasee the other a tax collector. These two men couldn’t be any more different. The Pharasee (which means separated one) was very pious and took stock in his attempt to keep the law. The tax collector in his own eyes and as well in everyone else’s didn’t have a leg to stand on. Both approach the Lord in prayer. The Pharasee boasts about his own-self sufficiency. The other begs for mercy because he knew he was a disappointment to himself, the people he worked for and his God. Here are some things that stand out to me in this passage as it relates to spiritual pride:

1). We are guilty of spiritual pride when we depend upon our merit and not on God’s grace. Notice what the parable says: The Pharasee compared himself with everyone else and thought himself better than they. Four times he mentions the word “I”. But, even though the tax-collector was probably a pretty wealthy man he didn’t bring any of that to God. Only a broken heart. I really believe that pride is one of the biggest factors that keep people from giving their lives to him. It’s pride that says, “I don’t need God, I can make it on my own.”

2). God will do anything to break pride in us. Look at verse 14. God exalts the humble, but he brings low the proud. It’s not that God wants to make a spectacle out of the prideful person he just wants them to see how it’s supposed to be
1). Recognize it—this is the first step!
2). Repent of it (See the example of the tax collector in Luke) Remember do something about it before God does!
3). Ready yourself to fight it every day!
Romans 12:16 says, “Don’t be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.”
God enables us to stand against pride in our lives. But it can only happen when we understand his grace and mercy.

Compromiser - Can't reach the Kingdom of God - Are you a Compromiser ?

COMPROMISER – CANT REACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD –ARE YOU A COMPROMISER ?

Dan 1:1-20 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. .........

In other words, the entire world system. Notice what Jesus said of the kosmos and His disciples. John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
In John 12:31 and in John 14:30, the devil is called the “prince of this world”, or of the kosmos. One of the more famous verses containing this word is Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Again the emphasis is that this world is ungodly, and if the child of God is not careful, he/she will be pulled down by it. Therefore there is the challenge for the believer to stay godly in an ungodly world, and I believe the key to that is something called integrity.

Remember that integrity is being real, or genuine. Are you real? Are you the same at work on Monday morning as you are in church on Sunday morning? That’s integrity.
I believe that God wants to speak to His people from the book of Daniel on this subject of integrity. If ever there was a dark period of history, it had to be in the time of Daniel. The people of God were taken captive by an ungodly, pagan nation, their temple destroyed and their priesthood held hostage

NOTE INTEGRITY’S DECISION.
1. These four youth were along way from home, with no parents around and brought to one of the most beautiful cities in the world at that time. Someone wrote that the strategy of the king was to get them accustomed to the good life by offering them the food and wine of the royal household so that they would become so accustomed to the good life that they would not be tempted to return to their old lives. On top of this, Nebuchadnezzar even changed their names. Now you know that names were very important in Jewish culture. Names often displayed a characteristic of that individual. Note the Hebrew names of these four young men and what they meant. Daniel = God is my judge, Hananiah = God has favoured, Mishael = who is what God is or who is like God? Azariah = Jehovah has helped
Each one of these names was a testimony of God’s hand upon His people and that would not do in Nebuchadnezzar’s pagan court. So Nebuchadnezzar attempted to change their names from Daniel to Belteshazzar which means, “the treasure of Bel” or more specifically, the holder of the treasures of Bel, from Hananiah to Shadrach which means “Aku’s command” from Mishael to Meshach, which means He who belongs to the goddess Sheshach, and from Azariah to Abed-nego which meant the servant of Nebo.



2. Nebuchadnezzar, in changing their names, was trying to change their identities as well. That’s exactly what Satan desires to do with you this morning, change your identity as a child of God, to becoming a child of the world. When you compromise your integrity, that’s exactly what happens, you loose your identity. That’s why so many today don’t really understand what Christianity is all about, because they have yet to see a true Christian.

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Daniel had made a decision, he had determined that he would not loose his integrity.
3. Did you know that there are some battles you can either win before you ever fight them? If you purpose that you are going to maintain your integrity, young person, you won’t be in the back seat of that car on Saturday night, you won’t be hanging around the wrong crowd, you won’t be stealing from work, or cheating on your taxes or going to the bar Friday night. Daniel decided that he would not take off the king’s table, there was something more important to him.
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright ...shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
4. Why will the integrity of the upright guide them? Because they won’t be in those places where integrity is compromised or the decision is already made before they get there. Those who are wavering are the ones who struggle with temptation the most, they’re the ones who have a hard time saying no. Daniel decided that he was going to do what was right and serve the Lord.
5. What a decision it was! It is a reminder to us that we don’t have to bend the rules to be blessed of God. Everytime you see a compromise struck in the Bible, you also see a loss. Adam compromised in the garden of Eden, and lost paradise. Abraham compromised the truth and lost his testimony in Egypt and almost lost his wife. Sarah compromised her faith and sent Hagar to Abraham and even today peace is lost in the Middle East. Aaron compromised with idolatry and lost the privilege of seeing the promised land. Samson compromised his devotion as a Nazarite and lost his hair, his strength and his victory. David compromised his moral standards and committed adultery and lost his children. On and on it goes, but compromise always results in a loss.
6. Daniel purposed he was not going to compromise and everything that follows in this book is a result of that decision. You never hear anything about the other youths that came out of Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar selected. We don’t know how many but there surely was a lot. They lost their success by their compromise.
7. We wonder sometimes why God is not more involved in our lives. Maybe it’s because we’ve not fully decided that we’re going to follow His plan. When we are outside of the will of God, so often we’re on our own, but if we are committed to His plan, then He is committed to us. If we won’t commit ourselves to the Lord, God will search until He finds someone else that He can used for His glory. , I challenge you to make the decision of integrity, “I’m going to serve God”.


II. NOTE INTEGRITY’S DEDICATION.
1. Remember that Daniel’s name means “God is my judge”. I firmly believe that this truth literally permeated Daniel’s being, for he was totally dedicated to serving the Lord. He lived knowing he was accountable to the Lord.
2. There is a great truth here. We must have dedication in order to live for God and have integrity. The only way to have that type of dedication is to remember that you are accountable to God, God is your judge.

3. Daniel lived in Babylon, while certainly a beautiful city, it was also a wicked city. The city was filled with idols and sorcerers. Many of the so called wise men of Babylon were simply enchanters. However, for over seventy years, Daniel lived in Babylon.

NOTE INTEGRITY’S DEPENDENCE

Just as his name said, God was his judge, he was accountable to God. There was a greater than Nebuchadnezzar there. As a matter of fact, one of the things that Daniel warned the king about and Nebuchadnezzar refused to listen at first was that even he, was accountable to God, that God would judge him and we find that God did just exactly that, reducing the king to the life of an animal.
Daniel knew who he was and also who God was. Integrity, or holy living, will always bring faith.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Self Pity = Feel sorry for, have sympathy for
Self Pity is enemy for Joyous Living
Example; Oh I am short, Oh I am not beautiful, Oh I am not talented, Oh I am not intelligent
Oh I am Unlucky, Oh I am not privileged so on so forth !!!!
Luk 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. Luk 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. Luk 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. Luk 15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:Luk 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. Luk 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. Luk 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
I. We See the Curse of Self Pity (v. 28-30) -. Self Pity destroys our happiness.
“..but he became angry and would not go in….” v. 28
• The older brother was angry and would not go in.
-- Self pity will destroy our usefulness for the kingdom
“..and was not willing to go in and his Father began entreating him..” – v. 28
1. We fail to see where we are needed
2. We can often distract the work of others
3. We can hinder the effectiveness of the whole body
-- Self pity will destroy unity
“..but when this son of yours came..” v. 30
II. We See the Cause of Self Pity (v. 29)
A. Restricted vision causes self pity
1. He could not see beyond himself
2. His favorite words were “I, me and my”
B. Distorted values cause self pity
“…you never killed a kid for me…” – v. 29
1. He did not realize what he had
2. He wanted something that he did not need
C. Wrong virtues cause self pity.
“…for so many years I have served you…”
III. The Cure for Self Pity (v. 31)
A. We need an abiding presence
“Thou are ever with me…”
B. We Should Recognize Our Abundant Provision
“All that I have is yours..”
C. We need to celebrate the achieved purpose
“..for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and has been found..” – v. 32

Beware of Gossip !!!

"You're Not Going To Believe everything What you Hear"
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
We need to examine the accuracy of the information as well as our motives in telling the story.

- Concerning accuracy, if we’re not sure about the truth of the story, that should be enough to stop us from sharing it. If it’s something that were concerned about because someone that we love is involved, we should proceed not by sharing the unverified story, but by going to the person in question and sharing our concern. “I heard this and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t true.”

- For some people, though, the presumption is that if the accuracy of the information is confirmed, then sharing it is not gossip. “I’m just telling the truth,” they’ll say. But there’s a second factor at play and that is the motive we have in sharing the story. Even if a story is verified to be true, if we are sharing it with the motive to hurt the person, to taint their reputation, or just because we want to be the first to share the juicy news, our motive is bad.
2. Why Do We Gossip?

“We love our insider status more than we love people.”

- James 3:5-6; James 4:11; James 5:9.

- We seldom think about the implications for the person we’re gossiping about. Our thoughts are usually on being the first one to spread the news so that we’ll get (a) credit for being “in-the-know” and (b) others to share their gossip with us when they’ve got some.
3. Why Should We Change Our Words?

- Obviously, what we just talked about a moment ago hints at one good reason: that we should love people more than our insider status, but there are other reasons that directly apply to us.

A. “Realize that everything you say is being recorded.”

- Matthew 12:36-37; Matthew 10:26.

- I don’t mean that Big Brother is watching. I mean that God in heaven misses nothing
And Jesus tells us here that we are accountable for every word that we say.




B. “Understand that a loose tongue equals a useless religion.”
- James 1:26; James 3:2.

- Proverbs 6:16-19 (last one).

- Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 1 Timothy 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3.
- Here in James 1:26 and James 3:2, we see a similar idea - that the way we handle our tongue represents one of the most difficult tests of the maturity of our faith.

- Many Christians divide sins up into the “really bad ones” (perhaps murder, adultery, homosexuality, etc.) and the “not so bad ones” (perhaps envy, pride, materialism, gossip, etc.). The sin of gossip is deemed excusable by many folks who conside
r themselves to be mature Christians. These verses speak against that and point out the seriousness of the sin and the reality that it is a test of spiritual maturity.

- Proverbs 6:16-19 speaks of things that God hates and the last (and in the Hebrew that makes it the point of emphasis) is someone who sows discord among brothers. When we stir up trouble within the church with our gossip, we are putting ourselves in the line of the wrath of God.
4. What Do I Do When I’m Approached With Gossip?
“Have you talked to [that person] about this?”

- This comes out of Matthew 18:15. Our first step when there is sin involved is to go confront the person about it, not gossip behind their back.
- Come let us find out what is the truth
- Do you have witness about this matter/person
- Please tell him –brother don’t talk about others, Pl stop it
-

True Repentance - part 1

Repentance is a lifetime discipline necessary for a holy life. Daily repentance..is a must for a Believer.
Rediscovering HOLINESS IS REPENTANCE . Realizing that I have fallen short of the glory of God and it is only grace that can make up the difference? The sorrow that comes when we realize that we have been called to holiness and we have to live according to God’s will.
2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
A Godly sorrow which brings repentance.
Walking in holiness begins with repentance. That being the case, then maybe we should start thinking about repentance differently. Maybe we should start thinking about it as a discipline of our faith – a lifetime discipline necessary for a holy life. Maybe we should even think of repentance as a daily discipline.
It is recognizing that what we are doing is damaging our relationship with God and so turning away from the behavior, the attitude, the habit – whatever it is – and taking up a new way which promotes our relationship with God.
The classic example of repentance in the Bible is that wee little man Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was real snake of a man – if I may say so. Tax collectors in Israel got the job by bidding on it, in essence selling out their countrymen for their own personal gain. Rome didn’t care how much tax was collected – just so that they got their fair share. So tax collectors were notorious extortionist and ol’ Zacchaeus was no exception. But when Jesus ate with him – something no self-respecting Jew would do out of fear of being defiled – and literally graced his life, Zacchaeus underwent a change of heart. Not only did he stop what he was doing – a legalized form of stealing – he also gave half his possessions to the poor and even made restitution to people he robbed through taxation. So what can we learn about repentance from our man Zacchaeus?

Well, first of all repentance requires that we realize we have disobeyed God. We have violated his law, offended his moral purity, tried to cast off his yoke of authority. This only happens when we stop deluding ourselves . that what we are doing really is not so bad when compared to others. God is not concerned about degrees – he is concerned about sin. The gossiper is just as guilty in the eyes of God as the murderer. The pornographer is just as bad as the adulterer, the fornicator and the practicing homosexual.
Repentance requires that we cultivate a hatred for sin, as God hates sin. How? By the consistent study and meditation upon God’s Word. By continued prayer that God will change your heart to be like his, to hate what he hates and love what he loves. By confessing your sin not only to God, but to a trusted brother or sister in Christ – an accountability partner. Nothing teaches you to hate your sin more than having to admit in front of another.
We like things to grow, don’t we? We mark the growth of our plants, our animals – we’ve already mentioned kids. We mark the growth of our checkbooks – at least we want to, sometimes that doesn’t work out so well. We mark the growth of our reputations, But when it comes to Spiritual life and Holiness we just ignore it or may be we are too busy to follow.
So what’s it going to be? Will you settle for a life that is serviceable, ignoring some sin where you can, working around it where you must or will you go for what is best, uprooting everything so that you can start clean – confess your sin and then purge your life of circumstances or influences that draw you into it? Only one way will lead to the holiness God desires from all of us. Remember, repentance is a prelude for holiness.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
IT IS HIGH TIME TO REPENT !!!!!

Homosexuality - It is Ok or Sin ???

Dictionary meaning of Homosexuality means; Having sex between Man to Man and Women to Women (which is un natural)
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
GOD COULD HAVE CREATED STEVE INSTEAD OF EVE. OR MADAM TO EVE INSTEAD OF ADAM. BUT HE CREATED ADAM AND EVE. MAN AND A WOMEN. ANYTHING AGAINST THIS PRINCIPLES ARE WRONG .

Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Idolatry is here placed between fornication and adultery, because they generally accompanied it. Nor the effeminate - Who live in an easy, indolent way; taking up no cross, enduring no hardship. But how is this? These good - natured, harmless people are ranked with idolaters and sodomites! We may learn hence, that we are never secure from the greatest sins, till we guard against those which are thought the least; nor, indeed, till we think no sin is little, since every one is a step toward hell.
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
SO BEWARE OF HOMESECUALITY AND DO NOT ENCOURAGE THEM.!!!!!!

Sexual morality

There is a lot of confusion out there about sexual morality
1. What does the Bible teach about sex? (who it is for and when it can be enjoyed?)
2. Why should you follow God’s plan?
3. How can you follow God’s plan?

1. The Bible teaches that sexual relations are to be enjoyed within the context of marriage only. (Deut. 5:18, Matt. 5:27-28, Heb. 13:4, 1 Thess. 4:3-7)

Matt. 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.“

Jesus tells us that sexual purity isn’t just about avoiding intercourse with someone who is married – it goes to the heart of our attitudes toward other people. If we look at them lustfully we have already committed an indecent act in God’s eyes.

What else does God’s word teach us about sex?

1Th. 4:3-7 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality (greek “porneia” which has a broad application to all types of sexual sin); that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Does this mean that all sex is condemned by God? Far from it. God created sex. He created men and women with sexual organs designed to enjoy sex. But he teaches that it is to be enjoyed only within the boundaries of a lifelong, committed marriage.

Heb. 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Many other passages could be quoted – but the clear idea of scripture is that God created sex to be enjoyed within the boundaries of marriage.

2. God’s plan for sex is for our benefit. (John 10:10)

The reason for any “law” like this is ultimately our good. God loves us and wants us to experience abundant life – not keep us from “the good stuff”.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.”

God knows the destructive power . of sexual relationships when they occur outside of the commitment of a loving marriage. What is interesting is that it is not just Bible believing Christians who understand this, but secular researchers are discovering that sex outside of marriage carries with it a large amount of baggage.

Sexually Active Teenagers Are More Likely to Be Depressed and to Attempt Suicide

Young people – you need to hear this! Your classmates, and in particular the media portrays that sexual activity is great, fun, exciting, mature. The message our culture is pounding into your head is that waiting for sex will make you UNHAPPY. But that is exactly the opposite of what this study discovered.

I’ll say it again – God’s plan for sex being reserved for marriage is for our GOOD!

But it’s not just teens who need to hear this message. The practice of cohabitating with a sexual partner prior to marriage also has negative long-term effects.

THE NEGATIVE RESULTS OF COHABITATION more likely to enjoy sex afterward than those who cohabit.

If you are a single adult who has bought into the culture’s idea that cohabitating is a good way to prepare for marriage – you’ve been lied to.

Let me say it one more time. God loves you and wants you to experience an abundant life – filled with all the best. He instructs us to save sex for marriage because he wants to save us from all the problems that sharing such an intimate relationship outside of the commitment of marriage causes.

Nearly everything in the media brainwashes us with the ideas that sex is just a physical act, that it can and should be enjoyed by everyone as often as possible, and that there is no reason to reserve sexual relations for your spouse.

But even with all this pressure, you’ve got to understand that…
3. Although staying pure in our society is difficult, it is possible. (Matt. 5:8, 1 Cor. 10:13)

How can we stay pure in this oversexed culture? It starts with a desire to please God and dedicating yourself to following His word and not the culture or your emotions.

But I can tell you from experience that though this is a good starting place – we’re going to need to learn how to defend ourselves from the attacks against our desire to please God that come relentlessly.

Sexual activity is like a freight train. It make take a long time to get started, but once its moving it is extremely hard to put on the brakes and stop. The key is in setting boundaries for yourself BEFORE you get in a tempting situation. As any full-blooded person can tell you – it can be very difficult to make good choices about sexual behavior in the heat of the moment. That’s why I want to help you think through a set of questions that any of us should answer BEFORE we go on a date, or even consider dating someone!

Who will I date? Who will I not date?
2Cor. 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Paul’s context was probably not a marriage relationship here, but a business contract. Don’t get stuck in a contractual relationship with someone whose way of life is so different than your own. But if that is true in business, how much more true is it in a marriage?
What will I wear? (ladies)

This is mostly for the women and young women out there. By “What will I wear?” I don’t mean will I wear the blue shirt or the green shirt. I mean – what principles will guide my choices of ... what clothes I’ll even purchase.

Let’s be honest. The trend in fashion today is for women to dress in ways that show more skin than ever before. It’s not in fashion, it seems, if the midriff is not exposed and the pants aren’t hanging lowly on the hips. And tops and dresses seem to show more and more of women’s chests and shoulders than ever.

What you’ve got to understand is that such clothes send a message. “Look at my body.” And when that message is sent to young men – guess what they are going to do? Yeah…they’ll look – and they’ll begin thinking about how they can do a lot more than look.
At the risk of sounding prudish, I want to read St Paul’s advice regarding clothing to you women:

1Tim. 2:9 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety...

When you choose what to wear – go ahead and be fashionable – but dress modestly. If you do you’ll help keep the freight train from getting started.

I’ve got a question mostly for the guys…

What will I allow my eyes to see?

It’s no secret that guys get their freight train started by what comes into their minds visually. The very existence of the pornography industry bears testimony to that. What we need to do guys, if we are striving to follow God’s laws regarding sexuality, is determine that we will not allow our eyes to take in images (whether in the media or in real life) that lead our mind to impure places.


Psa. 101:3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

Job 31:1 ¶ “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.


Guys – One of the best way to stay sexually pure is to make the covenant with your eyes!

The third question that everyone needs to ask themselves BEFORE they get in a sexually heated situation is this

How far is too far?
As a teenager I always wished someone could give me a quick answer to this question. “OK I know that going all the way is wrong…but what about…?”

What I discovered as I grew up was that if I wanted to make sure not to cross the line into areas that were clearly detrimental to my relationship with God, I needed to draw the line a few steps back from where I needed to stop.

Bedroom is off limits.

Each person has to take a look at whatever situations cause them to be tempted – and create a boundary that will keep them far from it.

What music will I listen to?
What role will alcohol or other drugs play in my life?

The last question you need to answer ahead of time is this…

What will I do when temptation is too strong? (not if, but when)

1Cor. 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what . you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

God will always provide a way out – but it takes a lot of strength and integrity to take it!

What did Joseph do when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife? She had grabbed him and said – “Come to bed with me!” (A fairly direct temptation!)

What did he do? He ran. He got out of that situation.

What change is the Holy Spirit prompting you to make? (Ps. 139:23-24)
Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Search your heart – is there anything you need to change? A current relationship? Get rid of some immodest clothing? Trash some videos or music that corrupts your thinking? Set some ground rules for future dating relationships? Find a different living situation that will encourage and promote abstinence until marriage?

Christian Character

Character “A quality of Christianity”

• Character is defined - The pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group; moral constitution
• How a Christian deals with the circumstances of their life speaks of their character.
• Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it does reveal it.
• Adversity in our lives is a crossroads where a person chooses one path – Character or Compromise.
• Jesus was the ultimate example of character.
• Every time we choose character, we grow more into the image of Christ.
• Character is who you are when no one is looking.

Rom 5:1-4 – Experience, Trustiness, Proof, integrity. Phil 2:19-22
4 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT CHARACTER

1. Character Is More Than Talk.
• Anyone can say they have integrity but action is the true indicator.
• Your character determines who you are.
• People that always seem to be at war with themselves have a problem in their character.
• James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
• Prov 20:11 The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts-- whether what he does is pure and right.
• "Your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks."

2. Talent Is A Gift, But Character Is A Choice.
• There are a lot of things in our life that we have no control over – We don’t get to pick our parents, our upbringing, our talents, our IQ
• But we do choose our character.
• In fact, we create it – every time we make choices.
• Deut 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
• Prov 1:28-30 (28) "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. (29) Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, (30) They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.
• Prov 3:31 Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways;
• Will you choose the easy way or the right way?

3. Character Brings Lasting Success With People.
• Lifestyle evangelism is all about relationships.
• People do not trust those who have flawed characters.
• Good character will open up doors for lasting relationships with those around you.
• 1Thes 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
• 2 Cor 6:3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
• Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

4. People Cannot Rise Above The Limitations Of Their Character.
• Have you ever seen highly talented people fall apart when they reach a certain level of success?
• The key to that phenomenon is character.
• Success without a good foundation of character is bound for failure.
• The 4 A’s – Arrogance, Aloneness, Adventure-seeking or Adultery.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF CHARACTER:
• Joseph resisting Potiphar’s wife. - Gen 39:7-12
• Paul – Acts 20: 22-24






BRING IT HOME
1. Search For The ... Cracks.
 Look at every aspect of your life; Your relationship with God, your spouse, your children, your peers, your employer.
 Identify short cuts and short comings in those aspects of your life and write them down.
 Pray about each one.

2. Look For Patterns.
 Examine your response to this search.
 What patterns of weakness do you see.
 These are character issues.
 Ask God to deliver you from these patterns.

3.Face The Music.
 The beginning of character repair is when you face your flaws, repent and deal with them.
 This is why so many Christians never get delivered.
 Repentance is a good thing

4. Rebuild.
 Don’t stop by facing up to your actions.
 Begin building a new future.
 Keep praying against your weaknesses, Search the word about these areas, be accountable to someone in these areas.

“

Anger - Meekness

Meekness from Our Anger – What is Meekness ?
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth
Happy are the meek - They that hold all their passions and affections evenly balanced. They shall inherit the earth - They shall have all things really necessary for life and godliness. They shall enjoy whatever portion God hath given them here, and shall hereafter possess the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

A. Meekness is a habit of patient endurance under provocation. Meekness answers the question of how we deal with provocation? How do we handle agitation? How we handle confrontation?

1. The natural reaction to provocation, agitation, and confrontation is anger. We need to understand that anger is a basic human endowment. It is a passion or emotion directed toward on who inflicts a real or supposed wrong. Anger is aroused by a sensory perception plus an interpretation of the perception. It is not exclusively based on physical stimuli but it is a cultivated by our thoughts. Anger is fed by our perceptions; that is, why Proverbs 19:11 says good sense makes a man slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Although it is our natural reaction to get angry when provoke- we must employ good sense and think before we react. Why? Because anger in and, by itself is not morally wrong. It’s what comes from that anger that determines its positive or negative impact. The purpose in anger may be redemptive or destructive. We have 3 misconceptions about anger

a) We tend to believe that all anger is sinful- not so, Scriptures agree with modern psychological studies affirming that anger, though having destructive potential also has positive and redemptive contributions to offer human relationships.
b) We believe that angry feelings are best managed by being camouflaged or ignored. No, the right acknowledgement and expression of anger assists in deepening and developing social relationships;
c) We believe that those angry feelings will eventually disappear if we ignore them. Unresolved or unexamined anger interferes with the effective exercise of relationships and produces confusion, misunderstanding, and alienation. Unresolved anger can produced:
(1) Depression- we internalized our feelings (swallow them) and get in return ulcers, diarrhea, headaches, etc.
(2) Physical and verbal outbursts- we ... become abusive emotionally and physically.
(a) Cain’s hostility against his brother Abel.
(b) Joseph’s brothers’ anger against him.
(c) Saul’s anger at the Christians.

(3) Can cause us to fear anger so we flinch, cry, or withdraw when others are on a rampage.

(4) We can become numb and alienated-Some have learned to anesthetized their feelings so much that they have learned how not to feel. Others have learned to withdraw themselves-they leave.




III. The problem is that many of us, have not learned how to used anger towards our good. There is good anger. Good anger is legitimate when the perception of the evil is accurate; when the excitation is proportionate to the evil, and when the impulse is directed toward correcting the ill.

A. This is where meekness comes in to play. We said that meekness is a habit of patient endurance under provocation. To take it further. Meekness means power under control. Power out of control can become hostility, violence, and destructiveness. (I.e. – hurricanes, tornados, floods, -power our of control.) Power in control is meekness. The root word of meekness was originally used to describe a horse or some other wild animal, which has been broken in and tamed to become useful to its owner. All of is once useable strengths and uncontrollable behavior are harnessed. Prior to being trained and tamed, their talents were useless and dangerous. Because many of us we have not learned how to harness our emotional anger for the work and service of God, we too tend be useless and dangerous.

1. (Mark 3:1-5) Jesus modeled how we should react with anger when provoked. His anger is harnessed to heal.

2. (Matthew 16:23) His anger is harness to rebuke.

3. (Matthew 23:13-30) his anger is harness to correct and reprove.

B. Just as there are situations and circumstances in our lives that causes us to mourn and weep out- there are situations that causes us to get angry. That anger should be used constructively.

1. Anger at diseases- harnessed – find cures.

2. Anger at injustices and social ills- make a change- get involved.

C. If harnessed, our anger, will become meekness and God will fulfill his promise to have us inherit the earth.

The Spirit of Depression - Are you Depressed - Fear Not

The Spirit of Depression – Are you Depressed – Fear not
Dictionary meaning of Depression is; sadness, misery, hopelessness, dejection.
This spirit of Depression attacks every believer and takes THEM into its SHELL AND AWAY FROM GOD. Fear not you can over come victoriously with the help of the Holy Spirit.
01. Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:7 If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? - Either, . If thou hadst done well, as thy brother did, thou shouldest have been accepted as he was. God is no respecter of persons; so that if we come short of acceptance with him, the fault is wholly our own. This will justify God in the destruction of sinners, and will aggravate their ruin. There is not a damned sinner in hell, but if he had done well, as he might have done, had been a glorified saint in heaven. Every mouth will shortly be stopt with this. Or, If now thou do well: if thou repent of thy sin, reform thy heart and life, and bring thy sacrifice in a better manner; thou shalt yet be accepted. See how early the gospel was preached, and the benefit of it here offered even to one of the chief of sinners.

He sets before him death and a curse; but, if not well - Seeing thou didst not do well, not offer in faith, and in a right manner, sin lieth at the door - That is, sin only hinders thy acceptance. All this considered, Cain had no reason to he angry with his brother, but at himself only. Unto thee shall be his desire - He shall continue in respect to thee as an elder brother, and thou, as the first - born, shall rule over him as much as ever. God's acceptance of Abel's offering did not transfer the birth - right to him, (which Cain was jealous of) nor put upon him that dignity, and power, which is said to belong to it, Gen_49:3.
CAIN’S DEPRESSION WAS DUE TO HIS GUILT. THE SIN WHICH HE HAD COMMITTED HAUNTED HIM. CAN YOU GET AWAY WITH YOUR SIN? NEVER . When you confess your sins from the heart then you can over come Guilt.
02. David was very much depressed until he confessed his sin of Adultery
Psa 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Psa 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
Silence - From a full and open confession of my sins. Old - My spirit failed, and the strength of my body decayed. Roaring - Because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God's wrath.
The way out of depression caused by the guilt is confession and seeking God’s forgiveness.
Psa 51:1 , A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

03. Put your trust in God when you are downcast
Psa 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Psa 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

04 .Words of comfort were given to the faithful of Israel as they became depressed
While in Babylon. They were called to put their faith into action in their dark hour.
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Isa 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Isa 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

05.We can avoid deep depression even though we may experience tough situations.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
We are troubled,. - The four articles in this verse respect inward, the four in the next outward, afflictions. In each clause the former part shows the "earthen vessels;" the latter, "the excellence of the power." Not crushed - Not swallowed up in care and anxiety. Perplexed - What course to take, but never despairing of his power and love to carry us through.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

06. Apostle Paul went through without getting depressed, sustained by God’s grace.
2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
You are Over comer through Jesus Christ who strengthen’s you. Be of Good Cheer

Blame Shifting - Am I a Blame shifter ?

Blame Shifting – Am I a Blame shifter ?
01.Adam and Eve tried to Shift Blame
Gen 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Gen 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
What is this that thou hast done? - Wilt thou own thy fault? Neither of them does this fully. Adam lays all the blame upon his wife: She gave me of the tree - Nay, he not only lays the blame upon his wife, but tacitly on God himself. The woman thou gavest me, and gavest to be with me as my companion, she gave me of the tree. Eve lays all the blame upon the serpent; the serpent beguiled me. The prisoners being found guilty by their own confession, besides the infallible knowledge of the Judge, and nothing material being offered in arrest of judgment, God immediately proceeds to pass sentence, and in these verses he begins (where the sin began) with the serpent. God did not examine the serpent, nor ask him what he had done, but immediately sentenced him, (1.) Because he was already convicted of rebellion against God. (2.) Because he was to be for ever excluded from pardon; and why should any thing be said to convince and humble him, who was to find no place for repentance?

02.Some Try to Blame God – Do you blame God ?

We have here two instances of men's folly:- 1. That they bring themselves into straits and troubles, and run themselves a-ground, and embarrass themselves: The foolishness of man perverts his way. Men meet with crosses and disappointments in their affairs, and things do not succeed as they expected and wished, and it is owing to themselves and their own folly; it is their own iniquity that corrects them. 2. That when they have done so they lay the blame upon God, and their hearts fret against him, as if he had done them wrong, whereas really they wrong themselves. In fretting, we are enemies to our own peace, and become self-tormentors; in fretting against the Lord we affront him, his justice, goodness, and sovereignty; and it is very absurd to take occasion from the trouble which we pull upon our own heads by our wilfulness, or neglect, to quarrel with him, when we ought to blame ourselves, for it is our own doing.

03.When you fail to acknowledge your own sin do not Judge others – Do you judge others ?

Mathew 7:1-5
We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts, but not make our word a law to everybody. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon our brother without any ground. We must not make the worst of people. Here is a just reproof to those who quarrel with their brethren for small faults, while they allow themselves in greater ones. Some sins are as motes, while others are as beams; some as a gnat, others as a camel. Not that there is any sin little; if it be a mote, or splinter, it is in the eye; if a gnat, it is in the throat; both are painful and dangerous, and we cannot be easy or well till they are got out. That which charity teaches us to call but a splinter in our brother's eye, true repentance and godly sorrow will teach us to call a beam in our own. It is as strange that a man can be in a sinful, miserable condition, and not be aware of it, as that a man should have a beam in his eye, and not consider it; but the god of this world blinds their minds. Here is a good rule for reprovers; first reform thyself.

Can you overcome Jealousy? Yes you Can

Can You overcome Jealousy ? Yes You Can Overcome through the Help of Holy Spirit
1Sa 18:6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
1Sa 18:7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
1Sa 18:8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
1Sa 18:9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
Jealousy is when we resent God’s goodness in other’s lives and ignore God’s goodness in our own lives. Being jealous means being envious of other people’s blessings. While we take for granted our own blessings. Sometimes we’re jealous of people’s possessions. "How come they got such nice presents for Christmas? While all I got was clothes?"

Or sometimes we’re jealous of people’s privileges - "How come they get to do that and I don’t get to do that? Why do they get that privilege?" Sometimes we’re jealous when people are successful - "Why did so and so get the promotion instead of me? I’ve been here longer! I wanted it more!"

Or we’re jealous of their popularity. They have all the popular friends and I don’t have that many friends.

Or we’re jealous of their appearance and the way they look. "Why don’t I have hair like her? How come I don’t have a body like that? How come I got stuck with THIS body? Why can’t I have a job like his? Why don’t we have their children? Why is our house decorated this way and her house is decorated that way? How come they get to go on those vacations and we don’t?" And on and on it goes.

We have far more jealousy in our lives than we realize. But before we talk about God’s remedy for jealousy, I want you to see the damaging effects of jealousy. I want you to see how jealousy contributed to the self-destruction of Israel’s first king.

We know from reading the Bible that Saul was a flawed king on borrowed time. In 1 Samuel 13, he got impatient when the priest didn’t show up right away. And he offered an unauthorized sacrifice to the Lord. And the prophet Samuel said in verse 14, "Your kingdom will not endure. Your days are numbered."

And then in 1 Samuel 15, the Lord wanted Saul to completely wipe out the Amalekites. Including the cattle and the sheep. But Saul only listened to the first part of the instructions. He wiped out the Amalekites. And in disobedience to the Lord, he kept the cattle and the sheep.

And the Lord said in 1 Samuel 15:11, "I am grieved that I have made Saul King over Israel. Because the man doesn’t listen! He has turned completely away from me!"
But by the grace of God, Saul would go on to be the king for another 25 years. And by the time we get to 1 Samuel 18, Saul has many reasons to be happy. A promising young shepherd boy named David has just killed Goliath. The Israelites have defeated the Philistines in a stunning victory. The king’s son and David have developed a wonderful friendship. And the nation was celebrating the goodness of God. Saul should have been able to enjoy the moment.

But watch what happens. Verse six: "When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King

But Saul doesn’t take it that way. He gets very offended. Very angry. He says "They have credited David with tens of thousands, but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And the Bible says in verse nine that ’from that time on, Saul kept a jealous eye on David.’
One of the worst things about jealousy is that you’re so obsessed with keeping your eye on other people that it keeps you from enjoying your own life.
There’s a lesson here. Many of us are wasting emotional energy. Being jealous of people for no reason. More often than not, our jealousy is not motivated by a genuine threat. But by a selfish desire to be number one. To be controlling. Tobe better than other people.

When you’re in the middle of a jealous fit, you need to stop and ask yourself two questions. Number one: Why am I doing this? Is this person really out to get me? Or am I stressing for no reason?"

02. You should ask yourself, "What am I accomplishing? How will being jealous make my life better? How will it make my wife love me more? How will it get me a better job? How will it get me the recognition and praise that I feel I deserve?" I think you’re going to find out that jealousy accomplishes nothing and makes things worse instead of better. Instead of throwing a jealous fit, you need to throw yourself on the grace of God. And ask him to help you to stop obsessing about other people. And to help you to be the best ’you’ that you can be.
The Bible is full of examples of the damaging effect of jealousy. You don’t make it out of the first book of the Bible without seeing the effects of jealousy. In Genesis 4, Cain is jealous of Abel and he kills his brother. The very first murder was caused by jealousy.

And if you look at the New Testament, you’ll see thatthe crucifixion of Christ was motivated by jealousy. Mark 15:10 tells us that "it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
So what we’re dealing with today is not some petty nuisance. It’s not some minor weakness in your life. The Bible says it will rot the bones! It’s from the pit of hell. The reason Satan got kicked out of heaven was pride and jealousy. He was jealous of God’s power and said, "I want to be God." So when I’m acting jealous, I’m acting like the devil! This is how serious this issue is. We need to cut jealousy out of our lives.

The question is, ’How do I do it? How do I remove jealousy out of my heart so I don’t have to deal with this issue? What is the remedy for jealousy?"

The first thing we should do is to admit that we struggle with this. James 3:14 says "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth." That is far harder than we would like to pretend it is. We’d rather admit to many other things. We don’t find it very hard to admit to anger because it’s so obvious. We don’t find it hard to admit to fear. We don’t find it hard to admit to when we’ve made mistakes or if we’ve been lazy. But I’ve never met anybody who’s quick to admit jealousy. When I admit that I’m being jealous, it opens up and reveals the pettiness in my heart.

But if you want to get rid of the jealousy in your life, you have to come clean before God and before your family. Stop denying it. Stop excusing it. Stop justifying it. Stop minimizing it. This is not some little problem in your life. It’s a major problem. Get it off your chest.

- Remember that you are special in God’s eyes. A lot of times, when people express jealousy, they’re expressing insecurity. Every time I am jealous of somebody else I am revealing an insecure heart. I don’t accept myself. I don’t like myself. I think I need to be somebody else. At its base, every time you are jealous of somebody, you are saying to the whole world, "I’m insecure."

But God says, "You have no reason to be insecure. I made you. I love you. And you are special in my eyes." How do I know that? Because Psalm 139:13-14 says "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

- Remember that God is in control. Sometimes we get jealous because we can’t control what is going on around us. But remember this: God alone is in control. Not you, not them, not anybody else. He calls the shots. Matthew 10:29 says "Not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father."

- Put your trust in the Lord. Jealousy at its root is a lack of trust in God. It is doubting God. When you’re jealous, you’re saying, "God, You didn’t do for me what You did for that person. You must not love me. You must love them more than You love me." Whenever we are being jealous, we’re doubting God’s love. We’re questioning His authority and His right to do whatever He wants to do in our lives. That’s why this is a serious sin. Psalm 62:8 says "Trust in Him at all times, O people." That means trust Him no matter what.



- Be grateful for who you are and what you haveEnjoy the blessings that God has already put in your life. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances." Gratitude is a great anti-virus. The more grateful I am, the less prone to jealousy I will be. If I can raise my gratitude, my jealousy is going to decrease.

- Get your eyes off of what everybody else is doing and refocus on what God wants to do in your life. We talk about this a lot. God has a unique plan for your life and nobody else can fulfill it. When I focus on God’s plan for me, competition becomes irrelevant. When I am so focused on just doing and being what God made me to be, it really doesn’t matter what other people are doing.

Most of all, those of you who are struggling with jealousy need to turn to the Lord today. Some of you need to do it for the first time in your lives. You need to trust Christ as your Savior and Lord. And some of you need to rededicate your lives to Christ. You cannot kill the jealousy bug without Christ. It’s impossible. You have to lay it all at His feet