We need to be FAT

Hello Everyone,

A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, "He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach." So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, "That’s not going to help." Her husband said, "Sure it will. It’s the only way I can see the numbers."

Read Psalms 92:13-15 with me again:
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. NKJV

Read verse 14with me again: They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Fresh means full of oil or sap it literally means FAT.
Flourishing means green.

Listen carefully to the voice of God this year and receive from Him HE will intervene in a moment’s time.

I believe God is saying to His Church:
“I will pour out my Spirit without measure when I have a people without mixture”.

When we as a people decide to be in this world but not of it, when we truly decide to be a peculiar people I believe God will pour out His Spirit without measure!

Read verse 14 with me one more time: They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

If your memories are bigger than your dreams you are in TROUBLE!

They shall still bear fruit in old age;

Paul told us to “forget those things that are behind and press on”

They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Have you ever notice that the person who has never done anything is just sure it can’t be done.

They never make statues of failures.
They shall be fresh and flourishing,

When you are doing all that you can where you have been planted pain is inevitable but misery is optional.

All for Jesus
Phil

The year of FAVOR

Hello Everyone,
I saw a recent article that listed the five most popular resolutions made most every year. The 5th was to take up a new hobby, the 4th was to make more money, the 3rd most popular resolution was to improve relationships, the 2nd was to stop smoking and the most popular New Years resolution, was you guessed it, losing weight.

I am not necessarily fond of New Years resolutions but I do believe in commitments and covenants. So our challenge this week and the coming New Year is to be the planting of the Lord.
Read with me:

Ps 92:13-15
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. NKJV

Read verse 13 with me again: Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

The year of FAVOR FOR THE FAITHFUL!

Listen: A MOMENT of FAVOR is worth more than a year of labor and toil in the field.

Ø God in one moment can drop something into your spirit.
Ø God in one moment can drop something into you dreams.
Ø In one moment you can respond to God and your whole life can be changed.
Ø In one moment your decisions, your words, can open ways that have never been open.

“It is not by might nor by Power but by my Spirit says the Lord”

By one moment of Devine Favor God can open doors that have been closed.

How do we flourish in the courts of our Lord? We flourish by being planted in the house of the Lord.

All for Jesus
Phil

The Planting of the Lord

Hello Everyone,
I heard about a man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there. It wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also. So they spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her & said, "I’m really embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said `Yes’ or `No."’ "Oh, thank goodness!" she replied. "I remembered saying `Yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me."

Ps 92:13-15
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. NKJV

I believe with all that is within me that the year 2009 is going to be the year of FAVOR for the FAITHFUL.

Why has God planted you where you are at this time and season?

There is something about being planted there is something about knowing that you know that you know this is where you belong.

13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Heb 11:1
11:1 Now faith is! NKJV

Faith is a now thing “Now faith is” but faith also shapes the future.

For those who have been faithful in your giving, God will open TRESURES to you so your giving can increase.

Ø This is a season that the mountains are breaking!
Ø This is a season that the circumstances are changing!
Ø This is a season that gates are unlocking, the hinges are breaking, the Heavens are opening and the treasures of darkness are being released.

What are the treasures of darkness?

We have some that are treasures of darkness sitting on our pews every Sunday morning.

Some that Satan thought he had in his grip but GRACE came into the picture, but MERCY came into the picture.

The challenge for this year and this season is to be planted in the house of the LORD so you can flourish in the courts of our God.

All for Jesus
Phil

What is it that we really need?

Hello Everyone,
Let me ask you a question: What does man really need?
If our greatest need is money, God may have sent us a banker.
If our greatest need is knowledge, God may have sent us a teacher.
If our greatest need is wisdom, God may have sent us a philosopher.
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness - so God sent us a Redeemer who would buy us back! "... you are to give him the name JESUS, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt 1:21)

And so Jesus put on human skin and everything that comes with it. The Son of God sacrificed Himself so that we can become sons and daughters of God.

John 1:12-13 "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."

We can now go HOME to where He is, because we are His children. Jesus made all this possible because He fulfilled the righteous demand of the Father that sin be paid for in full. If God did all He can to meet us at the point of our need, and save us from our sin and death... then today, we can rest assured He can.

He has not changed. He WILL meet you at the point of your need today. If He made such a great sacrifice to save your soul, is there any greater need than that that He cannot meet, or is not willing to do?

Rom 8:32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

Only God Himself can thoroughly express who He is to us. Only God could make Himself fully known.
If our Creator chose to hide Himself, we would never know Him. But He came... in the person of Jesus Christ. And we saw His heart...
All for Jesus
Phil

The One and Only

Hello Everyone,
God desires to communicate with you today. We are made to have a relationship with God and He wants that! He wants you to spend time with Him, to listen to His Word and share your life events with Him.

Do that everyday... God treasures your time with Him. Whether in devotion or prayer, spend time with Him. He delights in that!

When we see Jesus we have seen God. God himself is incomprehensible, but in Jesus Christ we get a glimpse of His glory, His grace and truth.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In Jesus Christ we see God’s great love... that God, who created the stars and the universe, is willing to go all of the way, even to a cross, so that a single person may be redeemed.

That is what God is like that we came to know because of Jesus Christ.God meets us where we are at the point of our need.

We were lost - in darkness, we needed light and God gave us the Light.
We needed life - for we are condemned to die in our sin - and "in Him was life" (John 1:4).
Jesus was God’s way of meeting us where we were to take us where we could never go.

All for Jesus
Phil

He Came to me

Hello Everyone,
Think about this:
· Jesus who owns the universe, came into this world, and had to find a place to be born.
· Jesus who is Almighty, came into this world, and needed to be carried by human hands.
· Jesus who has everything in His control came into this world and was despised by man.

This CONDESCENSION is a big thing. Martin Luther said: "The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that he sunk himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding."

Why? Why did God do such a thing? John uses these words: "He came to His own..." (1:11); He wants us to be "children of God" (1:12). God desires a relationship with us.
This desire, or love to have fellowship with us is so great that He is willing to do whatever He can to make this possible, even if it means the sacrifice of Jesus.

- God came and lived among us. He has to reveal Himself to us in an understandable way, and this is precisely what Jesus did - became flesh just like you and me. He made Himself understandable.

Phil 2:6-9 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"

I am glad that this happened, because it shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God desires to reach down to me... God is beyond my reach, but I’m not beyond His reach.

He lowered Himself so that I can reach Him. Christ’s birth brought the infinite God within reach of finite man.

And I come to understand His heart to me - He loves me and longs to communicate His love to me. He wants to bless me and save me!
He loves you and longs to have a relationship with you, He wants to bless you and save you. Receive Him today right where you are.

All for Jesus
Phil

Hello Everyone,
As I said yesterday John spent the first 14 verses of his book to paint us the entire picture of God’s salvation plan for mankind.
Today the first thing that we see is:
GOD’S STRONG DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE WITH MAN

We see a movement in this passage - John tells us in (John 1:1-3):

"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made."

God and His Word - Jesus - they are eternal. They’ve been there from the beginning. John takes us further back than the book of Genesis - Genesis tells us what God did in the beginning, John gave us a snapshot of God before He created anything.The first picture we see of Jesus Christ is this - He is God. He is Eternal, infinite, and uncreated. He is the Creator, for "through Him all things were created".

Genesis tells us God spoke and the world was created... All things were created through the Word. In Him was life - in other words, all living things - including you and me - exist today because of Him.

He sustains life in this universe, therefore without Him nothing exists.And then as you read on, John painted a movement...
v.5 "the light shines in the darkness...."
v.9 "the true light... was coming into the world." And then...
v.10 "He was in the world..."
v.11 "He came to that which was His own..."
v.14 "The Word became flesh..."

The Creator came into His creation - the world He made. The Creator became flesh and made His dwelling among His creatures.
And the Word is none other than Jesus the Son of God!

All for Jesus
Phil

Hello Everyone,
John began his Gospel a little different than the rest of the Gospel writers. The rest started with the historical accounts of the events that took place.

· Matthew and Luke talked about circumstances leading to Jesus’ birth.
· Mark started off with Jesus entering into ministry, writing about a prophet John the Baptist who was preaching a message of repentance, preparing the people’s heart for the arrival of Jesus.
· JOHN talked about John the Baptist too, and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. But before he launched into this, he took the first 14 verses to lay down clearly the theme of his book – Which is the Gospel message - that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save all man.At the end of his book, John said that he has seen all that Jesus has said and done.

He said, John 20:30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book."
John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In other words, I have written all that you need to know in order to be saved.John spent the first 14 verses of his book to paint us the entire picture of God’s salvation plan for mankind. Take time this Christmas Season to read and meditate on these first 14 verses of John 1.

All for Jesus
Phil

Don't Miss The Baby

Hello Everyone,
The last group of people who missed Jesus was the religious leaders of the day – they were the ministers and pastors – people who should have been able to recognize when God was doing something.

When Herod was trying to track down this baby, he went to the religious leaders to see if they knew anything about this promised king.

They did – they knew all about Him from prophecies in the Bible and knew He would be born in Bethlehem. Do you know the funny thing – even though they were deeply religious, they didn’t even bother to go and check out Bethlehem to see whether this special baby, God’s Son, had been born that first Christmas!

They missed the baby because of their indifference.
They had all the facts about the baby.
They knew how special He would be.
They knew he was God’s Son who would save them, yet they didn’t really care.

They didn’t think they needed a Savior – they thought they were good enough and because of their indifference, they missed the baby.

Many people today think similarly to the religious leaders. They think that they are good people and will be good enough to impress God without the Baby – but they won’t and they can’t.

We need the baby if we are going to be right with God – He came to die so we could be forgiven. Without Him, we have no chance of pleasing God.

Are you indifferent because you don’t know why you need saving or because you think you are good enough on your own?

Don’t make this mistake this Christmas; don’t miss the baby because of your indifference. - Some miss the baby because they are too distracted by all the world offers now. - Some miss the baby because they are too busy and don’t have time to find out about him.- Some miss the baby because they are too scared to let him take control of their lives.- Some miss the baby because they are indifferent or ignorant of their need for a Savior.This Christmas, I want to offer you the greatest gift of all – a baby who was born in a manger in the city of Bethlehem.

His name was Jesus Christ and is the Savior of the world.

All for Jesus
Phil

Give the King His throne

Hello Everyone,

Two men went to the train station with a friend. The train was late so they sat down for a cup of coffee. They talked and drank and forgot about the train. Suddenly they heard the last announcement about the departing train. They all got up and started running. They ran down the tracks as the train was pulling out of the station. Two of the men made it to the last car and the third man was just not fast enough. The third man slowed to a stop and started laughing. An onlooker went up to the laughing man and said, "What are you laughing for? You just missed your train." "You’re right," "I did miss my train. What’s funny is those two guys came to see me off."

I think we are just like this guy who missed the train.
A lot of us miss Christmas.

Some of the other characters in the Christmas story were the Wise Men. They knew a new king had been born because a special star appeared in the sky. They followed this star to Jerusalem and they went to the palace of Herod, the king to enquire who this new king was.

Now Herod was very different to the innkeeper and most of the other travelers, he was powerful, educated and influential – but also scared.

He wasn’t excited to hear about a competitor being born.
In fact he was so upset that he ordered the murder of all baby boys 2 and under.

Herod was scared of this new king because he thought that he would lose his throne and all that he enjoyed in life. He missed the baby because he was scared of what he might lose.

There are many people who live today who are like Herod. They are scared that this baby will take away their freedom, their careers, their lifestyles, their ambitions.

They are not willing for Jesus to be crowned a King in their lives and so they miss the baby and the chance to live the perfect life that God created them for.

Do you need to allow the king to take the throne of your life this Christmas?

All for Jesus
Phil

To Busy?

Hello Everyone,
Dear Santa, (From a 4-year-old) I’ll take anything because I haven’t been that good.

Dear Santa, I’m not going to ask for a lot. Here’s my list: The Etch-A-Sketch animator, 2 packs of #2 pencils, Crayola fat markers and the big gift...my own color TV! Well, maybe you could drop the pencils; I don’t want to be really selfish.

Not only did the innkeeper miss the baby, but the other travelers and the people of Bethlehem missed the Baby.
HE was right under their noses, but they missed Him.

What would you do if you knew the Queen of England was coming to your city, your suburb, your street? What if there was no room at the local hotel for her. Would you think of offering up your bed to her? No-one thought to do that for Mary and the baby to be born. They had their own concerns.

Most of the fellow travelers were also on the road for the census. They were in a hurry to get places and were just too worn out from a long day’s travel to have time to visit a baby. The townsfolk were overrun with visitors to their city. There were the party’s, the relatives, dinner with aunt Bob and uncle Sue.

Their calendar was too full and they were just too busy to squeeze in a visit to a tiny baby.

Our programs can be so hectic that we are just too tired to think about another thing. We are so busy trying to get somewhere in life or so busy doing things that we can’t stop to give any time to the Baby and so we miss Him.

Is this you? Do you need to cancel some of your engagements this Christmas so you can find yourself in Church, so you can visit this baby and find out what he can do for you? Don’t miss the baby by being too busy.

All for Jesus
Phil

The Inn Keeper

Hello Everyone,

Kids have a hard time waiting for Christmas there is no way that they would miss it. Here is a couple of actual letters that were written to Santa:

Dear Santa Claus,
When you come to my house there will be cookies for you. But if you are real hungry you can use our phone and order a pizza to go.

Dear Santa, I want a Puppy. I want a playhouse. Thank you. I’ve been good most of the time. Sometimes I’m wild.

A lot of us miss Christmas. Now we don’t miss the day – but we miss the real deal– the fact that God came to this earth as a baby and his name was Jesus.

Many people miss the baby so I want to talk about some people who missed Christmas.

The first person who missed Jesus was the inn keeper.
Inns in those days were like camp grounds for all the weary travelers. People usually just spread out their mat on the floor and slept there. They weren’t really that nice a place.

Well we are told that this particular year there were a lot of travelers on account of a census.
Caesar Augustus, wanted more money so he imposed a tax. And to make sure he got what was owed to him, he wanted to count all the people, so everyone had to go and register where they were born and pay their dues.

Well this meant that Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem. Mary was very pregnant and pregnant women don’t travel fast, so when they finally arrived at Bethlehem, the inn was full. There was no room for them.If the innkeeper had known that the baby to be born that night was to be God – the creator of the world, he would have found room!!! But he missed the Baby.

He was preoccupied with the concerns of the world. He was just too busy with running a business, making a living and saving for retirement to recognize that this Baby was the promised one who would save all of mankind.

Is that you today – too concerned with what the World has to offer?
Too concerned with surviving or making a living to see the facts that this baby is special.

Don’t miss the fact that Jesus came to give us things that no amount of money can buy.

Take time this Christmas to find out who this baby really is and what He can offer. Don’t miss the baby by being distracted by what the World offers – it’s a poor substitute.

All for Jesus
Phil

Gifts

Hello Everyone,

I am sure that we can all agree young and old alike that one of the most exciting times of Christmas is the receiving and giving of gifts
First there is “The receiving of gifts”.

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John speaks of those who received Christ. The Greek meaning of the word “receive” means “to welcome” or “to accept.”

John is making it clear that we are to welcome Christ into our lives. This receiving is not just for part or some of our life but rather it is for every area of our life.

Christ must also be believed. To believe in the name of Jesus means to put faith in Him as a person and in what He represents.

This simple act is life changing and transforming because we become children of God! God has given us an incredible gift. By faith, in Christ, we can become children of God.

When we accept Christ we are adopted into God’s family. John says that through Christ we are given the right to become children of God. Literally we are given permission to join God’s family.

By faith in Christ, we become a part of eternity.
Our citizenship is changed and we gain an inheritance in Heaven.
Our position in life is changed. We gain a dwelling place in Heaven and divine grace from God the Father.

Then there is “The giving of gifts”.
One of the greatest joys of Christmas is found in giving. It is truly better to give than to receive. I don’t always enjoy the shopping or the wrapping of gifts but I love to give the gifts.

The same may be true for you. You love to watch others tear through the wrapping. You love to watch their face light up. You love to hear the words “It’s just what I wanted!”

It might surprise you but this applies to Christ as well. There is great joy when you give a gift to Christ. What does Christ want from you?

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways,

The greatest gift you can give to Christ is yourself So, where are you with your preparations for Christmas?

Are there some areas of your heart that need to be cleaned?
Maybe you need to rearrange some things to make more room for Christ in your life?
Perhaps your heart is empty and needs some of God’s blessings for decorations.

Have you received the gift of Christ and have you given Him your heart.This year the wonder of Christmas can come alive for you in brand new ways if you will open your heart and allow God to prepare you for Christmas.

All for Jesus
Phil

Decorating the Heart

Hello Everyone,

What does God do to decorate a heart?
Ezekiel 36:26 NIV I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

God decorates a heart by removing the old and creating something new. When God decorates a heart He must have complete control over the whole life.

Too many times, we only give God partial control and we only allow Him to make the changes that we approve. God’s desire is to take your life and make it even more beautiful.

God wants to add value to your life.God wants only the very best for your life and He wants to be the influence of your life.

But, He waits for you to give Him permission to begin the work. God desires to decorate your life with His blessing and give you something completely new.

All for Jesus
Phil

Priorities

Hello Everyone,

A big part of preparing for Christmas involves re-arranging. Just as we arranged our homes, schedules and other parts of our lives for Christmas God wants us to arrange our hearts for Christmas.

Matthew 6:33 KJV But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

His desire is for you to make more room for His Son in all the rooms of your heart.When we make this extra room in our heart, God fills it up to over flowing.

It is then that the blessings of God begin to rapidly flow into our lives and overflow into the lives of others.

· When we put Christ in the center of our lives, everything else comes together.

When Jesus made this statement of seeking the kingdom of God first, He was giving the antidote for worry.

Jesus makes it clear that if we are to succeed in life; our focus must be on God FIRST.
We become so busy celebrating the season that we totally miss the reason for the season!
We become centered on shopping for the right gifts and forget to tell others of God’s perfect gift.

We are not prepared for Christmas until our priorities are in line.
With God’s help we can re-arrange our priorities.

All for Jesus
Phil

A Pure Heart

Hello everyone,

Just as we clean our house to prepare for Christmas there should also be “The cleaning of the heart”.
Matthew 5:8 NIV Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.

The word “blessed” literally means happy in the original Greek.
From this statement of Jesus we see that the pure in heart are the happy in heart. Why?

Simply because they will one day see God. Now this sounds really simple, doesn’t it, because all that you need is a pure heart.
I don’t know about you but there are a lot of days when my heart seems more polluted than pure.

I still get angry when someone rides my bumper when I’m driving on the highway.
I get frustrated when my best plans come unraveled.
I still get aggravated over stupid and insignificant problems.
Maybe none of this applies to you. Maybe, you aren’t like me and you have your life completely together. Maybe you have no problem with this pure in heart issue.

But for those of you, who are like me and still struggle with being pure in heart; I have a question? How can we become pure in heart? What do we have to do?
We must come to the realization that God is the one who cleans the heart and all that you need to do is ask Him.

David asked God for this exact thing: Psalm 51:10 KJV Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

God answered David’s prayer and gave him a clean heart. He can do the same for you; all you need to do is ask Him.

All for Jesus
Phil

Getting Ready for Christmas

Hello Everyone,

This is the time of year when everyone starts getting ready for Christmas. As of “Black Friday” the stores are packed with people buying gifts. Radio stations are playing all your holiday favorites.

Those boxes packed away in your attic or building months ago (which seems like weeks) are brought out and all of that lovely Christmas stuff is put out.

The houses are decorated with lights and trimmings and yards become the showcases of Christmas splendor. What do you do to prepare for Christmas?Is the whole house cleaned from top to bottom to get everything in tiptop shape?

When the cleaning is done; then the house needs to be arranged for the decorating. The dining room or the living room gets completely changed for the Christmas tree and all of the other decorations.

Furniture is moved. Everyday decorations are put up. The whole house is given a new look in preparation for the decorations.

After all of the proper arrangements have been made, the decorations come out and everything begins to take on the look of Christmas.

The tree is set up with lights strung from top to bottom and ornaments are scattered on the branches. All types of other trimmings make their appearance around the house.

I display my Christmas Village. Teresa makes sure that there is a stocking over the fire place for all the kids. And of course while all this is going on we are listing to Alabama’s Christmas CD.

When all of this is done the work of preparing for Christmas is nearly finished.The final preparation for Christmas revolves around the gifts.

Long wish lists are written up for certain wants and very few needs and the shopping begins. Many trips are made to various stores and shopping centers.

Of course it wouldn’t be Christmas without four or five trips to the mall. The shopping is done so that we can give and receive gifts on Christmas day.I want to take this and use it for an illustration of how God wants us to prepare for Christmas. This week what should we do to truly prepare for Christmas?
When we truly prepare for Christmas, there is a personal cleansing.
When we truly prepare for Christmas, there is a new arrangement of our priorities.
When we truly prepare for Christmas, there is a decorating of the heart.
When we truly prepare for Christmas, there is a receiving and giving of gifts.

John 1:12
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
All for Jesus
Phil

Express your Thanks

Hello Everyone,

As we are making a commitment to Thanksgiving we need to be careful that we don’t “EXPRESS IT SO LITTLE”.

Some years ago, the cartoon pictured Charlie Brown bringing out Snoopy’s dinner on Thanksgiving Day. But it was just his usual dog food in a bowl. Snoopy took one look at the dog food and said, "This isn’t fair. The rest of the world today is eating turkey with all the trimmings and all I get is dog food. Because I’m a dog," he said, "all I get is dog food." He stood there and stared at his dog food for a moment and said, "I guess it could be worse. I could be a turkey."

Whenever we think life is unfair to us, we need to think again.
We could be a turkey at Thanksgiving!
We could have been born and raised in some third world country where the people have little or nothing!Instead of thinking about how little we have, we need to count up what we do have and give thanks!

In Los Angeles a parking ticket with a five-dollar bill attached arrived at the city police station. A note attached said: “I found this ticket on the sidewalk. Not knowing if the car owner has ever seen it, I would like to pay it for him—in gratitude for the occasions when I have parked over the allotted time and not received a ticket.”
How’s that for gratitude?

I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I am Thankful for.........
....the taxes I pay because it means I’m employed.
....the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
....my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
....a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
....the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
....my heating bill because it means I am warm.
....all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech. ....the person behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
....the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.
....the alarm clock that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I’m alive.
....the weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

The young man was feeling very proud of himself. As a brand new college graduate he had taken the C.P.A. Exams and passed with flying colors. Now he was a full-fledged Certified Public Accountant. His father had been an immigrant to the U.S., and now owned his own little business. Filled with self-importance, the young man began to criticize his father’s way of keeping books. He said, “Dad, you don’t even know how much profit you’ve made. Over here in this drawer are your accounts receivables. Over there are your receipts and you keep all your money in the cash register. You don’t have any idea how much money you’ve made.”The father answered, “Son, when I came to this country the only thing I owned was a pair of pants. Now, your brother is a doctor, your sister is an art teacher, and you are a C.P.A. Your mother and I own our home. We have a car and we own this little business. Now add that up, subtract the pair of pants and all the rest is profit.”

ADD IT UP! That’s exactly what we need to do this Thanksgiving. Add it all up. We came into this world with nothing but our eternal soul that God gave us. Everything else is profit. We can never give too much thanks to God!

Get it right. We have it so good. We enjoy it so much. And to often, we express it so little.I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Have a Great Thanksgiving
Teresa and I Love you and can’t wait to see you Sunday.
All for Jesus
Phil

Slow Down and Thank God

Hello Everyone,

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

With all that God has blessed us with sometimes WE ENJOY IT SO MUCH.

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Sometimes we work so very hard to have fun in this life. ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? We say this some times on vacation when waiting in lines.We will do almost anything to have fun, so to speak, then complain and can’t get out of bed to go to work or go to church!

Someone said, “We worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship.”

II Tim. 3:1 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.”
II Tim. 3:4-5 “…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment and we often enjoy it too much!
It’s all right to enjoy the blessings of God but not to the point where this is our main focus!

WE ARE NOT TO FOCUS ON THE GIFTS BUT RATHER THE GIVER OF THE GIFTS!

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” If it’s good, it’s from God. BUT LET’S NOT FORGET GOD!I’ve heard it said that moderation is the key. I think this is true when it comes to enjoying the pleasures of this life. Too much can be too much. Too much of a good thing can destroy a person.

We have it so good and we enjoy it so much! Too much! It seems like we go “whole hog” when it comes to some things in life: eating, playing, pleasure, trips, collecting, etc.

Buffets are not where we just eat, but rather where we gorge ourselves. Our focus is on the food. Our focus is not on giving thanks for what we have but on how much we can get!It seems like we are never content, never satisfied with what we already have. WE ALWAYS WANT MORE.

The lust for more material things and more pleasure dominates and controls our lives to the point where God is put on the sidelines or pushed completely out of the picture of our lives.

I Tim. 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

SOME HAVE WANDERED FROM THE FAITH. When we lust for more and more of the things of this world, the things of God go out the window. Our faith is diluted or drained and done for. Its okay to enjoy the blessings of God but not to the point where they become the main focus of our lives and God is shoved to the sidelines or forgotten.

Be careful not to enjoy the blessings of God so much that we forget the One who has blessed us.

All for Jesus
Phil

We Got it Good

Hello Everyone,

There is one thing that we need to make sure that we understand during this Thanksgiving Season and that is WE HAVE IT SO GOOD!

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Do you remember the “your mama is so poor” jokes we said as kids? Like:
Someone said: Your mama is so poor, she goes to Kentucky Fried Chicken to lick other people’s fingers.
Someone said: Your mama so poor when I ring the doorbell she says, "DING!"
Someone said: Your mama so poor your family ate cereal with a fork to save milk.

Where did you come from? How poor were you when you were a child? What do you now have that you didn’t have?
Many of you grew up with a whole lot less than you have now.

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant...."

Ride around on any given Saturday and you will see that Americans are rich!
They are rich in junk if nothing else!

WE ARE THE RICH OF THIS WORLD and we should not be arrogant about it.
Have you counted up your blessings lately?

All for Jesus
Phil

Looking for the Positives

Hello Everyone,
Do you think it would be possible for all of us to make a Commitment to Thanksgiving? I am not talking about the day of, but an attitude of thanksgiving.

I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Make sure you make a note that it does not say for all circumstances but IN all circumstances.
Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best. In fact, they may be downright bad, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for! And there is ALWAYS something positive that we can be thankful!Give thanks IN ALL circumstances.

I read this statement this week: “I used to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord, and can invoke an invitation for the devil to cause havoc with our lives.”

Complaining makes us miserable. Psalm 77:3 NKJV, “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

Philippians 2:14 NIV Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

A positive, thankful person is a great witness in this dark world.
We only shine when we are thankful. Instead of looking at the negatives in our lives and complaining, we must look at and for the positives and give thanks.

I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Giving thanks is God’s will for our lives. Giving thanks to God and others is what pleases the Lord.

All for Jesus
Phil

Praise

Hello Everyone,

As we are coming into the Thanksgiving season I pray as Paul prayed for the Colossians that you might be filled with PRAISE.

It is important to notice the difference between praise and prayer. There are some things that we must pray for; but there are blessings that we are to thank God because He has already given them to us, notice the word “has” two times once in Colossians 1:12 and 13, and the word "have" in verse 14.

We do not need to pray, for these things which we have. What are they?
We have His PROVISION, verse 12. He has given us an "inheritance". [Rom. 8:16-17.]
For His POWER, verse 13. Read about His delivering POWER. [Ex. 14:13-31.]
For His PARDON, verse 14.

How we should thank God that all our sins have been removed from us, Psalms 103:12; blotted out, Isaiah. 44:22; cast into the depths of the sea, Micah. 7:19; and that God will remember them against us no more, Heb. 10:17. Thank God!

Oh. how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea:
Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

All for Jesus
Phil

Power and Patience

Hello Everyone,

One of my favorite parts of Paul’s prayer for the Church at Colosse is that he prayed that they might be POWERFUL for God’s glory.

Colossians 1:11 says, “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might”. Paul is praying that they might have the experience of Pentecost, Acts 2:4 [endued with power from on high.]

Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Acts 1:8 [ye shall receive power AFTER the Holy Ghost…]

Also Paul prayed that they might have PATIENCE.

Notice three vital words in verse 11, “…endurance and patience, and joyfully”
"Patience" here means "endurance in the face of trial",

1 Cor. 13:4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

The apostle prays that these Christians might endure in the face of fierce testing, that they might do so with a gentle and loving spirit, and that they might be filled with joy, even though called upon to suffer for their Lord. Read Acts 5:41, and 1 Pet. 4:13.

May the Lord make you POWERFUL for God’s glory and may He give you PATIENCE in the face of trails.

All for Jesus
Phil

Bearing Fruit

Hello Everyone,

Paul also prayed for the Church at Colosse that they might be PROFITABLE in service.
Colossians 1:10 says, “bearing fruit in every good work…”

Until we become Christians our lives are unprofitable, and it is only when we become believers that we are made profitable.

Do you remember the story about Onesimus in the book of Philemon?
Philemon 1:10-11 KJV I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

The will of God is that our lives should manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
[Gal. 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians. 13:4-7 and 2 Pet. 1:5-7.]

In John 15, we find that there are three stages: fruit, verse 2; more fruit, verse 2; and much fruit, verses 5 and 8.

Look in your Bible and read this and then ask the Lord if you are bearing fruit, more fruit, or much fruit?
The Apostle Paul also prayed that the church at Colosse would be PROGRESSING in the Christian life.

Verse 10 continues, “…growing in the knowledge of God” and the operative word is the word "growing". Paul longed that these Christians should grow. See the beautiful picture in Hos. 14:5-7.

The Christian life is in three stages: little children, young men, and fathers, 1 John 2:12-14.

Open up The Word of God and read these scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

May the Lord help you to be PROFITABLE in service and may you have a desire to be PROGRESSING in the Christian life.

All for Jesus
Phil

It is time to Pray

Hello Everyone,

What was the content of Paul’s prayer in Col. 1:9-14? As we read we can see that Paul prayed for seven things:

The first part of Paul’s prayer was that the Church at Colosse might be PERCEPTIVE of God’s will.
We see this in verse 9. He prayed that these Colossians "might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”.

We need spiritual enlightenment in order that we might know the will of God and do it. By nature we cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The man (natural man) without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Paul also prayed that they might be PLEASING to the Lord.

This is mentioned in verse 10, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way…”
Romans 15:3 “For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

In your prayer life this week begin to pray with the Apostle Paul that those you are praying for would be perceptive of God’s will and that they would also be pleasing to the Lord.
All for Jesus
Phil

Characteristics of Prayer

Hello Everyone,
Paul was a man of prayer. He was a great Believer, a scholar, a model missionary, a GIANT among men--spiritually, morally and intellectually, but above all he was a man of PRAYER.

His Christian life began in prayer, Acts 9:10-11; he prayed for himself, 2 Corinthians. 12:7-9, he asked others to pray for him, Eph. 6:18-20, and he practiced intercession, praying for others, like Jesus, John 17:9.

It is significant to notice that Paul's prayers were full of praises.
Look at his praises in Col. 1:3 and 12.
3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

And so not only at Thanksgiving, and not just at meals, but always and in all things...give thanks! A study on PRAYER is also a study on PRAISE.In Colossians 1:9-14 Paul is talking about how he was praying for them.

Let’s look at THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PAUL’S PRAYER
Read with me: Colossians 1:9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Verse 9 tells us that: It was marked by PERSISTENCY. “…we have not stopped praying” Paul knew something about unceasing prayer.1 Thessalonians 5:17—“Pray without ceasing”.

Let’s Compare Luke 18:1…“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up”.

Prayer is warfare. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

If we give up when we are praying the battle goes to the enemy.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Paul’s prayer was marked by INTENSITY.

In KJV the word "desire" is used in verse 9. It indicates that Paul was passionate in his praying; his prayers were filled with a deep longing.

There was intensity about them. Compare Matt. 17:21… KJV Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Paul’s prayer was marked by UNITY.

Paul says, “We have not stopped praying for you” You can pray alone but there is special power in united, corporate prayer.

Acts 16:25“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them”.

Matthew 18:19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

These are the characteristics of Paul’s prayer: Persistency, Intensity, & Unity.

They are also good examples for us to follow in our own prayer life.

All for Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2-5

Hello Everyone,
There is one thing that we can be sure of as we are looking at all that is in Heaven and that is Heaven is a Place of Righteousness.

Revelation 21:15-17 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

1,500 miles squared…that’s huge! From the tip of Maine to the tip of Florida, over to Colorado…and then, it’s that high too!

I’m not even sure what that means, so, Lord, surprise me! Either way, this will make New York City look like a little village! A perfect cube stands for balance and order…perfect in its materials, majesty, and even its measurements!It will be filled with the righteousness of God, and with the “righteous” of God, us!The last thing that we should know about Heaven is that Heaven is a Place of Refuge.

There are four things that won’t be there:

A. No SanctuaryRevelation 21:22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

Why no temple? Because the sanctuary localizes and confines God to 1 location…but all Heaven will be filled with His glory!

B. No Shadows

Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
The light will be everywhere, the night will be vanquished!

C. No Secrets

Revelation 21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

We live in a war-torn time where people meet behind closed doors and there’s top secret things! But there will be no secrecy there; all will be out in the open and peaceful.

A survey of 6th graders 50 years ago asked what they were most afraid of. The most common answers were “the dark”, and “mean dogs.” They repeated that survey recently, and the top 2 was “mom and dad getting a divorce” and “nuclear war” was the top one.

D. No sinners

Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

How do you get your name written there? By grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone put your faith and trust in Him alone as your only hope for heaven!If there was a place like we’ve have described here on earth, wouldn’t you do anything you could to go there?

It’s real, it’s the New Jerusalem. And Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

All for Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2-4

Hello Everyone,
Heaven is a place of great riches. Read with me Revelation 21:18:

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

Walls=protection.
v. 18 In Bible His-story, walls were all about protection…an un-walled city was vulnerable, an easy target.

And the enemies of earth will be no more…sickness cannot scale those walls, heartache cannot tunnel under…no crime or perversion, nothing to harm, nothing to molest, nothing to injure, nothing to destroy, and so, nothing to fear! No viruses, no disease, no pestilence, and no public enemy #1…death!

We’re all trying to outrun death…that’s why we go to the doctor, health club, eat right, etc. When we were kids, we thought life would never pass us by.

If life was a book then the pages turned sooooooooooo slowly, didn’t they “oh, I wanna be 10 like the big kids/13 and be a teenager, 16 and be able to drive, I want to be 18 and graduate, I want to be 21 and be able to vote, and do other things! [if not saved!]”
But ever since then life has flown by! And we try to outrun death, but eventually it catches us down here, but not “up there!” Death won’t be allowed in!

Gates=provision.

v. 21 Who started the stories about St. Peter standing at the gates of heaven? It’s not Biblical. But each of the 12 gates is guarded by an angel. If every gate is 1 pearl, they are gigantic…and it’s a reminder of God’s provision.

A pearl—how is it created? There’s not much to it, really. If you crush it, you’ll have a handful of powdery lime…the same substance as ordinary chalk. And the value of a pearl is not about how it’s cut, like a diamond…for if you cut a pearl you ruin it.

A pearls value is in the way that it’s made. A pearl is made in the depths of the sea in the heart of a living oyster. Something invades that oysters shell, like a little grain of sand. It begins to cut, irritate, and dig into that soft oyster.

The oyster begins to secrete that white, milky substance…layer after layer, it hardens, and finally you have a perfectly formed, brilliant, round, shiny pearl.The pearl is the oyster’s answer to that which wounded it! The pearl owes its existence to the will of the oyster to “cover” that which hurt it!2 parts in the formation of the pearl: the cutting and the covering…what a wonderful spiritual lesson there is here for us.

For there’s the same 2 basic parts to salvation!

Sin invaded God’s perfect world, and it cut away at the heart of God, but He was willing by His own blood to cover it!Ours was the cutting…God’s was the covering!

Calvary was God’s answer to man’s sin…and as we walk thru those gates we’ll be reminded of this fact!

We cannot enter in of ourselves…we won’t be there because of us, but because of Him, and He made us His pearl of great price!

Streets of gold=praise

v. 21 Gold is a symbol of the glory, honor, and majesty of God. That’s why so much gold was used in the OT temple. Won’t it be great to truly be able to lift up the Lord in the way He deserves without the restraints of this sinful human flesh?

Ill.— An old tongue-tied preacher of years ago, was often criticized for how much he shouted and got happy in Jesus. Somebody asked him why he always praised the Lord so audibly and outwardly. He said, “I just can’t hep it, when my left foot hits the floor it says hallelujah, and when my right foot hits the floor it says, praise the Lord, and so it’s hallelujah, praise the Lord, hallelujah, praise the Lord, everywhere I go!”

And that’s how it will be for us walking down those streets of gold in heaven!So, heaven is a place of riches… and it has been prepared for the redeemed.

All for Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2-3

Hello Everyone,

If I was going to move somewhere, say to Wyoming or South Dakota, I’d send off for info., search the web, etc. And we should study about Heaven, for we will spend eternity there!

And there is one thing that we know for sure about Heaven and that is that Heaven is a Place of Riches.

Revelation 21:18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

• Foundations=represent permanence• Walls=protection• Gates=provision• Streets=praise

A buildings foundation is usually underground, and cannot be clearly seen, but this one is visible, and not only visible, but 12 layers thick! And each of the 12 foundations is garnished with a different jewel.

The jasper will be clear crystalSapphire-blueChalcedony-greenish blueEmerald-deep greenSardonyx-white w/ brown streaksSardius—blood redChrysolite-yellow quartzBeryl-greenTopaz-yellowish greenChrysoprasus-apple greenJacinth-blueAmethyst-purpleJust picture this…all of these colors represent something about the character and nature of the Lord Jesus.

Blue=deity, white=purity, purple=royalty [Just like the multi-colored veil in the holy temple]

I believe these foundations will also represent His grace and His wisdom.
1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
Eph. 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

Manifold=multi-faceted, multi-colored. There are many different shades to the grace of God and the wisdom of God…it is manifold!

His ways and His thoughts are high above our own. His grace is greater than our comprehension!I believe the primary idea of these foundations is permanence.

You see, you can build a dog house on dirt, a storage shed on a simple slab, but if you’re going to build a house and you want it to be there in 100 years or more, you’d better have a good, strong foundation.

And every time we look on those foundations we’ll be reminded of its permanence. “10,000 years, and we’ll just be started!”

Are you ready to go there?

All for Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2-2

Hello Everyone,
Charles H. Spurgeon in training young ministers said to his students, "When you talk about heaven let your face light up with a heavenly glory. When you tell about hell, your everyday face will do".

As believers our face should shine with the HOPE that is within us. Especially when we are talking about Heaven, we have a promise from the One who we love so much that He is preparing a place for us.

One of the greatest things about Heaven is that Heaven will be a Restricted Place.

In Revelation 21:8 right in the middle of this positive, beautiful description of heaven, God gives us a list of some who will not be there.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Why does God include this info? Perhaps to show that the sin which has cursed and ultimately destroyed this world will NOT be allowed into the next!

The fearful—never accepted Christ, afraid to take the stand.The unbelieving—didn’t believe at all in Christ or the Bible.The abominable—not just sinners…these have committed abominations.

From God’s perspective, there’s no difference between big and little sins…but this is encouragement of what WON’T be there and we need to understand from a human perspective.
What are some abominations?

Lev. 18:22 says homosexuality is.
Deut. 17:3 says astrology and horoscopes are abominations.
Deut. 18 says consulting a medium, fortuneteller, a wizard, or somehow communicates w/ the dead, they have committed an abomination.
Proverbs 20 says cheating in business is an abomination. “false balance”
Proverbs 12 says compulsive lying is an abomination.
Proverbs 16 says a heart full of pride is an abomination.

And heaven is off limits to all of these things. Don’t miss this truth however: any of these people can be saved, and you don’t have to commit an abomination to be lost, just 1 sin!
Rejoice in the fact of what will not be there but the greatest thing is hopefully you and I have made plans to be there.

So “let your face light up with a heavenly glory”.

All for Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2-1

Hello Everyone,

In Revelation 21 John rights: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”.

The New Jerusalem is the capital of the eternal kingdom. God has, by this time, destroyed our universe, our heaven and earth, and this is a new one. And this is the capital city!

Will there be room for everyone? Sure! First of all, not as many will be there as some believe. The Word says: “narrow is the way, few there be that find it.”

But it will be 1,500 miles squared…a perfect cube…in other words, it’s that high, that long, that wide!

There would be room for every human who has ever lived if they had all been saved.One thing we understand about Heaven is that Heaven is a Place of Refreshing

Revelaton21:6 say: He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life”.

Have you ever been really thirsty? You don’t want milk. Sometimes you want a soda or tea or lemonade, but even those won’t do when you’re REALLY thirsty…you want what? Water!

How satisfying! And in heaven, every righteous desire that we have will be perfectly and completely satisfied, once and for all!

Here on earth we pursue happiness, but don’t ever completely find it, but in heaven that thirst will be quenched! And in heaven, we’ll know as we are known…all life’s thirsts will be quenched!

All for Jesus
Phil

Learning To Be Content 5

Hello Everyone,

To learn to be content we need to always “REFOCUS ON WHAT'S GOING TO LAST”.
Give your attention to permanent values. Reorganize your life around eternal priorities.

II Cor. 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Everything you see is temporary. Nothing you see is going to last.

Everything you see in the world is eventually going to decay or rust or wear out or fall apart -- it will eventually not exist, because all possessions are temporary.

The only things that really last for eternity are things you can't see -- relationship to God, relationship to others, values, freedom -- things you can't see.

The worse thing about materialism is it clouds our vision of God.

We begin to think that all there is really to life is just things and that's so wrong. There is so much more to life than just getting things.

Our perspective gets warped.
Each of us has to make a choice, is my life style going to be determined by culture or by Christ, by the Master or by Madison Avenue. What's really important?

If you want to break the materialism grip in your life, buying things we don't need with money that we don't have, take these four steps and learn to be Content.

All For Jesus
Phil

Learning To Be Content 4

Hello Everyone,

One way to learn to be content is to RELEASE WHAT I HAVE TO HELP OTHERS.
God doesn't want to just bless you for your own benefit. He wants you to share it, help other people with it. He's watching you to see how much you give away.

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. I Tim. 6:17-19

This is a very, very important verse. First, who's it talking to? "Tell those who are rich". Who does that involve? If you're an American you're rich.

I don't care if you're on welfare; if you're an American you're rich. In the world, the people in America are in the top 2% of income of the world. You're rich, no matter how little you make, because you're an American.

This verse is talking to us. The question is, is it possible to be wealthy and not be materialistic? Yes.
Materialistic is an attitude. You can be poor and greedy or rich and greedy. You can be poor and contented or wealthy and contented. It's an attitude not the amount that God's talking about here.

How can I be wealthy and not materialistic? As long as you follow the four precautions in this verse. If you follow these four things you can be as wealthy as you want and you won't be materialistic.

1. Don't become proud of your wealth. Don't think you're better than somebody because you've got more money than they've got.
2. Don't put your trust in money. Don't look to it for your security. Security is not in your bank account. Your security is in God. Bank accounts can be lost overnight in a million different ways. Don't put you security in money, no matter how much or how little you have.
3. Use your money to do good. Don't waste it. If you've got a lot of money, don't squander it. Don't blow it. Use it to do good.
4. Give cheerfully. The Bible says that the more we receive the more we are to give.

Giving is the cure for the disease of materialism because it is the opposite. The root of materialism is the word "get" -- get, get, get, get... The opposite of getting is giving. So every time I give to somebody else, a friend, my tithe,... I'm breaking the grip of materialism in my life.

It's saying "I can get along without this." It's a spiritual victory every time you're generous.
God says, you do these four things and you'll be OK. You're handling it all right. The benefit: "You will be storing up real treasure in heaven."

The Bible says every time you give away, you're storing it up.
It's like you're sending it on ahead and God's taking an account of it. You're sending it on ahead, every time you give.
What do you send on ahead? Acts 20:35 …remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

When you get more excited about what you give away than what you get, that's a mark of maturity.

When God looks down on you and sees you sharing what
He's blessed you with, with other people who are in need, it blesses His heart.

All For Jesus
Phil

Learning To Be Content 3

Hello Everyone,

We have talked about the effects of wanting too much. Now let’s look at HOW TO LEARN CONTENTMENT.

The first step in learning to be content is RESIST COMPARING MYSELF TO OTHERS.
Comparing always leads to coveting.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Cor. 10:12

That means it's dumb! If you're comparing yourself -- houses, cars, jobs, looks, and clothes -- it's stupid. It's not wise. God says you just create dissatisfaction.

How do you react when you see somebody with a nicer car? Do you say, "I wish I had that" or can you just be glad that they've got it. How do you react when you see somebody with a nicer house or more beautiful furniture? One of the greatest lessons you can learn, learn to admire without having to acquire.

You can't own everything. Learn to admire without having to acquire.

Why do we compare? The Bible says don't do it. We compare because in our society the way we keep score is by possessions.

We're insecure. We're always looking around and asking "How am I doing"? Listen Your net worth has absolutely no relationship to your self worth.

You can be a millionaire and a jerk or be poor and be wonderful.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. I Tim. 6:9

Things can control us. You can be possessed by your possessions if you don't watch out. People will sacrifice values, morals, integrity, all kinds of things in order to get more.

They'll even sacrifice relationships to get another dollar.
Did you hear about the lady that won the lottery? She won 17 million dollars. She called home to her live-in boyfriend, "I've just won the lottery. I'm worth 17 million dollars. Start packing." The boy friend said, "Great, warm weather or cold weather," She said, "It doesn't matter as long as you're gone when I get home."

They'll sacrifice relationships.

To be content we should REJOICE IN WHAT I DO HAVE.
Appreciate what you've got and be grateful to God. Open your eyes.

Eccl. 5:19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.

Circle "enjoy" and "gift". God says I want you to enjoy and be grateful for what you've got. It's a gift. You wouldn't have anything if it weren't for God. It's all a gift from God.

We get into a trap I call “When” and “Then” Thinking. When and Then
Thinking says, "When I get ________________, then I'll be happy."

What are you waiting on to make you happy? When I get married then I'll be happy. When I get out of this marriage then I'll be happy. When I have kids then I'll be happy. You are as happy as you want to be.

It's your choice. Forget the “When” and “Then” Thinking.

Happiness is not getting whatever you want. Happiness is enjoying whatever you have.

The fact is God wants you to enjoy what you've got. He commands you to enjoy what you've got.

2 Timothy says God has richly provided us with everything for our enjoyment. God wants you to enjoy what you already have. Rejoice in it. God enjoys watching you enjoy what He's given you.

I enjoy watching my kids enjoy what I've given them. God enjoys watching you enjoy what He's given you.

Proverbs 15:27 "A greedy man brings trouble to his family."

One of the marks of maturity is when you can say "enough's enough, I'm happy." There are two ways to have enough in life: get more or want less.

All For Jesus
Phil

Learning To Be Content 2

Hello Everyone,

Contentment is a learning process. Contentment does not come naturally. Read with me in Exodus 20:17:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Another effect of always wanting more is Worry.

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. Eccl 5:12

When we focus on things we always inevitably worry. The more you have, the more you have to worry about. How am I going to protect it?
How am I going to save it? How am I going to invest it? How am I going to insure it? How am I going to avoid taxes on it? How am I going to keep from losing it?

The more you have, the more you've got to worry about. The blue collar man works a hard day's labor, goes home, watches TV, loves his wife, goes to sleep, sound.

The white collar man comes home with his briefcase, he brings his work home with him, he's frustrated, he's thinking about it all night, he tosses and turns.

I read about a study that said insomnia increases with income.
You add these first three together -- fatigue, debt, worry and you get a fourth effect of always wanting more..

Conflict:

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you”? James 4:1

Conflict comes when we always want more. The number one cause of divorce is financial tension.

God says, "Don't covet what is somebody else's." Don't covet somebody else's job, car, house, wife, husband. God says don't do it.

When there is always a desire to acquire more it also brings with it Dissatisfaction.

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. Eccl. 5:10

The Living Bible says "It's foolish to think wealth brings happiness!" Things can bring happiness for a while. But the thrill doesn't last. The excitement wears off.

Why? Why don't things keep you permanently happy? Because things don't change and human beings like change. If things don't change we get bored with them.

Pretty soon you have to redecorate, or remodel or repair or replace or at least rearrange it. Things don't give permanent happiness.

Things do not bring lasting happiness. It's a temporary thrill. And coveting is the number one reason for dissatisfaction in our world.

What is the antidote to coveting?
The antidote to coveting is contentment. Paul says, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Phil 4:12

Circle "learned".
Contentment is something you have to learn. It does not come natural.

All For Jesus
Phil

Learning To Be Content 1

Hello Everyone,

In Exodus 20:17 is the last of the “Ten Commandments” read with me:
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

A recent survey of female teenagers discovered that 93% of female teenagers said that their number one favorite pastime was shopping. That beat out dating as the number one activity.

I heard about one fellow who said: "If my wife doesn't go shopping at least three times a week, I send her a get well card."

This week we're going to wrap up the last in this series on the Ten Commandments. The Tenth Commandment says "You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor."

In the next 60 days you are going to be bombarded with Christmas catalogues and you will not hear the word covet used very often but you will see plenty of examples of it.

This is the season of coveting that we are coming into. I don't know a more appropriate message to end this series as we begin the Christmas season than a message on coveting.

What is coveting? Covet: the uncontrolled desire to acquire.

The desire to acquire in itself is not bad. God put it in you. God made squirrels and He gave them the desire to acquire nuts. And He made birds and He gave them the desire to acquire straw to build nests.

And He filled the world with all kinds of exciting, wonderful, good; desirable things and He's give you the desire to acquire them, that in and of it self is not bad. But anything uncontrolled is a problem.

God says there are some things that are off limits.

They are not yours to want. They will harm you. So it must be controlled.
It is hard, in our culture, to want to be content with what you have.

Today I want us to look at:
THE EFFECT OF ALWAYS WANTING MORE

The Bible says there are some very specific effects when I don't control this drive to acquire, this coveting.

One effect is Fatigue.

In our push to get more (and never in history have we been so pushed to get so much so quickly) we overwork and take on second jobs. Everybody in the family works. It's the material rat-race and everybody's tired.

Proverbs 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

It's dumb to wear yourself out just trying to get more.

Another effect is Debt.
Eccl. 5:11 "As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?

Coveting destroys budgets. We think the problem is I just don't make enough money. No, it's not that you don't make enough money you want too much.

A lot of things we think are needs are really greeds. The average American puts $1300 on credit for every $1000 he makes.

That's caused deficit spending and the only people who can get away with that is the government. And they won't get away with it forever. It doesn't work that way.

So because we want more we get further and further in debt. It always costs more to have more. “If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence you can bet the water bill is higher too”.

All For Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 4

Hello Everyone,

In Revelation 21 we have discovered some facts about Heaven. One more that I would like to share with you this week is Heaven is a Place of Relief

4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

There will be no more crying, sighing, or dying! No hospitals or graves! And Satan will not be able to get a passport. He will be in the bottomless pit.

All the fallen angels will be chained up. There will be no aging, no wrinkles. The fountain of youth will be there. Just one drink from the River of Life and all signs of age gone.

Nothing will ruin, rot, or rust. There will be no thirsting, or hungering. No itching, no blindness, no deafness, no diabetes, no cancer, or heart attacks, or scars, no witchcraft, no drugs, no alcohol, or tobacco! No divorce, child abductions, accidents…and no more bills!

There was a 5 year old girl who had never stayed the night with a friend before she was nervous, but gave it a try and she did fine during the daytime, but when it got dark she got nervous in a strange place her friend’s mother perceived this and said to her: “honey, are you getting homesick?” And with childlike innocence the little five year old girl replied, “No ma’am, I’m getting here sick!”

And the more you may go thru down “here”, the sweeter heaven will be for you!

Romans 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”.

Some call it heaven/new Jerusalem/pearly white city/Glory/and some call it “home”.
“I’m kinda homesick for a country…”

Here in This World

Here in this world, He bids us come;there in the next, He shall bid us welcome.

All For Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 3

Hello Everyone,

We are looking at facts about Heaven in Revelation 21. And one fact we see is Heaven is a Readied Place.
v. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
“prepared”

I’ve done a lot of weddings…and it takes the bride a long time to get ready…hours and hours…with someone just for her dress, her hair, her makeup, etc.And the Lord has spent a lot of time, and is sparing no expense in readying heaven for us. [2,000 years compared to 6 days of creation! And there’s some great beauty in this earth…even though’ it’s been cursed!]

R.G. Lee—“Heaven is the most marvelous place the wisdom of God could conceive and that the power of God could prepare.”

The butterfly, the rose, the stars and planets…all in 6 days…and by comparison to heaven, the Grand Canyon will be an infected wound!

1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

Another fact is that Heaven is a Place of RelationshipRead Revelation 21:3

This is what makes heaven, heaven! If the streets were not gold but gravel, if the walls were particle board and not jasper, if mud was knee deep and weeds over our heads, it will still be heaven because Jesus is there!

If you’re lost, this thought should terrify you, not just that you would go to a fiery hell, but that you would go somewhere cut off from God!

A lost person would be terrified even in His presence at the Great White Throne, but being face to face with Him is a precious thought for the believer…that’s what Heaven is!And there we’ll see the only “man made” thing in heaven.

As we study about all God is preparing for us, let’s not forget the sight we’ll behold in the nail scarred hands and feet of Christ! [They are a constant reminder of how we got there!]Heaven is not a reward for those who are faithful…we can’t work our way to heaven. We’ll be elated, yes, but only because we’re RELATED! Heaven is a place of relationship…

End of the Journey
Light after darkness, gain after loss;Strength after weakness, crown after cross;Sweet after bitter, hope after fears;Home after wandering, praise after tears;
Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain;Sight after mystery, peace after pain;Joy after sorrow, calm after blast;Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last;
Near after distant, gleam after gloom;Love after loneliness, life after tomb;After long agony, rapture of bliss;Right was the pathway, leading to this.

All For Jesus
Phil

The New Jerusalem 2

Hello Everyone,
Let’s look at some facts about The New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

The first fact that we need to understand is Heaven is a Real Place.
The world denies its existence…they say it’s a state of mind/wishful thinking…but Jesus said “I go to prepare a PLACE for you…there you shall be also” [John. 14] It’s literal, tangible, described in detail. The emphasis is on what John SAW…with literal eyes.v. 1 “saw”v. 2 “saw”Heaven is more real than our own city is.And we’ll have real bodies…glorified bodies! Jesus rose from the dead in His glorified body. He could pass thru walls, and He could still touch people, sit down and eat…praise God!
It will be a different existence, but as real as it gets!Also Heaven is a Remaining Placev. 1 “passed away”Nothing you see on this physical earth is going to last…nothing will remain. We like to have nice things and we should enjoy them, but don’t get too attached…they are not permanent. In the end, all we have left is our soul! All we will have in eternity is the treasures we send ahead.I read a fictitious about 2 women that died. One was stingy and one was miserly. The stingy woman was a Christian, but very greedy…and when she gave it was grudgingly. She had a maid working for her who was also a christian…she didn’t have much, but loved to give, and looked for opportunities to do so. Both women died. An angel escorted the wealthy woman around. He said, let me take you to your new home, and on the way we’ll pass by your maid’s house. Down the golden street they went, and as they approached a great mansion she said wow, and that’s just for my maid?! I can’t wait to see my place!They moved on to a cardboard shanty. “What is this?” The woman asked. The Angel replied, “Sorry, we did our best with the materials you sent us!”
Jesus said we send ahead of us treasures--by how we serve, how we give now.Every stain of sin, and every evidence of evil will be vanquished when the old earth is destroyed! And all that will be left is our souls and our spiritual investments, stored up for us.One of the most precious experiences we will have in heaven is being approached by someone who says, I got saved because of your witness, your testimony, your missions giving, your prayers, etc.!Heaven is a real place, and a remaining place…

What Must it Be Like?
What Must it Be Like? What must it be like to step on shore, and find it - heaven; To take hold of a hand, and find it - God’s To breathe new air, and find it - celestial; To feel invigorated, and find it - immortality; To rise from the care, the loneliness, and the turmoil of earth Into an unbroken calm; and find it - glory?
All For Jesus
Phil

Hello Everyone,

Our Pastors e-votion will be centered around Revelation 21. Read with me verses1-6.

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Something to think about:
Human history began in paradise…the Garden of Eden. And it will all end in paradise…the New Jerusalem.v. 5 sums up the last 2 chapter’s of Revelation…”all things will be new”and v. 6 “it is done” What began in Genesis is brought to completion in Relation.

GENESIS REVELATION
1:1 - heavens & earth created 21:1 - New heavens & earth
1:16 - Sun created 21:23 - No need for the sun
1:5 - Night established 22:5 - No night there
1:10 - The seas created 21:1 - No more seas
3:14-17 - The curse announced 22:3 - No more curse [Satan, serpent, soil]
3:19 - Death enters history 21:4 - No more death
3:24 - Man driven from paradise 22:14 - Man restored to paradise
3:17 - Sorrow & pain began 21:4 - No more tears or pain

Don’t you look forward to going to heaven?

“What a day that will be…”

All For Jesus
Phil

Telling the Truth 5

Hello Everyone,

We are finishing up today our study on Exodus 20:16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Answering the question WHY DO WE LIE?
We have looked at three types of lies we have two more today.

There is “The calculated lie”. This is the kind of lie used to manipulate other people. We want our way. When we think I need to get what I want to get when I want to get it.

It can be motivated by greed or selfishness. This lie says,
"This is what I want therefore I'm going to do whatever it takes
to get it even if it means lie." Con men use this lie all the time. If you love money you will use a calculated lie to get it.

And lastly there is “The convenient lie”. The convenient lie we tell because it takes effort to tell the truth. It takes energy, time to tell the truth. You don't want to get involved with something so you tell the officer, "I didn't see anything" when you really did.

The convenient lie we just do it because we just don't want to take the time. What is the motive behind that kind of lie?
Laziness is the motivation behind the convenient lie. The Bible says in
Ps. 34:12-13 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

Jesus said that what's in your heart is what's going to come out of your mouth. So the heart of the issue is the issue of the heart.

So what's the solution? The only way to stop lying, if you want to be a person of integrity, is to get a new heart. Jesus specializes in heart transplants. He says, Let me fill your heart with love instead of selfishness and joy and peace instead of hate and confidence instead of insecurity and energy and power instead of laziness.

Jesus said I am the truth. The closer you get to Jesus Christ the more you're going to love the truth and speak the truth, the more you're going to live the truth.

"How many lies does it take to be a liar? One!

Ask Christ to forgive you and give you the power to change and say put a new heart in me.

All For Jesus
Phil

Telling The Truth 4

Hello Everyone,

Today I want to ask the question WHY DO WE LIE?

Once you understand the motivation behind your lying, then you can deal with the real issue. Lying is not your real problem. It's the symptom of a deeper problem.

I find it helpful to categorize lies by what motivates the different kinds. I've listed five different lies; I want us to see what are the primary motivation for each of these lies we will look at three of them today.

First there is “The cruel lie”. This is the kind of lie that is intentionally destructive and malicious. You tell it to get revenge. You don't like somebody. They've hurt you so you're going to get even.

You make up some lie about them. Politicians do this all the time. They spend money on ads to put out cruel lies. This is called slander. Slander means when you make up something about somebody that's not true with the intentional purpose of damaging their reputation.

The Sadducees did this to Jesus.
What is the motive behind that kind of lie? Jealousy, revenge, hurt, anger, hate, resentment.

When I don't like you and I'm bitter against you and I'm angry, hurt or whatever and I get resentful then it will be very easy for me to tell a cruel lie just to get back at you.

Then there is “The cowardly lie”. This is the kind of lie you tell to escape consequences. You want to avoid punishment. You're trying to protect yourself, prevent pain.

"My dog ate my homework." Adam told this kind of lie in the Garden of Eden, when he sinned, he took it like a man and blamed his wife. When you don't want to get into trouble you tell a cowardly lie.

What is the motive behind that kind of lie? Fear is the motivation behind a cowardly lie. The Bible says the fear of man is a trap. Peer pressure produces cowardly lies.

Or when you don't have the courage to say "no". That's a cowardly lie. Has someone ever asked you to do something and you said, "I just
can't" when you really mean "I don't want to."

There is a big difference between "I don't want to" and "I can't" -- it's called a lie. That's a cowardly lie.

And last today is “The conceited lie”. This is when you lie to impress. You're trying to create an image or cover up low self-esteem so you brag. Bragging and lying are first cousins. They go together.

When you exaggerate and prop yourself up that's a conceited lie.
What is the motive behind that kind of lie? Insecurity.

What comes off as pride and ego, when you pull away the layers is a very frightened, insecure person. If I don't think I'm good enough as I am then I have to puff up my resume (which studies say 40% of the people do). Or the fish gets bigger each time.

You begin to tell these stories because it's not good enough just where you are. Really at the root of it is insecurity.

This is the kind of lie we use when we try to hide our hurt.

Either way a lie is a lie!

All For Jesus
Phil

Telling The Truth 3

Hello Everyone,

I believe that God would say that we should “TELL THE TRUTH LOVINGLY”.
Eph 4:15 “speaking the truth in love” Don't use the truth as a club. Don't beat people over the head with the truth.

Eph. 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

If you want to help somebody change you've got to remember two things:
1. People change easier and people change faster when you speak the truth in a spirit of love.
2. People always perceive truth without love as an attack.

You must speak the truth in love.

How do I know if I'm speaking the truth in love? Ask yourself the question, who am I trying to benefit from this? Am I trying to change them so things will be easier on me? Or am I really sharing this with the friend or loved one because I really care about them and want them to be the best they can be.

If I'm doing it for their benefit then that's speaking the truth in love.
"Speak only [circle "only"] what is helpful for building others up [not me] according to their needs [not my needs], that it may benefit those who listen [not that it may benefit me]."

When we tell the truth we should make every effort to “TELL THE TRUTH TACTFULLY”.

Whenever you have a need to share a tough truth the solution is never deception. It is tact not deception. The truth sets you free. But when you Speak the truth you must speak it completely, consistently, lovingly, and tactfully.

Pr. 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

You have an option with your words: you can either hurt people or you can heal them.

You can develop people or you can destroy them. You can build them up or you can tear them down. You can delight or you can devastate. Your words have tremendous power.

If you think about it, emotional wounds last longer than physical wounds. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is not true. You need to share with tact.

When you speak the truth in love and with tact you can learn how to make a point without making an enemy. That's very important in saving your marriage, your relationship with your children, with people you work with.

Prov. 16:23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction Circle "wise". Contemplate before you communicate. Think it through. Put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in gear.

I suggest that you plan your presentation. How can I introduce this in the best way? Choose the right time. Timing is everything.
Don't lay it on them as they're going to sleep at night. Don't do it when they're tired, fatigued, hurried. Find the proper time to deal with the truth honestly.

If you'll do these four things, the Bible says you will begin to be an honest person. Speak the truth completely, consistently, lovingly and tactfully.

The problem is we don't do that. Why don't we do that?
Matthew 12:34 …For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Jesus is saying the real problem is not my mouth but my heart.
What's coming out of my mouth, these lies, are really an indication of what's inside of me. It's not what comes out that matters it's what's inside of me.

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. The heart of the issue when it comes to lying is an issue of the heart.

This is the problem. If I am going to become a person of integrity, if
I'm going to become an honest person, I have to deal, not with my lips, I have to deal with what motivates me to lie.

All For Jesus
Phil