GOOD LUCK???

Do you ever just feel unlucky?  Sometimes when things go bad we say things like, “Typical – It always happens to me – Just my luck – I must be cursed – Figures – God hates me” and many more.  I played golf with a friend  and I promise you it rained on us and was sunny a mile down the road.  The weather man said, “Only a 20% chance of rain.”  Well, that 20% came down hard on me!  It rained only on the course…no place else…ON THE COURSE…ON US…WOW!!!!

Well let me tell you something, as Christians we don’t believe in GOOD LUCK or BAD LUCK.  We believe firmly in Christ and that Christ, no matter what, is guiding our lives for the glory of the Kingdom.  Christ never promised you good luck, good fortune or the rest, but what He does promise is a life of abundance, IF we make Him our Lord.  If we believe in Him.  If we put our whole trust in Him.

We have it backwards.  We wish our lives to be wonderful according to everything the world gives us.  Then we blame God when we don’t have enough money, vacations, etc.  God is asking you to get it straight.  God is asking you to get it right for once. PUT GOD FIRST and everything will be added unto you.  Put God first and enjoy blessings you never knew before.  Put God first and then you will know what abundance and living really means.  Put God first and watch all your needs be met and then some!

So tackle this day and rejoice in all the good and the bad that happens to you.  Because with God life is worth living.   With our living and risen Lord everything is worth experiencing.  I hope you will put Him first in your life today!

See you Sunday to find out how!

Love you all,

Rev. Jim

The Details

I had a Sunday off and it was wonderful. I was able to go to worship without worrying about all the stuff that makes worship special. Instead I was just able to sit and be with Lisa and enjoy the worship of God. It was great! I heard a moving sermon by Rev. Mary and I enjoyed watching Lynn and the choir from the other side. They sounded incredible! I was able to hear the congregation sing and it gave me a sense of community. We were truly together. We were all there with one purpose and that was to glorify God.

To glorify God is a privilege. To worship Him is a joy. There is something about the details, the small things that we miss in worship. I heard the hymns differently. I really heard the words and they proclaimed my faith and belief. I saw people praying and really had the urge to pray with them. I was being led instead of leading and it felt good.

Sometimes we miss the details and when we do we miss life. When couples miss the details they miss hearing each other’s heart. When Christians miss the details they miss the opportunity to love and heal. Jesus never missed the details. His hand was on them all!

The details of this life are pretty amazing. I hope you don’t miss them any longer. Come and join us and discover some that will change your life!

Peace to you,

Rev. Jim

People…UGHHHH!

Weird title huh?  But it gets right to the point.  People can frustrate us, hurt us, let us down and be downright ugly.  They can make us scream…UGHHHH!   If this is a new revelation to you then you are too young to be reading this or you have been living on an island.  The reality of life is that we live with people and, generally, people can be pathetically cruel.  If you don’t know the reason for this then let me tell you…SIN.  Yes, that three letter word is the cause of all of this stuff and it makes people do crazy things.  Jesus came to save us from that sin and if you have made Him your Lord then you know what I mean.  Still we have to deal with people everyday.  How do you do it?  How do you deal with people that want to walk all over you?

It is simple.  Are you ready for it?  GIVE THANKS FOR THEM! My enemies, although few, are the loudest group I have ever seen.  But I praise God for them.  I praise God for them, because they help me see what I don’t want to become.  I never want to gossip and spread ugliness about people.  I never want to tear people down.  I never want to hurt another’s career or slander another.  So my enemies’ behavior really helps me be a better person and not sink to that level.  Does it hurt?  Well, not so much any more.  Just disappointing.  But I will never let them steal my joy, because I have too much to do, too many people to love.

Now the neat thing about GIVING THANKS FOR THEM is that it actually helps me forgive them and pray for them.  The people that want to hurt me are lonely, unhappy people.  I pray that they find happiness.  I pray that they come to know Jesus Christ.  I pray that they begin to use all that energy to love and edify.  So when I give thanks for someone that has hurt me, in the same breath, I pray they stop.  What a difference in my heart when we pray for good things for people instead of brooding about it.

People can sometimes make us go…UGGHHHH!!  But it doesn’t have to be.  Try giving thanks for them.  Then try praying for them.  In the end, I guarantee, you will start loving them and when you do you will have peace like never before.

Have a great week!  It is a new you!

Love you all,

Rev. Jim

A Spiritual Tune-Up

The car I own has an oil light. Most do. Now a car cannot run without oil. Oil is necessary to keep all the moving parts lubricated so that they continue to work properly. If there is no oil bad things happen! Now most cars will tell you when your oil is low. It is really convenient. The computer in the car tracks the level and when it gets below a certain point a light goes off. You have a choice to either acknowledge that warning light or to keep driving. The light will continue to go off. It will stay on. You cannot disconnect it.

Most of us have driven many miles while ignoring that light. It is no different with God. God talks to us, loves us, heals us in so many ways, and gives us warning signs with regard to decisions we are about to make, yet, we continue to operate without stopping. When the oil light comes on in my car it is time for an oil change. Sometimes if it is more serious I will need a complete tune-up. The same goes with out spiritual walk with Christ. Sometimes we need a change and sometimes we need a complete tune-up.

Which do you need today? The series we are discussing is a great tune-up for your spirit and walk with God. It only works if you decide to see the warning and acknowledge God working in your life.
Thank goodness for my oil light. If it were not there I probably wouldn’t have a car that works. More importantly, thank you God for always being there. May I listen to you today for the tune-up I need.

So you Sunday!

Rev. Jim

Rest! That’s An Order!

Rest!  Let me say it again…REST!!!  I guess it doesn’t do much good to yell it.  We could scream it, write a nice, sweet letter, email it, twitter it, video tape it and post it, but it still wouldn’t do much good.  I was up at 5:00 a.m. this morning and decided to go ahead and get up.  Much to my surprise, Dunkin Donuts was full.  People were already up!  They were already busy!  Whatever happened to sleeping in or just relaxing?  God did it in the beginning!  Shouldn’t we?

But no, I have a list of things to do a mile long.  I have to get stuff done.  I have a timeline I need to keep.  There is still church work to be done, letters to be written, phone calls to make, people to see, sermons to write, and all the rest.  Breathe, Jim, breathe.  Life was not meant to be lived like that.  God did not intend your life to be series of things you have to do.  Now I am not saying don’t go to work or let your responsibilities at home fall to the side, but what I am saying is that life is meant to be lived not punched into.

So rest, take it easy.  That’s an order.  You deserve it.  After all, it is just one day!

See you Sunday!

Rev. Jim