Are you all God wants you to be??

Good morning everyone!! What a wonderful day to be the Lord's day!! Fall
is finally here. Our temperatures are finally coming out of the 80's and
90's to the 50's and 60's. YEA !! This fat pup enjoys the cool so he
doesn't sweat as much.

Do you realize GOD IS GOOD?!?!? We give GOD a lot of credit for things
we do. When something bad happens the question comes forth about why
did God let this happen or why did God do this. Did HE really??

God created us with free will. If HE did not creat us with free will
Adam and Eve would never have sinned. We make the choice. Then again,
have you noticed the closer you come to God the more you question your
salvation or relationship with God. Why do we do this??

The closer we come to God, the more HE reveals in HIS WORD for us. The
more HE reveals, the greater our feelings of unworthiness or concerns
about our relationship with HIM. Why is this happening??

God is developing us into the wonderful character that HE wishes us to
be. As God turns us into this person HE wants, the seeds of true
godliness become evident as they take root in us, and are evidenced by
our humility.

So, the greater we grow in God, the more humble we will be? Yes, we
will be giving credit to the great "I AM" not the individual "I". God
is developing us into the very best we can be, so praise HIM for
providing every tool you need to get there.

2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything required for life
and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us."

Isaiah 66:2 "There is something I'm looking for: a person, simple and
plain, reverently responsive to what I say."

A little long today, but thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Tongues and Prophesy

Good morning everyone!!! I trust you have had a wonderful weekend and are filled with renewed spirit for the Lord Jesus Christ, our savior. Today will be the last of what Paul is saying here about prophesy and tongues. I hope you have learned as much as I.

1 Corinthians 14:22-25 "So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believes, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. But if all of you are prophesying and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, 'God is truly here among you.'"

The way the Corinthians were speaking in tongues was helping no one because believes did not understand what was being said, and unbelievers thought that the people speaking in tongues were crazy. Speaking in tongues was supposed to be a sign to unbelievers (as in Acts 2) After speaking in tongues, believers were supposed to explain what was said and give the credit to God.

The unsaved people would then be convinced of a spiritual reality and motivated to look further into the Christian faith. While this is one way to reach unbelievers, Paul says that clear preaching is usually better. (14:5)

If you attend a traditional church and then go to a pentecostal church, hearing someone speak in tongues can be unsettling. However, test it by the word. Was there an interpreter there? Or was it just for the person? Which will edify God?? Which will edify the whole church??

Many denominations argue or things such as this. What is the bottom line? Jesus Christ and our belief in Him is the bottom line!! Do you truly believe?? Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

How can Jesus be seen through me???

Good morning!!! And the top of the morning to you....may God bless you through out this day. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. Today is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad.
1 Chronicles 28:20 "Be strong and of good courage, and di it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God-my God- will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord."
How can we serve God? By sharing His message, His mercy, His love with those who cross our paths. Everywhere you look people are looking for "SOMETHING", why not let that something be God!!!! What do we have to do?
We have to love God, obey His commandments, trust His Son, and serve His children. When God is the center of our lives the world will see Jesus in us....demons will tremble.....and our servants heart will show through.
From Max Lucado, "In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe it to God to play them both sublimely."
When you become a better steward of the resources God has given you...He give you more resources to manage. Matthew 25:21 "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord."
This applies to our spiritual life, our family life, our professional life, may all you do today bring glory to God. Thank you for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

How does your light shine???

Good morning everyone!!! I hope this is a great day in the Lord Jesus Christ for you.. God is good all the time.......all the time, God is good. When you are out and about, are people able to look at you, talk to you, and see your servants attitude, the example you set before them??
Ben Franklin knew that leading by example was more poriftable than intimidation or pressure. He wanted his home, Philadelphia, to "lighten up" by having lights on the streets to make the town safer and to make it look better. He simply placed a beautiful lantern near his front door. He kept the lantern brightly polished and carefully and faithfully lit the wick each evening just before dusk. When people walked the dark streets they would see Franklin's light a long way off. This glow was friendly and beautiful..and...a helpful, guiding landmark. Soon, Franklin's neighbors began placing lanterns in front of their own homes. Before long, the whole city was dotted with light, and more people began to appreciate the beauty and value of Franklin's bright idea.
Well, as Franklin, your actions can become a "light" for those around you--chldren, fellow church workers, employees, employers, and on and on. What they see, they copy, When they see your very own "light of God" they may want to have some of that "light" in their life, or improve their "light." We need to strive to be a consistant and constant example to those around us. Weigh what you do, your decisions, against the Bible and see if they are indeed sound and pleasing to God. Be a humble leader for the Lord, not taking our "authority" for granted or abusing it.
Matthew 5:14,16 "Jesus said, 'You are the light of the world....Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.'"
Mark 10:43-45 "Jesus said, 'Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'"
Proverbs 21:8 "A man is known by his actions. An evil man lives an evil life; a good man lives a godly life."
And finally, 1 John 3:18 "Let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions."
Thank you for reading today. May your life illuminate the paths of other and may you give God the glory. Love you all
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

True Ministers of God!!

Good morning everyone!!! I trust you had a great day in the Lord Jesus Christ yesterday!! Isn't God great......God is good - all the time; all the time God is good!!!! What a great saying. Also, as Jo Anne tells me "Let go, let GOD!" Now, that is one we really need to think about and do.
My mind keeps going back to 2 Corinthians 6:3 "We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry." (4) "In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind."
I think about the shows we allow in our living room. People yelling at each other, killing each other, making others laugh at someone's expense, affairs, and so on. Then we let our children watch "cartoons" - cartoons that are not funny UNLESS you live in the world, with worldly views and attitudes.
Cartoons like South Park - children cursing; abc family is coming out with a cat show where they "mark" their territory by "peeing" on things; kids yelling at adults; kids covering their ears so they cannot hear the adults; and we could go on and on.
Is my ministry blameless? No, I have probably violated each item listed above and more. How subtle it is; it begins slow and before you know it, it is at full throttle. One joint ain't bad....then another...then another and then something stronger. One beer ain't bad....then 2..then 3...then passout. As the Bible states we are fighting a spiritual battle and who is winning?? Slowly items creep into our society and we allow it, then it grows. We reap what we sow.
I need to be in prayer daily....ASAP...Always Say A Prayer!! We need to be true ministers of God and are we??? Personal search here!!! I am not the ministrer of God that I need to be. Pray for me...pray for others....but first PRAY for YOURSELF!!! God wants us to come to Him daily, not just when there is a problem. Again, think about your ministry today, each day. Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Prayer for people OR prayer for GOD??

Good morning everyone!!! I hope this is a great day in the Lord Jesus Christ for you. God is good all the time, all the time God is good!!!
Bro Lou's sermon about prayer has really spoken to me and I continue today. Be humble and sincere is so very important. We all enjoy praise, it makes us FEEL GOOD!! These emotional/physical feelings only last a short time.
The religious leaders in Jesus' day wanted to be seen as "holy" and public pray was one way to get attention. Jesus saw through their self-righteous acts. Jesus taught that the essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God. There is a place forpublic prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real audience is not God.
Jesus was drawing attention to the motives behind the actions. There is a place for public prayer, but Jesus is talking about heartfelt prayer and hypocritical prayer. It should come from the heart. If you are asked to pray in public the focus should be on addressing God, not how you will sound to others or how your prayer will come across to the 'people.' Prayer is a conversation between you and your Heavenly Father.
Matthew 6:5,6 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father sho sees everything, will reward you."
Thank you for reading with me. I hope and pray you gain as much as I do from studying this. Bro Lou is preaching a series on prayer and this has be a catalyst for me in my prayer life. Thank you Bro Lou. Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Who listens 24/7??? GOD!!!!

Good morning everyone!! I hope this is a great day in the Lord for you. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Remember, when you have questions.....STOP, DROP, & PRAY!!! I am asking that you all do this on Thursday, between 6 & 7, several things are happening at that time and prayer would be beneficial.
We do not always address prayer ENOUGH!!! We all have someone in our life who really enjoys this...GOD! Matthew 6:6 "Jesus said, 'When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.'"
Mark 11:24 "Jesus said, 'I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
Romans 8:26 "The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.'"
I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
Mother Teresa said, "The more you pray, the easier it becomes. The easier it becomes the more you will pray."
Prayer is BETTER than CELL PHONES!!! We never have a dropped call, we never have to say "can you hear me now?" Plus, since we all are either parents, have siblings, or aunts or uncles, it is nice to just sit and visit. I enjoy when my daughters come to me, visit, and sometimes I can help them with their needs. I love my daughters. My love is not the perfect love....GOD'S LOVE IS PERFECT!!! Can you imagine the greatness of His love??
God's love is so much greater than ours, and when we visit with our FATHER GOD, He is delighted. But, but, how do I pray?? God just does not want us to us ritual words which carry no meaning. He wants us to pray from our heart. Just talk to God what is bothering you. Talk openly and freely. I was at a church social in Colorado, and the man asked to pray said, "and thank you for this grub"; he was sincere and it came from the heart. Do you think God heard him? I think so!!!
Take time to talk to God whether it be for 5 minutes, 1/2 hour, in the shower, while driving, where ever. God loves you, HE wants to hear from you, take time for your FATHER.
Thank you for reading. Love you all. God loves to hear from you. I do also.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

What kind of egg are you????

Good morning everyone!! A great day to be alive in JESUS!!! Running a little late, went to bed late and slept in this morning (did not get up at 5 a.m.) Isn't God grand!! God does so much for us!!! Yesterday at church our guest speaker Dr. Miles McCall was great!! Topic was Life is a Crisis!
How true this is. Have you ever thought what kind of egg you are?? Have you ever just thought about an egg??? What a perfect packaging that is given us by "nature." Huh, no, no coincidence, God had these things planned. Ever been to an egg toss and one will miss their egg and it, what, hit the ground and didn't break! WOW!!! Some eggs are cracked, some are broken, but some are perfect!! That is what Jesus wants us to be... perfect!!!!
Matthew 5:48 Jesus says, "But you are to be perfecet, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Wait, you say....only Jesus was perfect, so how can I be perfect?? 1. In Character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we canset our goals to be as much like Christ as possible.
2. In holiness: as the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values, and be devoted to God's desirees.
3.In maturity: we will not obtain Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness.
4. In Love: we can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.
You, me, everyone, Christ calls us to excell, to rise above the middle, and to become mature Christians, striving to be like HIM. Those who do, will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect. (I John 3:2,3)
What kind of egg are you? You have the perfect packaging as does the egg.... so will you hit the ground and bounce or will you bust? Pray for oneanother and pray for yourself. Thank you for reading, love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Are you working together for one purpose????

Good morning everyone!! I hope this is a great day in the Lord for you!! It just doesn't get much better than this. The rapture will be better... BUT...... WHAT A WAY TO FLY!!!!
Have you thought about your purpose? I know, Rick Warren and his purpose driven life. But, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR PURPOSE???? Are you simply occupying space, breathing our air, and doing nothing? OR, are you working for the glory of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 3:7-9 "IT'S NOT IMPORTANT WHO DOES THE PLANTING, OR WHO DOES THE WATERING. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT GOD MAKE THE SEED GROW. THE ONE WHO PLANTS AND THE ONE WHO WATERS WORK TOGETHER WITH THE SAME PURPOSE. AND BOTH WILL BE REWARDED FOR THEIR OWN HARD WORK. FOR WE ARE BOTH GOD'S WORKERS. AND YOU ARE GOD'S FIELD. YOU ARE GOD'S BUILDING."
God's work involves many different individuals and we all have many different gifts and abilities. We have no superstar, the last was Jesus Christ!! We have team members who perform the role that is their special gifts. Together we become useful members of God's team by setting aside our desires to receive glory and praise for what we do.
We should not seek praise from the people. Oh, look at Johnny, what a good person, a good Christian, yadda, yadda,yadda. NO, NO, NO!!!! If I, If you seek the glory for ourselves we will get the praise of the people, but that does not pave the way to heaven. Instead, we should seek the approval from God. HE rewards us justly, in the end HE gives us life eternal! WOW!!
Let's work together, thank you for reading!! May God bless you and may you prosper today and in the days to come. STOP, DROP & PRAY!!! Please continue to pray for the lost man in the Tyler hospital. We can pray together and God will hear.....he needs God's salvation. Love you all!!
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny