From start to finish - beginning to end

Good morning all!! Yes, a wonderful day to be alive in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. What better thing than to know God is on our side!?!?!?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

The promise that God make a thing beautiful in his time indicateds that there are unpleasant moments. Beginnings are generally tinged with some adventurous excitement and discovery. But, they are also full of unknowns and uncomfortable adjustments.
During the middle times, the same ole work and events can overwhelm and disheaten us. So what do we do? Keep God as our focus, then great sustaining graces such as patience and endurance develop.

It is in the end..looking back...that you can see the true beauty of the journey. Whever you are on the path right now, look for the beauty in it. God makes it lovely from beginning to end. Remember God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

Take time now to STOP, DROP & PRAY!! Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Are you ENcouraging or DIScouraging????

Good morning everyone!!! What a wonderful day to be alive in Jesus!!! Did you tell someone about Jesus yesterday??? If someone was standing at the edge of a cliff, in a dangerous situation, and could fall to their death.....would you warn them to come back or try to pull them back???

What about the person who stands at the threshold of hell, won't you tell them about Jesus, to save them from death?? I cannot be hesitant or intimidated about speaking up about Jesus.

Oh, we get emails that say if you are ashamed of Jesus delete, but if not pass it on. Do we, as Christians, have to send email to make people feel guilty?? Why do we believe it is necessary to push people into doing something they may not believe necessary to send on.

Well, yes, if I get a great product I will tell others......I have a great "product" if you will......great news.....the good news of Jesus Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit I will share this news.

Democrats who are Christians.....do you stand as strong for Jesus Christ as you do against George Bush??? Republicans who are Christians...do you stand as strong for Jesus Christ as you do against Hillary, Bill C., Obama?

1 Corinthians 14:3 "But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them." Prophesies here is telling others of the good news of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:29 "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be encouragement to those who hear them."

We can bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way we live. Paul warns us against unwholesome language, bitterness, improper use of anger, harsh words, slander, and bad attitudes toward others. Instead of acting that way we should be forgiving just as God has forgiven us.

Are your actions and attitudes pleasing to God? Or bringing sorrow to God?? My love for the LORD and everything HE does for me becomes stronger by the day. Take time for Jesus, listen to some praise music, listen to some Christian talk radio...preaching. Let the "good news" fill your heart rather than the negative/bad news.

Thank you for reading with me today. As the song: "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, so that I may see you." Love you all

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Don't be discouraged...GOD IS WITH YOU ALWAYS

Good morning everyone!!! Yes, a wonderful day to be alive in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!! Did you tell someone about Jesus Yesterday??

We should not be discouraged??? Why??? Because God is with us, HE will not leave us, and HE will see us through. Family.....what better family than to be in God's family. Family should stick together, see things through, and not abandon. Is this always true? I dare say not!! Why, because we live in the world, temptations come, temptation lead us astray, we may return, yet the fact is we have strayed.

Does God stray?? Does God pick up strays??? He brings them back. We should be encouraged because we have a LIVING GOD. Think about this....we did not carve an image our of wood, marble, steel, and then worship it. We worship a LIVING GOD!!! HOW AWESOME!!!

Deuteronomy 31:8 "Do not be afraid or discourage, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you, he will neither fail you nor abandon you." WOW!! How strong is that?!?!?!

Joshua 1:9 "This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD you GOD is with you wherever you go."

1 Chronicles 28:20 "Then David continued, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD GOD, my GOD, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly."

Here David advised Solomon not to be frightened about the size of his task as king and builder of the Temple. Fear can stop us dead in our tracks. We look at the size of the job, all the risks, or the pressure of getting it done. We may freeze solid in our tracks and then do nothing.

We need to refocus...not on the fear of the task.....but on the task itself. Break it down, look at the parts, focus on the work at hand. Sometimes the most frightening part of a task is just getting started.

We need to focus!!! At LCUMC we are in a building project...we need to focus.....we need to encourage and support our church staff. If the new building is or was not of GOD, we would never have started. Pray for the pastors, administration, and staff as we focus on the work at hand.

Isaiah 41:10 "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

God has a relationship with us, HE will strengthen and help!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? Go out boldly, with GOD as your strength, and tackle the task at hand. Remember - F O C U S ! Thank you all for reading today. Love you all. May you be encouraged and focus on your task or job at hand.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

An encouraging word........

Good morning everyone!! Yes, God is great another day!!! When He chooses to let us roam the earth another day that is good. We just need to be certain we are good steward's of His word. Have you ever been down, do something you wish you could take back....then someone comes along and reminds you how bad your actions were? How did you feel?
We need to have the truth, but there are also times we need to be encouraged. Proverbs 12:25 "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." Proverbs 15:13 "A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:15 "For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast."
Our attitudes color our whole personality. We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose our attitude toward each situation. The secret to a happy heart is filling our mind with thoughts that are true, pure, and lovely , with thought that dwell on the good things in life. (Phil 4:8)
This was Paul's secret as he faced imprisonment, and it can be ours as we face the struggles of daily living. Look at your attitudes and then examine what you allow to enter your mind and what you choose to dwell on. You may need to make some changes.
God is good all the time, all the time God is good. Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all!! May your attitude flourish today!!!
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny