Sunday's Coming

I am so glad I am able to express my beliefs and I am thankful that all who choose to speak, for or against Christ, have the same rights I do.....More than rights....it is God given FREE WILL that has been given to all of us....

Focus on Jesus Food for Faith

  Focus On Jesus

True Christianity is not a religion based on rules and rituals,
but a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many people reduce Christianity down to attending church
meetings and trying not to commit a list of certain sins.

But being a Christian is being united with Jesus, a member of
His body, with His life in your heart.

Jesus should be your focus -- not religious activity -- but the
person of Jesus, the Lord and Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:9 NIV
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Church meetings, Bible reading, etc. can be good, but should
not be allowed to become an end in themselves. They are tools
to help us know Jesus and walk more closely with Him.

The Bible says we are to be faithful; but faithful to what: a
religious system, an organization -- or, a Person? Are you
serving Jesus -- or serving something else as His substitute?

The focus of your life should be to please Jesus.

COLOSSIANS 1:18 NRSV
18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have
first place in everything.

Does Jesus have first place in your life? In your schedule? If
not, why not?

In everything, Jesus should be central.

SAY THIS: I will keep my focus on Jesus Christ.

Struggling all the time to NOT be a Pharisee

   Are You A Pharisee?

MATTHEW 16:6,12 NKJ
6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."
12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of
the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.

Why did Jesus warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisees?
What did they do wrong?

(An entire chapter of the Bible (Matthew 23) is Jesus' teaching
against the Pharisees.)

The Pharisees were conservative, faithful "church" members.
They accepted the Bible as the written Word of God. They paid
tithes. They believed in miracles (at least in days past). They
wouldn't dream of stealing, committing adultery, or such
things. You would like living next to a Pharisee as they were
model citizens.

But instead of having a living relationship with God, the
Pharisees took the Word of God and made just another dead
religion out of it.

The Pharisee way of thinking is: keep up appearances. "It
doesn't matter so much what you are on the inside, as long as
you keep the rules (at least publicly)."

Notice that Jesus likened their teaching to leaven, or yeast.
Why? Yeast spreads easily and rapidly. Humans are very
susceptible to approaching God in this manner, "Keep the rules.
Just do these 10 things and you are OK."

Different groups may have different rules, but we all
accumulate them. It may be how many times each week you must
attend church meetings, or what kind of clothes you must wear,
or how you must wear your hair. Or, it may be a list of things
you cannot do. But, as long as you meet these requirements, you
are in good standing with your group (or denomination).

But, good standing with God is based on only one thing
according to the New Testament: faith in what Jesus did for us.
That alone is what makes us right with God. Not our works, but
Jesus' work.

LUKE 12:1 NKJ
1 ... He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

The Pharisees were hypocrites. That is, they put on an act.
What they pretended to be in public was not really what they
were like in private. They claimed to be perfect in keeping
God's law, but as humans they were all sinners, just like the
rest of the people were. Yet, in public, they insisted that
others keep the Law perfectly, or be condemned.

They were quick to pass judgment on others, and slow to extend
mercy or help. The Pharisees had a legalistic view of God's
Word and did not realize that God was merciful and wanted to
help people.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:6 NKJ
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant,
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but
the Spirit gives life.

Using God's Word to "kill" instead of using it to minister life
is wrong. God's Word is meant to help people and lift them up,
not place such hard demands on them that they cannot ever
measure up. When we load people down with heavy loads of rules
to keep in order to be right with God, we are ministers of
death.

MATTHEW 23:1-5 NLT
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the
official interpreters of the law of Moses.
3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow
their example. For they don't practice what they teach.
4 They crush people with impossible religious demands and never
lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 "Everything they do is for show. . . .

If your "Christianity" is nothing more than a list of "do's and
don't's" then you are missing real Christianity, which is a
living relationship with Jesus Christ.

SAY THIS: Jesus does not want me to act like a Pharisee.

Celebrating Independence Day

   Independence is the freedom to pick and choose what makes me happy.

  Independence is not being leashed to a cell phone.

 Independence is having confidence in my decisions.

  Independence is acknowledging that my bliss comes from accepting my Lord's plan for my life.

 Independence is turning the TV off.

  Independence is honoring my beliefs.

  Independence is seeing beyond my circle.

 Independence is casting off worldly views.

Independence is not listening to the solicitors of the world that bombard you with what you need, what you should have, how to have more, how to get something for nothing.

Independence is not listening to the weather report. The weatherman never brings good news. It's either too hot, too cold, no rain, too much rain, no wind, too much wind....What happened to the thankfulness for whatever the weather is.....

Independence is not doing what I dont want to do instead of doing it and then complaining about it...

Simple revelation....either do it because I want too and enjoy it or dont do it.....It's so easy....STAND UP....TAKE CHARGE OF MY INDEPEDENCE....BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE WAY I FEEL cause it's no one else's responsibility but mine.

I had a wonderful fourth of july holiday doing exactly what I wanted to do and I hope you did too....  

"TO BE FREE, TO BE HAPPY AND TO BE FRUITFUL, CAN ONLY BE ATTAINED THROUGH SACRIFICE OF MANY COMMON BUT OVERESTIMATED THINGS".....Robert Henri

Let's Get it DONE!!!

Yipee....we finally got our building permit for the new studio....Let's dig some trenches for the electrical conduit.  I "can-du-it"  yes I can.....Half the battle of doing it.....is the first step....just try it.....surprise yourself....believe in yourself...Dont listen to the voices that tell you "you cant"......Nike....has it right....JUST DO IT!!!

You have to FEEL art to CREATE art

LOOK-See...LISTEN-hear.....BELIEVE-peace.....CREATE-joy.....SERENITY-hearing God's voice instead of just a trumpet sounding......YAHOO!!!!