Fresh Start - Change Is On The Way

Hello Everyone,

Let me begin by saying I am sorry for the extremely long break in posting.  I hit a wall and I am just now bouncing back.  With that being said let's start a fresh today.  Many things are on the horizon and I am so humbled by God's choosing to use me to serve you.

As things begin to progress there will be a new website, new blog design, Facebook fan page and YouTube channel!  All of this in order to better serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to be a light showing the way to living a complete life in Him.

We will finish the Acts 20 Bible study this month and move forward from there.

I ask that you please pray for me and I will be praying for you.

Peace and Blessings,
Jamison

Special Guest Writer - Lue Sandra Britton

Hello Everyone,

Today's post is from a woman who loves the Lord with all of her heart and will do whatever He gives her to do.  Her name is Lue Sandra Brittion.  The word that is being shared today is what God gave her to share with the world and I thought what's better then to put it on the blog to be read by people around the world.

My prayer is that you open your heart to receive the word.  Pray about it and if you find that you need of repentance then repent and start anew.

Peace and Blessings,
Jamison

A WORD FROM THE LORD

MANY OF YOU HAVE BECOME SPIRITUAL CANNIBALS, IN THAT THE SPIRIT MAN IS BEING EATEN AWAY BY IGNORANCE, LUST, GREED, SELFISHNESS, PRIDE, AND SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, EVEN TO THE POINT OF APOSTASY. I HAVE NOT DWELT AMONG YOU TO BECOME AN IDOL TO GET GAIN TO PLEASE YOUR FLESH BUT THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHO I AM THAT IS WITH YOU, EVEN TIL THE END OF YOUR TIME.

I HAVE PLACED YOU MEN OF AUTHORITY IN POSITION TO TEACH MY PEOPLE MY WAY AND NOT YOUR OWN. BE OF GOOD CHEER FOR I HAVE NOT COME TO CONDEMN YOU BUT TO SAVE YOU FROM THE EVIL THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BEFALL YOU. FOR I SAY UNTO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, THAT YOUR LIFE WILL REMAIN IN ME FOREVER.

IN LOVE,

LUE SANDRA BRITTON

(FEBRUARY 11, 2014)

Acts 20 Study - Day 8 "No Hesitation"

Hello Everyone,

I pray that your New Year is going well so far.  We have now  reached day eight of the Acts 20 Bible Study.  Let's get started.

"NO HESITATION"

SCRIPTURE

Acts 20:25-27

New International Version (NIV)

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

OBSERVATION

Paul is about to depart Miletus.  He knows he will not see them again.  He lets them know that he is innocent of the blood of all men, meaning that if someone had not accepted Jesus Christ it was not his fault and this is why, because he did not hesitate to proclaim the whole will, or counsel, of God.  

Can we say that we have not hesitated in proclaiming the whole will of God?  What is it that makes some of us hesitate to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Is it fear or lack of knowing what to say?

APPLICATION

How can we stop hesitating when it comes to sharing the gift of Jesus Christ?

First, we must pray and ask God to give us holy boldness by His Spirit, so we can spread the gospel without fear.

Second, we need to study how Jesus and the disciples witnessed to unbelievers.  Keep in mind St. John 3:17, Jesus said that He came not to condemn the world but to save it. Therefore we must remember that it is not our job to condemn anyone!  It is our job to witness to them out of love and kindness.

There are also great books on how to effectively witness in this present age. However great those how to books are, the Bible is still the best one to follow.

Third, remember there is power in numbers.  Consider joining your churches witnessing team.  Jesus sent the disciples out in twos.  When you go out to witness in groups you can encourage each other.  However you still need to be comfortable witnessing on your own.

PRAYER

Dear God our Father, thank You for redeeming and saving us through the death, burial and resurrection of Your son Jesus Christ. Help us not to hesitate to share the the Good News. Give us Holy Boldness and courage in Jesus' name we pray.  Amen. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hello All,

Happy New Year To Each One Of You!

I thank God for each one of you.  You all have made my year grand.  It has been so exciting to have readers in Malaysia, Russia, Germany, Brazil, the U.S.A.and several other countries around the World.  My prayer is that each of you have been blessed and challenged by what you have read.

I love the start of a new year!!! The entire past year is literally behind me.  God has put somethings on my heart to do THIS year.  No more procrastination and mere talk,  He is looking for ACTION!  There are people who are thirsting after Jesus Christ and I have to go beyond my comfort zone to reach them.

What is it that God has put on your heart to do this year?  The start of a new year is the perfect time to begin a new task.  The hard part is sticking with it when things become hard and it seems to be moving slow as molasses in the winter time.  (That is an old saying.)

Here are some tips that I pray will help you with your goal setting for the new year:

1.  Pray, Pray and Pray again.
2.  Write the goals/ visions/ ideas that God gives you.
3.  Write a mission statement for yourself.
4.  Ask God to renew your mind and give you revelation and creativity.
5.  Get organized.
6.  Get your accountability partners on board.  Ones who will REALLY help you.
7.  If you need money to fulfill the goal, plan a budget and pray for God to open the favor and financial                doors.
8.  Work towards your goal everyday, even if it is for only 15 minutes.  You will be surprised by what you          can still get accomplished. (Thank you Reward for that advise.)

If you have additional tips for successful goal setting and achievement please leave a comment.

May God our Father bless you and I this year, exceedingly, abundantly and above all we could ask or think. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Much Love,
Jamison

P.S.  Sorry this did not go out on the first,  I was exhausted and sick.  Still ate New Years dinner though. :)

Acts 20 Study - Day 7 "Finish the Race and Complete the Task"

Hello Everyone,

Keep praying for the makeover we discussed on day 6.  Watch for to change you from the inside out.  

Let's begin day 7.

"Finish the Race and Complete the Task"

SCRIPTURE

Acts 20:22-24

New International Version (NIV)

22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

OBSERVATION

There is so much to pull out of these three verses.  We will go over a few points but I encourage you to study on your own and meditate on the word.

1.  Paul says that he was compelled by the spirit to go to Jerusalem.  Back in Acts 20:2, 3 and 19, Paul says that he was being plotted against by the Jews and he was trying to avoid them, so you know it had to be the Holy Spirit that was compelling him to go to Jerusalem because he was not going to go.  Let's take a moment to look at Paul's obedience to God. The very place Paul was trying to avoid going to God said go!  Do we obey God when he wants us to do something we have purposely avoided or feared doing?  Paul's obedience when he doesn't know what will happen to him is amazing to me.  For those of us who are planners at heart, we struggle with not being able to know what is to happen next. (We have to rest in Jeremiah 29:11)

2.  Paul then talks about how the Holy Spirit warns him of what is to come.  (Acts 20:23) The Holy Spirit will warn you as well.  How you ask?  All I can say is that He will and you will defiantly know it is Him.  You must stay plugged into God through prayer and fasting to keep the lines of communication open between you and God.

3.  Knowing full well the dangers before him, Paul said his life is worth nothing as long as he, "may finish the race and complete the task..." (Acts 20:24)  WOW!!! Are we that committed to God and the task that He has given us to do? Regardless of the dangers, ridicules and misunderstandings we have a job to do.  The task Paul had, we still have to this very day, we are to "testify of the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:24)

If you are not sure of how to describe grace to someone here is an acronym by the late Pastor Adrian Rogers;

G - gifts

R - received

A - at 

C - Christ 

E - expense 

When we testify of God's grace we are testifying of the gifts of redemption, salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

APPLICATION

We know that all Believers in Jesus Christ have the purpose of sharing the gospel of God's grace.  Also each one of us has an individual task that God created us for.  Ask God to reveal yours to you.    

Look for opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with someone each day. Let them know that if they repent of their sins God will forgive them.  Then they confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. Then they can ask Jesus to come into their hearts to be their Lord and Savior and they will be saved.  Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Dear God our Father, thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ.  Thank You for sending Him to save us through His death, burial and resurrection.  God help us to live for You and witness to others about Your grace.  Help us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God, help us to "finish the race and complete the task." (Acts 20:24) In Jesus' Name.  Amen. Thank You God. 

Acts 20 Study - Day Six "How Are You Living"

Happy Day After Christmas Everyone!

It is time for day six of our Acts 20 Study!

"HOW ARE YOU LIVING"

SCRIPTURE
Acts 20:17-21

New International Version (NIV)

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

OBSERVATION
In this passage of scripture we see that Paul sends for the elders of the church in Ephesus. Paul said, "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you..." (Acts 20:18)  Paul talks about how he served the Lord with great humility and tears even when he was being severely tested by the Jews who were plotting against him.  He also talks about how he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful to them.  Paul declared to everyone that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Let's breakdown this observation so we can get more out of it.

1.  Paul mentions that everyone knows how he lived. How are you living?  I once heard this said, I just can't remember who said it, "Who you are at home is who you really are." WOW!  Are you living one way at home and another way in public?  Are you messy at home and neat in public?  Are you mean at home and kind in public?  If you are living one way at home and another way in public, ask God to help you to be a person of good character and to posses the fruit of the spirit wherever you are. (Galatians 5:22)  Ask Him to create in you a clean heart and to renew in you a right spirit (Psalm 51:10) in order for you to live right whether in private or in public.

2.  Paul served the Lord with great humility and tears even while he was being tested and plotted against.  Like Paul we have to continue to serve the Lord even with tears in our eyes, when our faith is being tested and when people try to set traps for us. (Notice I said try.  That's all they can do is try because no weapon formed against you shall prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)  

3.  Paul said that he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful to them. When you have something helpful (not gossip) to share with someone please don't keep that to yourself.  Share the information.  If the person receives the information, praise God.  If the person does not receive the information shake the dust off your feet, meaning let it go, you did what you could.  

4.  Paul declared to everyone that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.  We have to do the same thing.  We must declare that people repent of their sins and proclaim faith in Jesus Christ. This is the Great Commission.  We are commissioned to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. 

APPLICATION
Okay I know this is a lot to apply but the application starts out very simply. We are going to get an extreme makeover.  Yes A Makeover!!! We are going to pray to God our Father asking Him for one.


PRAYER
Dear God our Father.  We thank you for all that you are teaching from your Holy Word. We thank you for bringing to our attention all of the areas were we need to be made over.  Father, make us over from the inside out. Help us to possess the fruit of the Spirit at home and in public.  Help us to serve you faithfully regardless of our circumstances and what others try to do to us.  Help us to not hesitate to share helpful information.  Help us to obey the Great Commission, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  All this we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hello and Merry Christmas Everyone,

The Acts 20 Study is on hold until December 26th.  

There is no better time to accept Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior then today.  Just pray this prayer.

Dear God, I am a sinner.  I please forgive me of all my sins.  Lord, Jesus please come into my heart and save me.  Jesus I believe you are the Son of God.  I believe that God raised you from the dead and that You are alive and in Heaven.  Thank you Jesus for saving me.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen

If you just prayed that prayer your name is now written in the Book of Life in Heaven.  Stay close to God through prayer, reading the Bible and joining a Bible believing church.  

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Happy Birthday Jesus!

Love you so much,

Jamison