Tribulation or Crisis:
When we are confronted with Emotional, Intellectual or Spirtual Troubles, we often refer to them as Tribulation. Now that our wallets are being affected, we are calling it a Crisis of Great Proportion. When James uses the word "temptations"in the following verse, he is speaking of troubles and tribulations. We tend to divide our "temptations"into two catagories. Those that effect the soul and those that effect the wallet, when in all actuality, the source of these trobles is one and the same.
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We can react to these temptations based on emotion or logic but niether one will offer us any solace. While we under-go "Crisis" in America's economy, remember that this is just another way that the devil can get under our skin and cause us to act like unbelievers. We need to face money problems the same way we approach any other problem in life. With Joy and Gratitude toward God knowing that He is working a greater good in our life.
Is it a mere coincidence that more troubles come our way when we make a firmer commitment to God? The devil and the World will try to convince us that the commitment we make is not worth the trouble. We know better. God is on our side and He wants us to be at Peace, no matter what happens around us. Don't let money problems, or any problems, steal away your Joy as a child of God. God is in the process of perfecting us, no matter how things look on the outside, God is in complete control of all things that pertain to us. Be patient and allow God to work in us, "a greater weight of Glory".
Nothing can be a Crisis as long as God has the last Word...
Pastor Charles
Integrity:
Psa 7:8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
I read the 'Daily Word' as a part of my daily devotion. Today the devotion was on Integrity. After thinking about it today, this is what I came up with;
A Christian's Character is revealed by what they would do if they thought no other person would ever find out.
A Christian's Integrity is revealed by what they would do if they thought that GOD would never find out.
Fruit of the Spirit vs. Works of the Flesh
A pig enjoys wallowing in the mud, and a son enjoys the love and fellowship of being in His Father’s House. You can give a pig a bath, dress him up in a suit and tie and bring him to church. What have you got? A clean pig in a suit and tie. As soon as church service is over, where will he go? Back to the pigpen. On the other hand, if you take a believer in Christ (that is a son of the Heavenly Father), and he backslides and winds up down the street in the beer joint, if he is truly a son, he will eventually come back to His Father’s House. Why do I believe this? Because I was that kind of a son. A true son will one day look around and realize that the pigpen is no place for a son. No more than a butterfly can go back and become a caterpillar, a born again son cannot go back a become a pig. We are new creatures in Christ, forevermore.
Article By: Charles Beason (Pastor)