Kindness!!!

Today, Lord, I have determined to show acts of kindness. 

Kindness is a product of the Holy Spirit living in each believer. 

Kindness will bless both the receiver and the giver. 

Kindness can break the hardest heart, heal the hurting, and glorify my God. 

With your help Lord, Today I will show acts of kindness.


And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 

Beware of Vices

Don’t surrender self-control to any vice – including alcohol, drugs, sexual immoralities, and harmful and/or addictive practices like tobacco, gambling, gluttony and eating disorders. Such self-control is possible through the strength of the Lord and by yielding yourself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

The best way to never lose self-control is to totally abstain from all vices that tend to overtake you.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)

Do you have a copy of Pastor Jim's book, For His Glory: A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom? Take a moment and check it out and see what others are saying about.

Understanding God's Word

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13  

It is interesting the number of different ways that God makes known his will.  In the Old Testament, he spoke through a burning bush to Moses and in a small still voice to Elijah.  God disclosed his will in visions and dreams to the Prophets and, on one occasion, through a talking donkey. In the New Testament, the Apostles used the roll-of-the-dice (casting lots) for Judas’ replacement; and the Holy Spirit spoke to the collective church body to send Paul and Barnabas on the first New Testament missionary journey. 

In the both Old Testament and New Testament, it was the personal responsibility of the individual to be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Moses had to hear and surrender to God through the burning bush.  Balaam had to listen to the donkey. Paul, Barnabas, and the church had to acknowledge and act on the Spirit’s instruction. 

Today we have the Holy Spirit that indwells the believer and the Word of God (The Bible) to speak to us.  The Word and Spirit are in harmony.  The Holy Spirit is the interpreter of the Word, and the Word is interpreted in the correct intent of the author since the author is the Holy Spirit.  

Unfortunately, we often look to the Word without seeking the help of the Spirit to interpret the correct intent and meaning. The Pharisees are a good example of stressing the letter of the law without the seeking the spirit of the Word.  When reading, studying or meditating on the Word of God, we should by prayer seek the Spirit to guide us into all truth. 

Pray for the guidance of the Spirit before reading the Word of God, after reading the Word of God, and while reading the Word of God.  He is indispensable in understanding it!

Is The Bible Too Hard To Understand?

I am often told by people that the Bible is too hard to understand and therefore they do not read it. What if the Bible read like a first grade reader? What then would they say? Could a book that reveals the nature and will of the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, be so shallow? R.A. Torrey addresses this issue:

It is clear that there must be difficulties for us in a revelation such as the Bible. If someone were to hand me a book that was as simple to me as the multiplication table, and say, 'This is the Word of God. In it He has revealed His whole will and wisdom,' I would shake my head and say, 'I cannot believe it; that is too easy to be a perfect revelation of infinite wisdom.' There must be, in any complete revelation of God's mind and will and character and being, things hard for the beginner to understand; and the wisest and best of us are but beginners. 

 Nevertheless, God has made understanding the Bible easy for those who seek to know the LORD and find His will by giving us His Spirit as a teacher and a guide. Just like when Jesus spoke in parables so that only the sincere seekers could know the meaning, the Bible speak to those who seek to know him and his will -- and only to those that will allow the Spirit to teach them.

Are you seeking and are you willing to let the Lord's will become your will? Then let the Spirit help you search the scriptures.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. Proverbs 28:5

Are You Ruled By The Flesh?

“And Peter went out and wept bitterly.” — Luke 22:62.

"The word “carnal” comes from the Latin word for flesh. In Romans viii., and in Gal. v., we are taught that the flesh and the Spirit of God are the two opposing powers by which we are dominated or ruled, and we are taught that a true believer may allow himself to be ruled by the flesh." -Andrew Murray

Look at [Peter]...in the carnal state. What are the marks of the carnal state in him? Self-will, self-pleasing, self-confidence. Just remember, when Christ said to the disciples at Caesarea Philippi, “The Son of Man must be crucified,” Peter said to Him, “Lord, that can never be!” And Christ had to say to him, “Get thee behind Me, Satan!” Dear reader, what an awful thing for Peter! He could not understand what a suffering Christ was. And Peter was so self-willed and self-confident that he dared to contradict and to rebuke Christ! Just think of it! Then, you remember, how Peter and the other disciples, were more than once quarreling as to who was to be the chief—self-exaltation, self-pleasing;—every one wanted the chief seat in the Kingdom of God. Then again, remember the last night, when Christ warned Peter that Satan had desired to sift him and that he would deny Him; and Peter said twice over, “Lord, if they all deny Thee, I am ready to go to prison and to death.” What self-confidence! He was sure that his heart was right. He loved Jesus, but he trusted himself. “I will never deny my Lord”! Don’t you see the whole of that life of Peter is carnal confidence in himself. In his carnal pride, in his carnal unlovingness, in the carnal liberty he took in contradicting Jesus, it was all just the life of the flesh. Peter loved Jesus. God had by the Holy Spirit, taught him. Christ had said, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” God had taught him that Christ was the Son of God; but with all that, Peter was just under the power of the flesh; and that is why Christ said at Gethsemane, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”—“You are under the power of the flesh, you cannot watch with Me.” Dear reader, what did it all lead to? The flesh led not only to the sins I have mentioned, but last of all to the saddest of things, to Peter’s actual denial of Jesus. Three times over he told the lie; and once with an oath, “I know not the man.” He denied his blessed Lord. That is what it comes to with the life of the flesh. -Andrew Murray, The Deeper Christian Life

You may wish to read Self Absorbed?

Your Gut Is Not Inspired.

Your gut is not inspired. Feelings can be and often are deceiving.  It is much better to listen to God the Holy Spirit as He speaks and directs you from scripture. Solomon sought wisdom and God granted him his wish. It wasn't until he turned from God and listened to feelings and others that he found himself in trouble. 

Wisdom, true wisdom, is found in His Word and not in your gut. Let let the Holy Spirit guide you from the word of God and not a gut feeling. Follow @pastorbarr