Always Give Thanks!

  THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU; THE LORD
  MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU, AND BE
  GRACIOUS TO YOU; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS 
  COUNTENANCE UPON YOU, AND GIVE YOU PEACE.
                  ( NUMBERS 6:24-26 *NKJV )

  Dear Brethren,
      Often we hear someone speaking of "good luck" when 
  something good happens to them. They even think that
  they are creating their own blessings in their lives as well.
  How very wrong they are indeed!

      As Christians we know better, for it is written; DO NOT
  BE DECEIVED, MY BELOVED BRETHREN. EVERY 
  GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM 
  ABOVE, AND COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF 
  LIGHTS, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR
  SHADOW OF TURNING.  (JAMES 1:17)

      Also God's Blessings are not only given to us in this life,
  but in the life to come as well!  Therefore, never
  forget the greatest blessing of them all, that being Eternal
  Life with God in Heaven!  A blessing that we will receive
  through our Lord, Jesus Christ! 

      So, always give thanks and praise to your
  Heavenly Father, and when you pray make sure you are;
  GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS TO GOD THE 
  FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
  Amen.                                          ( EPHESIANS 5:20 )

  With My Love & Prayers,
      your servant Allen

Right From The Heart: The Daily Battle

"Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives to life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Timothy 6:12
Life is a battle - a daily battle. It never quits. That's why God calls us to "fight the good fight." Why is life so hard? We might say, "because I have lots of difficult people and demands in my life." But there is a bigger demon - ME! I love what Pat Riley, former NBA basketball coach, says about the difficulty of building a good team. And if ever there has been a coach that knew how to mold guys together as a team - it's Pat Riley. But he says,"Selfish stars focus on themselves. They resent others getting any glory. The most difficult thing for individuals to do when they become part of a team is to sacrifice, because it's much easier to be selfish. He calls it "the disease of ME."

The Bible calls this sin. We are all natural born sinners. We are far more interested in ourselves than in anyone else. If you don't believe it, ask yourself, "Who do I think about most?" We try to be in control of our lives, rather than trusting God to be in charge. So the reason life is such a battle is because of our sin.

Jesus came to save us from our sin...to forgive us and cleanse and transform us. He came to set us free from "the disease of me," to where we want to please God more than ourselves. Don't you want to find victory in the battle of life? Following Jesus can give you that victory.