Pastor James Blog: Recent Comments

Comment on Saved by grace or works?

2010-01-14T05:09:29Z

Man's pride has always driven him to find justification in his own works. It's good to see the gospel emphasized.

-Russ
Followers Church Post Falls ID

Comment on Saved by grace or works?

2009-10-20T14:55:37Z

When I was in parochial school this point was greatly emphasized. Through faith we want to do good works but it is by God's grace that we are saved. :D

Beautiful post and blog.

Blessings!
Nancy J Locke

Comment on Jehovah Jireh

2009-08-10T07:27:38Z

Agree James... God has been saying something similar to me.

When Moses went up to the Red Sea and found himself trapped between water and the Egyptian Army; his solution did not only come because of the situation or as a result of it. It was no surprise for God that Moses would be in that situation and He did not need to dream up the solution just then or because of it. He had already provided the solution prior to the problem – it’s just that we were not aware of either the problem or the need.

Once we understand and get our heads around the fact that God has already provided the solution prior to the problem; we will start to see the manifestation of these provisions.

I am going in to Pakistan this weekend to preach. This is the home of persecution. Houses are being burnt, property destroyed and people killed because of their differences of belief. Pray that the solution is revealed.

Blessings
Tracy

Comment on Saved by grace or works?

2009-08-07T02:20:02Z

Grace is the favor of God working on my behalf. Thank God for it. I was thinking earlier today about how when we first receive the gift of salvation, it is typically with ourselves in mind. We begin to understand that god loves us and we don't want to spend forever in hell.... That's how it was for me anyways. As I've walked with the lord I'm discovering that this gift is not to be received and then hid, but to be shared with as many as will hear! This takes work, as we develop our relationship with God we become less concerned with our own desires and more concerned with other people and how to reach them. In order to reach them it takes work... So, we don't work in order to receive the gift, but we work to share it with others. This is the calling to everyone who has heard the voice of God! Amen

Comment on Love is a Choice

2009-07-31T18:27:47Z

Amen! Feelings are found in an area of our lives called the soul. Feelings are based on what we can see, hear, feel, taste, and touch. The Apostle Paul suggests that we walk by Faith, and not by sight. This Suggests that we should go by something other than our five senses, or our emotions. The area of our lives that we should live our of is our Spirit, which is recreated in the image of Christ! That means that there is a part of us that is 100% Jesus! In Jesus there was/is no sickness, no grief, no pain, no offense... Only Love towards mankind! Let's choose to Love as Christ did! Christ came to this earth as a man, he was born just as everyone else on the planet, he had to learn how to talk and do things just as we did. Jesus laid down his supreme authority as the creator of the earth, and chose to become the created. This is an awesome act of Love! It would be like being rich beyond measure and having everything you ever could want or need, and laying it down... So why did he lay all this down? Because of his Love for you and me. God knew that the only way to restore man from their fallen state of sin and seperation from God was for a perfect and sinless man to take on the sin of the world, and lay down his life for his friends! God is so good, and He is Love. The way that we can show our grattitude to Him is to lay down our owm lives for Him and listen to the instructions that he gives us! And believe it or not, His commandments lead us to good things. God wants good for you and me. If Jesus could lay down the "Great Life" that he had in heaven, come to this earth, be rejected of man (his own creation), go through an unimaginable death, and then be completly seperated from God. I think we can lay down our lives that without him are not that great anyways! And the best part about laying down our lives for him is, he will help us to do this and teach us how to experience the best life we can have on this earth!

God Bless - It all starts with a simple choice! Will you make the right one today?

Comment on Medicine and Doctors

2008-02-12T06:11:45Z

I certainly agree Pastor James. I remember being on a business trip and while getting up from the bed I was hit with such a hard attack of pain in my back that it took me back down to the bed and I couldn’t get up. Now I hadn’t had any problem and my old thoughts would have been that I need a doctor, or I need some pain medicine, or I would do both and stand in pity for myself. But, this time was different, I immediately recognized this was from Satan and immediately condemned him and started fighting him with prayer. I also stood back up in faith. I spent the next 20 minutes fighting him before I could start to walk somewhat normal. A remnante of pain remained with me throughout the day, but by the next day I was better. Had I not done this, I would have been down for weeks and probably hearing that I needed surgery.

Comment on New Years Resolutions

2008-01-15T12:55:39Z

My relationship with Christ has truly helped with an area of my life that truly was out of control for years.Eating better and exercise brought discipline to that area,just as discipline and consistence brought change to my faith,the Christian Center helped me immensely to grow in my faith,it has stabilized me also.Praise God for my family there.

Comment on New Years Resolutions

2008-01-14T01:45:51Z

This is so true! I was explaining to a friend the other day that each new year, my family writes down our vision and goals for that year. Things we want to accomplish. As it says in Prov. 29:18 People perish where there is no vision. I think this can apply at home also. Every household and person needs to have something they are looking forward to...a goal to accomplish or no one is moving forward spiritually or in any area of their life...no growth is occurring. It is so easy to become stagnant spiritually and be in the same place a year from now saying the same old things, and living in the same unconquered areas of life. Setting goals is also a good time to examine where you've been and where you and your family want to go. Then it is nice to look back at the end of the year and have the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal and helping one another to accomplish goals. My kids have been encouraged by helping the family accomplish goals together. God Bless you all and thank you Pastor for your selfless service!

Comment on Season Of Love

2008-01-04T01:32:28Z

Praise God, you keeping preaching the word, Pastor James. You and Sherry are a blessing to the area.
Do folks really understand and "get" "no greater love" wow! That says so much that he would lay down his life for such as me or any of us. What an honor it is to rejoice in the celebration of his birth. Bless you and yours in the coming year. Thank you for your obedience!

Comment on Priceless

2007-08-17T15:53:10Z

Many, many people don't feel important to God because they don't feel important to themselves. Guilt from past deeds come back to haunt, leaving a residue of lowliness to self.

If we could truly forgive ourselves, then we could believe that God has not only forgiven us but also forgotten.

It is through a personal relationship with Jesus that we have the revelation that God is Love and love never condemns. It is through Jesus we can be delivered from condemnation of self and be free to love ourselves, not pridfully, but as God loves us.