What do You Really Need in Your Life?

A large business was contemplating purchasing $50,000 worth of new file cabinets. The demand from every department was soaring, so the department heads decided to call a meeting of all the employees. A decision had been made by the president of the company that for one day, every one with a file cabinet would go through every file and remove every nonessential piece of paper. It was the first Biannual File Inspection and Clean-Out.
To the amazement of everyone, many offices that had four or five cabinets trimmed them down to one or two. In fact, there was a large company auction and they sold off several dozens of unneeded file cabinets.
What can you remove from the cabinets of your life? Is there some anger or garbage that you have collected for a long time and it is growing and festering and taking a large part of your love for life away from you? It is easy to want to file more and more hurt away instead of removing it and making room for the true love of God to come and abide.

Mid-week Prayer

Loving Father, come into our hearts and spirits this day and let us have a large cleaning out of our thoughts and emotions. Let us lay aside the things that would be stumbling blocks for us and lift us the true way of life that comes from knowing and loving You. We ask the power of the Holy Spirit to come and direct us both in the cleaning and the living forever. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Why not start a new file today and fill it only with the blessings that you and God share together? What a great way to replace old hurts with new found joys. See you next week.

Show the Spot to God

There is a story about a boy that spent time in the blacksmith shop in his hometown when he was growing up. The blacksmith seemed powerful as he would hold a large piece of iron in the fire with the thongs until it was white-hot. Then removing it from the fire and laying it on the anvil, he would give a tap with a small hammer. Immediately a bigger fellow on the other side would come down hard with a sledge hammer, hitting the iron on the exact spot where the blacksmith had just tapped it. The young man told the blacksmith, “You don’t do much good with that little hammer, do you?”
The blacksmith laughed and replied, “No, my boy, but I show that big fellow where to place the blow.”
When I read that little story I was reminded of the book of Isaiah. In 11:1-4 you find these words:

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

God has taken the hearts of His children and fired them in the furnace of His love. Then as they are place on the anvils of our life, He points where we need to mold our lives and then He waits. In His waiting we find if we truly will slay the wickedness of our lives and mold our mind and spirit with His love, God’s Glory is revealed. He has shown us where to strike, and we have the power to follow His direction.

Mid-week Prayer

Loving Father, Let us bring all the strength of our determination into Your Holy presence and we will find a way in which we are truly blessed. Let the world hear our voices resound with glory of Your way filling our life forever. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Be sure and join me next week for another Mid-week Epistle.

THE UNSEEN POWER OF THE HARVEST

The story goes of a small church in England at the beginning of World War II that was preparing for its Harvest Celebration. The members had lovingly brought the first fruits of their harvest on Saturday night to prepare the altar. There was produce of every kind placed upon the altar: lettuce, corn, and radishes.
Early the next morning the Germans began the war with a blitz on England. The small church was destroyed. The ceiling fell in, and the walls collapsed.
One year later, the minister of the church was passing by and noticed that there was a small green sprout growing right where the altar had been. It was pushing its head up through the rubble. Several weeks later, several stalks of corn appeared.
Out of the destruction and desolation of the war, God’s creation continues.
Have you been bold in your life to the point that you are still letting the seeds of faith that were sown in your heart as a child sprout? You see, God’s harvest has not come to fruition in your life yet and the harvest is going to be glorious for all to see.

Mid-week Prayer

Glorious God, sometimes we feel as though destruction is everywhere when what You invite us to view is the beginning of Your new creations. You promised that the Word and water would allow us to enter the Kingdom of heaven, so Holy God, bring your world to the glory of a full harvest every day into eternity. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me again next week for another Mid-week Epistle.

ANXIETIES OF LIVING


Have you ever been anxious about a day? You rise up the first thing in the morning and you already dread what the day will bring. You are not sure why, you only know the feeling of dread seems to cover your heart like a damp heavy blanket, and no matter where we turn, every word we hear causes us to fear what "might " be coming.
If you feel that way today, then I want to take you for a moment to the letter that Paul wrote to the Church in Galatia. In the fifth chapter, Paul begins by saying: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." And it is the 22nd verse of that chapter that tells us what God provides to the Christian who walks in the fullness of the Spirit of God: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.”
I heard it told yet another way.

"Love is the key.
Joy is love singing.
Peace is love resting.
Long-suffering is love enduring.
Kindness is love's touch.
Goodness is love's character.
Faithfulness is love's habit. ,
Gentleness is love's self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is love holding the reins."

Many times I realize that the character of God which is love at it's fullest. offers us such strength as we could never imagine. Even in the times it may appear that we might be victorious. but the suffering will have to be endured.

Mid-week Prayer

Let us pray: Eternal and loving God. We walk in this world today with deep concerns in our hearts. We wish we could tell what tomorrow will bring, but we know that it is in Your plan, and because of that wonderful assurance, we are content with the tasks you present to us today. Let us draw upon Your love now and forever. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Next week we will open God's Word together again. As I leave, let me share another thought with you:

"God is the key.
Joy is God singing.
Peace is God resting.
Long-suffering is God enduring.
Kindness is God's touch.
Goodness is God's character.
Faithfulness is God's habit.
Gentleness is God's self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is God holding the reins."

May God richly bless you this day.