We do not want to become double-minded

As God's children, we want to always maintain a single-minded focus.  In other words, if we keep our self single-minded we will keep our spirits healthy.  We keep ourselves healthy when we keep the darkness out and only let in the light and keep ourselves focused on what is good.  Because there is a danger if we allow ourselves to become double-minded.  It says in James 1:7-8 8 (AMP) "7 For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, 8 [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]."  When we become double-minded, we bring instability into our life and we take ourselves out of position to receive from the Lord.

Do we show our giving with actions?

In James 2:15-16 (CEB) it says,  “15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs?"  So our giving is a reflection of our faith.  Our giving is actually a manifestation of our faith.  We as God's children are admonished to walk in love with one another.  We are to show the same love toward each other as the Lord Jesus showed to us.  This we are to keep in the forefront of our thinking.  We should always keep this top of mind.  So I encourage you to show your love and your faith in God through the manifestation of your giving as well.  To share a donation or gift into this ministry click http://www.arms.cc/giving.html

Our choices determine our path of life

The choices that we make in life are critical.  We can either make choices that are going to bring more joy and happiness into our life or we can make choices that are going to bring more sadness, depression and negativity into our life.  The choice is ours.  In Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) it says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”.  Choices not only determine our path in life but they also reveal who we really are.  We can tell what type of person they are by the choices they make.

God wants to put us on the right path

Everyone of us wants to be on the right path for our life.  The path that is going to produce more joy and happiness in our life.  So how do we get on this right path and what will it produce?  The psalmist opened this up to us when he wrote in Psalms 23:1 (AMP) "The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack."  It is the Lord himself who leads us and guides us to put us on the right path.  Do we listen to the voice of the Lord in his word?  Are we open to what the Lord is doing in our life?  Do we look for the leading of the Lord?  It is by following the guidance of the Lord that we find our way to the right path for our life and this path leads to nothing but blessing.  The psalmist put it this way in Psalms 23:6 (AMP) 
"Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place."

God wants everyone to experience his love and mercy

Our Heavenly Father is such a kind and gracious God.  He wants everyone to experience his love and mercy.  We think of the story of Jonah.  Jonah was a prophet and man of God who at first didn't want to do what God had instructed him to do.  Which was to go to Nineveh and preach to the Assyrians the message of God.  This disobedience nearly cost him his life and the lives of others who were with him on that ship.  But our gracious God spared Jonah's life and gave him a second chance.  When Jonah obeyed he got back on the path to blessing and it brought blessing to the Assyrians.  Jonah was a tool to get the Ninevite's back on the right path with God.  What an expression of God's love and mercy.  God wants us to experience this in our lives as well.  He wants us to feel, sense and walk in his unfailing love and he wants to restore to us all that has been stolen or taken from us.  So that our life will be a full expression of his love and mercy. (Book of Jonah)

Do we give out of love and obedience?

 It says in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (NLT) “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:”  It is out of love and obedience that we give of our treasury to the Lord.  It is out of a loving devotion that we give of our substance to the Lord.  In Deuteronomy 28:8 (NLT) it says “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”  When we are obedient to the Lord, including in our giving, the Lord will guarantee our blessing.  To share a gift or to donate into our ministry simply click http://www.arms.cc/giving.html.

Do we focus on what is right?

There is so much negativity around us every day.  When we watch the news, so much of the reporting is about what's wrong or who is doing something wrong.  So much reporting in various media is negative.  Unfortunately, we live in a negative world.  The reporting so often talks about the mistakes and what's wrong to point of neglecting what's right or who is doing something good.  This is not the way of the Lord Jesus.  We think of the parable of the Miraculous Catch of Fish of Peter in Luke 5:1-9.  Peter did not completely obey the instructions that the Lord Jesus gave him.  Jesus told him to let down the "nets" and Peter said that he would let down the "net".  So Peter partially obeyed the Lord.  The Lord Jesus blessed him on the part that he obeyed.  Jesus did not focus on what was not done but focused upon what was right and this is what brought Peter to repentance.  This is a lesson for all of us.

Do we inspire people to do the right thing?

If we have been born again of water and spirit, we are a new creation in Christ.  This spirit of Christ brings new life to us.  It is of course a deposit of the eternal life to come in Christ.  With this new life also comes gifts of the Holy Spirit.  One of those gifts is the gift of encouragement or the ability to inspire with hope or courage or confidence.  We can inspire people through our example or by sharing with them stories that could up lift and strengthen them or by sharing with them comments about the things that they are doing right in their life.  What a wonderful way to use this life that we have in Christ by being an inspiration to others. (Romans 12:8)

Do we try to build people up?

If we are walking in love with our neighbor, then we should be trying to build them up.  How do we build them up you might say?  We build them up by trying to help them improve their lives in a positive manner.  When we give those of our family, friends or co-workers feedback is it with the goal to build them up?  Is it with the goal to be constructive?  It should be.  When we try to build up those who God has drawn into our life, it should be done it a positive way.  It should be done through the lens of helping and supporting, and not tearing down or negative.  When we build people up, we do it though the act of encouragement.

Do we share?

In Galatians 6:6-10 (CEV) it says, "6 Share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said. 7 You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant." We as God's children are admonished to share of our substance with the people and places in our lives that provide for our instruction. We think about those who go to higher institutions of learning. Do they pay a tuition? This could be tens of thousands of dollars or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the College or University. If we are so generous with those that teach us in our academic life, shouldn't we be as, or even more, generous to our spiritual teachers and our Churches (Our places of spiritual learning). To share a gift or make a donation into our ministry click http://www.arms.cc/giving.html

Are we kind to each other?

As we walk in the love of God, we are admonished to be kind.  Do we allow this spiritual force of the Holy Spirit to flow through us?  If we are kind to our neighbor, then we try to be useful to them.  We try to be of help to them.  In kindness, we approach things with a mild and pleasant style.  Compassion is also associated with kindness.  In other words, we can empathize with the plight of others and we actually extend effort to try to relieve the person from the difficult situation that they find themselves in.  Forgiveness is also associated with kindness.  Perhaps someone is in pain because of what they did to you.  Kindness causes us to reach out to that person in forgiveness.  As we receive this kindness from our Heavenly Father, we allow this kindness to flow through us.  (Ephesians 4:32)

Is fear hindering you?

On this planet there is a force that causes a lot of destruction in peoples lives; and that force is fear.  Is fear holding you back, causing you to miss out on opportunities, not fulfill your dreams or not accomplish with your life what you feel you should?  There is a danger in fear, in that if it is allowed to be focused on and grow in our lives it will draw challenges, obstacles and will ultimately manifest defeat in our lives.  There is one spiritual antidote to fear and that is the love of God.  It says in 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."  So there you have it, receive the love of God and meditate on it and it will drive out fear.

Do we have the capacity to love?

If we have been born again of water and the Holy Spirit, then yes, we have the capacity to love with the love of God.  It says in Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.".  There are many people who hope for things but they never come to realization.  There are many people who hope but the hope turns to disappointment.  That is not the case when our hope has as its substance faith in the word of God.  So our faith in the word of God is what guarantees our hope.  This also is a manifestation of the love of God which has been shed into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

How do we give?

It says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."  So my question to us is how do we give?  Are we restrained in our giving?  I can tell you that the measure that we give to any undertaking will be a huge determinant as to what we will get out of it.  If we give little to no attention to nutrition in our diet, our body will most likely reflect  this deficit.  if  we give little to no time to exercise in our life, then our body will most likely reflect the lack of energy and time devoted to this.  This is also true in our support of God's work.  If we will sow with blessings (with the purpose of love, devotion and obedience) into the Lord's work then we will also reap greater blessings in our life.  To share a gift or make a donation into our ministry simply click http://www.arms.cc/giving.html.

Is your faith being tested?

Sometimes when we have received guidance from the Lord for a matter, our faith is then tested.  Our Heavenly Father never tempts us but he does permit tests.  The reason he permits tests is because he wants to evaluate where we stand and to give us the opportunity to grow.  When we prepare for a quiz or a final exam, we may not like the intensity that takes place to prepare for it.  But it does us a lot of good.  The test helps us to prepare not only for it but for also the real life situations that will come up that the test represents.  When we go through tests it also helps to strengthen us and gives us greater endurance.  (Romans 5:3-5)

We all have trials that we go through

There isn't a one of us who doesn't go through trials in life.  In other words, we at some point in our life will experience trouble, distress, challenges, obstacles or difficulties.  Their main purpose is to test our patience, endurance or belief.  During times like that we need to make sure that we maintain our faith.  We need to make sure that we continuously expose ourselves to the word of God.  Especially to keep our eyes, mouth and heart full of the promise of God that we are believing for.  By doing this, we will keep ourselves full of faith during the trial so that we can maintain our belief until the promise is realized.