Just had to share, here are pictures of Victoria and her birthday cake. She’s growing so fast!

Hebrews 3:12-13
Beware, brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in  departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Some of the things that have been brought to my attention:

• Gossip – James 4:11  James 3:14-16

• Money – Looking at money as the answer instead of God being the answer. Money has become an idol. Sometimes lack of money brings this on more than having money, because it becomes our focus.  Matthew 13:22 Proverbs 11:28

Psalm 37:3-6 trust in the lord
Luke 16:10-12 shows spiritual attitude
Luke 14:28-30  demands budget

• Family disputes – Causing problems in the family. Instead of keeping it between you and the family member, getting everyone involved, making things worse. Letting family members know your business, then getting mad when they try to involve themselves. Some things you need to keep private – even from family. These can be finances, marital problems, etc. Find trusted advisors instead. Don’t cause problems. Read Proverbs 6:19 in the New Century version.

All are sin. We have to repent. James 4:7-12

Satan’s plan – Divide and conquer Starts like this – Why Isn’t God????? or  Did God really say?
Ps.44:23-24 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself. Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face?
We get disappointed in God when our experience falls short of our expectations.

• First comes disappointment.

• Then a seed of doubt.

• Then comes anger, a feeling of betrayal of God.

We question whether God is trustworthy and wonder if we can really count on him. James 4:4
This really is nothing new. Remember Adam and Eve? The strategy to get us to doubt God is the same. Look, feel, evaluate whether the experience matches the word. We get our eyes off the answer and look at the experience. When we do that, we keep having the same experience and God fails our test.
Yes, we give God tests. And then, when he fails to meet our expectations, we get mad. Sometimes we doubt he exists, or believe that he doesn’t care about us. We think God is unfair. We complain that he is silent when we most need to hear his voice. We feel he’s hiding from us in our time of need.
Malachi 3:13-15
Philippians 4:8
Galatians 5:6-10

I’m tired of people who are haters of God, coming to me for counsel, and I’m not doing it any more. That’s it. I’ve had it.
I’m tired of people who are haters of God who are coming to the church for money. That’s it. I’ve had it.
I’m tired of people who are haters of God coming to us for family counsel. That’s it. I’ve had it.
You say, “I don’t hate God!” Really? You don’t?” Then why do you align yourself with satan? To align yourself with him and what he says is to align yourself against God. In my book, that’s a God hater. If you don’t want God and don’t want to hear what he says, I’ve nothing for you. I’m no longer going to hit my head against a brick wall to try to convince you to trust God. Keep hating him and agreeing with satan and suffer the consequences. I’m done people. I’m just done. God is all I have to offer you. If that’s not enough then I can’t help you nor will I try.
Get in the Word, spend time with God, grow your relationship with him – then we can talk. We Forget How God Works. Yes there are miracles. And we in this church have received many. God does work in mysterious ways. But – and this is the one we tend to forget, God works through people! Remember, he’s chosen to work through his kids.

• We are made in his likeness and in his image.

• Thoughts are things and the things we think on manifest.

• The things we believe manifest.

• The things we say manifest.

Too many in this church choose to isolate themselves from others when things aren’t going the way they want them to.

Proverbs 18:1&2  “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. A fool has no delight in understanding. But in expressing his own heart.”
“Well, God isn’t coming through for me.”  Or “I’m sinning and I don’t want anyone to know.” Or “No one would understand how I feel.” “I’m depressed and I’m just going to stay by myself.”
When we isolate ourselves, we’re falling in with satans plan. Dividing ourselves from the help and support we need to get through what is happening in our lives.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:12
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself and if you scoff, you will bear it alone
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counsel there is safety.
Proverbs 13:3&4
A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 13:18
Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards rebuke will be honored.
Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Abide in me and MY word will abide in you.
Proverbs – he who keeps alone
Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.
Proverbs 23:17
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day
Proverbs 29:11
A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.
If you don’t like what you’re receiving, change your thoughts, change your beliefs, and change what you speak.

• For every promise there is a condition. If you don’t meet the condition, you will not receive the promise. Romans 12:2

• Look at the promise. What are the conditions to that promise? Meet them, and receive the promise.

Proverbs 11:28
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Romans 8:6

2 Timothy 1:13
Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Don’t let it happen to you. Do not be deceived. Keep your eyes on Christ and receive the promise.

Scripture tells us we were created to know God, to be a friend of His and to walk and talk with Him face to face.  We have been made in His image and likeness.  We have been made to rule and to reign with Him for eternity.  At one time, God even walked and talked with man in the Garden of Eden.  When man fell through committing treason against God, He already had a plan to restore man into his rightful place.

Think about this with me for just a minute.  God yearned for someone to talk to, someone to have companionship with, and someone to work with.  So, He made a companion for Himself. Today, He still longs for someone who loves Him and wants to be with Him as much as He wants to be with them.  However, it is impossible to be that someone if you don’t know Him.

For this reason, God sent His Son Jesus as the way to bring reconciliation between Himself and man. In the book of John, chapter three in the Bible, we see that God sent His Son because He loved us and wanted us to be reconciled to Him. All we have to do is believe that God made this sacrifice for us, and to accept this sacrifice. Once we accept Jesus as that sacrifice, we are restored into the family of God as His children.

Scriptures tell us what Jesus did for us. God the Son was born of a virgin to become a man, Jesus. He lived a sinless life and became the perfect sacrifice, and chose to die for us on a cross.  Not only did He die, but He then came alive again and is still alive today. Not only can we be restored to right fellowship with God, we have also been given the power to become the sons of God. When we accept Jesus as Savior, we become God’s children, literally a son of God.

Have you been reconciled to God? Do you want to be? If you do, in your own words, ask Him. Let Him know that you accept the sacrifice of His Son for you, and that you want to be reconciled to Him. You do not have to pray a special prayer. Just speak to Him from your heart. Once you have done that, whether you “feel” anything or not, you are forgiven and reconciled to Him. You have been reconciled by accepting God’s sacrifice of Jesus for you. If you could have been reconciled any other way, Jesus would not have had to die for you. So accept what Jesus did, and ask God to reconcile you to Himself on the basis of what Jesus did.

[Excerpt from Hearing God's Voice For Yourself...A Beginner's Guide by Marilyn Parmelee, used with permission]