This morning at church one of our Pastors preached a beautiful message..and it came from out of the book of James and it goes like this..”Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath:..and further down in the same chapter it says…that if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain..Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you..James 1:19/26:27..He pretty much said that we as children of the Lord have to be different and we must be set apart from being like this ole world..Amen..and we have to do and strive daily to do as the word says..living it out for all of those in whom are around us..Amen..for in other words for us not to be walking around being mad and angry Christians..walking around bitter and cold..walking around in the ways of this ole world doing as they do..saying that if someone does something to us..we don’t give the cold shoulder so to speak..we don’t return evil for evil..but we overcome that evil with good..Romans 12:21..he went on to say that you can’t change anything by doing the same thing to others as they do to you..if someone is angry or mean towards you..you can’t give back to them the same thing..because that changes nothing..Amen..just as if we fight fire with fire we only get a bigger fire..but when we do as the Lord does..when we give light in place of that darkness..when we speak kindness..and we speak life into their life..then somehow those words and them actions changes the circumstance..changes the atmosphere..changes all of that negativity into the most beautiful and blessed positivity that we can bring..so know that when we are the Lords children..we do as our Father would do..we do as the word of God says..and we always forgive and we always forget..we always turn the other cheek..we always move past the bad intentions..because we are to be molded and made daily into our Father’s image..and it’s only God’s power and His presence that changes us..and in turn changes others and who they are for Him..so today just know that God knows where you are in life..and God always has reasons for everything even when we can’t seem to understand or even know at the time..but that when we choose to rise up above the mess..and when we choose rather to soar like an eagle..and we soar with our Lord..we will be able to face adversity when it comes..for you see we know that greater is He that is in us than he that is within this world..1 John 4:4..so to be a light we have to walk and abide in God’s light and in God’s grace..we always extend it out to others..regardless..Amen..because truly we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..Romans 3:23..so when dealing with problems or just dealing with life in general..we always remember how many times God has given us mercy and grace..so in return we give it to others..we give and treat them as the Lord gives and treats us..for it tells us in Ecclesiastes to not be hasty in our spirit to be angry..because anger rest in the bosom of fools..Ecclesiastes 7:9…so we live and walk in the spirit of the Lord..we manifest our Father’s goodness..His fruit…for it says to be ye angry but sin not..for us to not let the sun go down upon our wrath..for us to not give place to the devil..it goes on to say let him who stole steal no more from you and your life..for us to not let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers..And we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption…we are to put away all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking..we are to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us..Ephesians 4:26:32..for guys I tell ya we honestly and truly don’t shine ever to brightly when we decide to do as others do..and live as they live..and act as they choose to act..when they are being mean and all ugly..but when we do as the Lord our God does..it’s incredible at the changes that happen and that begins to take place..it is simply amazing at how God gets and recieves all the glory and all the honor..for it says to us in the book of Matthew for us to let our lights so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven..Matthew 5:16..for once again guys when we do as the Lord desires we will live this life abundant and live it to the overflow..for following the Lord is the most rewarding life that we will ever live in all of our lives..for we know it’s nothing to do with us..but it’s everything to do with Him and His word..living and walking it out daily in all that we do and in all that we say..bringing honer and glory unto His name..Jesus’ name..Amen and Amen..Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi