Our Promises verses God's Promises

Genesis 9:16-17 (New Living Translation)
16 When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” 17 Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”

We often use the word promise instead of a covenant. Covenant is an older term that we are not as familiar with in our times. "God effects promissory covenants." He gives promises and they are bound by His character. He cannot break His promises.

Now we face the idea of making promises to keep for this New Year. Some people never make promises. Why? They hate the idea that they might not keep them.

But we are people of the Covenant. This fact means that we are not alone in our promises that we desire to make in seeking to be faithful servants to God with our lives.


Ps 37:4-5, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”


Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the Lord all that you do, and your plans will be fullfilled."


There is the key !! Commiting what we believe to be a rightful promise to God will lead us into trusting Him to bring it about through us. It is an act of faith on our part and He will fullfill the promise through us because it is His will that we be covenant people in our daily walks with Him.


New Year's Promises? Yes ! But only through the realization that He is the one who helps us keep our promises, which are the faithful desires issuing from our hearts to be better servants of His in the Kingdom of God on this earth.

Christmas Thoughts by Elder James

Visions of a colorful tree

feelings tumbling through a heart

To give or recieve I cannot agree

so goes the tug of the heart

A long time ago on a tree

feelings tumbled through a heart

For many to receive He was to agree

to give all His love of heart !

Christmas is full of memories

of His love for us

The Christ Child ever so sweet

and adored by all

Angels heralding that God's

love has arrived

The magi bring gifts that are

filled with awe and wonderment

Christmas is full of memories,

memories of His love for all.

The Star

A long time ago

wise men followed a star

to behold a child of the heart

As time has passed

wise men still seek the stars

but only to received empty hearts

Now time has risen

for wise men to seek not the stars

but the Day Star that rises in their hearts

Discipline, A Path to Learning

Fine wine, great cheese, and a tasty artisan bread have one thing in common, one needs a strong discipline to not test them before they are ready !

So, why do we as Christians, try to live without discipline in our lives? If there is no discipline to wait for the learning process to run its full course, certainly we will fail the taste test!

Hosea 7:8 (New American Standard Bible)
"Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned.

Hear is picture of someone who lacked discipline to not get mixed up with the things of the world. He became in essence spiritually half-baked. Or in a good country way of speaking, a pancake that is half cooked. Now that would be some nasty stuff to eat.

Here is a good quote on why Ephraim was a picture of God's people.

"Although they took advantage of the Lord's goodness, they did not seek Him with their heart. When they needed help, they turned to other sources (vv.10-11,14-16). They had become tasteless and useless to God, so He was forced to judge them."

What does personal discipline have to do with this? Everything! If we do not discipline ourselves to wait upon the Lord for guidance, then we will always be "not ready". If we are going to run a race we should prepare for it. So, why do we not prepare ourselves for life through disciple?

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (The Message)
"I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."

Paul understood discipline in ways that many folks will never understand. But, he knew the outcome of discipline. It helps us to finish the race wilth all that we have and finish it in a great way because we discipline ourselves to be ready.

"Hold fast to discipline, don't let it go; guard it. for it is your life" Proverbs 4:13 Complete Jewish Bible

Guarding your Heart from the Things of this World

"Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life's consequences. Keep crooked speech our of your mouth, banish deceit from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze on what lies in front of you. Level the path for your feet, let all your ways be properly prepared; then deviate neither right nor left; and keep your foot far from evil. " Proverbs 4:23-27 ...Complete Jewish Bible

Practicing or promoting practical holiness seems to be old school terminology of a bye gone era of the Puritans that seem to encourage acting, speaking a certain way or dressings in some fashion to indicate sanctification of one's self. The words of King Solomon still press on through history and lie before use to consider. As well Peter in the New Testament echoes a similar calling to the Children of God.

" Therefore, get your minds ready for work, keep yourselves under control, and fix your hopes fully on the gift you will receive when Yeshua the Messiah is revealed. As people who obey God, do not let yourselves be shaped by the evil desires you used to have when you were still ignorant. On the contrary, follow the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in your entire way of life." I Peter 1:13-15 ... Complete Jewish Bible


Many folks simply think that they would have to leave this world to live holy lives. But that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures. If such thinking is contrary then there must be a way to live one's life in a holy manner. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit in one's life. The Bible teaches us that God's Spirit takes up residence in our spirit. It is not by our power, but by His Spirit through us that we can live holy lives.


Start with these simples beginning points.

• What do you read?
• What do you listen to?
• What do you speak?
• What do you allow to come into your heart through the TV or Internet?

Test these portals of your life and see if they need to be guarded. What we allow to go into our mind and heart will determine the type of well spring you are allowing to guide your life.