FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE!

Philippians 4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things…

Paul instructs us to focus our thoughts on the positive aspects of life, yet oftentimes we find it easy to dwell on the negatives…Paul teaches us to direct our thought toward things that are true, pure, and worthy of praise…When we do, we are rewarded…

HOW ABOUT YOU…

How will you direct your thoughts today? Will you be and upbeat believer? Will you put a smile on your face and a song in you heart? Hopefully so…But’s here’s a word of warning…

Sometimes, when pessimism, frustration, or doubt threaten to hijack your emotions, you won’t feel much like celebrating…That’s why you must always strive to keep your thoughts headed in the right direction…

Your thoughts have the power to lift you up or to drag you down…They have the power to energize you or deplete you, to inspire you to greater accomplishments or to make those accomplishments impossible…

What kind of attitude will select today…? Will you follow Paul’s instructions (Philippians 4:7-8) by dwelling upon those things that are true, honorable, just, and pure? Or will you allow yourself to be swayed by the negativity that seems to dominate our troubled world?

God intends that you experience joy and abundance…but He will not force His joy upon you; you must claim it for yourself…It’s up to you to celebrate the life that God has given you by focusing your mind upon the things that are excellent and worthy of praise…So today, spend more time thinking about your blessings…and less time fretting about your hardships…Then, take time to thank the Giver of all things good for gifts that are, in truth, far too numerous to count…

Your thoughts have the power to lift you up or bring you down, so you should guard your thoughts very carefully…

1st Peter 1:13, Therefore, get you minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set you hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…

James 4:8, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…

Proverbs 16:3, Commit your works to the Lord, and your thought will be established…

Thanks.
Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ

IN THE STORMS OF LIFE...

In the Storms of Life, God Gives Mercy
Scripture: Jonah 1:1--3:4, especially 2:9

But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

Introduction: Last week tornado's riped through towns, uprooting trees and destroying buildings...Many people lost their homes but were favored with their lives...God is a God of Mercy...

Hurricanes often devastate seaports and surrounding cities.... The storms of life can be like that... We may not have weathered a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake; but most of us have faced life's storms.... Sometimes we make those storms worse by our reaction... Sometimes we even bring such storms upon ourselves... The prophet Jonah did...

1. A Disobedient Prophet (Jon. 1:1­16). Thunder raged and lightening flashed as waves battered the ship... On deck was a crew of veteran seamen… Curses turned to pleadings as they called on their gods for deliverance from the fury of the storm… In the hold of the ship was a sleeping Hebrew… Thunder, lightening, and the rolling of the sea did not wake him until the captain of the ship urged him to call on his God for mercy… Jonah was running from the Lord… He was in the middle of a storm of his own making… His ministry came after the time that Israel had split into two kingdoms and before the Babylonian captivity… Jonah was a patriotic, God-fearing Israelite… He shared with his countrymen a love for Israel and a hatred for her enemies, the worst of whom was Assyria…

God spoke to Jonah telling him to go directly to the capital city of the hated Assyrians and warn them of God's coming judgment… The Assyrians were a feared and hated people… They loved to torture their enemies… Sometimes they blinded their captives and made sport of them… Sometimes they tortured an enemy by pulling chunks of his skin off until he died… Sometimes a hook was pulled through the nose and the victim made the slave of a merciless master… Jonah had every reason to fear the Assyrians… Why should he care if God judged these wicked enemies? They deserved it anyway… Perhaps some of his kin had suffered at their hands… Jonah said what many of us have said at some point in our lives: "No way, Lord!" And he got in a boat headed in the opposite direction… As the sea grew rougher and all appeared lost, Jonah said, "Throw me in!" He knew he was running from the very God who made the sea and the heaven… The sailors did their best to make it to land, but the sea grew wilder and rougher... Devoid of options, they took Jonah at his word and threw him overboard… Immediately, the sea grew calm… The sailors turned to God and worshiped… The story of Jonah is about more than a disobedient prophet and a big fish… It is a story of mercy… In the storm, God gave mercy… The first act of mercy is the mercy God gave these pagan sailors… In the storms of life, God gives mercy…

2. A Drowning Prophet (Jon. 1:17--2:9). Thrown into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, Jonah was swept away… Engulfed by the waters, he thought he would drown… Yet, in mercy, God sent along a living submarine to carry him to safety… Jonah sat in the steaming belly of that whale for three days and three nights… He had plenty of time to reconsider the hardness of his heart… He recognized the mercy of God who allowed him to be carried along by the whale… The entire second chapter of Jonah's Book is a psalm of praise to God for His mercy… In the storms of life, God gives mercy…

3. A Delivered Prophet (Jon. 2:10--3:4). God prompted the whale and it vomited Jonah onto dry land... Seasick, bleached white from the gases in the whale's stomach, and smelling of whale vomit, Jonah heard the voice of the Lord a second time (Jon. 3:2)…
This time he decided to obey… He preached the prescribed message… Nineveh repented and God again demonstrated His mercy by sparing the city…

In the storms of life, God gives mercy…

Conclusion:
Are you in the middle of one of life's storms? Do you feel you've made it worse by your own action? Do you worry because you brought the storm upon yourself? Jonah brought his storm upon himself… What did he find? Mercy! What do we find when we are in the middle of a storm of our own making? Mercy!

In the storms of life, even the storms of our own making, God gives mercy…