Encouraging Words

Jim Petry Letter

Greetings and warm hugs in the Name and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. He loves you so much that He would gladly greet you with a big warm hug! Consider that for a moment.

Those who have a close relationship with Him can believe it. Those who have trouble believing that their sins are really forgiven may not believe Christ could lift them up and hug them. But He longs to do that very thing.

He wants us to spend time with Him in prayer and talking with Him, really believing, He is right here with us! Faith sees Him but not with these eyes, but the eyes of faith. He wants us to live for Him (instead of for us). For He gave his life for us and now it’s time for us to give up our lives for Him, not in the death of the cross but in the daily death of dying to self and what we want and to live for Him and what He would have us to do, moving, working, and having our being in Him.

This word is for me first and then for my brethren (including all our beloved “sistren”!) If we can begin to do that, we will experience joy unspeakable and, yes, full of glory to God who is worthy! Amen!

God gave gifts unto men (women and children included). Let us use our gifts to glorify our God and our Lord. Whatever our gift is, there is a way to give glory to God with it. With some gifts, such as preaching, teaching, music, praying, it is more easily understood how to glorify God but some other gifts such as reaching out to others, writing, showing compassion, raising children, using your hands, etc., you only need to be a little more creative.

I know that living for Christ is difficult because Satan’s host is on every hand, bringing subtle distractions, always tempting us with various lusts of the flesh, whispering distracting thoughts in our minds. It is so imperative that we stop often and examine our thoughts and determine the origins of them. Satan does not want us to be successful in living for Christ.

If we are being led of Christ, it is much harder for the enemy to prevail. Why? Because we are “in the way.” In other words, we are on Christ’s mission and there are angels (God’s) looking out for us and assisting us and, yes, as was mentioned recently, hedging us as we go.

“If God be for us, who can be against us! If we are living for Him, Satan will want to hinder us, but our helper is always there to help us to overcome. Who is our helper? Jesus!

Sometimes it is Jesus in our brother or there have been times that Jesus used a neighbor or stranger to help me when a brother was not available. He has ways to overcome we know not of. Well — God is there to help him (and us).

Let us love God (and Jesus) and eschew evil. Let us set our sails on the seas of life to catch the winds Jesus sends to guide us to our pre-destination! Praise God! He is always worthy!

Your servant, brother, and friend,
Jim Petry


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