"Messages"

Romans Chapter 12, verse 1:  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

If you were at your best as a person then other people would be able to accept you easier. If other people have no fear of you, they see no threat, they feel that you will not put them down and then you will be more popular and acceptable. Nobody likes being made to feel weaker, smaller, or have it known that they are not good at something. If they have done wrong they don't want you pointing it out to them or rubbing their noise in it. Nobody likes being put down.

Treat your mind and body as temples as they are and carefully look after them. It is logical to feed and clothe yourself while getting some sort of exercise on a regular basis to look after your body. A well looked after mind and body will produce many good things. Get lots of sunshine, soak it up as sunshine is very good for us. When you eat your food chew it all slowly, never gulp food down as you stress your stomach as it tries to digest food that your teeth did not grind up to manageable pieces for the digestive juices etc of the stomach. Try not to eat and drink food that is too hot or too cold, instead try to eat food around the body temperature level, not to hot, and not to cold. If your stomach is stressed this can affect other parts of your body and make you feel ill and give you a bad day. Take good care of yourself.

Get out and do some physical exercise, run, walk, swim or cycle - something that will get you out in the sun, feeling the wind, breathing that fresh air, and saying "Hello" to people that you meet. The building gym can be useful but never let it take the place of what nature has to offer. Go for the real thing and notice how you think clearer.

Romans Chapter 12, verse 2:  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

The more you look after your mind the more that you will come to love yourself, have the right view of yourself and realise that you need to look after yourself so that you can help other people. A good mind that is willing to search will find answers. The mind that is dedicated to games, television and the movies  is just filling space in your mind and memory system that could be filled with real memories that you actively take part in and real life events. We should be out in the world creating memories, helping people, inventing, making, enjoying - humans are mentally and physically active creatures. Get active!

Romans Chapter 12, verse 3:  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Put yourself on the level that you really are on. When fame comes to us we tend to let it whisk us away into the land of arrogance. If you have improved as a person and become popular it is wise to look back and remember who you really are. When someone looks at me and says something over-complimentary or acts like I am really special I look at myself mentally and know that whatever compliments that these people are saying to me that I am just me. This is not "my big break" it is simply James Sandbrook doing something right and people appreciate that. I am still the same person I was a week ago, a year ago. I refuse to believe that there is anything very special about me other than what shines from God to me to you. 

Don't expect blessings if you put yourself on a pedestal. I know who I am, who I was ten years ago and I know that I have fallen so many times and had to drag myself back up all by myself and under much stress at times. Often times there was nobody to help me if I fell. I have greatly learnt to love myself and have come to love the world so much more. If we really do know ourself and God and life then we will not become arrogant. Arrogance is a hard fence around us - love is a torch that shines on everyone with ease and free to reach everyone.

Romans Chapter 12, verse 9/10:  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

1 John Chapter 4, verse 7/8/9:  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, 

Love people, animals and the physical world of plants and the like totally and with gentle understanding. We are to hate sin, we are not to hate the people that sin. We are a part of a spiritual warfare, not a human warfare. We see people, know of their sin and then assume that the person is the sin - this is not the case. We hate the sin and love the person who has been seduced by the sin.

1  Peter Chapter 2, verse 17:  Honour all men. Love the brotherhood...

Put yourself aside in many ways and put other people first. Like doing housework or doing the dishes with joy knowing that you are doing this as an act of genuine kindness for others in your home. Helping people with an honest genuine love because it is right is to do good. Because it is right is a motivation to keep doing good for others. 

If people have sinned then as soldiers of God we are to cure their sin, not wanting to hurt or harm them. Cure their sin and you win over evil. If we hurt them or punish them harshly then we will increase evil by them hating us. Instead find ways to help them grow as people while casting away their wrongs. This shows them that we are genuine, that love exists, and that God exists. Do God and the world a favour by showing, through yourself that God exists by caring.

John Chapter 13, verse 34:  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

The true humble soul will be lifted by God by doing God's work as God will support those He sees being truly faithful. God will bring people to the door of the honest person teaching, preachnga nd living the truth.

Romans Chapter 12, verse 11:  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 

We should always try our best in the name of the Lord God in life, family and whatever our business is. Its good to thank God for your job and all things good that come to you. Be good at all that you try to the best of your ability - people will be thankful for your efforts, your enthusiasm will catch on and others will become like you, be grateful for what it is that is your business for the day. Look on the bright side for all things that you do and have. Put yourself aside and put your best effort forward to others and don't look out for crowns and glory in business, let that past. If it comes uncontrollably then don't let it control you, keep your mind on Christ.

Filling our life with the joy of all our blessings and the offerings that God gives to us, they are the real jewels of life. Something that God leads to touch your heart and soul, gems from the love-streams of life, sometimes they pass you by but eventually we will get them and they dance in our heart with the enlightenment and spiritual dance of brightness from heaven, their essence tender, sweet and they soothingly caress the inner most you with something that feels so good - you will not get this in a jewellery story, or from the hairdressers, or from a night our with the girls - only this comes from God.

Laminations Chapter 3, verse 21/22/23:  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

Romans Chapter 12, verse 12:  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 

We are wise if we are patient with everyone, including ourselves. Try to get your life right with everyone. Even if something  goes wrong do try to get right with the people as soon as you can. Let those feelings simmer and cool before you try to set things right but do bandage all bad feelings towards you or from you to others. God wants to see you try to do your best. and since God wants this it is a wise thing to do - we should do it!

Now other people maybe going through bad times. You may clash with them, they may react out of anger, fear or something that you know nothing of that may be driving them a bit crazy. Remember if they are not believers in God then they will not have your feelings of assurance, they will have faith that they were once monkeys and not someone special in the eyes of Christ. Be patient, let God work with them, and be as nice as you can because love is the answer.

Always remember to go to God with your problems for that will rest your soul as no matter how lonely you are there is someone who will listen to all your problems and for as long as you want Him too. Poor your heart out to the greatest listener, "Dear God..."

One of the reasons that it is hard for newbie followers of God struggle to understand God's laws is that they are so very different than the laws of mankind's, and it can be hard for them to get a grasp of. You know, I know, so lets be gentle and forgiving, kind and generous to those who don't know.

An author wrote this, I am sadly unaware of who the author was though: "Contouring your heart to beat with another requires extensive whittling, to trim away self-centeredness. It's like riding the bus; if you're going to have company you must be willing to scoot over to accommodate other people and the baggage they bring. Your actions in doing this express the importance of the other person. One relationship becomes more valuable than others because of its ability to survive and endure realignments."