Personal worship has been on my mind today. When challenges and unsettling life events happen, the temptation is to lose our daily intimacy with the Saviour. To get our minds on things around us, and in so doing, lose the focus of centering our mind and heart on Jesus. I face this temptation. You face this temptation. We all face this temptation.

Yet no matter which of us faces unsettling events, the challenge is not to allow some concern to displace Christ’s preeminence in our heart and mind. We must remember Whenever we are not giving God the moment, we are putting something in front of Him. To serve Him completely is always in the now!!!

I used to walk around feeling like something was wrong, when there was nothing really to be concerned about. I remember repeatedly not being able to decide what this inner disturbance was. I discovered if I couldn’t decide what it was, most frequently nothing was really wrong. And the anxiety was useless and a lack of trust in God. ……1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Philippians 4:6-7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Matt 6:31-34 (RSV) “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the heathen are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with his Kingdom and with what he requires,”
Phil 4:6-7 “Don’t worry over anything whatever; whenever you pray tell God every detail of your needs in thankful prayer, and the peace of God, which surpasses human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.” …..

Coming to the realization that God will keep us in inner peace if we let Him was a great strategy and lesson. It’s been very effective to produce peace and greater well-being in my mind. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

The needful exception to not paying attention to some unsettled feeling, is if your heart is trying to tell you you’re not really putting Christ first and foremost. In that case, you need to pay attention to the inner signal and allow Christ to become your highest priority. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” Mt:6:33 is an ongoing and continual need. We never outgrow it and we never get Beyond it.”

So in one of those moments earlier today, when I had this unsettled feeling. It had happened several times; so I felt like I needed to pray about it. I literally stopped my day and got still and said Lord Jesus help me draw closer to You. Lord, please draw closer to me. Lord remove from me anything that is displeasing to You. Lord help me open up my heart fully and want Your will above my will. Lord I need You. Lord I want You. Lord I admit my need and that my life is incomplete without You. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit.

As I prayed this prayer I felt the most amazing restoration and wholeness in my heart, mind and life. And I sensed that the answer I was seeking was already on the inside of me. And I just needed God to refresh and renew me, to be able to see it.
Psalm 51:10 (KJV) 10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

I was reminded that eight years ago when I was freed from one of the worst problems of my life, that I embraced Step 1 of the 12 steps of a very special recovery program. And that was the admission of need… And admitting that I could not solve my own life problems, without help from God was the secret that I needed to move forward.

That is why throughout the New Testament, it is the humble and the contrite that find the abundance of God’s mercy. That is why it is the lowly and the broken, whom most often find Healing from on High. It was the prayer of the prostrate sinner, not the pompous declaration of the self-righteous Pharisee that gained the attention of God. Somehow knowing our need for God is in fact the liberating, healing solvent that opens up the stopped up conduit of our soul, to receive the refreshing flow of God’s Spirit into our thirsty hearts.

I hate to be so graphic. But sometimes when a drain is stopped up; you literally have to take some type of mechanical device and open the channel. Sometimes our hearts need that too. We have to literally, vocally, out loud, open up and ask God to move in a refreshing and cleansing way in our life.

Sometimes we get stopped up. And just thinking the thoughts are not enough, by themselves. We need a mechanical intervention. We have to say literally ask God to come with His Heavenly, holy and anointing power to mightily bring us back into the amazing, restorative Presence and flow of His Holy Spirit. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” In 1:12

You see that’s the biggest problem we have sometimes. We want to do it in our own power. But our power is not enough. We need an intervention. We need God’s Higher Power of intervention moving in our life. It takes that to keep the channel open and our hearts free and liberated. So that His Spirit can use us, to do things greater than we could do in our own abilities. Corinthians 2:4 King (KJV) “4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
Acts 1:8 (NLT) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So for me, personal worship must be more than recalling a memory verse, or saying a good saying, or repeating words. If I’m not really opening up my heart and mind and asking Christ to take over the inner direction of my life, then it is just surfacy and not the meaningful worship that God wants it to be.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT)
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Now that is real personal worship. May God help us get real with Him today. And allow Him to be real in us, in the now! Pastor Tim-

https://www.facebook.com/Dear-Life-Ministries-289251301720320/

I preached on this today, for Mother’s Day 2019!

H. Holy, Honest, Healing, Happy
Holy, 1 Peter 1:16 (KJV) 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Honest, Proverbs 12:22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Healing, Ps. 103:2-3 NLT – He forgives all my sins & heals all my diseases.
Happy, Ps. 37:4 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

O. Optimistic, Organized, Oasis
Optimistic, Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Organized, 1 Cor. 14:33 NLT For God is not a God of disorder but of peace,
Oasis, Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:

M. Mirthful, Motivating, Mindful
Mirthful, Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
Motivating, Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord
Mindful, Phil.4:8 b if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think @ such things.

E. Ease, Empowering, Encouraging, Enjoyable
Ease, Psalms 23:1 NLT The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
Empowering, Ps 18:29 NAS For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.
Encouraging, Jn 14:27 NLT I leave you with a gift-peace of mind & heart & the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give-So don’t be troubled or afraid
Enjoyable, Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our true home is in God and if His home is in our hearts, then He will make our hearts full of Him and our homes full of His fruits! If our hearts are His home, then our HOME will be full of God’s love!

Pastor Tim – aka SLAM

Sometimes, by Monday or Tuesday I’m already really sure what God wants me to say the next week. But I have Rewritten this message three times. Actually, I have one message in mind the first of the week. And rewrote the message at the end of the week. And at 11:47 after riding the whole message. It suddenly disappeared from my screen. Which gave me the wonderful opportunity to Pray Again until 2 this morning, to rewrite the message.

So with a strong confidence that this is what God wants me to say. We will pray and learn together at 9:45, this morning about the topic:

Godly Courage That Stands Storms!

Point #1 – Godly courage faces it’s fears.
Point # 2 – Godly courage takes the hand and accepts the help of the Master.
Point #3 – True courage builds Trust.
Point #4- Courage is never alone, even when you are the only one to stand.
Point # 5 – Courage is not afraid to take a stand, even when it’s unpopular!
Point #6 – It takes and demonstrates Courage to spread God’s word, to an unbelieving world!
Point #7 – A real understanding of God’s love dispels fear and builds courage.
Point #8 – Godly Courage inspires work and Godly work inspires courage.
Point #9- Courage gladly takes up it’s cross and follows Christ. And following Christ will teach us this kind of Godly courage.
Point #10 – Courage humbly receives God’s healing.

———-

Spiritual Inventories and New Life Approaches; Sabatticals and Major Change.

I hate it when people assign me to do better and then don’t give me a means to do it. Sometimes life’s most difficult issues are made difficult, Only because we don’t know what to do. We suffer from a lack of knowledge.

When a business is trying to assess their current state. And discover how to go forward profitably. The first order of business is an inventory. This is a prerequisite, to refined business goals. In our personal, professional and spiritual lives. It is often the same way. In order to move forward in our spiritual life, we need a spiritual needs inventory.

Until we know what to do, we cannot move forward. There is obviously something amiss, when we feel that our lives are out of whack. But what is it? And this is the big dilemma that most of us face at different points in our life.

Our waterloo’s are not meant to be stopping points. But points that help us to reframe the perspective that we have on living. To see our current circumstances correctly, we have to step back and gain some objectivity. The old saying is that we can’t see the forest for the trees. And this is often true.

We need to step back from our situation. And look for a fresh perspective. In this way God helps us to find improved approaches to the situation. Often it is not the situation that needs changing but our perspective of the situation. How we look at it. The same circumstance can be looked at as a horrible demise. Or as an opportunity for growth and development.

It’s not a different set of eyes that we need. But a different lens that we need.

But it takes time and an intentionally different approach to see with a different lens. But if we want to get out of a rut and experience a healthier life approach. We have to deliberately do a personal inventory. We have to slam on the brakes with the intention of changing direction. And so, I think we literally have to take sabbaticals.

Sabbatical’s are Times that we stop and take a deeper look at where we’re going, verses where we want to go. We cannot keep on at the same Reckless pace that is causing us to fail, and hope to succeed. It has been often said; that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. This is so true and easy to see about others but hard to admit, about ourselves!

The problem is often denial and admitting failure. But we often have a flawed perspective of admitting failure. Confession is many times good for the soul. And a healthy and necessary part of catharsis.

Admitting failure is not always defeat. As a matter of fact it is often the springboard, that leads to a vital and new season of possibility. Perhaps you do not know what I mean by this term sabbatical. It has often historically been considered important for people to take one, in re-energizing a profession. To intentionally have a season of travel, reprieve and enlightened study and devoted re-education towards rejuvenation, in the field Ministry or other life callings.

However I propose that such a major reinvention time, in our lives is important for most of us. If not all of us.

I think God has called me to help and Mentor people towards success and finding and fulfilling His plan in their life. Having said that, there is a part of people’s discovery that people can only do for themselves, with the help of God. So as a mentor or life coach, it’s my goal to help those I help, to see their own path of growth. I try to help others see how they need to assess and design their own means of healthy well-being. And this often leads to a discussion around the idea of the need for variations of sabbatical, life reframing.

So the whole point of this lengthy dissertation. Is that the point of frustration and challenge you are currently experiencing, can be exactly what you need. The prescription for your personal and spiritual growth from this point is there. And it likely resides within your own heart and mind. But you may have to stop what you’re doing and have a season of deep reflection, pondering and searching; to find these meaningful answers that you need.

The point I’m making is that your answers are there, probably IN you. God will show them to you. But there’s no Small Wonder in His instruction to “seek and you shall find.” The deepest Avenues of life will not come to us flippantly. They only show themselves, when we deeply resolve to seek earnestly, as our Master Jesus has instructed.

So I assign you my friends, to accept no less than your best in this life! But with the assignment, I prescribe the means for you to achieve it. And that is to deliberately and wholeheartedly, have your own season or seasons, of soul searching and redirection. Call them sabbaticals. Call them whatever you want. But don’t accidentally think you will find God’s will in your life. Let it be your very own purpose and deliberate decision; that you seek to find your call and Direction in life! So help you, God! You can find the direction you need!

New Year’s Resolutions???

I intentionally write this short article about a New Year’s suggestion, the day after New Year’s Day. Because what you do from this point is more important than the emotions that cause you to feel resolute on that one day!

Let me explain. I celebrated New Year’s Day, in a rather unusual fashion. I am a serious outdoorsman. And so, I spent the last 11 days of 2019 in the woods praying about my life directions. Call it a sabbatical if you will; a time of focusing and redirection. A time which led me to some strong personal conclusions, through this time of soul-searching. These insights became very clear to me through through spiritual confirmations that I experienced; on New Year’s Day in a hunting stand in Estill, South Carolina woods.

These moving experiences happened to me, on January 1. Thus First day of 2020 was the last day of hunting season. And this fact was Bittersweet for me. I was glad to have the experience but a little sad that it was ending.

Yet, it was in this setting that I did my soul-searching. And I made NOT One resolution this year, but deepened several important convictions, values and clear directions. These renewed aims will becom my Battle Cry for 2020. And since I spent 11 days deeply meditating and praying about them. I know they are good solid decisions. I know God will help me follow through with them & bring these worthy purposes to pass. So there are many benefits of this kind of personal seeking and introspection.

One of the personal benefits of such times of soul searching, reflection, design and focus is that I experience very special moments of clarity. I experience “signs”, “God shots”, “special moments of confirmation”, or of “serendipity”. Whatever you call them; they are heightened moments of awareness. Moments that God uses to assure me of right directions.

I experienced one of these assurances,
at 4:44 on New Year’s day. Which is a special time for my wife & I. At that exact moment, I felt a deep inward conviction & knowing; while looking at the the sunset (pictured below). I picked up my phone to write Dawn about this feeling. And it was then that I discovered that 4:44 was the exact time. It was another of these clear moments of “Divine coincidence.”

I wrote Dawn about my deep inward knowings and to remind her that God still has His faithful hand on our lives and future. And I created a special message to her, while looking at this beautiful display of God’s handiwork, to tell her about it.

So I have the evidence of this awesome memory of this special moment, to remind me of the worthiness of the new direction. I have discovered again and again that God speaks to me in the solitude of nature.

And that brings me to the purpose of this writing. Since this discovery has been such a tremendous blessing to me. With love, care and hope for each of you my friends, I make this recommendation:

To add joy and meaning to your new year. Get away from the crowd regularly in 2020. Seek God and your own calling, needed focus, and assurance in the beauty of Creation. The awesome wonder and beautiful affirmations of Nature’s Touch might ve just what you need. These special times of reflection might help you realize things, you might otherwise overlook!

So give your own life a power boost. Seek some time away from the crowd to discover your Own deep longings and deeper meanings for life. If you do so, you may discover new healthy purposes and more clarity of direction. You may discover purposes so deep and sure that resolutions can’t contain them! I hope so! I wish the best for you!

Happy New Year all year! Slam-

Sunset 01-01-2020

Slam in the stand! 01-01-2020

An honest and real faith in Christ, balanced with a healthy dose of pragmatism & reason will equip you to face anything you have to face in life, one day at a time by the grace of God.
Paul Johnson said in his History Of Christianity that “a sincere seeker of Truth has nothing to fear from the facts.” This is so true. A healthy belief does not run from facts but faces them, with the fire of faith; which burns even brighter through acceptance of truth.
There is a old saying that some are so spiritually minded that they’re no earthly good. This was true of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus day. Our faith should make us benevolent like our Creator and philanthropic like the Heart of Jesus.
Our faith should make us the most grounded, well-rounded people on earth. We should be centered on Christ but active in service to our world. Faith should not remove us from practical contexts but make us more fulfilled and dynamic in everyday real life!
Jesus did not run from the issues of his day but faced them with the wisdom of the Father and the understanding Heavenly Counsel and the might of Spiritual Power. Not only give you make claims of Divinity but was the most socially relevant Person to ever live.
I follow Christ! should mean: that we belong entirely to The Heavenly Father. And that we give ourselves unceasingly and unselfishly in service to the world around us, through the mighty outpouring and inner-working of the Holy Spirit.

Tim G Carter

AKA – “Slam”

1). Healthy Change most often must often first happen in you,
Before it happens to you!

2). Quality must reside in your labor approach and attitude, to avoid negative work vicissitude and it’s ill effects.

3) Your work performance must be
aimed Positively to prevent your work
outcome from changing negatively. So
then, you’re Positive attitude could & should lead to positive work results.

4) You are not likely to see a change in
your income, until you see a positive
difference in your work outcome and
results.

5). You will appreciate and enjoy your gain more, if it is the result of work, than luck….

6). Doing your best work even when not recognized by men can be a form of worship to God.

(Ephesians 6:5-8b) Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with respect and fear,
and with sincerity of heart,just as you
would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not
only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing
the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,

7) The positive results of increased work performance are seldom immediate but like your Garden will produce a A good reward, in season!

8). You will often have to “tune out” the negative talk of the crowd to “tune in”to a good attitude. This will not only
benefit your work but your Spiritual life as well.

9)- Commitment to do your best work is not necessarily a “works” mentality. It can also be a Love mentality, offering your best in everything as worship to God. It can also be a Grace mentality, offering gratitude by Service for the free Gifts, you have received…….

Slam- #Slamism

Dear friends, one of the chief reasons that I am a Christian. Is that Christ can bring a joy in your heart that no storm of Life can take away. Perhaps this #covid-19 distress has been very hard on you. Sometimes in my life, the very thing that seems to be the most difficult drives me to my knees in prayer, and a renewed sense of Love, Faith and Peace in my heart.

We may be having to practice separation from our friends and neighbors but in this time of isolation from the world, we can all draw closer to God! We can draw all the nearer to our Lord and Savior, through the
Power, Presence and Promise of The Holy Spirit.

Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He has promised that He will be with us always, even until the
end of the age. So, I hope and pray that you will use this time of distancing from people, to draw closer to your Maker. Let these pictures of inspiration and this song of great Joy and Victory cause this Easter Sunday morning to be the best you have ever had, at least in terms of your faith in Christ!

Corrie Ten Boom, who went through the horrors and hell of a Nazi concentration camp shared for the rest of her life, spoke about how to achieve a deeper intimacy with God. Her best advice I will never forget. She said instead of wrestling with God. Nestle with God! Let’s take her advice and draw closer to God and allow Him to draw closer to us, on this Easter Sunday!

—————————————————————
Keith Green was my favorite Christian singer and His song “The Victor” is the most awesome tune to celebrate resurrection Sunday with. I share this version, which lets you hear him playing on the piano and singing while watching inspirational slides. Keith entered the permanent joy of his Lord Jesus in 1982, in a plane crash.

https://youtu.be/qfr99OC354U

Not everything he said was pure gospel/But the late Robert Schuller said/”Tuff times don’t last-Tuff people do”/I don’t know if
it’s always tru-But it helps at times/Sometimes when there’s no other way-trust God-push on thru & a way opens up as u Faithfully go forward. #Slamism

Quite a few years ago my daughter TeNae​​ and I went to a service at the Crystal Cathedral, in California.
Not everything The late Dr. Robert Schuller said was pure gospel. But he really did come up with some great, positive, life quickfix quotes.

One of these Robert Schuller said was: “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” I don’t know if it’s always true. But it has helped me many times. Sometimes when there’s no other way and it seems like the road is blocked by difficulty and trial. If you will Trust God, dig deep for the strength He has put inside you and push on through the obstacles. A way will open up as you Faithfully go forward. A way where it seems there was no way, only shortly before.

There truly are times that a path just seems to miraculously open up. And yet there are many more times, it seems like God is testing us, to see just how much we believe, and how willing we are to keep trying. And so at times, true life heroes have to push through walls of difficulty that seem insurmountable.

I was reading yesterday about Terry Fox. A young man who died when he was 23 years old, in 1981. Cancer caused him to lose one of his legs and it was replaced with a prosthetic leg. But instead of feeling sorry for himself and giving up. He embarked on a cross Canadian Marathon run, with a prosthetic leg. Just for the purposes of raising awareness to cancer.

The cancer worsened and metastasized in his lungs, after he had started his run and stopped him in his task to run coast to coast. But not before he had run 3333 miles and the equivalent of a marathon every day. . The cancer killed this Herculean young man, in 1981. But not before he left a mark on everyone who witnessed his awesome and incredible
Overcoming Spirit.

Sometimes life is like that. Challenges wont just lay down in front of you. And you have to summon all the courage you can, to go forward and face them. You must do the best you can, even when it seems that the ultimate goal is beyond you and that each step only becomes more difficult.

Because most true Life heroes may not known by many, may not be known by any. Still, In their own hearts and individual lives, they face the seemingly impossible. And move forward anyway, regardless of pain and price. And so when we face our own individual trials and tests, the lesson of courageous faith is clear! Do not give up. Fight for good, live with courage, regardless of outcome. Because whether, we reach the ultimate goal or not. With an Overcomers heart in mind, we can still make our life count, and make a positive difference in this world, with the help & inspiration of God!

I have been a Resveratrol user for many years. In the last few, rhetoric has heightened to seemingly dispel it’s usefulness. Here is an article with compelling evidence to validate just one of its potential neurological benefits. Slam- Nov. 2022

Green Tea and Resveratrol Reduce Alzheimer’s Plaques