Home at last!

Well, here I am at home. Ready for a good nights rest in my own bed. In case you are wondering, my wife and I took a vacation from March 20th to the 31st. We drove to Asheville, NC for the weekend, then we drove to Northport, AL and stayed there for the week. It is amazing how a lot of driving can give you time to think about things. Like what things are important in life, etc? Also, realizing what an amazing and loving God we have.

As far as the first question, the important things in life are our relationships to those around us. Money does not even enter the equation; nor do all the toys that we can accumulate over our lifetime. We must concentrate more on loving and caring for all those who we come in contact with. It does not matter if they are related to us or not. We do not have to hug and kiss everyone we meet, just show them what true love is through how you treat them. People can see through love that is being faked. Love must come from the heart, because that is Godly love!

Now for the second pondering. Whenever I or my wife or both take a trip, we always pray and ask for God's protection. We put our lives in His wonderful hands. On this trip, we had two close calls on the road. They both could have been disastrous, but through His grace and protection, we did not even touch the other vehicles even though they were very close as they cut us off. The key is to immediately thank God for His providence and protection.

I had no fear or worry, because I know that He is in control and He promises to take care of those who have accepted His Son, Jesus and have allowed Him into their hearts.

If you do not know Jesus, please accept Him into your heart and repent of your sins, then go get yourself immersed (baptized).

I love you and God loves you.
Pointman Montoursville

The True Spice of Life--Jesus

If people would just stop and think about all that is going on in the world and in America at this time, they would realize that the only way to true life here and in eternity is through Jesus Christ!!

I am saddened by the fact that so many people are closing their eyes to this fact. Satan is working overtime in this day and age. We Christians better wake up, also!! We have to remember that Jesus died for everyone in the world, not just a select few. First, we must witness to as many people as possible in our lifetime. Second, we must stand up and be counted among those who will fight to keep our liberty and stop the current tyranny that is happening in America. We must be willing to give our lives for Jesus just as He gave His life for us.

When we truly accept Jesus' love, we find that no matter what the circumstances, Jesus is the spice of life and is there through whatever we are going through. It does not matter how bleak things look, He is standing next to us giving us his strength and courage. All we have to do is tap into it.

Please, if you read this post and do not know Jesus on a personal basis, get on your knees and accept Him into your heart--Repent of and ask forgiveness for your sins--Go to a Bible believing church and get baptized(immersed), so that you can be washed white as snow and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a decision that you will never regret.

Apology

I must apologize to anyone who has or have been following my posts. I had major computer problems and ended up getting rid of my last computer. Therefore; I have been unable to continue my blogging. As I write this, I am sitting in a motel room in Northport, Alabama. My wife is visiting her son and his newborn(Nov. 2008). Her name is: Emma and she is adorable. I get to do whatever I want to do w/o Linda. I have already forgiven my step-son for not wanting me around, but it does not stop the hurt. As I have found out over the years, life is not fair. Praise the Lord that He is! Well I guess I will sign off for now.

RECOVERY- continued

The fifth step to recovery is: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. "Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him...and let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of mind." (Romans 12: 1-2 GNB) Where do my character defects come from? There are 3 places: 1-My Chromosomes, 2-My Circumstances, 3-My Choices. It is very hard to change them because I have had them for so long; because I identify with them; because they have a payoff; and because satan discourages me. These are the reasons we need God's help. How do I cooperate with God's change process? There are 7 parts to our cooperation with God.

1. Focus on changing one defect at a time.
2. Focus on victory one day at a time.
3. Focus on God's power not on willpower.
4. Focus on what I want, not what I don't want.
5. Focus on doing good, not feeling good.
6. Focus on people who help me, not hinder me.
7. Focus on progress, not perfection.

All seven of these are necessary for us to be able to submit to God's change process. There is one thing that is necessary for us to submit to God. We must accept Jesus as our personal Saviour, then we must repent of our sins and lastly we must be baptized by immersion, thereby showing God that we are sincere in our hearts and want Him as our one and only God.
Look for the next installment of RECOVERY. There are only three(3) left and I will post them as I finish studying each one.
May God bless you!!

Point Man

Bible study group

Well here I am again. The Christian Church at Cogan Station, my church affiliation, is studying the 12 steps to recovery and applying God's Word to it. Recovery as applied to our whole life from all the hurts and hangups that we all have (Not just addictions such as alcohol and pornography, etc.). The 1st step is: Recognize that I am not God and admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanigable. "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor." (Matthew 5:3 TEV) The 2nd step is: Ernestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. "...anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6B NIV) God's love is not conditional!! The 3rd step is: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control. "Come to me all you who are weary and overburdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 Phillips) The 4th step is: Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone that I trust. "You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you." (Proverbs 28:13 TEV)

These are the first 4 steps to recovery. If you have any questions, e-mail me at: pointman.montour@gmail.com There is a lot more to this than what is written here. If you are interested in learning more and the next eight steps, CCCS has two Sunday morning services: 8:30 and 10:45. All are welcome to attend to worship and learn about God's Word. Also, we have Friday night recovery services. 6pm-food & fellowship-7pm-service starts. Again, all are welcome.

Stay tuned for the next installment (steps).
In His service,
Point Man

Point Man Ministry Montoursville

I am new at this, but w/Jesus' help, I can do this. You see, I have a ministry helping other veterans by listening to whatever is ripping them apart from their service during war time. I am a Vietnam vet myself and know what you have gone through during your service to our great country. Readjusting to civilian life can be tough after being in a war zone. If you are a veteran in the north central part of Pennsylvania, feel free to contact me at my e-mail address above or go to www.ourchurch.com/member/v/VeteranOutreach. I am still in the process of finding a meeting site that can be used for group meetings in the Williamsport area. I do meet one-on-one, also. I will be glad to listen to you and will keep anything that is said confidential. You will not be judged or condemned, so please do not be afraid to contact me if you need someone to listen to you. The best way to help you cope is to talk to someone who will listen and understand what you went through. My services are free and I can come to you if needed. If you know a veteran that is in the hospital, please let me know so that I can visit him or her. Feel free to contact me even if all you want to know is more about Point Man Ministry. Point Man Ministry Montoursville is an outpost of Point Man International Ministries. Looking forward to meeting you. Also, welcome back to all veterans no matter what war you served in. May God bless you all!!
Point Man