(Winning With A Bad Hand)

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

BACK IN THE DAYS -MANY OF US USE TO PLAY GAMES THAT JUST CONSUMED US

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WAS BORN AFTER 1980

YOU MIGHT BE TO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I`M TALKING ABOUT

BUT BACK IN THE DAYS WE USE TO PLAY GAMES CALL

RED LIGHT -GREEN LIGHT

HIDE AND GO SEEK

KICK BALL , DODGE BALL AND FOOTBALL

AND THEN ON RAINY DAYS

WE USE TO PLAY GAMES IN THE HOUSE LIKE

JACKS

MONOPOLY

CHECKERS

DOMINOES

PITY PAD WITH DUECES WILD

BUT OUT OF ALL THE GAMES WE PLAYED ON RAINY DAYS

SPADES IS MY FAVORITE

AND THE REASON I LIKED SPADES IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET A GOOD HAND YOU CAN TALK NOISE TO YOUR OPPONENTS

BUT IT`S THRU MY EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING SPADES

THAT I`VE DISCOVERED THAT EVERY HAND YOU GET IS NOT A GOOD HAND

AS JUST AS YOU TALK NOISE WITH A GOOD HAND

YOU HAVE TO BE QUITE AND JUST PLAY THE BAD HAND

AND AIN`T IT AMAZING HOW SOMETIMES LIFE WILL DEAL YOU A BAD HAND

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

IT`S A BAD HAND

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WITH MORE BILLS THAN MONEY

IT`S A BAD HAND

WHEN YOUR JOB DECIDES TO DO CUT BACK AND CUT YOUR HOURS

BUT SOMEONE FORGOT TO NOTIFY YOUR CREDITORS OF THE CUT BACK

AND NOW YOU DON`T KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO PAY THEM

IT`S A BAD HAND

WHEN YOU INVEST SO MUCH IN YOUR CHILDREN AND IN RETURN THEY THINK YOU`RE THE CHILD AND THEY ARE THE ADULTS

BUT EVEN THOUGH LIFE SOMETIMES DEAL US A BAD HAND

I STOP BY THIS MORNING /EVENING TO ENCOURAGE YOU

THAT WE CAN STILL WIN WITH A BAD HAND

IN THE TEXT BEFORE US

JAMES THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS GIVE US SOME BIBICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WIN WITH A BAD HAND

NOTICE ---NOTICE ---- NOTICE WHAT JAMES SAYS

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

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AND THE 1ST THING JAMES LETS US KNOW THAT IF YOU WANT TO WIN WITH A BAD HAND

(IT ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU KNOW)

FOR HE SAYS KNOWING THIS –WHICH MEANS BY EXPERIENCE

AND EACH OF US SHOULD KNOW THE LORD BY EXPERIENCE

IN OTHER WORDS EVERY BLOOD BOUGHT SON AND DAUGHTER SHOULD KNOW

WHO KEPT US WHILE WE WE`RE SLEEP LAST NIGHT

LET US SOME OF US WATCH A MOVIE IN OUR SLEEP AND DID`NT CHARGE US A DIME

THEN TOUCH US WITH A FINGER OF LOVE AND ALLOWED US TO SEE A DAY WE WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN

BLESSED US ALL DAY YESTERDAY

HEAL US WHEN WE WE`RE SICK

SAVED US WHEN WE WE`RE LOST

FED US WHEN WE WE`RE HUNGRY

WE SHOULD KNOW WHO

BROUGHT US OUT OUR LAST STORM

AND CARRIED US THROUGH OUR LAST VALLEY

GAVE US STRENGHT WHEN WE WAS WEAK

DIED FOR US WHILE WE WAS YET SINNERS

WE SHOULD KNOW BECAUSE HE IS

TOO STRONG TO BE WEAK

TOO FAITHFUL NOT TO FORGIVE

TOO RESPONSIBLE TO FAIL US

TOO GOOD TO BE BAD

TOO SWEET TO BE SOUR

TOO KIND TO BE MEAN

TOO LOVING NOT TO CARE

TOO GRACIOUS NOT TO PROVIDE

AND TOO PERFECT TO MAKE A MISTAKE

JAMES SAY WE SHOULD KNOW

THAT TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS ARE NOT TO DEFEAT AND DISCOURAGE US

BUT GOD ALLOWS THEM TO PROVE US

TO MAKE US STRONGER AND PURE

AND JAMES REVEALS TO US THAT WHEN LIFE DEALS US A BAD HAND

WE CAN STILL WIN BECAUSE OF WHO WE KNOW AND WHAT WE KNOW

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WELL NOT ONLY CAN WE WIN WITH A BAD HAND BECAUSE OF WHO WE KNOW AND WHAT WE KNOW

BUT JAMES ALSO REVEALS THAT THE BAD HAND IS JUST A TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

(I KNOW THIS MAY NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY------- BUT IT WILL MAKE YOU HOLY)

BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER HAVE THE BLESSING OF THE LORD WITHOUT THE TESTING OF THE LORD

BECAUSE WE CAN`T GET ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

IN OTHER WORDS GOD HAS TO TEST YOU BEFORE HE BLESS YOU

HE HAS TO BEND YOU BEFORE HE CAN MEND YOU

SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS US TO GO DOWN A CROOKED ROAD

TO SEE IF OUR FAITH IS MATURE ENOUGH TO KNOW

THAT GOD IS------- ABLE TO MAKE A CROOKED ROAD STRAIGHT

JAMES SAYS THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH

NOW THE WORD TRYING MEANS TO TEST SOMETHING FOR THE PURPOSE OF APPROVING IT

AND THE PURPOSE FOR THE TESTING IS TO ESTABLISH GENUINE FAITH

BECAUSE OUR FAITH IS PROVED BY OUR TRIALS

WHICH PRODUCES PATIENCE

AND I KNOW THEY HURT

BUT THEY HELP US TO BECOME ALL THAT GOD WOULD HAVE US TO BE